LisaGPS

Hello,
The family and I will be vacationing in Italy near Rimini for several days then plan to head north to Zermatt to catch a ride on the Glacier Express. We plan to return out rental car and catch a train in Italy. , Milan seems like a good midpoint but it looks like driving into the city to the train station could be painful. Would Parma be easier? Any other towns near there that have rental car return near a train station? We plan to use eurocar, had good experiences in the past, but could use any rental agency if that matters. We're flying into Bologna so renting the car from that airport. Appreciate any input!

RonZ

Stresa on Lago Maggiore, great place to spend a couple of days. Best train from Zermatt at 6:37AM taking 3 hours:

http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html

That's the first italian town on the way to Milano.

frencharmoire

I would return the car in Rimini, take the local train to Bologna, and switch to the high-speed train to Milan. I doubt you can do it any faster or more simply. Another easy way is to return the car to Bologna airport, take the shuttle to the central station, and then a train to Milan (where you can switch to a local one for Stresa).

If you are traveling in summer and your family includes teens or younger, you could also consider driving to Lago di Garda. To return the car after visiting the lake, return it at Linate airport in Milan and then take the shuttle bus to the central train station in Milan.

RonZ

I misunderstood your post, so mine didn't make any sense.

Jean

If budget matters... Check to see if there would be a surcharge for picking up the car at the Bologna Airport and returning it in another city. And/or whether you could return it to the Europcar office very near the Bologna Centrale train station (outside the ZTL) without an additional fee.

neckervd

check Stresa or Gallarate (several car rental companies in both towns).
Best trains from Stresa to Zermatt:
Stresa dp 9.21, 12.21, 13.21, 18.21, 19.21. 2 1/2 - 3 hrs ride.
Best trains from Gallarate to Zermatt:
Gallarate dp 7.57, 9.02, 16.02, 19.57. 3-4 hrs ride

How many days will you stay at Zermatt?
It wouldn't make the slightest sense to go up to Zermatt if you board Glacier Express (and backtrack the last leg of the arrival journey) the following morning.

rbciao47

I've driven in Milano many times and have found the driving conditions to be not so crazy. It was more like driving in any large American city.

We always stay at the Hotel Berna not far from the Stazione Centrale and close to an europcar location located on Via Luigi Galvani 12. The rental is always through autoeurope.com.

As for driving in Italy, my family comes from Calabria in the south, where driving laws are only suggestions.

Buon viaggio,

HappyTrvlr

Return car to Linate airport very near downtown Milan. Taxi to train station.