Milano, Verona, Opera, Garda & Bergamo

Overview

Pictures

A picture says more than a thousand words, so before giving you more details about the trip, let’s just have a look at some pictures of the places we are visiting during this trip.

 

 

Program

The program for this trip to Verona (and surroundings), like any other Expat Club trip, is carefully designed. We value realistic departure, travel and arrival times, and put a lot of effort into allocating enough time to visit each destination. Of course still much depend on traffic situations, but you can rest assured that we always do our best to give you the most optimal experience.

Thursday 25 August
07h45 – Meeting at Brussels Airport
09h45 – Departure Brussels Airlines flight to Milano Linate
11h20 – Arrival Milano Linate & transfer
12h30 – Arrival hotel (check-in follows later) & lunch
14h00 – Guided tour Milano city
20h00 – Dinner

Friday 26 August
08h00 – Breakfast
09h00 – Check-out & transfer to Bergamo
10h30 – Guided tour Old Town
12h00 – Lunch
13h00 – Transfer to Verona
14h00 – Arrival Verona
14h15 – Check-in hotel
15h00 – Walk to city & Guided tour
18h00 – Dinner in city
20h45 – Opera Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
00h00 – End opera & drinks in town

Saturday 27 August
08h00 – Breakfast
09h00 – Daytrip to Lago di Garda with private speed boat
– Guided tour at Sirmione
– Long boat tour on Lago di Garda
– Visit to Isola del Garda
18h00 – Return to Verona
20h45 – Opera Carmen (Georges Bizet)

Sunday 28 August
08h00 – Breakfast
09h00 – Checkout from hotel
09h45 – Visit to Brescia
11h00 – Drive around Lago d’Iseo
12h30 – Lunch at Lago d’Iseo
14h00 – Afternoon program
17h00 – Check-in Milano Linate
18h50 – Departure Brussels Airlines to Brussels
20h20 – Arrival Brussels

Itinerary

Our itinerary for this 4-day trip will take us to some of the most beautiful cities and parts in Northern Italy, including Milano, Bergamo, Verona, the legendary 2000-years old Arena, the “peninsula town” Sirmione at the Lago di Garda and on our final day, Brescia and Lago d’Iseo, possibly the most beautiful lake in Northern Italy with stunning panoramic views and ancient villages.

Milano
We start our trip in the Italian metropolis of Milano. Known for its fashion industry, the majestic Duomo and the world-famous La Scala theater, this is a great place to visit. Unfortunately we only have an afternoon and evening, but we might as well enjoy our time here since our flights arrive and depart from the city airport Linate. After arrival we’ll enjoy a guided tour in the center of the city and of course walk by all the major highlights. In the evening we foresee a dinner in a great local restaurant, away from the touristy areas. You’re gonna love it!

Bergamo
Many people only know Bergamo from the Milano-Bergamo Orio-al-Serio airport, one of the main Ryan Air hubs. But driving by this city on the highway would be a total waste. Its old own is built high up on a mountain overlooking the valley below. The stunning views from various parts of the city are worth it alone, but so are the old buildings and its rich history. We’ll spend here a few hours and enjoy a good lunch before we continue to Verona for the afternoon and evening program.

Verona & Opera
The city of Verona in the Veneto region in Northern Italy dates back to the 1st century B.C., although there are indications of previous settlements in the same area. It’s city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century B.C. It particularly flourished under the rule of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. Verona has preserved a remarkable number of monuments from antiquity, the medieval and Renaissance periods, and represents an outstanding example of a military stronghold.” – Unesco website

The city is situated on the Adige river and acquired Roman citizenship in 49 B.C. After that the development of the city went fast, with the construction of temples, bridges, theatres, city walls and of course the world famous Verona Arena, one of the most important monuments from that era. During our visit to the city we will discover them all with a professional guide.

Verona is also the “City of Love” of Romeo and Juliet. We’ll visit their houses and of course see the famous balcony. But of course the most famous place of all is that magnificent 2000 year old arena.  Nowadays it is still a beloved venue by the world’s biggest stars, including Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Pearl Jam and many more. But the Opera Festival that takes place in the summer is probably the reason why so many people choose Verona as their holiday destination.

Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps

This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Excavations, only conducted in some of the sites, have yielded evidence that provides insight into life in prehistoric times during the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Alpine Europe and the way communities interacted with their environment. Fifty-six of the sites are located in Switzerland. The settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies in the region. - UNESCO website

Lago d’Iseo
On our last day we still have a full morning and lunch time before going to the airport. We could stay in Verona, but we’ve already seen it. So we decided to drive slowly back to Milan with a bit of D-tour, staring in the beautiful small town of Brescia, followed by a a drive around the little jewel among the Great Lakes of Northern Italy, Lago d’Iseo. We’ll drive around the lake, stop in some of the greatest historic villages, including Iseo, Pisogne and Lovere, before driving onward along the Western shore towards Milan for our flight back to Brussels. It will be a day to never forget.

Hotels

Expat Club always arranges good hotels for our trips. For this trip we have found a good 4* hotel in Milan and a good 4* hotel in Verona. This way we can see much more of this region in Northern Italy.

Windsor Hotel Milano****
We start our trip in the 4-star Windsor Hotel at a great location in the city of Milan. Just 10 minutes walking to the center and from there we can visit many of the most famous buildings and areas of this fashion capital of the world. The rooms are everything you can expect, a comfy bed, a private bathroom, free wifi and of course a good and healthy breakfast. Update. 29/7: please note that some of our group may be in another equally good 4* hotel at just a few minutes walking from the Windsor.

Hotel Fiera Verona***
Our 4-star hotel in Verona is situated just 2 kilometers outside the Old Town of Verona. After arrival, we freshen up a bit, before we go to the centre for a guided tour, a nice dinner and of course the opera . All the air-conditioned rooms come with a private bathroom with a shower and hairdryer. A satellite TV, a desk and a mini-bar are also available. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel and breakfast is included.

In each hotel you can choose between the following room options, all include a private bathroom:

• • Single room (normally with 1 large bed, with surcharge)
  • Double room (1 large bed, for couples, no surcharge)
  • Twin room (2 single beds, for 2 friends traveling together)
  • Twin room (2 single beds, for 2 single female travelers who would like to avoid the single surcharge)
  • Triple / family rooms (double bed + single bed / sofa, upon request only)

Expat Club room sharing for single travelers
If you are joining this trip on your own, you can of course take a single room, but then you pay a surcharge (start the booking process). However, you can also opt for the Expat Club room sharing service. This means you do not pay the single surcharge. During the outbound journey we will introduce you to the other travelers who also want to share a room. We do not assign a room partner, but you can mutually agree to share the room. We only offer female/female and male/male rooms. This is a great way to save some money while you get to know another nice person on this trip.

Flights

We fly directly from Brussels to Milano Linate, the airport located very close to the city of Milan. We depart in the morning and we stay one night, so we can really enjoy the city. We also fly back from Milan on Sunday evening, so we maximally stretch our time in Italy. These are the flight times.

• • Thu 25/8 – SN3147 – Brussels 09h45 >> Milano Linate 11h20
  • Sun 28/8 – SN3150 – Milano Linate 18h50 >> Brussels 20h20

Transfers from Milano Linate to the center of town and back to the airport on Sunday are included in the price.

Comments

• The flights will be carried out by Brussels Airlines.
• The trip is carefully planned. Still, all timings are indicative and may change if required by circumstances.
• The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go with your own transportation or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know and we’ll see what we can do for you.
• You are personally responsible for getting good cancellation and/or travel insurance that covers you for unforeseen emergencies and medical expenses before or during the trip. 
• You are personally responsible to make sure you adhere to local, national, and international corona measures, including arranging your covid certificate and masks wearing (if applicable).
• You are personally responsible for using the hotel room in an appropriate way. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for unforeseen delays that influence the program (e.g. missed guided tours), neither can Expat Club be held liable for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen events that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the flights, coach, strikes, weather etc.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, things that happen during the guided tours. Joining this trip is safe but still at your own risk.
• If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (male/male, female/female). During the outbound trip we will connect you with others in the same position. If you decide to take a single room during the trip, then you will have to fully pay for it yourself. We only have 1 male room available.
• If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, you will have to pay the single room supplement or share a room with another person (if available).