For the first time I was able to use my American Express miles. Have flights to Milan in October, How had long would it take to to get to Florence from there? I arrive on t10/16 8am plan on Florence and Tuscany until the 10 22 then traveling to Lake Como leaving on the 27. Any suggestions on iternay
and Hotels

If you take the Eurostar train from Milan, it will take 4.5 hours. Any non-Eurostar train will take longer. We can probably give you more worthwhile advice on lodging if you can give us a budget of how much per night you plan to spend.

BC

I was thinking at 250 American a night is that too high? Also if I fly into Rome would that be better? I dont think I can get a flight into Florence

The 4.5 hours would include immigration and the tedious trip from the airport (Malpensa I presume?) to the central station. The train itself from Milano Centrale to Florence only takes 2:45 hr (ES) or 3:27 (InterCity).

On the ES you need a seat reservation in addition to the ticket, and sometimes that's not available at a few minutes' notice.

I would recommend that you go buy your ticket as you get into the central station, which will be somewhere approaching 10AM.

Make it for the 3PM (15:00) train for example, that gives you time to stash your bags, walk to the Duomo (cathedral - 20 min.), climb the roof with the bezillion statues (it costs a few Euros, you can walk up for bragging rights, or take the lift up) which makes for great photo ops, test your legs again by walking down, marvel at the elegant shops next door in the Galleria, walk back towards the station (you need to keep moving to fight the jetlag), have lunch on the way somewhere, make your train and be in Florence at 17:45.

By the time you've checked into your hotel and freshened up, it's time for a sumptuous early (by Italian standards) dinner and a good night's rest - tomorrow you'll be in sync with the rest of the population.

WK

In 2002 We stayed in the town of Fiesole, on the hillside above Florence and it worked out well for us. It was a suggestion from an Italian client of mine. The town is the site of many Roman ruins, and has a church with the strangest little museum in its basement - one of those unexpected finds that happen when you go off the beaten track. We stayed at a B&B call Le Canelle, run by two of the cutest Italian young women. My husband is NOT the B&B type, but he loved this little spot, (or maybe it was the proprietors). The building was about a gazillion years old. It had once been a nunnery.

The upside - You are not in the city. They have an easy bus from the town center that goes to Florence several times a day. Fiesole deserves a visit all on its own. The views of Florence are spectacular, and there is a hotel there, San Michel I think, that is too expensive for me, but worth a glass of wine to experience. The ruins and the museum and the ambiance were wonderul.

The downside - We drove, and Parking there sucks, like in all of italy, and I don't know how to get there otherwise, although I'm sure there are options. But if you are not keen on staying in the city, looking for a smaller, reasonably price place to stay, and want easy access to the city, I would recommend this plan.

250 USD can get you very nice rooms in Florence, and on Lake Como. You could spend a little less if you feel it is high. I don't seem to ever find a really pleasant room for under 150 US, but going as high as 200 US will get you a very nice room. I don't think you have to spend more. These, however, are my standards, and not someone else's. I only mentioned it because of your "too high" comment.

We always stay in an apartment near Santa Croce in Florence, but there are plenty of good hotel recommendations here. I would choose an area more central than the Santa Maria Novella station area; I prefer Piazza Repubblica, Santa Croce, or nearer to the Duomo.

My favorite spot on Lake Como would be Bellagio, where we had a great room at the Hotel Belvedere for 175 E.

My suggestion would be to go to Lake Como earlier in the month, i.e., reverse your itinerary. This would give you a slightly better chance for better weather and more open business hours on Lake Como.

Go from Milan to Lake Como, then on to Florence and somewhere in Tuscany. Maybe Siena? Many of us here love the Val d'Orcia area in southern Tuscany.

Definately fly into Rome if you can. I have to assume that your fight to Milan will land in Malpensa, which is quite a distance from the city; you'd have to add that to your transit time. It makes for a long day.

Better plan would be to fly into Rome and out of Milan OR in/out of Milan and take a flight from Milan to Florence or Pisa for your Tuscany portion.