Going to Italy and Switzerland (Alps)?
- ssoohoo14
- Aug 12
- 20 min read
If you're interested in exploring Italy and the Swiss Alps, love trips filled with the best foods and the most epic photos, but you're not sure where to begin planning, this blog is for you.
We chose to focus on Northern Italy since we wanted to hit the Swiss Alps in the same trip. We traveled to a new city every day for two weeks straight, which meant we had to carefully plan to maximize the small amount of time we had in each town. Here is the break down of how many days we explored each area across both countries:
Milan: 1.5 days
Lake Como: 2 days
Switzerland: 3 days
Verona: 0.5 days
Venice: 1 day
Modena: 0.25 days
Florence: 1 day
Other areas of Tuscany: 1.5 days
As much as I loved all the spots we hit, if I could have extended our stay at any location it would have been either Lake Como, Switzerland, or Tuscany.
BASIC PHRASES THAT WILL COME IN HANDY
If you’re visiting Italy and Switzerland (the German side), check out these useful sayings when talking to locals.
Italian
Buongiorno (bwaun-jer-noh) – good morning
Buonasera (bwaun-ah-sair-rah) – good evening
Ciao (chao) – hi/bye
Grazie (grah-ztee) – thank you
Mi scusi (mee-scoo-zee) – excuse me
Buona giornata (bwaun-ah-jer-rah-tah) – have a good day
Buona serata (bwaun-ah-ser-rah tah) – have a good evening
Swiss German
Although there are multiple languages spoken in Switzerland, most regions speak Swiss German (63% of the population), so it’s likely the language that you’ll need most while you’re there.
Guten Morgen (goo-ten-moor-gen) – good morning
Guten Tag (goo-ten-taug) – good day/afternoon
Guten Abend (goo-ten-ah-ben) – good evening
Danke (dahn-keh) – thank you
As per usual, I recommend downloading the languages in your Google Translate app beforehand so you can use it offline.
DRIVING AROUND
We rented a car through Europocar since they were a little more affordable for a hatchback. We chose a hatchback because we wanted to make sure we could hide our luggage in the trunk (which was a very tight fit) while also still having a small car for the tight roads/parking spots. Trust me, you don’t want to be driving a big car in Europe! Michael got an international driver’s license from AAA before we left.
Also, be sure to pay close attention to avoid ZTLs (Zona a Traffico Limitato a.k.a. Limited Traffic Zones) or you will be paying a lot of tickets later on! We used ChatGPT to show us where ZTLs may be located so we could find parking just outside of the zones.
MORE ESSENTIAL FACTS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Electricity Differences:
Both countries take the same type of electric plug so you will be fine with the standard EU converter.
Currency:
For currency, Italy takes euros (EUR) and Switzerland takes Swiss francs (CHF). Although both are pretty good about taking credit cards, it’s always good to have a little bit of cash just in case.
Visiting Cathedrals:
If you plan to visit a Catholic cathedral, be sure to wear appropriate clothing or you will not be allowed inside (i.e. covered shoulders, no short shorts/skirts, etc.).
Milan
SITES TO SEE IN MILAN
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – beautiful indoor shopping center, which inspired the Galleria in the movie, Wonka (2023).
Duomo di Milano – beautiful cathedral in central Milan. We booked our tickets in advance. However, be aware that there are separate tickets for the interior of the Duomo and the roof. We did not realize this and had to purchase roof access tickets for a later date.
San Siro Stadium Tour – massive soccer stadium housing Milan’s two largest soccer clubs. This was one of Michael’s bucket list items. I was surprised how much they showed us! We got to see both locker rooms, the walk out hallway, the player’s area, best seats in the stadium, etc.! We were able to purchase tickets at the door.
FOODS TO TRY IN MILAN
Terra Gelato – we actually found this gem on our way to our hotel. It has cute aesthetics so we were skeptical that it was one of those ‘just for the gram’ places but it was actually one of our favorite gelaterias on our trip! Be sure to try the tiramisu flavor!
Glory POP Milano – the best pizzas we had on the trip! It was a little out of the way but we appreciated that it wasn’t overcrowded with tourists. We had their margherita pizza and carbonara pizzas as recommended. Carbonara is one of my favorite pastas so we were both very happy with the unique flavor on a pizza!
