Flying in from Canada and arriving in Genoa, we are hoping to go use Santa Margherita Ligure as our base to see the general area (5-6 nights). The hotel that has caught our eye is Hotel Miramare. From there we hope to go to Milan and Lake Cuomo. While we have travelled frequently to Europe, my wife nor I have not mastered the art of packing light. We both still work and we take our European visits as a shopping holiday as well. It seems that from the airport the most cost efficient and best means of transportation is taking the train. Is there a car service alternative? Wht about getting to Lake Cuomo and back to Milan, any suggestions? My wife and I were laughing this morning on our way to work that we can't possibly not see these places because of over size luggage and vanity. Would going First Class on the train make any difference for compartment space? Thank you in advance for your in put.

We had a car when we visited this area but you could take a train to Milan and hire a driver service to take you to Lake Como from Milan, especially if you have large pieces of luggage. If you are serious shoppers, you may to buy more luggage after shopping in Milan.

thanks for the advice. from santa margherita, do you sugest to go to cuomo and then back to milan?

It is Como !
By train, you have to go via Milano to get to any of the Como loctaions. Como is north of Milan.

If you only have 5 or 6 days, I don't quite understand the need to go to Milan and Como from SML. I love SML and it is a great base for seeing Liguria. But taking a train from SML to Milan to get a car service to somewhere (you don't say where) on Lake Como and then back again in a day, is an odd choice.

Are you going to visit Milan? Or just thinking you need to pass through there to get to someplace like Como (the city) or Bellagio or another town on Lake Como?

Using trenitalia.com, the trip will take at least 3 and a half hours each way, and involve changing trains in Rapallo and Milan. That is in no way a day trip.

You could easily hire a driver to go from Genoa to SML. You could easily hire a driver to go to Milan or Como, but it will still take a long time and that trip will be expensive

The Miramare is a very good hotel. They will provide you with driver information in you ask.

Why not choose a more reasonable day destination than Como?

OK, rereading, you don't really mention that this would be a day trip. It is easy to get a car service from Milan to any town on Como and back, however it's not cheap.

The train will have room for your luggage, but getting multiple pieces of heavy luggage off and on at least two trains, maybe three, isn't easy. First class cabins do have a bit more room, but there might not be one on the train to and from SML. Notice I just say "might" as I really don't know. I have taken the train in and out of SML and it's a regional train, nothing streamlined or speedy.

clarification. my wife and i are staying in rapallo or santa margherita for 6 nights. after that, we would like to see como and bellagio. is como and bellagio accessible via day trip from milan? i wasn't aware of that. thanks everyone for your input.

Please clarify how long you have total, as I am confused about your itinerary questions. You will have to pass back through Milan regardless.
I would choose either packing light and using public transportation OR packing heavy and using a rental car. If you think the shopping will occur in Milan, then you can save it for last and ship or check everything back home.

hi yorkshire. we will spend all 6 nights in rapallo or sml. from there, we have another 6 nights to fill with the hopes to see como, bellagio, and milan. from an earlier reply, it seems you can do day trips to bellagio nad como from milan. i hope this clarifies my situation.

thanks again.

With six days for Lake Como and Milan, don't visit Lake Como as a day trip, divide it four days on Lake Como and two in Milan, or three and three. Finish the trip in Milan with easy access to MXP.

Thanks Happy Trvlr.

Why not rent a car? You get to stop at places along the way and it gives you a lot of freedom--

How big is your luggage? If you're just talking about a 'largish' bag (each) like a 25" then that should be manageable on most trains. You'll need to leave it at the ends of the train in the luggage area rather than have it by your seat but lots of people do that (I only travel with 21" or less but I see plenty of people with 25" bags who manage on the trains).

I spent 5 days in Rapallo in July and it was a great amount of time to see S. Margherita, Portofino, Portovenere, and the CT towns. I loved the hotel I stayed at - Hotel Italia e Lido Lungomare Castello 1 www.italiaelido.com/eng Here is my trip report and link to photos:http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...swiss-alps.cfm

In Milan I can recommend Hotel Berna (http://www.hotelberna.com/)- it's only a five minute walk from Milano Centrale Station. Best breakfast buffet I've every had. Then it's only a 10 min metro ride to the Duomo and central Milan.

It is possible to do a day trip to Lake Como from Milan. With six days I'd want to spend at least one night on the lake. If you don't want to schlep your bags you could perhaps go to Milan for a night or two, then ask the hotel if you could leave your bags there for another night or two, and then come back to the hotel for the last night. Then you could go up to Lake Como with just one small bag for the one night. I did that a few years ago and it was nice to not deal with luggage for a couple of day (I only travel with a 21" but left that at the hotel and went to Varenna with just a dayback for one night). I took the train to the city of Como and then the boat up the lake and back the following day.

Thanks Isabel. Very helpful trips. Do you have a hotel in Como you can recommend? I was looking at the same hotel in Milan that you stayed. Any thoughts between SML or Rapallo as a base?

I think you'll find people who prefer Rapallo and people who prefer SML. Me, I'm a fan of SML; I like the atmosphere of the town, and it's not as sprawling as Rapallo. The Miramare is a very good hotel. It's been awhile since I stayed there, but I have very fond memories of it.