The best day trips from Milan, Italy by train from Lake Como to Venice

Rome may be the heart of Italy, but it’s far from the country’s only nexus.

Milano Centrale is your matchmaker in Northern Italy, instantly allowing you to ride the rails to the canals of Venice, the shores of Lake Como, the coast of Cinque Terre, and much, much more.

The best day trips from Milan aren’t just sideshows, but rather, an opportunity to turn a week-long trip to Italy’s fashion capital into an easy exploration of Italy’s fantastic northern cities.

We’re not telling you to run away from the runway, but these day trips are so close to the catwalk that you can easily fit one into your Italian itinerary.

Parrocchia di San Giovanni Battista Duomo di Monza in Italy. Image Credit: Getty Images, RnDmS

Monza

Milan to Monza: from 8m

The black and white marble striped cathedral, Parrocchia di San Giovanni Battista Duomo di Monza, houses a vibrant showcase of frescos and stained glass. If you’ve seen one too many duomos during your time in Italy, race to the Parco di Monza for feelings both high-octane and slow-speed. This park is home to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza racing circuit, Golf Club Milano, and the fabulous neoclassical estate, Villa Reale di Monza.

Pavia

Milan to Pavia: from 17m

Pavia is a university city, so keep an eye out for academia in unique places. Geometry? Check out the octogonal dome in the Cupola Arnaboldi. Anatomy? That and more medical wonders in the University History Museum. Art? See plenty of frescoes in the Visconti Castle — Civic Museums. Lunch? Osteria della Madonna da Peo for the pumpkin gnocchi and goose ravioli.

Bergamo

Milan to Bergamo: from 40m

The hilltop medieval heart of Bergamo has a belt of Venetian Walls supporting its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Famous for its opera and tagged as an “Italian Capital of Culture” in 2023, take the cable car up to Città Alta and wander the narrow alleys. Or, should you buck the trends, take a tour beneath Bergamo’s Brembana Valley with a visit into the Caves of Wonders.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Roberto Moiola. Image Location: Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como

Milan to Como San Giovanni: from 37m

A Milan to Lake Como day trip is commonplace when visiting Italy’s fashion capital. Multiple trains run between the stations each day, which means you can sleep in, sip your cappuccino without haste, and still enjoy a long day spotting celebrities or finding these Succession filming locations.

Admiring the dramatic coastal backdrops is priority number one — and one that you can easily accomplish with a swim in the summer, a hike in the autumn, or from the window of a spa hotel in the winter.

Parma

Milan to Parma: from 47m

We didn’t see a grain of Parmesan cheese on the menu at Parma’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Inkiostro, and that’s okay. A day in Parma means alternating between Parmesan cheese and Parma ham when you’re not scoping out the art in the Galleria nazionale di Parma (or the totally-not-as-creepy-as-it-sounds Giordano Ferrari puppet museum housed in an old monastery!).

Lake Garda

Milan to Peschiera del Garda: from 57m

Milan to Desenzano del Garda/Sirmione: from 50m

Lake Garda may not be Italy’s most famous lake, but it is the country’s largest. A great alternative to crowded Como, Ronchi on the southeastern shoreline has loads of family fun like LEGOLAND (which is currently temporarily closed), SEA LIFE Aquarium, CanevaWorld, and Gardaland Resort. Sirmione is a little more traditional with its 13th-century castle (Scaligero Castle) and huge ancient Roman villa.

Skyline of Turin, Italy during sunset. Image Credit: Getty Images, FilippoBacci

Turin

Milan to Turin: from 40m

Turin is for truffles. The famed truffle hunting grounds of Piedmont are just outside the city so leave no regrets when looking at a restaurant’s truffle menu. If truffles aren’t your thing, then feel free to play tourist with visits to see the Egyptian collection in the Museo Egizio, the views from Mole Antonelliana, and the paths of Parco del Valentino that feature River Po on one side and grand villas on the other.

Genoa

Milan to Genoa: from 1h 18m

Genoa: it’s the OG of Italian port cities and one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities. You’d be surprised how many things you love that were shipped off of Genoa’s shorelines (hint: blue jeans and pesto call Genoa home just as much as Christopher Columbus). Learn all about it at the maritime museum then see what’s beneath the sea at the aquarium.

Verona

Milan to Verona Porta Nuova: from 1h 10m

In fair Verona, you can write letters to Juliet (not unlike Amanda Seyfried in Letters to Juliet) but make sure you’re not wed to only Shakespeare’s impact on the city. An ancient Augustus-era Roman theater and another well-preserved Roman amphitheater each host performances that weren’t written by Billy Shakes.

Borromeo Islands on Lake Maggiore, Italy. Image Credit: Getty Images, Matteo Colombo

Lake Maggiore

Milan to Stresa: from 1h 04m

The Italian Lakes region deserves days of exploration, but when you’ve only got a single day to experience this beautiful area, make the extra effort to visit Lake Maggiore. Straddling Piedmont and Lombardy, Lake Maggiore is the second-largest lake in Italy. Take a surprisingly cheap boat ride to the Borromeo Islands and explore its small museums or see them from afar when wandering Villa Taranto’s botanical gardens in Verbania.