Caffè Napoli – cafe where we really enjoyed the pistachio cappuccinos and pistachio croissants! We loved it so much that we went to the grocery store in search for a similar pistachio cream to make it at home! This is a chain with multiple locations, but the location I linked is the one we stopped at on our way to the train station.
San Giorgio Ristorante-Pizzeria dal 1999 – yummy casual Italian restaurant open late, which we needed since our flight landed in the evening. We had the Paccheri con crema di burrata pistacchi e guanciale croccante (burrata cream pistacchio pasta) and two pizzas – they were all delicious and very filling. Also very affordable compared to LA pizza prices. They didn’t take reservations but we were able to be seated quickly at 9 PM.
L'immagine Bistrot Ristorante – cute restaurant with jars of various candies on the table for you to enjoy for free. We had their ravioli with truffle cream sauce and beef tenderloin sprint chili and pecorino cheese. We made dinner reservations in advance through Google maps.
Osteria Conchetta – a little out of the way but this place was packed! They specialize in varieties of risotto. I can’t remember the official names of the dishes we had but we ordered the two most popular risottos – one with the cheese wheel and meat and one with a saffron flavor and meat. The cheese wheel risotto was delicious but quite rich.
They typically bring the cheese wheel to the table and throw a whole show making it in front of you, but unfortunately I got jipped and they made mine without the show. They later apologized with a free dessert. The saffron risotto was probably my favorite of the two because it wasn’t as rich and the meat reminded me of oxtail! Definitely recommend making reservations for this place if you want to check it out.
Marchesi 1824 – fancy dessert shop located in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and has a stunning view of the center. You may have to wait if you want to sit at a table, but we were able to snag a standing table immediately. We got their popular yellow custard cake and raspberry pistachio mini tarts with cappuccinos and they were all scrumptious!
Lake Como
HOW TO GET TO LAKE COMO
We took the train from Milan (about an hour long) and stayed at a nice Airbnb in Varenna. It is best to take ferries across the lake to get to the different areas. Be aware that the ferries can really vary in duration depending which ferry you get on and what time, so we recommend allotting a lot of time for transportation when planning your itinerary.
SITES TO SEE IN LAKE COMO
Villa del Balbianello (in Lenno) – the best villa we visited! It is famous for being the filming location for Star Wars Episode II and Casino Royale and we can see why! It had numerous gorgeous areas for photos and was very peaceful despite being pretty crowded.
You’ll need to hike in the forest about 15-20 minutes from the front entrance to get to the actual villa, so make sure you have comfortable shoes! I brought heels in a tote bag to change into once I got there.
Our research informed us this is the one villa you definitely want to get a ticket in advance to skip the line so we got them from this website.
Villa Monastero’s Botanical Gardens (in Varenna) – this villa has the popular photo area with arches and tiled floor framing the outlook of the lake. We visited this villa in the late afternoon so it wasn’t too crowded by that time.
This villa is next door to Hotel Villa Cipressi so you can get a combined ticket for entrance into both. Although the combined ticket is only available in person, we didn’t have any issues with lines when we went in the late afternoon. However, there was an indoor area that required a separate ticket to access.
Hotel Villa Cipressi (in Varenna) – this villa has the popular photo area of gates and steps that lead directly into the lake. It is probably better to hit this spot earlier in the day because the lighting wasn’t ideal when we went in the late afternoon. However, better lighting may also mean a longer line for the photo spot.
Villa Melzi Gardens (in Belaggio) – this villa has a gorgeous little gazebo overlooking the water, which is where we took one of my favorite photos from this trip! It probably helps that it wasn’t direct sunlight so the lighting was awesome! There is also a little museum that was included in the entrance ticket.
Villa Carlotta (in Tremezzo) – villa with views from high up overlooking a beautiful botanic garden and the lake. We were surprised you could actually get pretty lost in the greenery of this place. With that in mind, you can also get bug bites if mosquitos love you the way they love me. This villa had a museum that was included in our entrance ticket. We purchased tickets online at this website in advance. However, the line didn’t seem too bad for those that didn’t purchase in advance.
