Best flights for CT trip?

You could fly into Milan Malpensa then take the train down to the CT -

I agree, Milan is probably the best option as far as price is concerned. I'd suggest using a search like kayak and put MXP (Milan Malpensa) and check the option underneath for 'nearby airports'.

Once you figure out which airports have reasonable fares, then you can look up the train schedules to see which train services are the most reasonable from that airport.

Via Milan, you fly into Malpensa airport, then take the shuttle bus to Milan Centrale, where you can get the train to CT. The bus takes about an hour, the train another 3 hours. Don't take the train from the airport - it goes to Milan Cardona, and then you have to get to Milan Centrale by metro/bus/tram to get a train to anywhere else.

I also checked the trains from Rome - about 4 hours to CT, changing trains in Florence and possibly again in Pisa. So you might want to check flights to Florence and Pisa too.

Pisa is closest and possibly the most convenient. Trains from Milan go thru Turin; there are two train stations in Turin and you will probably have to cross town to the other train station before continuing your trip. I've done the reverse of this from the CT, switching train stations to meet the train going from Milan to Paris. Genoa (Genova) would be closer than Milan; it all depends on what you can arrange with the airline you are using. The Pisa airport is busy and only a few minutes by train from Pisa Centrale train station; I think it is RyanAir that flies out of there.

Danny,

Will you be visiting only the Cinque Terre on this trip, or other locations in Italy? That will probably be one of the factors in deciding which airport to fly into.

I haven't checked the flights from your area, but as the others have suggested Milan Malpensa is certainly one choice. It's possible there will be a greater variety of less expensive flights to Rome, and that would be another destination to consider. You didn't say what time of year you'd be taking this trip, but I suspect the choice of flights will be somewhat reduced in the winter months.

There are direct trains from Roma Termini to La Spezia, with travel time about four hours (I know because I've used them). From La Spezia it's an easy trip to each of the CT villages on the smaller local train.

Good luck and happy travels!

I took a direct train from La Spezia to Milan 2 weeks ago. It also stopped at Monterosso.

Danny, Pisa is by far the closest airport to the CT. However, very few U.S. airlines fly non-stop into PTL. Delta is one of those very few but, the flight originates at NY Kennedy so you would have to fly there first. Also, Delta may not have the best fares for this flight.

Milan and Rome would be the two other airports with several U.S. airlines flying in non-stop. Travel time from each to the CT is 4.0hrs or so. You'll go by bus/train from Malpensa and train from Rome-FCO. Florence's Amerigo Vespucci is also close to the CT but you won't get non-stops from the U.S. (we go through Frankfurt).

You might look for fare bargains on airlines that will first fly you to a major airport in the EU and then fly you locally to any of the four airports mentioned above.

HI! My son & I are going from Milano (MXP) to CT next month. Could someone, please, update me on how to get us from MXP to CT via train? I understand the bus to Milano Centrale. What type of train do we get on then? Will we need to change trains? Is there an easy way to buy the tickets beforehand? (trenitalia is so confusing to mne!) GRAZIE!

Paulette,

It would help to know what date you're travelling, and what time your flight arrive at MXP?

However, some general information that might help. This information is based on an arbitrary arrival time of 13:00 at Milano Centrale.

There's a direct train (no changes) departing Milano at 14:05, arriving La Spezia at 17:18 (Time 3H:13M). From La Spezia you would board the smaller local train for the short trip to whichever of the five villages you're going to (which village are you staying in?).

Many of the trains running in that direction require a compulsory reservation, but even though you're travelling the same day I'd probably take a chance and just buy tickets when you arrive at Milano Centrale. If you're not able to get on the first train, there will be another one in an hour or so (possibly with one change, perhaps in Genova). When you buy the tickets, be sure to specify the C.T. town you'll be staying in as your final destination, rather than La Spezia. You might consider buying the tickets for your outgoing journey at the same time, although you could buy these in Monterosso al Mare as it has a "full service" ticket office as I recall.

Check either the bahn.de or trenitalia.it websites for times and other information.

Happy travels!

Pisa & Genoa are the closest. It was actually cheaper for me to fly to either of them from Chicago (with a quick layover in Rome) than directly into Rome with a promotion Alitalia was running in March.