Bologna

Milan to Bologna: from 56m

Bologna and Milan are friendly neighbors that send trains to one another over 50 times a day. This hour-long trip spares you a longer journey to a larger city, yet doesn’t skimp on the cuisine, culture, or coolness. The Ducati factory, Palazzo d’Accursio art museum, and the Michelin-starred food at Ristorante I Portici are a trio of things to do in Bologna that make even a half-day trip worth it.

Read also: Best things to do in Bologna

Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore in Florence, Italy. Image Credit: Getty Images, ozgurdonmaz

Florence

Milan to Florence: from 1h 42m

Go with the Flo…so many others do. A visit to Florence can be as touristy as Rome and Venice, and that’s the beauty of it. On a simple day trip from Milan, you can see Michelangelo’s Statue of David, then see another Statue of David by Donatello. Leonardo’s The Annunciation and Raphael’s Madonna della Seggiola complete your checklist of Florence’s four famous Renaissance pieces.

Pisa

Milan to Pisa Centrale: from 2h 45m

Visiting Milan and Pisa in the same trip is a flex, especially if you forgo Rome and Florence. Admire the architecture — both the leaning and the perfectly upright — then see a few less popular sites like the ancient Roman ships in the Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa or the religious art in the National Museum of San Matteo.

Aosta Valley

Milan to Aosta: from 3h 15m

The Aosta Valley borders both France and Switzerland, putting you in the center of the European Alps. Mont Blanc is to the west, the Matterhorn is to the east, but without crossing into another country, you can simply head south to Gran Paradiso National Park for hiking or hang out at Osteria dell’Oca and hear the mountain climbers recall their latest ascent over a steamy pot of fondue.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Sanga Park. Image Location: Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre

Milan to La Spezia Centrale: from 2h 59m

This one is for the train lovers as much as it is for the beachgoers. The five towns of Cinque Terre may take a bit longer to get to than Lake Como, but the journey from start to finish is enjoyable even from the seat of a train. Buy a Cinque Terre Express ticket for only €5 for travel through all five towns once you arrive at La Spezia Centrale.

Choosing a favorite of Cinque Terre’s towns is like asking someone to name their favorite child, pet, or houseplant. Dress in a swimsuit for Monterosso and for the sunset in Vernazza. Explore the national park from Corniglia and the wine bars in Manarola. Riomaggiore is the postcard town with its colorful coastal homes, no doubt where you’ll want to do your souvenir shopping.

Rome

Milan to Rome: about 3h

From the runway to the Appian Way, a day trip from Milan to Rome is never a bad option. The Eternal City is oh so reliable: the wonders of Rome are so vast that even if you revisit sites like the Colosseum that you’ve seen before, you’ll still have an amazing experience. And if all else fails, PGR: Pizza. Gelato. Repeat.

Sunset over Lake Carezza and Latemar Massif in the Dolommites, Italy. Image Credit: Getty Images, Nora Carol Photography

The Dolomites

Milan to Bolzano/Bozen: from 3h 3m

The Dolomites have 18 reasons to visit by train, each stretching the Italian Alps over 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet) into the sky. These limestone peaks are called the “Pale Mountains”, but in truth, most will agree that the rest of the Alps actually pale in comparison. You can appreciate their beauty year-round, whether that’s taking the bus up to Ortisei to hike the Val Gardena in the summertime or hitting the slopes around Cortina D’Ampezzo in the winter.

Related: Best hotels in the Dolomites

Vicenza

Milan to Vicenza: from 1h 39m

Don’t confuse Vicenza with Venezia when you’re reading the train boards. This city’s spectacular appearance has architect Andrea Palladio to thank: his designs earned Vicenza designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Palladio’s Villa is a must-see. The Teatro Olimpico, his final work that was completed by his son, is another attraction to chisel into your timeblock.

Venice

Milan to Venezia Santa Lucia: from 2h 27m

We don’t need to convince you to visit Venice, do we? A direct train averaging 3 hours is effortless so use it to your advantage. Trains out of Venice end as late as 10:43PM, which means you can spend a little time exploring the canals once the cruise ships have left for the day.

Image Credit: Getty Images, mikolajn. Image Location: Lugano, Switzerland

Switzerland

Whether you’re a country counter or want to see the Alps without spending an overnight in the Dolomites, a Milan to Switzerland day trip is a short and rewarding endeavor. But first, you need to pick a destination.

Chiasso is the southernmost town in Switzerland and so close to Lake Como that you could practically skip a rock from the border to George Clooney’s house. Chiasso is less than an hour by train from Milan, so it’s one of those “say you did it” destinations if you’re making a half-day trip.

Take the extra few minutes to travel to Balerna next door and you’ll find a raclette restaurant, hiking trails, and a cool abandoned cement factory turned into an urban museum and nature park.

Lugano is another hour-ish day trip from Milan to Switzerland. It’s a dreamy lakeside city with a colorful palazzi, a delicious mix of Swiss and Italian cultures, and has a lovely mountainous backdrop that makes the view alone worth the trip.

Arrive in style

Don’t be fashionably late on your Italian vacation. Download the Trainline app and purchase cheap tickets for a day trip from Milan before you even reach the station.

Street with colorful houses in Parma, Italy. Header Image Credit: Getty Images, kolderal

The best day trips from Milan by train: from Lake Como to Venice and beyond