My husband and I are traveling around northern Italy in the next couple of weeks and will have a car the entire trip. On our last day we are leaving from Malpensa (Milan airport) at 2:40pm. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay the night before we leave? (We will be in Cinque Terre right before this) We thought about staying in Milan for the night but we will need to return the car, and are a litte worried about driving into downtown Milan to do that. We would not mind returning the car at the airport, but seems it might a annoying to go to airport to return car then train back into central Milan to stay over night just to train back the next day. Any suggestions on best place to return the car or an interesting place to stay, that is close enough to drive to the airport for a 2:40 flight, would be great. Thanks!

I can highly recommend that you stay out on one of the lakes. We just spent our last night in Italy at Lake Maggiore (w/o car)(Hotel La Palma). We then took an airport shuttle for 9E each the next morning. Took only about 30 minutes...very simple. What a lovely end to our trip.

No question---Lago di Orta--it is magical. See www.orta.net We will be going back for our 4th time in Sep.

Any suggestions on where to stay in Orta?

Yes, see the web site above for several. With a car I would consider the Hotel Bussola but we always stay at Hotel Orta.

We've been looking for a place to stay out last night before departing from MXP. We will have a car. How long does it take to drive to MXP from Lago di Orta? thanks!

I have done it in :48 but I always allow an hour. Add time for car return.

A few years ago I stayed at Hotel Cervo on our final night before flying out of Malpensa early the next morning. It was a clean comfortable place with friendly staff, located very, very close to the airport.

Please allow at least two hours,preferably 3 before your flight for arrival at Malpensa. I was there just two days ago and it is a mad scene with lots of sequential lines to wait in.