Italy 2027 Special: four places to plan for less
By the TravelCheap Editorial Team · Updated October 28, 2026
This special covers four places in northern Italy that reward a bit of planning: Cinque Terre, Venice, Lunigiana and Lake Maggiore. Each guide has the same six parts: when to go, how to get there and park, where to stay, what to see by walking level and where to eat, with a source for every price.
Two of them pair well. Lunigiana is 25 minutes by train from La Spezia, so it works as a cheaper base for Cinque Terre. Lake Maggiore is about an hour from Milan, close to Malpensa airport.
The four destinations at a glance
| Destination | Nearest big airport | Car needed? | Good for | Cheaper base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinque Terre | Pisa or Genoa | No; trains link the villages | Coastal villages and trails | La Spezia, Levanto or Aulla |
| Venice | Venice Marco Polo (or Treviso) | No; boats and walking only | Canals, art, the 2027 Architecture Biennale | Mestre |
| Lunigiana | Pisa | Helpful for villages and walks | Castles, food, the Via Francigena | Aulla |
| Lake Maggiore | Milan Malpensa | Optional; trains and ferries work | Islands and gardens | Arona or Verbania |
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Dates to know for 2027
- Venice: day-trippers pay the access fee on about 72 days from Good Friday to mid-August 2027; the Architecture Biennale runs from 8 May to 21 November 2027.
- Lake Maggiore: in 2026 the Borromean Islands opened from 12 March to 8 November; 2027 dates were not out yet.
- Lunigiana: the medieval festivals and the Premio Bancarella fill July; chestnut festivals run on October Sundays.
- Cinque Terre: see our month-by-month guide for crowds, card prices and festivals.
Combining them in one trip
- Lunigiana and Cinque Terre: stay in Aulla and take the train to La Spezia in 23 to 29 minutes.
- Lake Maggiore and Milan: Stresa is about an hour by EuroCity from Milano Centrale, and Malpensa connects through Gallarate.
- Venice: sleep at least one night, even in Mestre, so you skip the day-tripper fee.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to visit, Venice or Lake Maggiore?
It depends on where you sleep. In Venice, Mestre is the cheaper base; on Lake Maggiore, Arona and Verbania were the cheapest towns in our June 2027 price check, at about €137 and €145 a night.
Can I visit Cinque Terre and Tuscany in one trip?
Yes. Lunigiana, the northern tip of Tuscany, is 23 to 29 minutes by train from La Spezia, the gateway to Cinque Terre.
Do I need a car for these places?
Not for Venice or Cinque Terre. On Lake Maggiore trains and ferries work well. In Lunigiana a car makes the villages and walks much easier.
Plan the trip
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Italy 2027 Special guides
Sources
- Venice will charge the fee on more days in 2027 (blue News)
- Biennale Architettura 2027 (La Biennale di Venezia)
- Isola Bella: hours and prices (Terre Borromeo)
- Aulla Lunigiana to La Spezia trains (e656 timetable)
- EuroCity 36 Milano to Stresa (Orario Treni)
- Malpensa to Gallarate trains from 23 January 2026 (Trenord)
Prices, timetables and trail status change. We checked the figures on this page on October 28, 2026. Found something out of date? Email contact@travelcheap.online.