We will be driving up from Monaco and need suggestions as the best place to drop off our rental car. Our preference would be not to have to drive into the heart of the city.

You could drop off at Malpensa airport (assuming your rental company has an office there). The airport is out in the country northwest of the city. You could then take a shuttle bus from the airport to Milano Centrale train station if you were wanting to see the city or take a train elsewhere.

I agree with Boulder..mainly that you should know in advance where your rental car company maintains offices in the Milan area and then decide or ask specifically if one particular location might be better than another.

How about the Milano Centrale train station? Is that difficult to find? I thought of Malpensa, but it's out of our way since we are coming up from the south.

Milano Centrale is in the heart of the city which you said you would prefer to avoid. Best to check with your rental car company for alternate locations.

It may cost you dearly to leave a French car in Italy. If you want to drive around in northern Italy, the car rental locations in San Remo are the shortest train destination from Nice (i.e., turn in your French car in Nice, ride the train and start a second Italian rental, if you have reason to want a car in Italy for at least three days).

Best wishes,

Rex

Thanks, friends. I had originally planned to take the train, but a scheduling problem came up.