My husband and I are traveling to Italy in May for ten days and wondering if anyone has information about the easiest and cheapest way to fly. We would also like to go to Switzerland for a couple of days and would like information about getting there from Italy. Any info will be helpful. We dont have to fly to Italy if there is an easier route from SLC, UT. Thank you

Where do you want to go in Switzerland? And Italy? I would suggest Swiss Air if you'd like to go to Switzerland on your way to Italy, without knowing what cities you desire to visit.

The easiest *and* cheapest are not necessarily always the same - you pay for convenience.

The easiest is to fly to Rome FCO - there are many flights with just one stop from SLC. Once you land in FCO airport there are trains right by the airport to take you into town (to the Roma Termini main station) or beyond. Not necessarily the cheapest depending where you really want to go, but if it's Rome, that's the way to do it.

But Italy is quite vast and varied, of course. Use www.kayak.com (and others) to see about flights into Italian airports other than Rome FCO, where you might have one or two more transfer points but not necessarily greater cost:

Rome Ciampino CIA,
Milan Malpensa MXP,
Milan Linate LIN,
Milano Orio Al Serio (Bergamo) BGY,
Pisa PSA,
Venice Marco Polo VCE,
Venice-Treviso TSF,
Florence FLR,
Genoa GOA,
Naples NAP,
Catania (Sicily) CTA.

Switzerland is not big but hugely varied - three languages in three different regions, with different foods and customs and building styles etc. etc. - where did you want to go? The nearest to Italy is the Italian-speaking canton called Ticino, with the picturesque lakes of Lugano and the Lago Maggiore, nice towns are Ascona, Brissago, Locarno, Bellinzona, Vira Gambarogno, and so on. It's within easy reach from, say, Milan - check the map.

Or from Lugano you can take the Palm Express up to St. Moritz - a great ride on a coach into a wonderful part of Switzerland - www.swisspost.ch/en/pag_rf_palm_express.htm.

But that's only the beginning - there are flights with all kinds of companies to places north of the alps in Switzerland, to Zurich ZRH, to Basel BSL, to Geneva GVA airports, or to Bern BRN from Lugano with www.darwinairline.com.

Or you can take the trains - check them out at www.sbb.ch or www.trenitalia.it or http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...p;L=profi&

Have you tried booking an "open-jaw" ticket - flying into one airport and flying out of another? It sometimes costs no more and saves you doubling back.

I'm just not sure that you have time for Switzerland except maybe the Ticino - as it is, with only ten days you'll only be browsing a few cities of probably the northern regions where things are close together, or maybe a few days in Rome and a daytour or two to the south - Amalfi, Pompeii, Naples? Time will fly by, maybe leave Switzerland for another trip? Only you can decide.

Happy trails

WK

Thank you all so much for your advice I will need to do more homework and look into where we want to go.
Thanks

Do you have any suggestions for staying somewhere close to the Alps? And would there be enough time to spend a day or two there? Any info is helpful thanks!

Try Lake Como or Lake Maggiore, both very close to Milan if you fly in there and on the borders with Switzerland, both with wonderful views of the Alps and you can take the lake ferry to on eof the Swiss towns

With 10 days, I suggest flying into Milan, 3 days in Bellagio on Lake Como, a ferry ride or train to a Swiss town for 2 days, then take the train to Venice for 4-5 days, flying home from Venice. You will not need a car.
You should be able to fly on Delta. Have fun!

Hi A,

I live in Park City so I can identify with your questions about flights. No non-stops from SLC (waaahh!). You will probably have to connect in either Chicago, JKF, Cincinnati or Atlanta, all the Delta hubs. Try NOT to connect in Chicago!

May should be wonderful. I did a May trip a few years ago that started in Lago Maggiore. We loved it!

Buon viaggio!

Thank you all for the information. We actually have a place in tuscany that the owner of the company that I work for has rented. Do you have any suggestions from where to travel from Tuscany that would make the most of our time? Would it be wise to stay in Rome, venice and Florence? Or go back and forth?

I must admit that I am very confused as to what is being asked here. Do we have 10 days in Italy plus a few days in Switzerland? Ten days for both countries? Does this time include your tranatlantic time?

Sorry dont mean to confuse anyone we have ten days and two days for airtime, so a total of 12 days. But would like to spend time in Switz. if possible. Thanks

You've really got to get a handle on the places you most want to see before you start asking about logistics.

You have a place to stay in Tuscany which you seem to want to use, but then you ask whether it would be "wise" to stay in Rome, Florence and Venice. We can't answer that question until we know whether you're more interested in seeing Tuscany or Rome and/or Florence and/or Venice. And where does Switzerland fall on your priority list? And what part of Switzerland interests you most?

You only have 10-11 days. I recommend you visit the top three destinations on your priority list. You'll lose about a half a day each time you travel to the next place. Once you've narrowed it down, then re-post for some help.

You also want to go to Switzerland (which is a country, not a city)

You really do not have enough time to do Switzerland, Venice, Rome, Florence and someplace in Tuscany in ten days. Please understand that everytime you move will cost about a half day in transition. Consider northern Italy and Switzerland for 10 days or the popular Venice/Florence and Tuscany/Rome itinerary with open jaw Venice/Rome.

mjs can you tell me more about open jaw?

Open jaw in this case means flying into Rome from SLC and returning to SLC from Venice. You can also do the reverse. This allows you to travel without having to waste time doing a back track. A simple first time itinerary to Italy could look like this: Fly into Rome and stay 4 or 5 nights, train to Florence and stay 2 or 3 nights, train to Venice and stay 2 or 3 nights and fly back home from Venice.
You can accomplish the air by using any American carrier that flys into both Venice and Rome. I think Delta still flys to both. As an alternative you can use a European carrier for part of the journey and connect through one of the European hubs such as London, Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt than transfer to a more local flight to Italy. You would than reverse this on the return. Cost is usually not that different than a RT ticket to one location such as Rome.

Thanks mjs, very helpful. What are your thoughts or experiences with flying into Milan going to Bellagio for a night, ferry ride into a couple of the swiss towns. Spend some time in Florence and Tuscany. Then a couple of days in Rome and then fly out of Rome.

You cannot do it all-forget Switzerland for this trip.

Hi Ale,

You have to focus.

It would take 6 weeks to see the highlights of Italy and another two for Switzerland.

You have a place to stay in Tuscany, apparently for very low cost. Is this the center of your vist?

If so, fly into Venice for 2-3 days, rent a car and spend a week visiting Tuscany, fly home from Venice or Florence.

Save Switzerland for another visit.