Bellagio to Malpensa Airport

Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 06:43 AM
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Bellagio to Malpensa Airport

We have a 10:30 a.m. international flight from Malpensa -- we're staying in Bellagio -- should we:

1. rent a car to get to the airport
2. take a taxi (cost prohibitive?)
3. take the ferry then the train (which i believe would take us into Milan, then back out to the airport).

The owner of the apt. indicated its about 1 hr. 40 minutes to get to airport by car.

If we rented a car, we would have to add on time for returning the rental - and what are the roads like (i.e., signage, easy to navigate?)

If we take a taxi, they'd drop us at the gate.

What is the argument for taking the ferry/train option? Timing? better than car?
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 06:57 AM
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IMO, renting a car and learning the route as you drive is not worth the hassle or the stress, especially at 4 AM.

Is a taxi cost prohibitive? You've chosen to stay in Bellagio. What on earth does cost prohibitive mean?

You should be at MXP by 8:30 AM. Depending on the day, it's good to allow 2hrs to get to MXP from Bellagio. That means in the car by 6:30 AM.

I think you have one choice which is the most pain free:

1. Reserve a reputable car service and pay the rate. This is the only way to be sure a car will show up at the time you designate.

Any other option will leave you not in control of the time.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 07:06 AM
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Arguments for the ferry train: low cost, scenery, a lovely way to end your visit.

I did the ferry/train option. As long as you have enough time, that would be my suggestion. You will need to take a taxi in Como to the train station, but as I recall, there were several waiting at the dock and it was a quick ride.

Have you checked the ferry schedules? If it's doable, then go for it.

I wouldn't rent a car just for that purpose.

Another option is the quick ferry ride to Varenna, then the train straight to Milan -- again, if the schedules work. It's a short hike from the dock to the train station. Parts of the train ride along the lake are very scenic.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 07:17 AM
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We always hire Davide Guerrera to take us to MXP from Bellagio. Www.davideguerrera.com
Look at the total cost of your trip and his charges are not high vs missing your international flight and being a wreck as you begin your long journey home. Davide will email you a confirmation the day before your arranged pick up.
We also stay at an MXP hotel the night before if our flight is early in the morning.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 07:20 AM
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1. Driving will get you to the airport on time, however, the road from Bellagio to Como is winding and narrow. Just look at the google street view. Also, driving on the last day comes with risks. If you have a car problem, you cannot just walk away. You are pretty much doomed to miss your flight. I do this in the U.S. and Canada mostly because public transit options don't exist at many places. I avoid driving on the last day in foreign countries. Additionally, you will now need to carry a navigation aid if you are not already driving during your trip.
3. Ferry/boat then train will get you to Malpensa at 10am at best. It does not work.

Look at ferry via Varenna:
http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/c_dow...0TRAGHETTO.pdf

or hydrofoil via Como: (slow boat will not do)
http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/c_dow...0%20RAPIDO.pdf

The earliest you can catch a train from Varenna would be around 7:30am and 8:00am for Como Nord Lago. You will not make it to the Malpensa. www.trenitalia.com.

Preferred way to have planned an itinerary was to consider all the relevant factors, such as how to get the next destination and if the relevant option, such as a taxi/car service, is not acceptable, resequence the visits to avoid being so far away from the departing airport on the last day.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 09:03 AM
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Thanks for everyone's input.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 09:55 AM
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The shortest itinerary by public transportation is ferry to Como, than FN train from Como Lago Nord to Saronno and Malpensa shuttle train from Saronno to MXP, without the need to backtrack to Milan. But I doubt you can get in time for an early flight, so IMHO you have a choice: either hire a car with a driver, or move closer to MXP the day before.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 10:09 AM
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One more option is the shuttle bus operated by Fly to Lake. They have a 5:30a pick-up in Bellagio that would get you to Malpensa at 7:30a. 50 euros per person for 2, or 35 euros per person for 3 or more.

http://www.flytolake.com/index.php/en/

Just FYI, there are no car rental agencies in Bellagio.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 10:38 AM
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You can rent a car in Bellagio, but I think you'd need to bring it back:

http://www.barindelli.it/english/index.htm

Barindelli also offers car service to MXP. There are others, too. Don't hesitate to price compare.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 10:46 AM
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Go with NYCFS's advice.

What we did on our last trip was to leave Lenno on the penultimate morning and drove ourselves down to Cernobbio where we first dropped our luggage at our hotel then dropped the car in Como (after a visit to Villa Olmo for an exhibit).

We took a taxi to the ferry and rode back to Cernobbio. I planned this specifically to take advantage of the Concorso d'Eleganza in Cernobbio.