Salita Serbelloni (in Belaggio) – one of the most popular picture spots in Belaggio because of the colorful buildings and cobblestone steps. We caught an early ferry and arrived here around 9 AM, which allowed us to get photos without anyone in the background! We walked past the area about an hour later and it was much more crowded already.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo (in Tremezzo) – this is the iconic hotel with striped orange umbrellas by the pool overlooking the lake. We didn’t really try to explore the hotel, but we were able to admire the exterior from the sidewalk and the ferry.
Passeggiata degli innamorati (in Varenna) - known as ‘Lover’s Walk’ is a nice stroll along the water. It can get a little crowded but we enjoyed the stroll on our way back to our Airbnb while enjoying our gelato from La Passerella.
FOODS TO TRY IN LAKE COMO
Although there are plenty of great restaurants around the different areas of Lake Como, we were more focused on hitting all the villas we wanted to see, so our food selections were based on convenience to those locations. Here’s where we went:
Varenna Area
Al Prato Restaurant – recommended to us by our Airbnb host that we loved! Michael got the mixed fish platter and I had the lamb chops. We were both very happy with our dishes and the service was great. Make sure to make reservations – we made ours via email. There were several people that came in trying to get a table and were turned away because they were fully booked for the night!
La Veranda dei Pescatori – we ended up here because it was super close to our Airbnb but were very happy with our choice! The views and vibes are amazing during sunset hour and we both really enjoyed the beef kabob with potatoes.
Tremezzo Area
La Locanda Tremezzo – this was a nice quick pizza spot we stopped at before hopping on the ferry nearby. It was great to eat overlooking the water while also staying in the shade.
Lenno Area
Il Grifo Lago di Como – was a longer walk away from Villa del Balbianello than we had hoped, but we enjoyed the fresh fish and duck ravioli.
Swiss Alps
IF YOU’RE DRIVING
As soon as we crossed the border, we stopped at a Swiss gas station to purchase a ‘vignette’, which is a toll sticker that costs 40 CHF. This sticker is required to be placed on your windshield to drive the highways in Switzerland. If you don’t have it, you could get a 200 CHF fine.
ACCOMMODATIONS
We chose to stay at an Airbnb about 15 minutes away from Interlaken as it was a pretty central location to all the areas we wanted to see and it had a killer view of homes, mountains, and a lake all in one! It was such a cute, cozy cottage and we felt very at-home during our stay there.
The sunset on the balcony was definitely the best of the trip. Swiss food can be a bit pricey (basic meals cost an average of over $30), so it was great to have a full kitchen to grab some groceries at Coop or Lidl to save a little money by eating in!
LUCERNE
We started by parking at Parkhaus Altstadt (had Bahnhofplatz in mind as a backup) and walked to all the other locations. It happened to be raining the day we visited, but we had an umbrella so it didn’t stop us from hitting all of the following spots.
Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) – considered to be Europe's oldest covered bridge. It typically has nice flowers along the sides but they were unfortunately sparse when we went.
Lion monument – large lion statue carved into the cliff that commemorates the Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. Surrounded by a nice pond, this place was surprisingly peaceful even with the crowd.
Max Chololatier – picked up some chocolate souvenirs as this is one of the most popular Swiss chocolate brands not available in the US. I’m typically not a huge chocolate truffle fan, but I loved these because they weren’t overly sweet like some other truffles I’ve had and the unique flavors were scrumptious! We had three truffles that we absolutely loved: Max’s favorite (dark chocolate with cookie bits and raspberry jam), milk chocolate with green tea, dark chocolate with caramel and black tea. I also had a hot dark chocolate, which was perfect for the rainy weather.
Zunfthausrestaurant Pfistern – we enjoyed typical Swiss food on a balcony overlooking the river. We booked reservations for the balcony on their website and were still able to enjoy the view despite the rain. Michael had the bratwurst and I had the meat filled pastry which were both simple and yummy.
INTERLAKEN
Swiss Paragliding & Adventure – according to ChatGPT, Interlaken is one of the best places to go paragliding due to the sweeping landscapes of the mountains surrounding the city. After experiencing it ourselves, we completely agree! Soaring through the mountains and seeing the city and turquoise lake from up high was truly one of the best experiences of our lives! Seeing the city in the pictures really puts it into perspective how high you are.
