6-Day Milan & the Lakes: Verona, Florence, Pisa, Como & Lugano — Self-Launched
6 days · Milan & Northern Italy Lakes
STM Tours LLC charges £848
No-markup version: ~£502 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of STM Tours' 6-day Milan loop, rebuilt around Italy's excellent train network instead of a coach + tour leader. Base yourself in a Milan hostel or budget guesthouse near Centrale, then day-trip by high-speed and regional trains to Verona and Sirmione on Lake Garda, Florence and Pisa, and Como/Bellagio with a hop into Lugano, Switzerland. You'll do the same headline sights — Juliet's balcony, the Arena, the Leaning Tower, the Duomo, a Lake Como ferry — but book walking tours and boat tickets yourself via GetYourGuide/Klook or at the ticket office. Costs are backpacker-level estimates in GBP (Nov 2026 shoulder-season rates) and exclude flights; note lake-boat and Como-Bellagio ferries are cheaper and pleasanter than coach transfers.
Day-by-day
Arrive Milan — settle in near Centrale
Milan
Fly into Milano Linate (LIN) and take the M4 metro line (blue) direct to San Babila, then M1/M3 to Centrale — about €2.20 and 25 minutes, far cheaper than the operator's included airport transfer. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Milano Centrale (Ostello Bello Grande, Combo Milano or a Centrale-area guesthouse) — the location makes every day trip easy. Spend the late afternoon on a self-guided wander: Piazza del Duomo from outside, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade, and aperitivo in the Navigli canals district, where a spritz plus buffet snacks costs €8-12.
🚌M4 metro Linate → San Babila, then metro to Centrale (~€2.20 / £2)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Milano Centrale (~£22/night)
- →Self-guided Duomo piazza + Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II walk
- →Navigli canals aperitivo
Milan hop-on hop-off + Duomo and La Scala
Milan
Do the operator's sightseeing bus day independently: buy a 24-hour Milan hop-on hop-off ticket (City Sightseeing or Milano Open Tour, ~£22 via GetYourGuide/Klook) and use it to loop Line A and B past the Duomo, Castello Sforzesco and Navigli. Better value: pre-book a Duomo rooftop combo ticket (€20-30 direct at duomomilano.it) and climb to the terraces for the best view in the city, then a combined ticket for Teatro alla Scala museum and the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio if you like. Evening: cheap pizza or risotto at a Centrale-area trattoria (€10-14).
🚌Hop-on hop-off bus + metro day pass (~£4)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Milano Centrale (~£22/night)
- →24h hop-on hop-off bus ticket
- →Duomo rooftop terraces ticket
- →Teatro alla Scala museum (optional)
Verona & Sirmione on Lake Garda by train
Verona & Sirmione
Take a Frecciarossa/Italo high-speed train from Milano Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova (~1h10, book ahead on trenitalia.com or italotreno.it for €9.90-19). Join a 2-hour English-language Verona walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£22) covering the Arena di Verona exterior, Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet's balcony courtyard and the Adige river bends — the same route the tour leader runs. Mid-afternoon, hop the regional train from Verona to Peschiera del Garda (~20 min, €3) and bus 26 or a boat across to Sirmione (~€2-4), where you can walk the Scaligero Castle moat and the Grotte di Catullo ruins (€8). Return to Milan on the evening high-speed train.
🚌High-speed train Milan–Verona return ~£22, regional train + bus to Sirmione ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Milano Centrale (~£22/night)
- →2-hour guided Verona walking tour (GetYourGuide)
- →Sirmione old town + Scaligero Castle exterior
- →Grotte di Catullo entry
Florence & Pisa in a day by high-speed rail
Florence & Pisa
Book an early Frecciarossa Milan → Firenze Santa Maria Novella (~1h55, from €19.90 if booked well ahead — the single biggest saving against a coach day-trip). Wander Florence independently: Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza di Santa Croce; a 2-hour small-group Florence walking tour via GetYourGuide is ~£25 if you want context. For Pisa, take the regional train from Firenze S.M.N. to Pisa Centrale (~50 min, €8.70 each way) and walk 20 minutes to Piazza dei Miracoli for the Leaning Tower and baptistery (climbing the tower is €20 if you pre-book). Train back to Florence, then the evening high-speed service to Milan.
🚌High-speed Milan–Florence return ~£45, Florence–Pisa regional return ~£16
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Milano Centrale (~£22/night)
- →Florence self-guided walking route (Duomo, Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce)
- →Piazza dei Miracoli / Leaning Tower exterior
- →Optional Florence guided walk or Pisa tower climb
Lake Como, Bellagio ferry & Lugano
Como, Bellagio & Lugano
Regional train Milano Centrale → Como San Giovanni (~40 min, €4.80). From Como, take the slow Navigazione Lago di Como ferry to Bellagio (~2h, €11-13 one way — the classic '2-hour lake cruise' the operator sells, but with real views from the water). Explore Bellagio's stepped lanes and Punta Spartivento, and optionally the gardens of Villa Melzi (€8) or Villa del Balbianello by boat shuttle. In the afternoon take the ferry or bus C30 to Como, then the regional train Como San Giovanni → Chiasso and onward to Lugano (~40 min, ~£8) for the lakefront Parco Ciani, the old town and a Swiss chocolate stop. Return to Milan direct on the regional train Lugano → Milano Centrale (~1h20, ~£11).
🚌Milan–Como train, Como–Bellagio ferry, Como–Lugano train, Lugano–Milan train (~£34 total)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Milano Centrale (~£22/night)
- →Navigazione Lago di Como ferry to Bellagio
- →Bellagio lanes + Punta Spartivento
- →Villa Melzi gardens (optional)
- →Lugano lakefront, Parco Ciani & chocolate tasting
Milan farewell & depart
Milan
Last morning: an Italian breakfast at a Centrale bar (cornetto + cappuccino, €3), then any final shopping in the Galleria or a quick look inside the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio if you missed it. Depending on flight time, take the M4 metro back to Linate (~€2.20, 25 min) — no transfer booking needed. If your flight is late, use a luggage locker at Centrale (from €6) and squeeze in one more museum.
🚌M4 metro to Linate airport (~£2)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Self-guided Galleria shopping
- →Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio visit (optional)
Self-launched vs. STM Tours LLC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | STM Tours LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£502 | £848 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £346 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more STM Tours LLC-style trips? Check them out here.~£502
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 6-Day Milan & the Lakes: Verona, Florence, Pisa, Como & Lugano — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £502 per person for 6 days in Milan & Northern Italy Lakes. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with STM Tours LLC?+
Yes — STM Tours LLC charges around £848 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £502 — a saving of roughly £346 (41%) per person.
How long is the Milan & Northern Italy Lakes trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Milan & Northern Italy Lakes.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a city-breaks, culture, foodie trip through Milan & Northern Italy Lakes, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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