There's a trip I'm trying to plan for March/April, and at the end of it I'll be flying out of Milan to go home. I'll fly into MXP on a Saturday and fly out on the Sunday, which gives me a night and half a day to kill. I know it'll take longer to get to Como than Milan, but I've always wanted to see Como. Is it worth staying in Como for the night? Is it nicer there than Milan city? Or should I go to Milan and see the tourist spots before I leave?

With that time frame, I'd consider a driver to take you to Bellagio or Varenno on Saturday, then back Milan to spend the night. On Sunday, go to the Galleria for breakfast then see Milan's awesome Duomo. A bus leaves every 20 minutes from Milan's gare for the airport. Google what to do in each place to see which one has the best sights for you. Reserve in advance!

Where would you be coming from?

Personally, I'd want a longer time in Como. Milan does have more than most people give it but is worth a full day.

Does your plan include a night in Milan before your flight? I would definitely want that.

Beyond that, I find it difficult to comment without knowing something about your interests and more of your plan. (I won't ask how it's possible that you have a week in the area and still have a day and a half "to kill".)

So I'm flying in and out of Milan bc it's the cheapest option for me, but I'm actually spending most of my time in Paris. Coming back from Paris, before I fly home, I'll have a night in Milan (or Como, depending where I choose to spend that last 24hrs). After spending about a week in Paris, I feel like I might like to spend more time in nature, unless Milan's popular spots are more of a must see.

Actually, some trains from Malpensa to Como Lago take just an hour (change at Saronno). The ferry docks are a short walk from the Lago train station. Trains from Malpensa to the Milan Cadorna station take 45 minutes, so the difference is negligible.

But if you choose Lake Como, don't make Como your final destination. It's the largest on the lake and IMO not the most charming. Go to a town in the mid-lake area... Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio, Cadenabbia, Tremezzo or Lenno if you want to see the Villa Balbianello (assuming it's open that weekend). Of these, only Varenna has train service, so if another town sounds more appealing, the suggestion of a car/driver or taxi is apt. The overall journey by train from Malpensa to Varenna (change at Milano Centrale) is 2:17 hours and faster than going via Como by train and then ferry to the mid-lake. Whatever you decide, you're limited by the frequency of train and ferry departures for your dates. Check the ferry timetables in a couple of weeks to see the final date for the winter service which starts October 6th.

If you would be going to Malpensa on Sunday, April 5th, you'll need to pay particular attention to all transportation (ferry, bus, train) timetables... That's Easter Sunday. If that is the weekend you'd be at Lake Como, you should investigate what will be open/closed. The same applies if you decide to stay in Milan, although there are many more sightseeing options in Milan.

Ferries: https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/t...les-lake-como/

Trains: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

As suggested above, I'd want to be in Milan the night before flying out -- what would you do if something goes wrong? But you might not be as risk-averse as I.

Too bad, but not enough time for Como. Would be a pleasant and calm place to end your journey.

For nature and scenic areas go to Stresa - Isola Bella castle and botanical park.
For city feeling, big churches and outstanding museums, go to Mailan.

IMO, where you spend the night depends a lot on the time of your flight departure.

I agree with the comment that it depends on what you want to do. Como (Bellagio) is calm and peaceful and a lovely place to relax. Milano is one of the top cities for art, if you are so inclined. The Duomo is magnificent, and the museums are stunning.

We were supposed to take the train from Como to Grindelwald last Monday. A train strike was called for that day, but our train was still supposed to run. Then came the torrential rains and mudslides delaying our drive to the train station. We arrived just in time for the train, but then received an email that it wasn't running due to storm damaged tracks. I was able to find a bus to take us to the closest train station in Switzerland, but unfortunately, everyone going to Milan was stuck. The nice young man at the info station had to deliver the bad news over and over to tourists trying to get to the Milan airport for their flights. Their best bet was taking a taxi but they were impossible to find. No one from Trenitalia was available because they were striking. And I found out later the storm and flood situation got worse throughout the day.

My risk aversion has skyrocketed after this trip. I think spending the day in Milan would be very enjoyable!

I too am voting for Milan mainly due to logistical issues and potential transportation problems.

In the past year I have had these unexpected things happen on different trips:

My flight home from Venice to Atlanta was canceled. So, I had to wait until the next day to fly home. Then, the next day when I was due to fly home, there was a bus strike so the bus didn't run from Padua to the Venice airport. I ended up taking a last minute, expensive cab ride to get to the airport.

Last September there were heavy rains that washed out the tracks between Salzburg and Slovenia. Trains were delayed and rerouted, and the buses that were sent as replacements weren't adequate to handle the number of people who were stranded. A 3 hour journey ended up taking over 6 hours.

Recently a 2 hour strike by KLM at AMS resulted in about 120 flight cancelations. Two flights from my airport in the US direct to AMS were canceled less than 24 hours before departure. And, I understand these KLM strikes are sporadic and on-going.

So, weather and strikes (which Italy is well-known for) can cause lots of unanticipated problems which can screw up your plans.

I don't know where wtm started his trip to Grindelwald.
But trains from the Chiasso (Como) railway station to Lugano and connecting trains from there to Lucerne and Grindelwald ran as usual.
It was also possible to reach Lugano from Menaggio by bus.

If you want to stay on a beautiful lake close to Malpensa airport, go to Stresa, from where you can reach MXP by train, bus or taxi (short ride):
Bellagio etc. is way too far away,
And Lake Maggiore is nicer than Lake Como anyway.

Como San Giovanni in Italy

AFAIK the Como citybus from Como SG to Chiasso ran; otherwise it would have been a 5 min taxi ride (by radiotaxi from Como or Chiasso).

Good grief. Yes, as I said above, we were lucky and caught the city bus to Chiasso. Taxi's aren't easy to find during a strike and flood lol, but carry on.

Miacharlie,
March and April do not have much daylight.
My suggestion is to visit Como directly from the airport and then return to Milan for the night.
Assuming the weather is good and you have a reasonable amount of time.
Milan will have more to do at night while Como will be dark.

BTW what did it cost to fly round trip to Paris?
Good luck

Last time I flew round trip to Paris (from Australia) it cost about $1500. I think it's about the same this time, but flying to Milan instead and then to Paris will knock about $500 off that.

Another vote for Milan. I know you want to see Como, but you'll be giving it about the same attention to it as a watching a flyover video. Como should not be a mere check on your "what I want to see" list. Come back when you can stay and enjoy.

And while Milan was certainly never on my top ten list of cities I wanted to visit, once I realized we had to start a cycling trip there, all of a sudden I wondered WHY it had never made my top ten list.

First, its cathedral is gorgeous and the adjacent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is stunning. Spending the later afternoon and early evening as the light dims in that area is enchanting.

Second, "The Last Supper" is there! For some reason, I had totally blanked out on that fact, even though I remember being fascinated as a kid by its restoration work as pictured in my family's National Geographic subscription. When I thought, "Wow, I can see this", I could not get tickets. Never fear--there are combo tours with entry, and those usually provide entry to La Scala.

For me, the visit to the opera house brought me to tears because I remember my parents, lifelong opera fans, playing Maria Callas' recorded performance there of "Tosca" endlessly.

I'm just scratching the surface. There is so much fascinating history, so much beautiful art, and funnily enough, so many UGLY buildings from the time of Mussolini that you have to see to believe.

Good luck in your planning,
AZ