The best day trips from Milan are some of the finest excursions available from any major Italian city — and they’re surprisingly easy to organise. Milan’s position in the heart of northern Italy puts it within easy reach of Lake Como, the Italian Alps, the Dolomites, the Piedmont wine country, Verona’s Roman arena, the racing circuit at Monza and the beautiful medieval city of Bergamo. The best day trips from Milan span some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe — and most are reachable in under an hour by train or car.
This guide covers the absolute best day trips from Milan in 2026 — with practical information on how to get there and what to do when you arrive.
1. Lake Como
Lake Como is the most popular of all the best day trips from Milan — and the views that greet you when you arrive explain exactly why. The lake’s dramatic Alpine setting, with mountains dropping steeply to crystal-clear water and elegant villas clinging to the hillsides, is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy. The towns of Bellagio, Varenna and Como itself are all charming and easily reachable by ferry across the lake.
How to get there:Train from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni takes 40 minutes and costs around €5. Ferries connect the lakeside towns from Como.
Don’t miss:Villa del Balbianello — one of the most photographed villas in Italy, featured in Star Wars and James Bond films.
Book cheap train tickets on ourtrain tickets page.
2. Bergamo
Bergamo is one of the best day trips from Milan for visitors who want to discover a beautifully preserved medieval Italian city without the crowds of Florence or Siena. Just 50 minutes from Milan by train, Bergamo’s upper city — the Città Alta — is a remarkably complete walled medieval town perched on a hill above the modern lower city, with extraordinary views across the Po Valley to the Alps.
How to get there:Train from Milano Centrale to Bergamo takes 50 minutes and costs around €6.
Don’t miss:The funicular ride up to the Città Alta, the Piazza Vecchia, and the extraordinary Cappella Colleoni — one of the finest Renaissance chapels in northern Italy.
Book cheap train tickets on ourtrain tickets page.
3. Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is one of the best day trips from Milan for natural beauty and elegant lakeside towns. Stresa — the main resort town on the western shore — is a beautifully preserved belle-époque resort with magnificent views of the Borromean Islands. The islands themselves — particularly Isola Bella with its extraordinary baroque palace and terraced gardens — are unmissable.
How to get there:Train from Milano Centrale to Stresa takes 1 hour and costs around €8.
Don’t miss:A boat trip to the Borromean Islands — Isola Bella, Isola Madre and the charming fishing village of Isola dei Pescatori.
Book cheap train tickets on ourtrain tickets page.
4. Verona
Verona is one of the best day trips from Milan for history, romance and culture. Shakespeare’s city of Romeo and Juliet is a beautifully preserved Roman and medieval city — home to one of the finest Roman amphitheatres in the world, where opera performances are still held in summer. The old city is compact and walkable, and the combination of Roman ruins, medieval architecture and Italian street life makes for an outstanding day out.
How to get there:High-speed train from Milano Centrale to Verona takes 55 minutes and costs from €15 booked in advance.
Don’t miss:The Roman Arena — still used for opera performances in summer. Book tickets in advance on ourattractions page.
Book cheap train tickets on ourtrain tickets page.
5. The Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre — the five colourful clifftop fishing villages on the Ligurian coast — is one of the most spectacular of all the best day trips from Milan. The journey takes about 2 hours by high-speed train to La Spezia and then a short regional train to the villages, but the views that await are among the most extraordinary in Italy.
How to get there:High-speed train from Milano Centrale to La Spezia takes 2 hours, then regional train to Riomaggiore takes 15 minutes. Total cost from €25.
Don’t miss:The hiking trail between the villages — buy a Cinque Terre Card (€18) for unlimited train travel and trail access.
Stay overnight:Budget Hotels in Cinque Terre.
6. Turin
Turin is one of the most underrated of all the best day trips from Milan — a sophisticated, elegant city with a magnificent baroque city centre, outstanding museums and the finest chocolate and coffee culture in Italy. The Egyptian Museum in Turin is the second most important in the world after Cairo. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema is housed in a spectacular domed building and is one of the finest film museums anywhere.
How to get there:High-speed train from Milano Centrale to Turin Porta Nuova takes 45 minutes and costs from €10.
Don’t miss:The view from the Mole Antonelliana — Turin’s iconic domed tower — across the city to the Alps.
Stay overnight:Budget Hotels in Turin.
7. Genoa
Genoa is one of the most surprising of all the best day trips from Milan — a city that consistently shocks visitors who arrive with low expectations. Italy’s largest medieval city centre, the finest aquarium in the country, extraordinary baroque palaces and some of the best focaccia and pesto in the world make Genoa a rewarding and affordable day trip.
How to get there:High-speed train from Milano Centrale to Genoa takes 1 hour 20 minutes and costs from €15.
Don’t miss:The Porto Antico waterfront, the Aquarium of Genoa and the medieval Caruggi alleyways.
Stay overnight:Budget Hotels in Genoa.
8. Monza and the Formula 1 Circuit
Monza is one of the most unique of all the best day trips from Milan for motorsport fans. The Autodromo Nazionale Monza — one of the oldest and fastest Formula 1 circuits in the world — is just 15 kilometres from Milan and open to visitors year-round. Walking or cycling around the legendary banked oval section of the old circuit is an extraordinary experience.
How to get there:Train from Milano Porta Garibaldi to Monza takes just 15 minutes and costs around €2.
Don’t miss:The historic banking section of the old circuit — no longer used in F1 but accessible to visitors on foot.
9. Pavia
Pavia is one of the best hidden gem day trips from Milan — a beautiful university city on the River Ticino just 30 minutes south of Milan. The Certosa di Pavia — a magnificent medieval monastery — is one of the finest examples of Gothic-Renaissance architecture in northern Italy and one of the most underrated sights in Lombardy.
How to get there:Train from Milano Centrale to Pavia takes 30 minutes and costs around €4.
Don’t miss:The Certosa di Pavia — free to enter, extraordinary to visit.
10. Lake Garda
Lake Garda — Italy’s largest lake — is one of the best day trips from Milan for families and outdoor enthusiasts. The southern end of the lake, around Sirmione and Desenzano, is easily reachable from Milan and offers spectacular Roman ruins at the Grotte di Catullo, beautiful lakeside promenades and some of the finest swimming in northern Italy.
How to get there:Train from Milano Centrale to Desenzano del Garda takes 50 minutes and costs around €8.
Don’t miss:Sirmione’s extraordinary peninsula jutting into the lake and the Roman ruins at its tip.
Tips for Day Trips from Milan
- Book train tickets in advance.High-speed trains from Milan book up fast — especially for popular routes to Verona and the Cinque Terre. Book on ourtrain tickets pagefor the best prices.
- Rent a car for Lake Como.While the main towns are reachable by train, a hire car gives you the freedom to explore the quieter parts of Lake Como. Check ourcar rental Milan pagefor prices.
- Start early.The best day trips from Milan reward early departure — arriving at Lake Como or Bergamo before the crowds makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
- Check opening times.Many Italian attractions close on Mondays — check before you go.
For official travel information visit theItalian Tourism Board.
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