Planned a month long backpacking trip with my partner following graduation in 2009. We started in Nice, France where we stayed in the amazing Villa Saint Exupery (check out famoushostels.com) before moving on to Genoa in the Italian Riviera - fantastic authentic food but 'unusual' attitude to tourists and we made good use of the phrasebook here!! After a few days we travelled by train to Milan where we found some great little bars, live music and independent shops as well as seeing the famous sites and learning more about the history of the city. Lake Garda was our next stop off, which was a welcome rest from the busy cities we had been in previously. Wonderful views and relaxing atmosphere, particularly in Torri del Banaco where we stayed in a small family run hotel. After
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