Self Drive: A Tale Of Mountains And Lakes - 8D/7N

Lake Maggiore Borromean GulfThis itinerary can depart and arrive in either Milan or Venice or from any other city with an Hertz Car Rental office. Prepared for those who want to explore the very north of Italy, it allows you to combine a visit of the area of the Alpine lakes: Lake Maggiore and Lake Como with an exploration of Dolomites region and its jet-set symbol, Cortina d’Ampezzo. From Alpine lake splendor to the magic of the Dolomites it is a complete itinerary to discover the beautiful Alpine countryside of Northern Italy. Piedmont, nestled at the foothills of the Alps and generally known for its car industry at Turin, is a largely rural gourmet’s paradise, producing many of Italy’s great red wines, along with the best white truffles in the world. Come October, you can taste them practically in any restaurant of the Langhe region, or buy them at the traditional Alba fair. This is also Italy’s famous rice country and between Vercelli and Novara you will experience a sea of verdant plots where some of the best Arborio rice is harvested. The hilly area of Monferrato, the rolling terrain of the Langhe, the misty Po river, Lakes Maggiore and Orta, mountains and plains, rivers, cities, farming and industry all live together in harmony in this region.

Outstanding for its monumental romantic waterways, rich art galleries and quality cuisine, Lombardy Lombardy offers vast grain-covered plains, sub-Alpine lakes and dozens of walled cities filled with art. Of course there is also industry and business and the whole region is identified with Milan, the commercial capital of Italy, one of the world’s leading commercial centers and the home of famed La Scala Opera House. Landlocked, Lombardy seems to have expanded more to the mountains, embracing the magnificent sub-Alpine vistas of Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, yet, most of the region is taken up by the vast Po River Valley, a broad, flat and incredibly fertile expanse of farmlands punctuated by windbreaks of poplar trees - Lombardy’s answer to Tuscany’s cypress. For the tourist there is a lot to visit, the valleys, the Alps, the “lake districts”: Como, Varese, Iseo; Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda and the Italian shores of Lake Lugano and an incredible number of cities rich in art treasures.

Trentino is a breathtaking land of snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows, popular ski resorts and medieval towns. Here many of the localities have two names, testifying to an historically divided region, between Italy and the Habsburgs, that has started to find a homogenous identity for itself. In Trentino the Dolomites reign supreme, and to many people it is the region of both winter and summer sports. Excellent roads, hotels and sports facilities make this the most popular region for mountain-lovers. Veneto is the welcoming land of a great civilization where not only Venice, one of the most incredible cities in the world, but also the 20 km long open-air museum of the Brenta Canal, lined with Palladio’s splendid villas, the spa resort of Abano and Montegrotto, the “queen” of the Dolomites, Cortina, the Asiago plateau, the Cadore Valley, the beaches of Caorle and Jesolo, Verona and Padua with the Arena and the Basilica of St. Anthony and so much more attract the visitor.

DEPARTURES: ANY DAY

SKETCH ITINERARY:

  • Day 1 Lake Maggiore
  • Day 2 Lake Maggiore
  • Day 3 Lake Como
  • Day 4 Lake Como
  • Day 5 Riva del Garda
  • Day 6 Cortina
  • Day 7 Cortina
  • Day 8 Venice / End of Self Drive Tour

INCLUDED: Necessary days of self-drive car Cat C, AS PER ITINERARY, fully inclusive of unlimited mileage, VAT, Insurance, CDW in the category type, Hotels nights as listed and depending on property’s availability at time of request, Daily local breakfast at the hotel, Detailed itinerary, Local hotel taxes and service charges, We can also Include: Additional hotel nights in either Florence and/or Rome as per your choice, Special Bulk Airfares at highly competitive rates from your home city, Additional city tours, visits and transfers.

Insure My TripNOT INCLUDED: Any airfares. Passport and visa expenses. Any personal expenses and any items not specifically mentioned as included in the program. PLEASE NOTE: All tours are usually presented as LAND ONLY (no airfare is included) and best airfare from your departing city will be included at time of departure. All tour programs are subject to your acceptance of our Terms and Conditions, which is understood when you progress into the reservation. Please review Terms & Conditions. INSURANCE NOTE: Cancellation policies are strictly enforced!

Also tagged with: Independent Journeys, Europe, Italy, Self Drive, Module


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