hockeynutmom

I am planning a trip with my sister to Northern Italy area and up into Switzerland. We want to rent a car and drive where the road takes us. We have to visit the lake Como district and Verbier (where we visited often as children) and anywhere else we want in 10 days. Any itinerary suggestions???

bobthenavigator

Be aware of surcharges if you drop in a different country.

I would fly into and out of Zurich and have 3 destinations in 10 days. Luzern and Bellgio would be my other 2 after Verbier.

Palenque

From Lake Como you could go via Tirano, Italy to the Bernina Pass rail or road route over the Alps - extremely scenic at the summit and then go down to St Moritz and onto Lucerne or Zurich

hockeynutmom

Where are you flying into and out of?

hockeynutmom

surcharges as to the car rental or airports? Would it be better to fly in and out of the same airport or is open jaw still an option?

pja1

Hi,

Surcharges are primarily for renting a car in one country and returning it in another. Can be very expensive.

kenman

Definitely check out the car thing -- the Swiss are a little neurotic about letting their cars go into Italy (and I believe Italy is the only country in Europe where the insurance from Amex doesn't apply). You can probably rent in Italy and return in Switzerland, but I'm guessing the charge will be a few hundred dollars.

One alternative would be to fly into Milano, catch a train right up to Lake Como, hang out there for a few days, then catch another train to Lugano, Switzerland (or some other destination across the border) and rent a car there.

So here's an intinerary. Fly into Milano, and either spend one night (to check out the Duomo, Last Supper, etc.), or immediately catch a train to Varenna. Hang out there for a couple of days and do the lake thing -- Bellagio, long lunches, R&R. Then work your way to somewhere in Switzerland (Lugano seems likely), and either stay a night or rent a car there and head out. Work your way over the mountains to Zermatt -- it's a beautiful route, and Zermatt is just an iconic little Swiss town with the remarkable Matterhorn looming overhead -- or the Berner Oberland (stay in Wengen). From either place, you're an easy 2 hour drive to Verbier (where, if money is no object, Richard Branson has just opened a new hotel). Then you might consider shooting over to Lac Leman, maybe spending some time in Montreux, Lausanne (Ouchy on the waterfront is beautiful) or Geneva. Then you can fly right out of Geneva, which has good flights and an incredibly manageable airport.

That strikes me as a great trip that would get you Italian, German and French culture in some amazing locations.

bobthenavigator

Car rental prices are higher in Italy---Lugano would be an option for you:
CAR RENTAL STRATEGY FOR NORTHERN ITALY
BY BOB THE NAVIGATOR

How would you like to save perhaps $500 on your next car rental in Italy? Well, you probably can if you decide to start and end your trip in Germany or Switzerland. Here is an actual scenario that proves the point.

A recent client nearly had a heart attack after getting a quote for a mid-sized car with automatic transmission for Malpensa [MXP] airport in Milan. He was quoted over $1300 for a ten day rental, with the drop off also at MXP. Wow, over $130/day was about twice what he had budgeted. So, we changed his itinerary and saved him over $500. How? We decided to fly into Zurich and get the car in Lugano---not a bad diversion for any itinerary that includes the fabulous lakes region of northern Italy. After landing in Zurich he trained to Luzerne for two nights before continuing on to Lugano[LUG] by train to get the car. It proved to be an enjoyable addition to his trip that included two lakes destinations in Italy and several days in the wine regions of Piemonte.

Car rental prices in Italy are just much higher than adjacent countries, primarily due to the mandatory insurance rates. Lower rental rates are also valid in Germany with Munich[MUN] being a good choice as a launching pad for trips into most venues in northern Italy. Here are some examples:


TEN DAY CAR RENTAL PRICE COMPARISONS [in $$$]
COMPARABLE INSURANCE COVERAGES—THREE LOCATIONS

BROKER COMPACT/MANUAL MIDSIZE/AUTOMATIC

MXP MUN LUG MXP MUN LUG

AUTOEUROPE 729 584 496 1303 993 853

GEMUT 663 388* 378 1235 621 583

AVERAGES 696 486 437 1269 807 718

SAVINGS N/A 210 259 N/A 462 551

• *Price is for sub-compact with automatic upgrade to compact model.
• DISCLAIMER: Rental prices can vary by season and locations. These prices are a snapshot in October, 2007 for these two vendors only. Prices may vary when you actually get a quote, but the point is still valid. The prices will always be higher in Italy, especially for automatic models.


There are additional benefits to considering this itinerary strategy. You get to add more options in your quest to find the best airfares, or free seats using award miles. Besides the obvious destinations of Munich and Zurich, you can also consider Stuttgart as a viable choice to save on airfares. That gives you three other options rather than just considering Milan & Venice.

But the primary benefits to me are the wonderful destinations that you can add to your northern Italy itinerary. I have always loved an itinerary that includes the Salzburg area, the castle country of Bavaria, the Dolomites, or even Lake Garda with other destinations in Italy. That is especially true for any family trip or for those who are seeking the ultimate in natural beauty. And, the drive from Munich airport to Val Gardena in the Dolomites is only four hours and includes some great scenery past Innsbruck and through the Brenner Pass. The drive to Salzburg or Garmisch is only about two hours.

Any Zurich itinerary should include at least two nights in lovely Luzerne either going or coming, and one night in Zurich to enjoy this unique city. The additional rail costs will be offset by the fewer car rental days. Of course, you could get the car in Zurich, but I have always preferred using the very efficient rail system in Switzerland. And, Lugano itself is a terrific destination to enjoy for a few hours before driving an hour to Lake Como or wherever.

To me it is a win/win scenario. The only catch may be adding enough days to your trip to make it all feasible. You will probably need at least twelve days to include two or three Italy destinations with the transitional venues. I have included Tuscany in my own itinerary that began and ended in Munich, but it may be a bit of a stretch if your time is limited. But, saving between $200 to $500 on just the car expense for your next trip to Italy can sure buy you your fill of gelato and cappuccinos---always a good idea.