Keep in mind that the weather plays a big part in being able to do this activity. The paragliding sessions the day before were canceled due to rain, so we were very blessed to have perfect weather for our session! We booked the experience on their website and picked the option with a longer glide time. We highly recommend paragliding in Interlaken!
Crash Landing on You Dock – this was the filming location for the Korean drama Crash Landing on You which has beautiful mountain reflections on the gorgeous turquoise lake. We parked at this small public lot and walked down to the dock since it is within a restricted area. We were surprised to find that the dock has a turnstile that charges 5 CHF per person just to enter the dock. Even though it seemed expensive just for a dock, I was really happy we got our cute, cheesy pictures!
Fondue Villa & Garden – one of the most popular Swiss fondue spots in the area. They have options for traditional cheese fondue as well as other variations such as spicy, garlic, etc. Each fondue set came with bread, potatoes, bell peppers, mini pickles, and pineapple bits to dip. I would have never thought pineapples and cheese would go so well but it was a great change from the other, more savory items. It was perfect for the cold weather!
Velo Cafe – where we grabbed a couple cappuccinos while we were coming down from the high of our paragliding adventure since it was close by. It seemed like a pretty American style café so I was able to add a spritz of vanilla syrup to my cappuccino. You definitely can’t get that at a traditional Italian spot!
LAUTERBRUNNEN
We parked at Parkhaus Lauterbrunnen then made our way to Staubbach Falls Viewpoint which is one of the most popular picture spots in the Swiss Alps. The view has massive mountains surrounding the city with Staubbach Falls cascading down the side.
From there we just walked down to Reformierte Kirche Lauterbrunnen church and then up along the main street for a picturesque stroll. Down the road we even got pretty close to some Swiss cows. Although we didn’t do much here, it was definitely one of the prettiest memories of Switzerland!
GRINDELWALD
We parked at Parkplatz Grindelwald Firstbahn then took the Firstbahn Cable Car to Grindelwald First. There, we explored the First Cliff Walk for some epic views. It was very windy and cold up there so make sure to bundle up! Walking along the First Cliff Walk was oddly scarier than paragliding for us both!
We then went back to get our car and drove to Stallbeizli Heubode for dinner with a breathtaking view of the mountains. We made our reservations via email and were able to snag the corner table outside for the best views! We both ordered the bratwurst with potato salad. I also got a cappuccino just to keep me warm.
ZERMATT
We parked at Matterhorn Terminal Taesch then took the train into Zermatt as it is a car free city. Then we went to this inclined railway station to take the funicular up to Sunnegga. From there we would have ideally taken another funicular up to Blauherd, but this one was unfortunately closed for break between winter and summer season. So we ended up having to hike up almost 900 feet! As a non-hiker, this was extremely tough for me but I was able to push through!
From Blauherd it was a much easier 15-20 minute hike to Stellisee Lake for the epic picture of the Matterhorn reflecting off the lake. Unfortunately the lake was still a bit icy, but we were still able to get a sick picture with the top of the mountain’s reflection in the water.
We had also planned to stop at the Zermatt Matterhorn Viewpoint but I was too exhausted from the hike and was very happy with the pictures I already got of the Matterhorn.
Verona
We spent the second half of our day here as it was only a pitstop on our drive from Switzerland to Venice.
PARKING
We parked at Parcheggio Cittadella but had Porta Palio Parcheggio Centro in mind as a backup option.
SITES TO SEE IN VERONA
Castel San Pietro – the best view in Verona where you can either walk up the hill or pay to take the funicular. Thankfully there was no fee to get to the best picture spot!
Giardino Giusti – this gorgeous garden was randomly located in the city. You may not even realize there is a garden there because of the way it is hidden behind standard walls on the street. We purchased tickets in advance from this website.
Casa di Giulietta (aka Juliet's House) – this is the home that is said to have inspired Shakespeare. You are apparently supposed to rub Juliet’s breast for good luck in love. You can pay to go into the home/museum and stand on the balcony, however we were happy with the quick pictures from the courtyard.
Via Giuseppe Mazzini – beautiful street with high-end shopping. Here are the two spots we stopped to take pictures because we loved the colorful buildings and architecture: spot 1 & spot 2.
Piazza delle Erbe (Market's square) – square that was once the town's forum during the time of the Roman Empire.
