Day trips (1-2 days) from Milan

Sometimes, you don’t want to go on a big trip out of the country, and that’s okay! Milan is close to so many cool towns that sometimes there’s no need to go out of the country to visit somewhere new. Here are some of my recommendations on locations you can visit on a day trip. 

*Some of the places can be done in one day, but I would recommend two days. 

Verona— This was my first trip I took with IES Abroad the first week the program started. Known as the city of love, according to William Shakespeare. A lot of Romeo and Juliet, like the famous Juliet statue and balcony. 

Turin— is a great destination for chocolate lovers. I recommend going to the Palazzo Reale. It’s a huge museum with incredible artwork and other historical stuff, and it reminds me of Lourve. The entrance fee is around 5 euros. 

Lake Maggiore— Suuuuuuuuuuper cool and unique, I can’t think of a place that is comparable to Lake Maggiore. I’m not sure if this trip is offered every year by IES Abroad, but if it is I would 100% recommend signing up for it. Boat rides and travels to small islands where you can see unique architecture and 

Lake Como—I made the mistake of going in the off-season, around early February, and it was pretty cold. A lot of the attractions, like the Villas and funicular, weren’t open. Tickets to Como are 12 euros roundtrip, so you can visit multiple times, and trains are consistent, so you can even go midday if you want. 

*Cinque Terre—Have you ever seen the movie Luca? Cinque Terre inspired the setting of the film. The area includes five coastal towns that you can visit. You'll definitely want to spend two days here if you want a nice beach experience and want to explore all the towns.

Crema— My personal favorite. If you’re a fan of the movie Call Me By Your Name, this is one of the places they filmed a lot of the iconic scenes (Timmy dance edit, lake, newsstand, etc.) There is a CMBYN tour stand where you can see the original bikes they used in the movie and get a guide who labels all the places in Crema where they shot iconic scenes. They also give you a free postcard when you go!

*Geneva—This was my first trip to Switzerland, and yes, it is four hours away on the train, but it’s beautiful.  If you're into politics, the UN headquarters is in Geneva. I took a train to a different part of Switzerland called Miex where the picture was taken. 

Bologna— SUUUUUUUUPER good food, known as the food capital of Italy. This is where I had the best pasta throughout my entire time in Italy.  The architecture is so unique compared to other places in Italy.

Lugano— I missed my FlixBus to Lugano, so I never actually went to this part of Switzerland… BUT it is one of the closest destinations to hit from Milan if you’re looking for an out-of-country trip. 

Milan—Duh! Take time to explore Milan. It’s full of so many cool things. You can get caught up in wanting to explore other parts of Italy or Europe that you forget to explore your own host city. Enjoy your time in Milan because it’ll go by faster than expected.