Mix & Match: Bologna & Beyond by Rail

Welcome to Italy! On arrival at Milan Malpensa, board the included Malpensa Express to Milan Central Station, then continue by train to Bologna.Check in at your hotel and begin discovering the capital of Emilia-Romagna. Known as La Dotta, La Grassa e La Rossa, the Learned, the Fat and the Red, Bologna is celebrated for its university, the oldest in the Western world, its endless arcades and its medieval architecture. Make the most of your included hop-on hop-off pass and take in Piazza Maggiore, the Two Towers and the Basilica of San Petronio at your own pace.Your first day finishes with an included food tasting, where you will try some of the city’s best known specialities, among them mortadella di Bologna, Parmigiano Reggiano and handmade tortellini.Inspiring HighlightsBologna hop-on hop-off open busFood tastingSpecial InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.Airport transfers are not included as part of your package. Your journey from Milan Malpensa to Milan Central Station is covered by the included Malpensa Express ticket, and you make your own way from Bologna Centrale Station to your hotel.Our transfer portal may offer the option to book a private airport transfer for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.

After breakfast, set off on a full day tour through Emilia-Romagna’s Food Valley, the stretch of country behind some of Italy’s most closely guarded culinary traditions.The first stop is a traditional Parmigiano Reggiano dairy, where you follow the process from fresh milk through to the aged wheels. You then continue to a Prosciutto di Parma producer to see how the ham is cured, and sit down to a tasting of both.You return to Bologna in the afternoon with the rest of the day at leisure. You may wish to walk the porticoes towards the university quarter, browse the food shops of the Quadrilatero, or find a table under the arcades for an aperitivo.Inspiring HighlightsTraditional Parmigiano Reggiano dairyProsciutto di Parma producer, with tastingSpecial InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

After breakfast, take the regional train to Modena, a UNESCO listed city around half an hour from Bologna.Your first stop is the Enzo Ferrari Museum, where the story of one of the world’s best known car makers is told through the cars themselves alongside interactive exhibits. From there you continue on foot to a traditional acetaia, the loft where balsamic vinegar is aged. You will see the rows of wooden barrels the vinegar passes through over decades, learn why Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO bears little resemblance to the supermarket version, and taste it for yourself.The rest of your time in Modena is free before you return to Bologna by train. You may wish to walk through to Piazza Grande and the cathedral, or look in at the Mercato Albinelli for the produce stalls.Inspiring HighlightsEntrance to the Enzo Ferrari Museum in ModenaAcetaia visit with balsamic vinegar tastingSpecial InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before joining a pasta making class in the home of a local host. Working alongside them you will learn to make fresh pasta by hand using the techniques the region is known for, and put together a few of Emilia-Romagna’s best known dishes.You then sit down to eat what you have made, with local wine and the company of your hosts.The rest of the day is at leisure. You may wish to walk out to the Santo Stefano complex and its seven linked churches, look in at the Archiginnasio and its anatomical theatre, or take a coffee along Via Zamboni.Inspiring HighlightsHands-on pasta making class

After breakfast, board the train to Verona. On arrival, check in at your hotel before meeting your guide for a walking tour of the city.Verona is best known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet, and the tour takes you past Juliet’s balcony along with the Roman arena that still hosts opera each summer, the market square at Piazza delle Erbe, and the medieval streets between them.The evening is at leisure. You may wish to walk up to Castel San Pietro for the view back over the river and the rooftops, or find a table on one of the squares for dinner.Inspiring HighlightsGuided walking tour of VeronaArena di Verona and Juliet’s balcony (from the outside)Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

After breakfast, set off on a full day excursion to Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian lakes, ringed by mountains, vineyards and villages.The day takes in some of the lakeside towns, with time to walk the promenades, look over the harbours and take in the views across the water. The lake sits far enough south to grow olives and lemons, which gives the shoreline a distinctly Mediterranean feel despite the Alps behind it.You return to Verona in the late afternoon and the evening is at leisure.Inspiring HighlightsFull day excursion to Lake GardaSpecial InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

After breakfast, board the train to Milan. On arrival, check in at your hotel before setting out to see Italy’s fashion and design capital with your included 24 hour hop-on hop-off pass.The route reaches the main sights, among them the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. You may wish to walk on into the Brera district for its galleries and narrow streets, or head down to the Navigli canals, where the bars along the water fill up for aperitivo.The evening is at leisure.Inspiring Highlights24 hour hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus in MilanSpecial InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.Entrance fees to the monuments along the hop-on hop-off route are not included. Entry to see The Last Supper must be booked well in advance and is not part of this package.

Your Italian journey comes to an end after breakfast at the hotel. At a suitable time, make your way to Milan Central Station and board the Malpensa Express to Milan Malpensa Airport for your departure flight.Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience.Special InformationAirport transfers are not included as part of your package. Your journey from Milan Central Station to Milan Malpensa Airport is covered by the included Malpensa Express ticket.Our transfer portal offers the option to book a private airport transfer for an easier departure (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.