Getting to Italy

Probably New York City. Then maybe Boston, Chicago. But the difference will be small. You are not talking hundreds of dollars.

Thank you.

If you're departing from Arizona, Phoenix is served by several airlines, which should make offers as competitive there as anywhere. I would not expect much savings to leave from California.

We don't follow airfare pricing as we aren't a travel agency. One agency we refer people to that can give you a better answer is Elizabeth Holmes Travel (tel. 206-547-8361; web: www.elizabethholmes.com).

As well as price, you can pay attention to plane connections. Flying from Phoenix to Italy, you face at least one connection. The so-called gateway airport can be either on the North American or European side of the Atlantic. You need to allow a comfortable amount of time and are better off having to wait on the ground than cutting it too tight and missing the connection. My base line is an hour and a half to two hours to be safe. Remember, your luggage has to be transferred too.
Phoenix does have non-stops to London where you can connect to Italy, although Heathrow is a very big place to make a connection. Or you could use eastern US gateways such as NYC, Philadelphia or Miami for a non-stop to Rome.
My strategy is to make the departure itinerary the longest, so I would fly to Milan first, and return from Rome. I hate getting up in the middle of the night to catch an early-morning flight, which is what you face if your return trip starts in Milan. Rome is an international gateway so you could depart at a reasonable hour non-stop to the US east coast to make your connection to Phoenix, remembering that it will be six hours later which gives you more latitude for the plane onwards to Phoenix.
I am not suggesting that you buy individual legs separately. Most of the big travel websites, and airlines too, have multi-city itinerary searches that will offer you options which you can combine on one ticket.
Apologies if I am repeating suggestions you already know.

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If you live in Phoenix you need to depart from PHX.
Check on www.kayak.com to check the best prices for your time of travel.