After an all night flight we'll drive to Florence...is it a tough drive or gentle highway?

This really depends on how well you sleep on an airplane and from where you are coming. It can be autostada all the way, but I wouldn't characterize Italian autostrade as "gentle highways". Personally, I would be tempted to stay the first night close to Malpensa--the town of Gallarate can be reached by taxi and is quite nice. There is the Jet Hotel used by many airlines or you could stay at the quite posh Villa Malpensa. Walk around in the sunshine, cure your jet lag, have an early dinner and go to bed. After a good night's sleep get up early and enjoy your drive down to Florence. In my younger life I would probably have gone directly.

we arrive early from US - 7am so don't want to "waste" the first day hanging around Malpensa...our apt. is booked that day so want to get there. We'll be on the road at perhaps 8:30am Saturday - is it quite hilly/mountainous or pretty straight easy driving?

The 360km drive from Malpensa to Firenze will take you between 3 and 3:30 hours (depending on how heave the right foot presses the gas pedal . It's a divided tollroute just about all the way, an easy drive. <BR> <BR>If you feel there's a chance this is too much to do after a long flight, your alternative would be to take the bus shuttle to Milan's central station and a train thereafter, renting a car when you're set to go in Tuscany. Take the Eurostar (departures at 9am, 10am, 11am - trip of 2:47 hours). <BR> <BR>Paulo

Thanks Paulo..exactly what I wanted to know! We have car rented at Malpensa and I know my hubby will be up to the challenge if it's straight divided highway. I was more concerned with it being really "challenging" and him having to white-knuckle drive the whole way. Thanks for the info.