Piazza Bra – largest public square in Verona where the Verona Arena is located.
FOODS TO TRY IN VERONA
Il Vicoletto Trattoria – we made dinner reservations for this restaurant over the phone. We had carbonara, gnocchi with horse, braised beef in red wine with mashed potatoes, and tiramisu. It was sweet that they split the braised beef into two plates since they knew we were sharing that dish. The tiramisu was truly one of my favorites! It tasted so fresh and the cream was slightly thicker than most tiramisu, which I loved!
Gelateria Ballini Verona – gelato shop we stopped at after Giardino Giusti on our way back to the main touristy area. The line was full of locals since this was outside of the super touristy area, which was a good sign!
Venice
PARKING
We parked at Parcheggio Gregory Stazione di Mestre (SABA Stazione Venezia Mestre as a backup option) then took the train from from Venezia Mestre Station to Venezia Santa Lucia Station.
SITES TO SEE/THINGS TO DO IN VENICE
Ride a gondola – we went to Bacino Orseolo to grab a gondola, which gave our ride a great balance of time in the calmer/quieter alleys as well as the Grand Canal. We were pleasantly surprised that our gondolier gave us some interesting tidbits/history during our ride like a real tour. It was such a peaceful ride and we enjoyed it a lot more than we expected!
Piazza San Marco – the main public square of Venice where St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge's Palace are located. We went into St. Mark’s Basilica, which was really impressive because of all the gold mosaic tile work! They didn’t offer tickets in advance so we just had to wait in line for about 30 minutes. We also paid for the museum upstairs to get a closer look at the mosaics and a nice view of Piazza San Marco. We opted out of going inside Doge’s palace because the tickets were 40 euros each.
Ponte di Rialto – the oldest bridge across the Grand Canal and the most famous bridge in Venice.
Ponte dell’Accademia – another bridge across the Grand Canal that has a more open 360 view than Ponte di Rialto.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Exhibition in Venice (San Barnaba Church) – a filming location for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It was used as the exterior of the library. We sat at Bar Canton for some afternoon cappuccinos while enjoying the weather and the view of the church.
FOODS TO TRY IN VENICE
Cantine del Vino già Schiavi – this was a great, quick lunch spot offering cicchettis, which are small snacks often served on bread. We recommend trying various toppings then going back for more of your favorites! Some of my favorites were the smoked salmon with egg as well as the brie cheese with pesto and tomato.
Heads up: there is no seating available. There are some areas you can stand and eat inside, otherwise we also saw a bunch of people using the ledge outside to stand and eat.
Osteria da Alberto – this was probably my favorite meal of the entire trip! I had spaghetti with scampi and tomato sauce while Michael had one of their daily specials, which was a pesto pasta with clams and mussels. I’m not a huge tomato sauce fan (I typically prefer a cream sauce) but this was truly one of the best tomato sauce pastas I’ve ever had! The sauce was the perfect savory flavor and both of our pastas came out piping hot! Now that I think of it, I’m surprised most pastas don’t come out as hot because it definitely made it even yummier! We also split the mixed fried seafood plate which was very delicious! Everything we ordered tasted so fresh and the flavors were cooked to perfection! We made reservations over the phone.
Modena
It has always been a bucket list item for Michael to visit the Museum Ferrari Maranello, so we stopped her on our way from Venice to Tuscany. The museum was smaller than he had anticipated but we still enjoyed it.
Afterwards, we stopped at Gelateria Artigiana Dolcecrema where I got their signature gelato which was probably the creamiest gelato I had the whole trip!
Florence (part of Tuscany)
PARKING
We parked at Parcheggio Autostradale "Drive and Tramway” Villa Costanza and took the tram to Firenze Santa Maria Novella since the touristy part of Florence is in a ZTL.
SITES TO SEE IN FLORENCE
Piazza del Duomo – iconic square where the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is located. We didn’t go inside the church because it was sold out for the day, but we didn’t mind since we had already seen two other churches on this trip prior.
Piazzale Michelangelo – the best panoramic views of Florence that did not require any entrance free.
Giardino delle Rose – gardens next to Piazzale Michelangelo where several people were relaxing in the sun with the view.
