trevorjoyce

At the end of Aug. we (parents and 25 yr old son) will visit Rome, Florence and then Venice. We'll go via trains between those cities. We then leave Venice and spend our last night at an airport hotel in Milan and fly out early the next am.
Should we leave Venice via train, walk around Milan a little and then find a train to the airport area? We will have our luggage with us though. Or would it make sense to rent a car for the day and slowly make our way from Venice to Milan and enjoy the scenery?

MmePerdu

My first choice is always a train. But if you know there's something you'd like to do that requires a car, rent a car. But failing a specific need, take the train.

Andrew

I agree: I'd never rent a car in Italy unless you're driving through Tuscany or something. Between two big cities where the train is convenient - why hassle with driving?

And unless your flight out of Milan the last morning is at the crack of dawn, I'd stay not by the airport but near Milano Centrale the final night and take the express train to the airport in the morning (assuming you mean Malpensa/MXP).

Sassafrass

Train, hands down.

Sassafrass

Oh, by train, you could stop in Verona, stash your luggage at the station and see a nice bit of Verona, have lunch and go on to Milan, or (even better, much better, IMHO), see if the station in Vicenza has lockers and stop there for three or four hours.

trevorjoyce

The plane is at the crack of dawn! The only reason the car came to mind is that we will have spent the rest of the vacation in those cities and wondered if it would be nice to see lake Gada. The time in each area is only several days so we won't go anywhere else.
If the route won't be very scenic though, then a train it is!

trevorjoyce

The ideas from Sassafrass might be fun. I'll see if that could work!

kybourbon

>>>see if the station in Vicenza has lockers and stop there for three or four hours.<<<

No lockers at Vicenza

NYCFoodSnob

Are you going to take the time you need to take to learn the roads, study the maps, study the ZTL zones, study the street, road, and highway signage, buy or rent a GPS, learn how to use the GPS, all for one day of driving?

Early departures out of MXP when Milan or the surrounding area is not on your itinerary is ALWAYS problematic. This is not a travel choice I would enjoy or ever recommend.

Dukey1

Snob, why don't you, just once, give people a little credit. Just because you may have had some difficulty with "early departures" out of somewhere doesn't mean these people are unprepared.

Sassafrass

Because of zones, etc. car travel takes a bit more thought, but it is interesting to think that when we lived in Germany 30-40 years ago, we had no GPS, no cell or mobile phones and no internet for reservations. We had maps and that was it. We have learned to rely on modern things, but any reasonably thinking person can travel pretty much anywhere with a bit tiny of planning.

So, if you wanted to see Lake Garda, you could rent a car and do it, though I think it would be a very long day, especially for your last day, but it is doable. You could also do something closer to Milan, like Bergamo, certainly out of your way, but charming. You just have to get info on the best way and routes and decide how much extra travel you want to try for on your last day.

Simple, of course. Visit Milan.

That being said, sorry about Vicenza not having storage at the station. Because of the Palladian architecture, it is one of my favorite little towns, but Verona does have storage, so that would work. You catch a shuttle or taxi from the station to the CC. It isn't far, and I usually walk, but you have limited time and will be walking once you are there. The main piazza has nice restaurants and even a cafeteria, so is a nice place to sit out and have lunch. You could visit the old coloseum also. It is in good shape and still in use. At least, it would give you an opportunity to see another place easily.

Pick your airport hotel carefully so it isn't too long of a trip in the AM. We had a last minute overnight in an unexpected snow. Things were delayed and we had to book right from the airport with little info. Our "so-called" airport hotel turned out to be a good 35 - 40 minute ride from the airport. We might as well have been in the city.

bilboburgler

I'd also avoid that East West motorway, it ain't pretty and it is narrow with short turnoffs

socaltraveler

Early departures from MXP, especially when one has to connect to a flight somewhere in Europe to a flight back to the US west coast, is pretty much a given. Even those who would not recommend nor enjoy them often have no choice.

OP, how early is your early flight? MXP is a fair distance from Milan, you may want to consider a hotel near the airport, or arrange for an early taxi. If you do rent a car, you could stop at Lake Garda or other places along the way for your last day, return car to the airport and spend the last night out there. Or you could take the train to Milan, spend the day in the city, and arrange for a very early transfer to the airport.

