Stay near Malpensa or Como?
 

We are flying out of Malpensa on a Saturday at noon. While it seems smartest to stay at a hotel near the airport (and have been avidly reading the threads of those suggestions,) it is reasonable to think about staying in Como? We tend to be low-riskp people, but were wondering if the drive (22 miles?) is too far, too congested, or too much hassle?

In advance, thank you for your responses.

Why not take the train from Como to Malpensa? There is a frequent train to the airport with one easy change. That way you can leave the car in Como the day before you leave and not hassle the car return before your noon flight. Or leave the car in Como the day before your flight, train to Milan, and spend 1/2 day in Milan (duomo/art museum) with an overnight near the airport. Have a great time! Como would be a nice, restful way to end your trip!

Hi madameX. I don't want to be a spoilsport but personally I would never count on a train in Italy to get me to the airport in time to take a noon flight.

The trains can be late (I mean really late) or there could be a strike. Probably neither would happen but with my luck it would. I tend to be low risk also.

I would go into Milan the day before (maybe in time to get a hotel and have dinner) and then take the airport shuttle from the Centrale Train station to the Milpensa Airport. Or just stay at a hotel next to the Milpensa Airport if that seems easier for you.

In anycase, have a wonderful trip in Italy!

the drives from the lake are so easy. unless you hate gettng up early, i would not forfeit a night at the lakes (under 40 km) for a night at one of the overpriced malpensa hotels.

if you go to milan, you are gettng yourself actually FURTHER from malpensa than the nearest lake towns.. so.. ????

you will be shocked at how near and easy the access is to the lakes.
just be sure to know which ternminal you leave your rental car, (unless you find good pub. transport from como) and which terminal you leave from as they are VERY spread out.

FYI, there is also a DAILY AIRPORTER BUS direct in one hour from Como to Malpensa at 7:00 a.m., for 13 Euros one way. This avoids having to change trains at Saronno station (described by me in a separate posting). But this bus is probably a tad early for a noon flight.

If you arrive in Como at a reasonably early hour, why not spend the last night there instead of at a motel near Malpensa Airport? Como is a nice town, and the lakeside promenade is beautiful.

www.sptcomo.it

Thanks so much to everyone already for the replies.

In part, like a few have mentioned, we don't want to trust the trains on the day when we need to get to the airport. We've been to Italy a few times before and ridden the trains. We know that train schedules must allow for "flexibility," and we are low-risk kind of people. The idea of CHANGING trains sounds like WAAAAY too much risk for us on the morning of deaprture.

In fact, I've ridden trains between the lake district and Milan before, and Milan to points elsewhere, but have little experience with Malpensa. The last time my husband used Malpensa, he was dropped off by a company driver, i.e. as hassle-free as you can get.

(FYI: I know a marketing manager whose territory is Switzerland and Italy. Even though Italy is the larger market, he lives in Switzerland because he knows that the plane/train/etc. will usually depart on time when he needs to visit various offices, and he can deal with whatever comes when he's going home, i.e. when he can better handle "flexible" Italian schedules.)

Some details I should have mentioned in the first message, but did not:

Since we will have been in Milan for the better part of a week earlier in our trip (business) before taking off to other parts, and we have been to Milan before, the city itself doesn't need to be a stop the night before we leave. Also: the Malpensa airport often seemed far from the central city, i.e. we'd rather stay nearer the airport, or even Como seems more convenient since we wouldn't have to deal with as much in-town city traffic.

Also: I'll be a tag team with my husband. He's used Malpensa before, and we might check our car drop-off and terminal the day before our flight as we drive to the area. (Do we sound like control freaks?) We like to prevent stress, but have nice adventures.

But thanks so much for all the advice, particularly the insight on distances, how easy/difficult, congeestin, road quality, etc. That helps a lot. Now Como seems possible and seems more enticing that being at the airport. But if worse came to worst, we deal with anything near the airport for a night as long as we feel confident in making the flight.