Northern Italy pre-Christmas 🎅 Trip with a LOCAL (SHARED ROOM)

Hosted by

Roberto

08 Dec 23 → 17 Dec 23

Guided trip

10 days

6 stops

4 - 8 Mates

Italy

What's special?

LGBT+ friendly

Travel with a local

Discover lesser known destinations

Italy is known for its incredible cultural, artistic and culinary heritage, but guess what... there is more to the boot-shaped country than Rome, Florence and Venice! On this trip, we will explore lesser known destinations in the northern part of Italy, including Turin, Genoa, Bologna and Trieste. And we'll do that at the most wonderful time of the year 🎅🏻🎄 We will start in Milan, and from there we'll embark on a train journey through the north of the country. We'll in Venice (or Trieste, if you find a good flight combination from there). Train journey times will range from two and four hours, which will give us an opportunity to get to know each other, or simply people-watch, read a book and relax. Early December is a particularly interesting time to visit. It will be chilly, but that's when cities up and down the country put up beautiful holiday decorations, with Christmas markets and Christmas Trees galore. If you like to discover destinations in winter and enjoy the festive atmosphere, you will enjoy this trip... and who knows? You might find some nice Christmas presents for your loved ones! Here's what we will see: - Milan, the economic capital of Italy, is as awesome as it is misunderstood; - the elegant city of Turin, Italy's former capital; - the port city of Genoa, which boasts Europe's largest historical center; - Bologna, which is a paradise for foodies and one of Italy's most welcoming cities; - and stunning Trieste, the least Italian of Italian cities and yet one of the country's most incredible. Of course, no trip to Italy would be complete without FOOD. So, at each stop, you can expect to savor mouth-watering local cuisine. Just to give you an idea... Turin is famous for its chocolate, Genoa is the birthplace of pesto, Bologna is where you'll find the best cured meats in Italy, and Trieste is the Italian capital of coffee (where people use a unique vocabulary to order it). Being accompanied by a local doesn't only make the whole experience easier... it will also allow you to relax and understand Italian culture better, at a very special time of the year. IMPORTANT NOTE: The winter train schedule for Italy hasn't been published yet. Bookings for mates will be done as soon as the minimum number of participants is reached, and for any new participant after that. Please consider that for late bookings, prices can be higher - sometimes substantially. I have calculated the cost you've been offered based on current prices.

So... who am I? My name is Roberto, an Italian-born Barcelona-based globetrotter. These days, I don't get to go back to my home country as much, which is why this year I've decided to make it one of the destinations in my travel schedule. I know all the stops in this itinerary (most quite intimately). I am looking for fun, easy-going, and kind mates who are interested in travelling around with me. This trip is for you if you: - Like discovering foreign cultures - Enjoy walking and exploring cities - Don't mind moving around - Enjoy train rides - Are a foodie - Want to get a sense for what Italy is all about - Prefer off-the-beaten-track destinations - Are LGBT+ or an ally and friend to the LGBT+ community This trip is NOT for you if you: - Go on holiday to just relax and not move around - Don't like to walk - Are not interested in monuments and cultural trips - Are a picky eater (I am not talking about being vegetarian or vegan, I am talking about not experimenting with food) - Hate trains - Looking for winter sun (we might very well get it, but this is not a lounge-on-the-beach kind of trip) - You expect to be able to sleep in every day Join me to experience Italy like never before!

Details about the accommodation: Trip mates will be asked to share rooms. Since we will be moving around a bit, accommodation will always be as close to the train station as possible. When it comes to hotels, my rule is pretty simple... the "three Cs": clean, comfortable, central. I am booking good hotels, that have a rating of at least 8 on Booking.com, but don't expect 5-star accommodation. We'll be out exploring or eating most of the time, anyway. We won't have breakfast included, because it's much cheaper to have it outside... think coffee and a croissant for a a couple euros! Do you have questions about the trip? Keep me posted in the Q&A section!

What's included?

