Hi all, I am going on my honeymoon to Italy next month and I am really confused about getting around. Here is what we are looking at:

Arrive in Milan:
- What is the best way to get from the airport (MXP) to the hotel (east of Monza)?

3 days later, travel to Venice

2 days later, travel to Pompei

2 days later, travel to Rome


How do I go about getting my fiance and I on the rail system to get from one city to the next?

Thanks so much!

In Christ

The easiest way to get from Malpensa to your hotel is to take a private car service or a taxi. This would be expensive, however. Instead, you can take a bus from the airport to the Milan Central train station. I think they leave every 20 minutes. The airport website should have the information on this bus service. You would then take a train from Milan Centrale to Monza station, which would be a very short trip. Then you need to get a taxi to your hotel (I am assuming it is near Monza.).
There is also a train which runs from the airport to Milan but it goes to a different train station. There may be trains from that station (Cadorna) but I doubt they are as frequent.
I'm not sure what you mean by the 2nd question but look at the web site for the Italian railway which is http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html. You you can check the schedules between cities. You can buy tickets in self service machines at the station, or you can go to the ticket window and buy them from a clerk but you might have to stand in line. If you are staying at a hotel they may be able to get you tickets through a travel agency they have a relationship with which saves you the time of going to the station or the travel agency the day before the trip. I have never bought tickets in advance from the US so I don't know how well that works.
By the way, Venice to Pompei will be a long trip. You might want to look into taking a night train to Naples with a sleeping compartment. Have a great trip.

Hey, Thanks for the great response!

As far as my second question, I am just wondering what the cheapest way to buy rail tickets is and how should I go about doing that (website?, do I need to purchase tickets and then make a reservation?, etc..)

Thanks!

You can try to buy your tickets online at the same website, but many find purchasing at the website quirky, frustrating, or impossible. Just wait until you get to Italy and buy your tickets there. The faster trains will come with reserved seats. The slower trains don't even have reserved seats. You are traveling popular routes and shouldn't have trouble buying tickets since there are so many trains each day. You can buy all your tickets at the same time once you arrive.

http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/

This is the best place to find out about trains in Europe.

Look on they're website and then give them a call - they are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Ditto BETS and calling them. They helped me with tickets for a cross-Europe tour, and I am talking to them now about just Italy....call 8am to 5pm though....

You do not want to travel all the way to Pompeii for two days unless you just want to see the inside of a train for your honeymoon.

We have taken the train from Milan to Venice. Very easy. Can buy tickets fom the ticket machines in the train station, or easier yet,from any travel agency displaying the trenitalia logo. Remember Venice has 2 train stations. Toget to Pompei, you will probably have to take the train to Rome and then from Rome to Naples

Since you're going next month, it's late to be commenting on your itinerary, but I'll tag onto kybourbon's comment... Venice to Pompeii is about 7 hours on the faster, more expensive trains. Longer if you want to keep the cost down. I would drop Pompeii from this trip and add the nights either to Venice, Rome or to an interim stop in between the two. Like Bologna or Florence.

At the beginning of your trip, take the Malpensa Shuttle Bus to the Centrale station where you would take another train (or even a cab) to Monza. Do NOT take the Malpensa Express Train to the Cadorna station. There are no trains to Monza from that station.

the train station in Milan is very beautiful and very large. It would help you very much to spend some time before you leave home and familiarize yourself with the Italian train terms. The first time we were there, we were hurrying all around looking for the right place to go. We look back now and laugh, but I wish I had been a little better prepared - and you will too, especially for your honeymoon. Train travel in Italy is fun and lets you see a lot of the countryside.