We are planning a trip for the first week of May. We will have seven days for sightseeing with two days for plane travel.
We would like to go to the Cinque Terre and the Italian Lakes, but I am having a hard time trying to figure out the timing.
Right now we are thinking about flying into MXP and then driving down to Portofino.
We would have 1.5 days for Portofino and then 1.5 days for the Cinque Terre.
Then we would drive north and spend two days seeing Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore (probably staying in Stresa) and then driving over to Bellagio and spending two days exploring Lake Como.
Does that seem reasonable or is it trying to cram in too much?
Does anyone know how long the drive is from Malpensa to Portofino, the Cinque Terre to Stresa and Stresa to Bellagio?
Thanks for any and all advice.

Sounds a little crammed with moving around for my taste. Are you arriving from the U.S.? If yes, I wouldn't relish that drive just after and overnight flight

One thing to consider: with a car Menaggio might be a better coice than Bellagio. Its just across the lake from Bellagio but has much better car access.

"Does that seem reasonable or is it trying to cram in too much?"

That depends on how much you love or hate to pack and unpack and move from hotel to hotel.

I would not stay in Portofino and then move to one of the 5 villages of the Cinque Terre - I would just go and settle into a hotel in one or the other, and use my time there to visit the environs, by train.

Which do you prefer as a stay? If it's Portofino, you can visit the Cinque Terre villages and be back home for dinner. The trains take about 40 minutes to an hour from P. to Monterosso, and you'll probably want to go see Genova, you can be there in a half hour or more, depending which train you take.

The car won't be very much help along the Cinque Terre, watch a travel video or DVD and see what I mean.

The drive from the Malpensa airport to Portofino takes about 3 hours.

Stresa is a fine idea, it will be nice in May with the flowers on the Borromeo islands. As will be Lake Como.

So I'm not sure about the math with your days - seven days for what, and how many nights? Then you have to be back in Milan for your flight, maybe the night before? So maybe three nights in Portofino, two in Stresa, and two in Bellagio? Or two in each plus one night in Milan before flying home? That could work, only just...

Malpensa to Portofino is about 200 km, almost 2. hour drive

You can try your routes at mappy.com or viamichelin.com

For somebody who just comes off a transatlantic flight and isn't used to driving in Italy, the 218 km that viamichelin suggests doable in 2:33 hours will probably take 3 hours or more, point-to-point. Easy does it!

The 3 hours drive after your flight will be tough--that is your call.
Pick one destination at the CT---I would pick Levanto or Monterosso with a car.
At the lakes, if you must do 2 locations, start at Como and end at Stresa---much coser to MXP. I too would stay in Menaggio with a car. Take the north route via Lugano as transition to Stresa. May is a great time--try to include Villa Taranto on Lago Maggiore for the best flowers I have seen. Good luck !

Thanks for all the advice. We were wondering about the drive to Portofino after a transatlantic flight. We are coming from Boston.
So now we are thinking that we would take a train from Milan to Genoa and then the train down to Portofino. (Last time we were in Italy we took the train right after our flight and it was great for sleeping!)
Then see Portofino and the Cinque Terre by train and then head back to Genoa to pick up a car for the lakes.
Does that sound better?
Would there by any problems with renting a car in Genoa and then dropping it off at MXP?
And it sounds like two days in Stresa and two days in Menaggio (great suggestions) would be OK to see the sights?
Thanks again.

The Milan train station is 30 miles and an hour away from MXP. And, there is no train to Portofino--only to Rapallo which is a few miles away. Why Portofino? Just go straight to your. CT destination.

What time does your flight get into MXP?
I took the charter bus direct from the airport to Genoa train station and then did an easy train transfer for the Ligurian Coast.
It was a tour bus - very comfy with luggage stowed below, reclining seats, curtains on the windows. A cozy little place to hunker down for the 2 and a half hour ride to the coast.
The only problem is the early departure- 11:30 am

http://www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en...=come_arrivare

The train station closest to Portofino is Santa Margherita which would be an easier base logistically than Portofino, yet it will give you very easy access to Portofino. You need to realize that Portofino. is at the end of a very narrow road, which is always congested and it is very difficult to get in and out easily.

Once you are on that coast, the trains are the easiest way to see the towns, but the Cinque Terre is still a ways away.
I would try to get to Santa Margherita - see Portfino if you must, then train to one of the CT towns or one a little closer.
Rather than go back to Genoa, you could pick up your car in La Spezia, just south of the CT and head north from there.
Or you could take the direct train - 3 hours from La Spezia to Milan.
You are covering a lot of ground - personally with only a week, I would choose one of your destinations, and save the other for a future trip. Both of those areas are so full of interesting and beautiful things to see and do, a week alone will seem brief for either.