taconictraveler

We arrive at Milan Centrale RR station about 1 PM on June 4, and will be renting a car to drive to Bolgona that night, and then to Umbria and Southern Tuscany.

Which is the best location at which to pick up the car? i gather there are some choices of rental locations. I know I can get it near the central station, but is there a location which would eliminate some of the driving out of the city?? I know Malpensa is a possibility, but seems like backtracking to me. Maybe Linate would be better if we are given that option. And if Linate is a choice, is it a long cab ride out there?

bobthenavigator

Linate is close--a bit SE of downtown. Malpensa is :45 west--not a good option.

HappyTrvlr

We took a cab from central Milan to Linate, short ride, and picked up our car there.

lincasanova

Milan is not what I would call a nightmare to drive out of from the train station itself. But as mentioned, Linate is close.

If you do not need the car yet fro special stops along the way, is the train to Bologna without connections? Maybe pick up your car there instead?

taconictraveler

Hey, lincasanova, not a bad idea, I'll look in to that as well. thanks for the idea. Otherwise cab to Linate could do it. I don't think Milan is like some other places to get out of, I just remember a lots of twists and turns, and we WILL have a Garmin, I'm just trying not to start the trip with the usual husband/wife (driver/navigator) disputes!!

lincasanova

I hear ya.. and you can't trust those darn GPS 100% either!

I had to forcefully tell my husband and friends on our way back to the airport I was driving) in Frankfurt Hahn that i was NOT following the darn gps. I knew more or less where I was going and the thing wanted me to turn right.. I knew the airport was left.. anyway..funnily enough, the airport sign comes up on the road..(and the airport was in VIEW) to veer left, and GPS was still telling us to go right.

Have a great trip.

kawh

maybe just us-- but the only truly, truly baaad freeway driving we've ever had in italy was between milan and bologna. (we thought there was a huge accident-- but someone told us it was not that unusual... but can't say whether that was accurate.)

if you are arriving at the train station anyway-- and not really touring along the way-- i would also consider looking at taking the train, then renting a car. you don't want to park a car in bologna anyway-- they are so tight about going into the center of town. we have returned our car in bologna-- and the rental place was well located at the edge of the main city.

in bologna-- don't miss the best gelato in italy, in my obsessed opinion..."stefino" which should not be confused with gelato on stefano street-- not only was it the cleanest gelato i have tasted-- they also have amazing-like-nothing-else fresh "granite" which really hit the spot on a hot day! http://www.stefino.com/index.html
enjoy!
kawh

taconictraveler

Kawh: Your ideas intrigue me, not the least being the gelato of course.
I'm considering another train to Bologna, as they go very often from Milan, and if you're willing to pay more can be a very short one hour trip.
If the car rental place is there the edge of the city, can you remember which "edge?"
We have reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn, just on the south edge of the city in a suburb called San Lazaro di Savena, so if those two are close to each other, more reason to take the train. Any info on this? thanks.

kawh

taconictraveler--
our car rental place was the one marked E on this link for europcar (we rented through kemwel-- whose prices are absolutely amazing and have always been great to deal with). it was pretty near our hotel. (hotel internaionale) so we either walked or took a taxi from the car place. i don't see any on the south side of bologna-- but i'm sure there are other options close to your hotel.

sometimes the hotels themselves have car rental companies renting space for their cars--- i would contact hilton and ask.
you will love bologna. we can't wait to go back.
kawh

kawh

oops-- forgot the link with the europcar map i mentioned above...
http://www.europcar.com/car-rental-ITALY-BOLOGNA.html

-kawh

taconictraveler

Kawh: thanks for the help in bologna. DH has decided to save the train fare from Milan to Bologna, cuz auto rental cost will be the same either pickup location, (even tho there was a bologna pickup location pretty near our hotel in San Lazaro di Savenna (I think that's the name of the suburb where the Hilton Gdn.Inn is - south suburb.

We are hoping to go in to Bologna by some sort of public transport to have dinner at Al Bissionot, a restaurant that a Fodorite raved about.
It will be a Friday evening, so I guess we should get a reservation.
I will no doubt have withdrawal symptoms over being able to spend just one evening in Bologna, but for us, it's just an added bonus to our one week in Umbria and a second week in Tuscany, our original plans.