It was a win-win - we saw two things we wanted to see in the southern part of the lake, had an overnight in a pleasant little hotel, and then had a leisurely ride to the airport with a driver.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 01:38 PM
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NYCFoodSnob, thanks for the info on Barendelli. On previous trips we'd wished we had a car for just a day to do something away from the lakeshore. I don't mind supporting the local taxi drivers (with whom we've had some wonderful conversations), but sometimes it's nice to be on our own.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 03:14 PM
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Thanks for the additional input. I'll check into these suggestions
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 05:39 PM
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bookmarking
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Old Jul 2nd, 2014, 05:54 PM
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Our experience with the Varenna - Milan train was that one train malfunctioned and all the passengers had to get off and wait for another train. I would not rely on the regional trains for a tight connection. And I doubt you'll be that interested in the scenery at 6:30 AM. I would choose to spend the last night in Milan or somewhere closer to the airport to reduce the risk of missing my flight (& not have to start the day quite so early).
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Old Jul 3rd, 2014, 03:35 AM
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Inquire at your hotel for the cost of a taxi to Malpensa. It cost me more than USD$140 in year 2000 when Italy was still using lira. But it was a smooth and relaxing ride.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2014, 07:20 AM
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"Inquire at your hotel for the cost of a taxi"

Considering your username, you failed to read. The OP is not staying in a hotel.

It's very difficult to determine what the taxi price will be, even with the hotel owner's help. Every price I've been offered is different and depends on many factors, ie: time of day, my location, the location starting point of the taxi, destination, etc.

Generally speaking, a taxi from Como to MXP can cost just under 100€. From Bellagio, I'd be prepared to pay just under 200€.

The cheapest/easiest way to MXP from mid-Lake Como: Take the train from Varenna to Milano Centrale and then switch to the Malpensa Shuttle. But those who want/need to choose this economical method cannot book an early morning flight and expect to stay their last night mid-lake. It helps to find a later departure flight.

Personally, it would not want to leave Lake Como to spend a final night anywhere closer to MXP. Talk about a buzz kill. But people need to do what they need to do to make their flight safely.

"Our experience with the Varenna - Milan train was that one train malfunctioned and all the passengers had to get off and wait for another train."

I suppose that can happen, but I don't believe it happens very often. It's never happened to me, and I have a lot of experience with that Regionale trip.

Travel days are a bust no matter how one tries to deny it. The question always is, do you want the travel day to creep into your 2nd to last day in Italy?

When in Italy (or perhaps anywhere), it's always a good idea to add a few hours onto your schedule to allow for departure mishaps or delays. It's very painful to do this when it calls for a 4 AM wake-up call, and you didn't fall asleep until 1 AM.

"I don't mind supporting the local taxi drivers (with whom we've had some wonderful conversations), but sometimes it's nice to be on our own."

Ditto.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2014, 10:12 AM
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The flight schedules were pretty much dictated by FF miles and connections. And, for me, this is a somewhat last minute trip so haven't had a lot of time to think through all the scenarios of logistics. Needed to get a decent priced accommodations and at this late stage, wasn't particularly easy.

And as NYCFoodSnob said, don't really want to stay near MXP on the final night -- and my hubby said definitely not.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2014, 10:49 AM
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It is not necessary to be near MXP the night before. From Milan city center, there are frequent early morning trains to Malpensa: 52min from Milano Centrale and 36min from Milano Cadorna.

I see it quite often people book trips in this sequence:
flight --> then accommodations --> then connections.

However, as you found out, these three items don't always align within your expectations after you have nailed the first two items independent of the connection logistics. Even in a hurry, the minimum three items that need to be looked at before hitting that buy flight button is:
flights + accommodations + connections
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Old Jul 3rd, 2014, 12:42 PM
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We do not consider it a buzz kill to spend a last night near Malpensa, when we have an early morning flight. I highly recommend the First Hotel, which has shuttle service to the airport. We time our arrival for late afternoon, having spent the day doing whatever depending on where we are coming from. We check into the hotel, leave our bags and return the rental car. The hotel shuttle picks us up from the rental car facility, and we have dinner in the newly reopened under new owners restaurant across the parking lot from the hotel. The hotel also has a restaurant. I hate the idea of driving a distance the morning of a flight, we are usually tired by the end of the trip, and so this scenario works for us. Not a buzz kill at all.
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Old Jul 4th, 2014, 04:24 AM
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"The flight schedules were pretty much dictated by FF miles and connections."

Those choices are what they are. So it's important to plan for a smart and safe exit strategy and sometimes bite the bullet on cost.

"don't really want to stay near MXP on the final night -- and my hubby said definitely not."

If budget takes priority, one can easily justify a last night near MXP. One can always find a hotel that costs less than a private car from Bellagio.

My comment about buzz kill has everything to do with aesthetics. I want to savor the beauty of Lake Como right up to the last minute.

"The hotel shuttle picks us up from the rental car facility, and we have dinner in the newly reopened under new owners restaurant across the parking lot from the hotel."

Sorry, but that definitely reads like a buzz-kill to me. To each his own.
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