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"why don't you, just once, give people a little credit."</font></i>

Who on earth are these "people" you speak of? Readers here come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of experience. They are all free to take as much credit for their travel acumen as they desire. My opinion of smart and worthwhile travel has nothing to do with handing out points of credit. I'm not a teacher, and readers here are not my students. The statement quoted is really senseless.

<i><font color=#555555>"So, if you wanted to see Lake Garda, you could rent a car and do it, though I think it would be a very long day, especially for your last day, but it is doable."</font></i>

The question of whether something "is doable" comes up here rather often. And the smartest advice from the most veteran among us usually is, "just because something is doable, doesn't mean it's easy, safe, and prudent."

If you're the type of traveler who enjoys running a marathon on your last day of travel, and putting yourself and others at risk of enduring a lot of unpleasant unknowns, then knock yourself out. Nothing I say or recommend will matter to you.

Sassafrass

NYC, agree totally about "just because something is doable, etc, etc" which is why I made suggested options. I guess it depends on the person. I figure there will be a next time to see something or it will not matter, so If something seems at all stressful or rushed to me, I just do not do it.

I, for one, would absolutely never do a day trip from Rome, or even Florence, to Venice or the CT, and would not do a day trip from Rome to Pompeii. People who do it seem to have enjoyed it, but I know I would have hated it. I am more the sit, sip, be in the place person or really explore one place until it is a part of me. For the OP, I would just stop in Verona, and it isn't even one of my favorite places, but other people love it, and it could be a lovely three or four hours, with one easy train stop.

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"If something seems at all stressful or rushed to me, I just do not do it. "</font></i>

BINGO!

Rushed and stressed. These are two VERY IMPORTANT words in travel. They cause the most accidents, the most pain, the most aggravation. And they can cost a lot of money, especially if you travel without insurance.

Again, if you're the type of traveler who won't feel satisfied unless every minute before boarding your plane must be filled with "doable" activity, then good luck to you.

Sassafrass

Meant to add; If someone is set on doing something and it is doable, even though I may advise against it, I would tell them how it might be done if I knew that.

NYC, keep giving advice. That is what this forum is for. Often new or even old travelers do not think about something if they have not read about it somewhere. It is not taking away any credit to their intelligence to throw in extra information. The information offered can be ignored, and anyone who is offended by it is silly. I have not traveled nearly as much as many people here, but have travelled a good bit, and am always grateful to learn from someone else's experience, something helpful that I did not know or did not think about.

PalenQ

Maybe keep your car until you get to the airport - that is if not wanting to see Milan itself - if so the last day just take the train there as cars in cities like this are problematic - wide areas off-limits to private cars.

But a nice drive would yes stop by Lake Garda - park your car at a boat dock and take boats all around the lake - better than driving as you can see both sides of this, in its northern tip, a lovely fjord-like lake.

Drive to the airport that day, return you car and stay in an airport periphery hotel.

Or drive all the way to Stresa on Lake Maggiore - another lovely lake - visit the three famous Borromean Islands just off-shore and in the morning it is an easy drive to Malpensa from there - quicker than from Milan perhaps - or drive to the airport at night, savings a day's car rental perhaps.

If wanting to do Verona or Milan take the train all the way.

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"The information offered can be ignored"</font></i>

You would think even the simplest minds could figure this out.

<i><font color=#555555>"anyone who is offended by it (the information offered here) is silly"</font></i>

People who offend easily are absolutely the worst people to travel with. Unfortunately, the world is full of silly travelers.

sandralist

trevorjoyce,

You wrote:

"Should we leave Venice via train, walk around Milan a little and then find a train to the airport area? We will have our luggage with us though. Or would it make sense to rent a car for the day and slowly make our way from Venice to Milan and enjoy the scenery?"

Traffic along that length of highway, especially around Lago di Garda, can be miserable, so train would be my choice.

One option that you have is to stow your luggage in the Milan train station to go sightseeing. Depending on the weather that day, and what time you want to leave Venice and what you would like to do in Milan , you might find this one of the better, most flexible options.

Another option you have is to go from Venice by train to the town of Stresa on Lago Maggiore and spend the night there. In the morning, you can take a 50 minute bus ride from Stresa to Malpensa airport. This can be a very relaxing way to end a stay in Italy. If you pick it, you need to arrange with your hotel at the lake to book you a seat on the airport bus to Malpensa.