Two Weeks In Italy Itinerary By Public Transport – Part 1

From the moment I arrived in Italy I was fascinated by its beauty, it is special, interesting and has many styles. Each area has its own unique landscape and vibe. I really enjoyed my time in Italy and I think I planned a really fun route that included many areas without the need for a car. So I have decided to share it with you. I have elaborated on the route I did, how to get there, accommodation and general tips so I have divided this article into 2 parts. You will find the second part here.

Public transport in Italy works wonderfully, the truth is that I was even pleasantly surprised by the way it functioned. Did you know that getting around on public transportation while traveling is one of ten simple things that will make your trip more ecological? Read more here.

So without further ado let’s get started.

Day 1 – Arriving to Milan

Land in Milan and be impressed by the city. I took a train from the airport to the city center, I started my route at the Milan Botanic Gardens. I then went on a tour of the La Scala Opera House Museum. From there I continued to the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, the oldest shopping center in the world. Next to it you will find the Duomo Square and the main cathedral of Milan. Of course Milan has a lot more to offer depending on what interests you.

Day 2 – day trip to Como Lake

Here you have two options, take an organized day trip or do the same route by public transport. I did the organized trip because I booked it in advance and did not know that it is possible to do it by public transport and that it is so easy and accessible, but on the organized trip we also took a boat trip on the lake (which was very nice and recommended) so it was well worth it. We visited three towns located on the lake: Como, Bellagio and Varenna. All three can be easily reached by train or bus and you can go from one to the other by these or a ferry.

Each town has a different look, all picturesque with many flowers scattered around and a variety of alleys. In the city of Como do not miss the Gothic-style Palazzo Broletto and next to the palace you will find the main cathedral of Como (Duomo del Como) which is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Italy and took over 300 years to build. In addition, in the town Bellagio I recommend you visit Villa Melzi which is set in a stunning botanical garden and walk to the lookout point “La Punta Spartivento”.

Where to sleep in Milan?

During these two days in Milan I slept in the hostel ‘Ostello Bello Grande’ which I highly recommend.  I understood from travelers that I met that they have other branches around Italy and they highly recommended them too. The hostel in Milan is located a bit far from the tourist center (30 min walk), but it is so close to the main train station (2 min walk). It is decorated to a high standard and each room has a private toilet. The rooms are clean and there are joint activity evenings.

Day 3 – trip to the Dolomites

There are several major train stations in the Dolomites area – Bressanone, Bolzano and Merano. When traveling by public transport the location where we choose to sleep is very important and should suit our travel desires. The Dolomites are a relatively large region of land and there is much to see. I chose to stay in St. Magdalena, a stunning town 20 minutes’ bus ride from Bressanone train station. The area has several hiking trails and spectacular views. I chose this town because I wanted a continuous mountainous view from my hotel, combined with hiking trails in the forest. If I had stayed in the area longer I would probably have chosen to stay in Merano, because it has a wider variety of hiking trails near by.
 
St. Magdalena is stunning and I arrived relatively early so I just wandered around the area and enjoyed the beauty of the Dolomites.

The route I took by train –

I boarded a train at 8:25 from Centrale station in Milan in the direction of Verona Porta Nuova then waited an hour and a half to change trains to Bressanone, which left at 11:50. I arrived in Bressanone at 14:05. From there I boarded a bus leaving from a bus stop (next to the train station) number 330 for a twenty-minute drive and got off at a stop in St. Magdalena.

It is important to note:

• In this area the bus lines work exceptionally well. When a bus line is ahead of its time, it stops at the station and waits for its scheduled time and then continues on its way.
• There are lots of options for trails in the Dolomites and if you want to get around by public transport it is better to travel in the area where you are staying. So as I mentioned I chose to stay in St. Magdalena so I will give recommendations for trails I did in this area, but here you will find a wide variety of hiking trails in the Dolomites in different areas.

Day 4 – Zanserhutte village

In order to reach the village, take bus number 330/339 from the bus station in St. Magdalena in the direction of Zanserhutte, a 15-minute drive – buses leave about every hour. Next to the bus station in Zanserhutte there is a nature park – ‘Neturerlebnisweg Zans’ with many trails. The park mostly runs through a forest, but there are many lookout points along the trails towards the mountains. I spent a whole day in this park and did two different hiking trails.

Day 5 – Colma Village

In the Colma area there is a castle located on a high mountain with waterfalls around. I started at Trostburg Castle, got on bus number 330 in the direction of Bressanone, got off at Klamm (bus stop on the highway, Google Map will know to direct you) and got on number 170 in the direction of Bolzano (across the road) and got off at Dorf. The journey took 40 minutes and from the bus stop there is a sharp ascent on foot of 20-30 minutes towards the castle. The view from the castle is impressive and worth the climb. From there I returned to the bus stop and got on number 346 in the direction of ‘Unterer Barbianer Wasserfall’, got off at Barbianer and walked about 15 minutes towards the falls. It is possible to combine this trip with the lookout point at Saubach.

Day 6 – St. Magdalena and a stunning forest

I started the day with a walk in St. Magdalena. In the village there is a very beautiful church with a mountain view and a picturesque walking route. When I’d had my fill of this beautiful area, I got on a bus, number 330 in the direction of Bressanone, got off at a bus stop next to the train station and from there I boarded line 320.1. I got off at Villa Meyer station and walked a few minutes to ‘Percorso Idroterapico Kneipp Varna’, an amazing park with a river running through it and hiking trails in the forest – very peaceful and fun.

Where to sleep in the Dolomites?

In the Dolomites area I slept in Proihof Hotel which was exceptional. The rooms are large and spacious, you can choose from a variety of rooms and some of the options include a living room, kitchen and balcony. The rooms are clean and cozy. The breakfast was exceptional and was prepared entirely with produce from the hotel’s private farm. But the biggest advantage to staying there is receiving a pass for activities in the area which provides many discounts and allows free travel on public transport. I do not know if there are other hotels that give this Dolomites-card, but it makes getting around the area easy, convenient and cheap.

Day 7 – trip to Rome and tourist sites

I started the morning early and arrived in Rome at noon. We took a route between the main tourist sites of the city. We started in the ruins of the old city and the Caracalle baths. From there we continued to the impressive Monument Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II. We walked to the Trevi Fountain and from there to the Pantheon and the Four Rivers Fountain, passed through the Jewish Quarter and made our way towards dinner.

The route I took by train –

So as I mentioned in the previous post my mom and sister joined me for 4 days in Rome. I wanted to get to Rome as soon and as quickly as possible so I took a taxi to the train station in Bolzano (40 min ride) because in the early morning there are no buses in the area. I boarded a train at 7:15 and arrived in Rome Termini station at 12:10. There are direct trains also at later hours (then you can take a direct bus to Bressanone and get on the train there to Rome).

So this was the route of the first week of my trip in Italy, here you will find the continuation of the route, along with general tips for a successful trip in Italy, enjoy, feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will answer soon.

I will just mention that this is the route I took, of course you are welcome to adapt the route to the nature of your trip and shorten or extend the stay in different places.

For more photos and recommendations take a look at my Instagram profile.