italy

It makes little sense to return to Rome. How about flying out of Milan, given the itinerary you outline? If you change your itinerary, you could also fly out of either Florence or Venice. Flights will typically be very early morning, connecting to the US through a European hub. Venice is probably a little less desirable because it can be challenging to get from the island to the airport on the mainland using public transportation early in the morning (easiest/fastest is water taxi, but it is very expensive).

I agree with Sherry. If you are planning to end your trip in Lake Como, it makes more sense to fly out of Milan. You will waste a lot of time backtracking to Rome to fly out of Rome. Milan Malpensa is only 60-90 minutes away from the mid-lake section of Lake Como (Varenna, Bellagio, etc.).

Thanks Sherry. I am rethinking the trip and your suggestion. Does anyone have a recommendation on flying out of Milan? Also is there a train from Venice to Lake Como? I am thinking about ending the trip in Lake Como and flying out of Milan. Does that sound better?

If you end your trip at Lake Como (I'm assuming in Vernazza), you should indeed fly out of Milan. Depending on the time of your departure flight, you might want to spend your last night in Milan. (I don't think there's a direct way to get to the Malpensa airport from Vernazza or anyplace else on Lake Como.)

I generally prefer to end the trip in Rome rather than Milan or Venice. The Rome airport is closer to the city (30 min by cab) therefore even if you have an early flight out you can still stay in the city center with no problem. Milan Malpensa airport is far from the city center. Venice also has the challenges mentioned above if you have an early flight out. My suggestion is to fly into Milan or Venice (generally you'll arrive in the morning or very early afternoon). Then you will work your way South on land (train or car), then come back to the US from Rome. In other words start from the North, and end in the South. As far as flights are concerned, from Miami you have plenty of choices. Most will require a connection either in a US or in a European hub. The only non stop to Italy from Miami I think is with Alitalia (Rome).