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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Novara
Spend a half‑day to a full day in Novara, then move on – one night only if you want a relaxed pace.
Novara is a provincial capital with a compact historic centre, a striking dome (Basilica of San Gaudenzio) and several museums. It is well‑served by train from Milan and Turin, making it a convenient stop on a north‑west Italy itinerary. One day covers the main sights; add a night for a slower pace or if you arrive late.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, occasional thunderstorms)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–70 excl. bed · Mid €85–110 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1–2 |
| Panino or street snack | €3–5 |
| Bus ride | €1.90–2.50 |
| Museum entry (e.g., Faraggiana Ferrandi) | Free–€5 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MXP · Milan Malpensa International Airport
- ≈35 km (22 mi) by car, 30 min by train to Novara≈22 mi (35 km) by car, 30 min by train to Novara
Typical fares
- Milan Malpensa → Novara (train)
- about €15, 35 min
- Local bus (single ride)
- €1.90–2.50
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The historic centre is walkable; local buses cost €1.90–2.50 per ride. Regional trains connect to Milan (≈40 min) and Turin (≈45 min). Parking is limited; use free peripheral lots and public transport during weekday emission‑zone bans.
See and do
Known for
- Basilica of San Gaudenzio dome
- Novara Cathedral (Duomo)
- Early Christian Baptistery
- Visconti‑Sforza Castle (Archaeological Museum)
- Faraggiana Ferrandi Natural History Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Turin | Regional train from Novara FS, about 45 min | ≈1 h total |
| Lake Orta (Orta San Giulio) | Bus from Novara to Orta, about 45 min | ≈1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- City‑centre hotels
- Close to Piazza delle Erbe and the train station; good for one night.
Language
Italian is the language of daily life. English works in hotels, museums and restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan, and thins fast in the south and the countryside. A greeting and a few words (buongiorno, grazie, per favore) go a long way, and gestures and tone carry a lot of meaning.
- Use 'Lei' (formal you) with strangers and staff; 'tu' is for friends and young people.
- German is the majority language in South Tyrol (Alto Adige) and signs are bilingual; French is co-official in the Aosta Valley.
- Dialects (Neapolitan, Sicilian, Venetian) are strong at home and in markets; everyone also speaks standard Italian.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Driving bans for petrol cars below Euro 2 and diesel below Euro 3 on weekdays 08:30‑12:30 and 14:30‑18:30.
- Last regional train to Milan departs around 23:00; plan onward travel accordingly.
Generally safe; watch for pickpockets in crowded stations and respect emission‑zone rules.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Novara yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Basilica of San Gaudenzio dome
- Novara Cathedral (Duomo)
- Early Christian Baptistery
- Visconti‑Sforza Castle (Archaeological Museum)
- Faraggiana Ferrandi Natural History Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Novara: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1242
- Wikivoyage: Novara, revision 4931759 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4931759
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/novara). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.