Ponte Vecchio – unique bridge with shops built along the sides. It is famous for being the only bridge in Florence that was spared from deconstruction in World War II. We were able to get a nice view of this bridge from Ponte Santa Trinita. Keep in mind you may have to determine which side of Ponte Vecchio would be best for photos based on the angle of the sun at the time that you go.
FOODS TO TRY IN FLORENCE
I' Girone De' Ghiotti – delicious sandwich shop! We had their #1 suicida (roasted pork, sundried tomatoes, spicy sauce, arugula) since their roasted pork seemed to be in all of their top seller sandwiches. The bread is so light and crispy and the flavors were a great combination! We also had their schiacciata della nonna (grandmother’s recipe: nutella, evo oil, seasalt) which was amazing! After having this, I never want nutella without seasalt again!
Our research recommended getting there before opening, so we arrived around 11:15, which already had a bit of a line. However, once they opened, it felt like the line went by at a decent pace because they have a good system to get people in and out quickly. There are some stools to sit inside as well as a small upstairs area with additional seating.
While we were there, we had to take a quick picture/video next door in front of Pizzeria O'Vesuvio Firenze because it’s the pizza shop the Jersey Shore cast worked at during their season in Florence!
Vivoli – everyone has videos of getting wine through the stone windows, but I unfortunately am not a wine-loving girl. So I was very excited when Michael found this spot for me to get an affogato through a stone window! They don’t actually use the window for serving, but it is available for you to take pictures or videos next to it.
The combination of the gelato with the espresso was delicious! However, once I finished all the espresso, I felt that the gelato by itself was overly sweet. If you go there, I would recommend trying to ration it so you don’t end up with just gelato at the end.
Osteria Del Gatto E La Volpe – we told our server this was our only chance to try a Florentine style steak, so they recommended the chianina as it is the maximum quality option. They offered it in rare or medium-rare but it came on a sizzling hot plate so we could choose if we wanted to cook it longer. It was a huge steak that was very yummy!
We also had wild boar ragu, which was Michael’s favorite dish from the entire trip because he loved the pici pasta with the flavorful meat sauce.
We made reservations on their website, which was confirmed via WhatsApp. However, we ended up missing our reservation after we had to push our plans to visit Florence back a day and were unable to get in contact with the restaurant to change the reservation. Amazingly, we received an automated text via WhatsApp asking us to come back to the restaurant for a 25% discount! So I booked another reservation and showed them the message when we received our check. It ended up working in our favor that we missed the first reservation because we got that discount, which made a huge difference for a pricey steak dinner!
Gelateria Della Passera – great gelato. Michael had the pistachio and I tried the strawberries and cream.
I'Tuscani – our research led us to the Florentine steak at this restaurant. We made reservations but ended up canceling because we decided it would take too much time for us to go on the tram back into Florence just for one meal.
Other Areas of Tuscany
Hotel Villa Campomaggio – the villa/hotel we stayed at and absolutely loved! This gave the perfect Tuscan villa vibes – a great place to relax under the Tuscan sun! Although there are so many beautiful villas to choose from, I especially loved that you could see the vineyard from the view of the pool.
There is a cool cave-like spa and a recently opened restaurant. The restaurant was a little pricey, but it was convenient since the hotel is a bit secluded. We would love to come back and just relax here for a full week.
San Gimignano – a town known for its preservation of their medieval architecture. We entered through the medieval gate and strolled along the main road until we reached Piazza ella Cisterna. In this piazza we had Gelateria Dondoli, which is supposedly awarded as the world's best gelato! They had so many unique flavors – I really enjoyed the mango sticky rice flavor!
Punto Panoramico – this is where we took pictures with the famous classic Tuscany view of rolling hills and cypress trees. On the way to this spot, we were able to find a couple of roads with cypress trees to take more photos.
Final Thoughts
Were we crazy for seeing over a dozen cities in two weeks? Probably! However, it was such a dream vacation and we loved every bit of it! It was busy, but we still had time for relaxation. We saw so many picturesque locations that we are going to have a hard time picking our Christmas card picture for later this year.
Although I wouldn’t say this itinerary is doable for just anyone as it is a little hectic, I hope you can still grab some helpful tidbits for whichever cities you are considering to visit!
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