Transportation from city to city

Accommodation (Shared rooms)

Your Booking includes free protection from Trip cancellations.
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Gallery

Italy - Milan - Northern Italy pre-Christmas 🎅 Trip with a LOCAL (SHARED ROOM) - 1

Italy - Milan - Northern Italy pre-Christmas 🎅 Trip with a LOCAL (SHARED ROOM) - 2

Italy - Turin - Northern Italy pre-Christmas 🎅 Trip with a LOCAL (SHARED ROOM)

Roberto

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Friendly, Italian-born globetrotter with a knack for creating awesome itineraries

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Milan

Day 1-3

Milan is our gateway to Italy, and what an awesome gateway it is. People say it's ugly, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Milan is a vibrant, bustling metropolis with a rich cultural heritage. Around Christmas, the city center is lavishly decorated and offers a lovely atmosphere. On the 9th, we should be able to catch the famous O Bej! O Bej! Christmas Market, the most famous in town. And a nice slice of panettone shouldn't be hard to find there 😉 Depending on the time everyone gets in, we'll have a welcome dinner on the Friday night. And here are some of the things we can do the following day: - Visit the impressive Duomo cathedral and the nearby Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (which under Christmas is a scene to behold) - Admire Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper - Join locals on a stroll by the Colonne di San Lorenzo - Walk around the Sforzesco Castle, where the O Bej O Bey fair is held - Walk around the quaint Brera neighborhood and discover the cool district of Isola - Admire architecture, old and new - Enjoy a famous aperitivo

Turin

Day 3-4

The former capital of Italy, framed by the Alps, is as stately and majestic as it gets. Its palazzi and piazzas will leave you speechless. On top of the Christmas lights, Turin hosts every year the Luci d'Artista Festival, an art festival of light installations that turn the city into an open-air museum. Some of the things we'll do here: - Climb to the top of the Mole Antonelliana to enjoy views of the city from above - Take in the beautiful architecture of Piazza Castello - Enjoy Europe's largest hanging garden on the rooftop of a former FIAT car factory - Marvel at the magnificent Cappella della Sindone - Enjoy a traditional "Bicerin" in one of the city's historical cafes

Genoa

Day 4-6

The capital of Liguria (my home region) boasts the largest historical center in Europe. Getting lost in the colorful alleys of this port city feels like stepping back in time. Christmas in Genoa is perhaps a little less flamboyant than in Milan or Turin, but here too there will be a host of Christmas trees and Nativity Scenes. And Genoa doesn't need Christmas to feel magical... Some of things we'll do: - Discover the city's Old Port, reclaimed and redesigned by star architect Renzo Piano - Get lost in the city's "vicoli" - a labyrinth of alleys dotted with incredible churches and palazzi - Try pesto, which was invented here - Visit the charming fishing village of Boccadasse at sunset

Bologna

Day 6-8

The city has many monickers, but the most spot-on is by far "the fat one". This beautiful city is probably the best place to eat in all of Italy. Bologna has a long tradition of arte presepiale, making of Nativity Scenes, something of an art installation representing the birth of Jesus. You can find them in private homes and in churches, and in Bologna they make a lot of fuss about them. We should be able to see a few presepi, including the oldest in the world in the church of Santo Stefano. There will also be a bunch of Christmas markets to check out. - Climb to the top of the leaning Torri degli Asinelli - Admire the city's main square Piazza Maggiore - Try bolognese sauce and cured meats in a city that's a foodie's paradise - Stroll under the city's famous portici

Trieste

Day 8-10

Surly Trieste used to be the Hapsburg's only port of the Mediterranean, and it doesn't feel very Italian. It's a frontier town, a mere six kilometers from Slovenia. It has a distinctive Austrian feel. It's also Italy's capital of coffee. The city's sophisticated and international flair is reflected in its Christmas markets too. They typically offer products from the Austrian and French culinary tradition, next to Italian staples. Some of the things we'll do: - Visit the hilltop church of San Giusto - Enjoy the Canal Grande and the diverse architecture of the Borgo Teresiano - Take in Piazza Unita d'Italia, one of the country's most beautiful squares - Visit a couple of the city's historical cafes and learn about its unique coffee culture - Visit the lovely Castello di Miramare

Venice

Day 10

This is where we fly out of. You can, of course, choose to stay longer and enjoy magical Venice for a day or two, but Venice is where we part ways. We'll travel to Venice from Trieste in the morning, so you should get an afternoon fly out.