We are going to Italy in May, and we're going to concentrate on rural areas rather than the cities this time.
We're going to do two days in Cinque Terre and four in Tuscany doing day trips, probably based in Siena. We think we want to do a day and two nights at Lake Como.
Should we go there first, directly from the airport by car, or should we leave Como for the last full day and go to Malpensa from Bellagio in time for our noon flight? Either way, we want to drop the car after Tuscany before quick hits in Florence and, maybe Milan, using the train for the rest of the trip. Or is the Como idea just not going to work out?

Hi W,

You don't say how many days you have total - ? Also, what your objectives of doing "quick hits" in Florence and Milan might be....

we are considering doing a day in Florence as a day trip from Tuscany, dropping the car there and taking train north. if we can do the Como thing and make our noon flight, that would be nice but the transportation is something we're not familiar with.
we probably won't do Milan proper if we can make Como work.
we have 10 nights in Italy.

ttt

Do everything else, and if you find you have had enough of the other places, drive to Bellagio for one or two nights, then get up early and drive to Malpensa, return the car, and catch your flight.

If you like the Tuscany, and Florence itself, so much that you want to hang around, deep-six the lake for this trip.

WK

thanks; that was what i was thinking, but i hate to drop Como.