Northern Italy is an ideal getaway for people with varied interests, or for those who simply can't make up their minds. There is something for everyone here: sun and sea for beach lovers, Alpine peaks for adventurers, exquisite restaurants and art collections for the urbanite, rustic vineyard living for the farmer-at-heart. Romeo and Juliet's Verona is second only to the canals of Venice in amorous appeal, though smitten couples will find romantic settings at every turn. Two of the following itineraries are designed around the most popular themes of any northern Italian vacation: a wine-and-dining tour for gourmet romantics, and a week in the snowy peaks for skiers and snowboarders. Then there are two itineraries that attempt to capture the best of the area's myriad attractions in 1-week and 2-week tours, respectively. (In general, these itineraries pack in as much as possible; if you'd like to stay in one place for more time, trim out the fat using the star icon as your guide.) All the routes begin in Milan, as Malpensa airport is the most common gateway to northern Italy, though tours could just as easily start at any of the area's many smaller airports that cater to European budget carriers. Remember that traveling from one end of the region to the other can be done in a single afternoon, if you follow the Po River plain. For train-riders, this means becoming very familiar with the Milan-Venice high-speed link (and the spurs to Genoa and Turin), and for drivers, Autostrada A4. While it's tempting to try alternate local roads, the A4 is Italy's most traveled highway for good reason -- it saves a huge amount of time and goes almost everywhere you want to be.
