Final itinerary for Italian Piedmont trip March 2009

28 Feb – 5 Mar 09

http://www.mountain-base.com/
Chalet Biolay 1
€1035 per apartment for 7 nights (sleeps 4 to 6)

6 Mar (Fri)

Travel from Chamonix to Turin
Visit the squares, churches, palazzo Reale and Madama and stroll around, cafés
Lunch at Caffe Platti Open since 1875
Chocolate Festival at Piazza Vittorio Veneto

Hotel Artua Solferino
http://www.hotelartuasolferino.it/eng/english.htm
Double €70
Single €55

7 Mar (Sat)

Visit Mole Antonelliana in Turin
Visit Venaria Reale (10 km out of Turin, WHS)
http://www.lavenaria.it/index.shtml
Sacre di San Michelle: 12 or13th century abbey http://www.sacradisanmichele.com/index.asp
Saluzzo, pretty medieval town

Hotel Perpoin
www.hotelsaluzzo.com
Double €70
Single €40
Special set dinner €25 per person

8 Mar (Sun)

Morning stroll around old town of Saluzzo
Cherasco: for snails dishes
Alba: Medieval red brick towers wine town, taste for coffee at café and cheese with black truffle (at Via Vittorio Emanuele 11) 
Overnight stay at San Giulio, Lago d’ orta

Piccolo Hotel Olina
www.orta.net/d.negri
Double €61
Triple €95

9 Mar (Mon)

Visit the chapels at Sacro Monte di San Francesco (World heritage site) 
http://www.sacrimonti.net/
Drive to Lake Maggiore: Stresa
Take ferry to Isola Pescatori and Bella (twin islands)
Visit Verbania

Hotel Saini
www.hotelsaini.it
Double €75
Single €50

10 Mar (Tue)

Visit Arona morning market
Lunch at Aosta
Back to Geneva Airport

　Expenses

EURO

HK$

Air ticket per person

6,673

airport transfer per person

350

Chamonix accom (Mountain Base) for 5

1,043

2,087

ski rental (5D) per person

123

1,230

ski pass (5D unlimited) per person

211

2,110

car rental for 5 (Europcar)

648

1,296

cash expenses per person
(incl. Italian accom, food, petrol, road tax, admission fees)

600

6,000

　Total

19,746

FX rate: 1 EURO ~ $10 HK

Draft itinerary for March Trip - This trip was planned by Jenny (Ha Ha). Since we had to take Go Jiu Sai Chi Chi along, we have been lagging behind the schedule from Day 2 onwards. The following is just a guide which clearly demonstrates the difference in pace between our dear Ha Ha and Chi Chi.

6th March (Friday) 
Travel from Chamonix to Turin
Visit the squares, churches (Mole Antonelliana), palazzo Reale and Madama and stroll around, cafés  (Caffe Platti: for lunch or dinner. Open since 1875)
Chocolate Festival at Piazza Vittorio Veneto, visit Peyrano chocolate shop
Egypt Museum
Nightlife: Quadtilatero Romano and Via Garibaldi pedestrian zone
Overnight stay in Turin

7th March (Sat)
Visit Venaria Reale (10 km out of Turin, WHS)
Sacre di San Michelle: 12 or13th century abbey
Saluzzo, pretty medieval town
Cherasco: for snails dishes (need booking beforehand)
Alba: Medieval red brick towers wine town, taste for coffee at café and cheese with black truffle (at Via Vittorio Emanuele 11) 
Overnight stay in Cherasco

8th March (Sun)
Visit Asti, visit towers and the origin of sparking wine town
On way to Casale Monferrato: (if 9am- noon) free wine tasting at Cooperativa Sette Colli   
Vercelli: Basilica of St Adnrea
Varallo: visit Nuova Gerusalemme, di Varallo Sesia (World heritage site)
Novara: Basilica of S Gaudenzio and 15th century Palazzo del Broletto
Visit the chapels at Sacro Monte di San Francesco (World heritage site) 
Overnight stay at San Giulio, Lago d’ orta

9th March (Mon)
Drive to Lake Maggiore: Stresa
Take ferry to Isola Madre and Bella (twin islands). Isola Madre with carob trees, largest Kashmir cypress in Europe, 200 yrs old
Ticket for 2 places within same day (cheaper than single one)
Opening hrs: 9-5:30 pm

10th March (Tuesday)
Car travel around Maggiore: Cannobio: first town in Italy
Laveno: lots of café
Drive back to Geneva (3.5 hrs through Italy 117 Euro  or 4.5 hrs through Swiss 57 Euro)