2 Days in Milan: Northern Italy Day Trips
Two days, two of the six real day trips from Milan, no overnight bag required. Day one is Lake Como, the marquee trip: a train to Varenna, then a short ferry to Bellagio. Day two is Bergamo’s walled Città Alta, the easiest half day on this list. Need more range? The 3 day , 4 day , 5 day and 6 day versions extend this same spine with Verona, Turin, Lake Maggiore and Franciacorta. Our full day trip guide has the complete cost and timing breakdown.
Book these before you go:
- Hotel near Milano Centrale , the starting point for both trains on this plan
- A guided Lake Como day tour if you would rather not juggle the train and ferry timetables yourself
- If you are also seeing Milan itself before or after these day trips, book the Last Supper the moment your dates are fixed, it sells out weeks ahead
Day 1: Lake Como, the trip to book first
Catch an early Trenord train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, about 65 minutes, roughly hourly, EUR 7.40 one way. From the station it is a 10 minute downhill walk to the ferry pier, then a 15 minute crossing to Bellagio, around EUR 5. Spend the day wandering Bellagio’s stacked lanes and lakefront promenade, with a detour to Villa Melzi’s gardens if they are open. Bellagio itself has no train station, so the return trip retraces the same ferry then train route; check the last realistic departure before you wander too far from the pier.
Day 2: Bergamo’s Città Alta, the easiest half day
A Trenord train covers Milano Centrale to Bergamo in about 50 minutes, as fast as 48 on the quickest service, departing close to hourly. From Bergamo’s station, an ATB bus or the funicular carries you up into Città Alta, the walled upper town that sits well above the modern Città Bassa below. Spend the afternoon on Piazza Vecchia and the city walls, then take an evening train back to Milan. This is the lightest day of the whole family of day trips, easily compressed into a half day if you would rather sleep in first.
| Day | Focus | Time from Milan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Como (Varenna and Bellagio) | 65 min train + 15 min ferry |
| 2 | Bergamo Città Alta | About 50 min, as fast as 48 |
Is two days enough for Lake Como and Bergamo?
Yes, comfortably. Both trips are single, well connected train rides under 70 minutes with no need to change stations, so neither day requires an early alarm or a late return. Lake Como takes the fuller day given the ferry crossing; Bergamo genuinely works as a half day, leaving a relaxed morning in Milan before you leave.
Do you need to book the Lake Como ferry in advance?
No. Ferries between Varenna and Bellagio run frequently through the day, and tickets are sold dockside rather than online in advance. The only planning that matters is confirming the schedule before you leave Milan, since the last useful crossing back is earlier in the evening than most first timers assume.
Do Lake Como first. If the weather turns for your Bergamo day, the walled town’s covered arcades and museums still work fine in the rain. The lake day genuinely does not.