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Driving from Varenna, easiest rental car drop Milan Linate or Malpenza?

Hi! Looking for the most tourist friendly to navigate getting to, and dropping a rental car. Both airports seem to be a similar distance from Varenna. All things considered if one of the airports would be easier, we'd appreciate your thoughts. We'll be flying to London for a few days before heading back to the US. We'll book our flight and rental car based upon what we learn. Trip is in 2021 hopefully, replacement for the one lost this year---like many of us. Thanks!

Posted by
10344 posts

Malpensa is the first one you'll come to, coming from Varenna, it's the big airport, I've used their rental car facility, modern. Linate is just east of town, closer in, haven't rented a car from there, might be older, or not. Linate is closer to Milan city center, if that's where you're going next, but there's good transportation to city center from Malpensa, less than an hour travel time to city center by bus from Malpensa. Linate is just east of town, smaller, and from Varenna will take longer to get to, but it's closer to Milan city center.

The link below may be helpful:

http://www.aboutmilan.com/airport-milan.html#:~:text=If%20you%20arrive%20to%20Milan%20by%20airplane%2C%20you,the%20Milan%20city%20center%20with%20the%20Milan%20Airports.

Probably helpful for you to take a close look at a map and then make your decisions. Will depend on where you're going next after your arrival in Milan (flying out of Malpenza, Linate, train station....)?

Posted by
11027 posts

The airport choice is going to be dictated by the airline you use to go to London.

If you are going from Varenna to the airport to catch a flight, but sure you give yourself plenty of time.

Presumably you will have been other places before your arrival at Varenna that make having a rental car worthwhile. A rental car in Varenna is problem, not a solution.

I have not had to deal with a rental car at either airport. Looking at the map I suspect getting to MXP would be easier than LIN from Varenna as you would avoid being in Milan itself.

My $0.02

Posted by
797 posts

My only experience is with Malpensa a few years ago and we had no problems. It is on the right side of Milan for getting to and from Varenna which is a big pus in my books.

We had no problem with the car in Varenna, our hotel was near the ferry terminal and there was ample parking at the train station which was a very reasonable walk.

Posted by
3812 posts

Are u sure you'll need a car in Varenna? You can get there by train and most tourists end up using the ferries once on the Lake.

This is Malpensa's Terminal 1, there are no problems when they let customers drop the car close to the green square: https://www.noleggioauto.it/images/malpensa-dentro.jpg Most of the times I have been asked to drive here: https://goo.gl/maps/tDnZnaooYQk1nMuaA. Check it with the rental company.

I know nothing about Terminal 2 used by low-cost airlines.

Posted by
6172 posts

Some important points have been raised. And your choice of airport in Italy should be based on what airline you choose to London, and which airport you want to arrive at. Are you going to central London? In that case, the arrival airport is not that important, but if you're going somewhere else it can make a huge difference. E.g. if you are heading to Oxford, you really want to arrive at Heathrow, but if your destination is Brighton, Gatwick would be a much better choice.

And I also have to agree with Dario, are you sure that a car is the best mode of transportation in this case?

Posted by
3586 posts

Quite a few years ago, we returned a car to MXP. All was fine until we reached the point where we had to choose t1 or t2, and there was no sign indicating which way for car rental returns. As I said, this was several years ago, so maybe that has been amended - - or maybe not. If you opt for MXP, it would be prudent to find out, in advance, the route for car returns.

Posted by
12 posts

Thanks for the helpful advise, especially the logistics specific to the airports. I was concerned that Malpenza would be bigger, perhaps thus a bit more confusing but feeling better about that car drop-wise. I'm guessing we'll be flying British Air for a few nights downtown London. I appreciate the concern regarding having a car in Varenna. We have parking arranged and understand we most likely won't need the car during our stay. But we will have been driving for a couple weeks prior, and rather than training from a city on our travels where we could drop the car and then arranging transportation to the airport from the lake, just seemed easier. We will explore that though. Thanks again!

Posted by
10344 posts

I have not found a rental car helpful, but rather a hindrance, in Varenna.

Posted by
12 posts

Oh, there is that, thanks for the reminder! Once we were out and about, probably a Sunday and needed gas. Tiny town, unmanned station and our credit cards wouldn't work. A kind English speaking gentleman offered to use his card and we paid him cash. Phew!