Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING AROUND
Trains will get you to the main Lombard towns and to some strategic launch pads on and around the lakes. Elsewhere,
you'll be relying on a fairly dense network of buses, although infrequency of some services and the need to change buses
at times can make the process a little slow. Ferries ply the lakes, offering not only commuter services but also a range of
day-ticket options. Some handy car ferries cross at several points on Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda. Clearly, having
your own transport provides much greater liberty.
Milan has an excellent public transport network with both buses and the Metro covering just about anywhere you'd
need to go. Buses and trains connect Milan's airports to the city centre.
Bicycle
Cyclists are a common sight on Italian roads, but that doesn't necessarily mean that drivers will take cyclists into account.
There are nonetheless some fabulous cycling routes around the region.
Although cycling in Milan can be nerve-wracking for those unaccustomed to Italian traffic, it can be an enjoyable ex-
perience if you avoid the major thoroughfares. Both Milan and Verona have public bicycle schemes, while some city
centres have been closed to motorised transport, making cycling a pleasant way to get around - Cremona is an excellent
example of this.
Bikes can be taken on any train displaying the bicycle logo. The cheapest way to do this is to buy a separate bicycle
ticket (€4, or €6 to €15 on Intercity, Eurostar and Euronight trains), available even at the self-service kiosks. You can use
this ticket for 24 hours.
Boat
Ferries criss-cross all of the lakes covered in this topic. Timetables are cut back quite drastically in the off-season
(November to Easter).
Ferry services on the three main lakes come under the
Gestione Navigazione Laghi
( 800 55 18 01;
www.navigazionelaghi.it
)
. The website includes timetables and pricing for travel on Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda.
Lakeside ticketing booths and tourist offices also have timetables. A popular option are one-day tickets allowing unlim-
ited travel.
For the other lakes:
Lake Orta
From its landing stage on Piazza Motta in Orta San Giulio,
Navigazione Lago d'Orta
(
0322 84 48 62;
www.navigazionelagodorta.it
)
runs boats to numerous spots on that lake, including Isola San Giulio.
Lake Iseo
Operating up to eight ferries daily,
Navigazione sul Lago d'Iseo
(
www.navigazionelagoiseo.it
) routes from
(south to north) Sarnico, Iseo, Monte Isola, Lovere and Pisogne (and some other smaller stops).
Lake Lugano
Based in Lugano in Switzerland,
Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano
( 091 971 52 23;
www.lakelugano.ch
) operates ferries on Lake Lugano (parts of which sneak into Italian territory) year round.
