We are trying to narrow down our trip for July 2018. Please send any advice to assist.
We want to be in Verona on 6/27. Best airport? Milan or Venice? Other?
6/27 to 6/29 Verona and neighboring towns
6/30 to 7/3 Lake Como (Varenna is our preference)
7/3 to 7/6 Grindelwald (see surrounding villages)
Morning of the 6th head to which airport? Geneva? Zurich? Bern? We are heading back to Atlanta, Ga.
Thanks,
Steve
Venice is closer to Verona than Milan. Mthere is also an airport atnVerona but flights are less frequent.
Then take the train to Milan and onward to Varenna. Milan to Varenna is only an hour.
From Varenna tomGrindelwald you have two options---the more scenic but longer route time-wise is Varenna north to Tirano and over Bernina Pass to Chur, then make your way to Grindelwald via Lucerne I think.
The faster way is to go back to Milan and then via two tunnels under the Alps to Brig and then Spiez where you transfer to Interlaken and then Grindelwald.
Verona has an airport
You may want to review the list of airports that the flights to Verona originate from
For example if you Fly Atlanta to Munich Frankfort or Dublin, you can get a connecting flight to Verona.
Zurich has a direct flight to Atlanta
Train from airport in Milan takes about 2:38, from VCE about 1:30. Weigh in the convenience and cost of flying to either destination vs. difference in ground travel time. The train trip should be a secondary consideration.
Bern is closest to Grindelwald. Add 45 minutes to get to Zurich, 1:30 to get to Geneva airports. Again, ground transport should be your secondary consideration.
You may be able to get a direct flight from Atlanta to Milano, which reduces the number of connections.
Delta flies nonstop to from Atlanta to Milan 4 days a week, and Zurich to Atlanta 6 days a week. That is where I'd start my search. It may not be the best price, but nonstops are nice. You can't find out the price until you are 11 months out, and the schedules are subject to change.
Steve,
If your flight from the U.S. is on a Star Alliance carrier, you may be able to connect with a Lufthansa code share flight from Frankfurt / FRA direct to Verona. If that's the case, your checked luggage should be transferred to your final destination. Using a date of 27 June this year, it appears that they have a few direct flights using Lufthansa CityLine and a number of others with one stop in Munich using Air Dolomiti. I've used a similar method for travel to Florence and it worked well.
If you'd rather take a direct flight to Italy, I'd probably choose Milan as it's relatively easy to get from the airport to the high speed trains.
I always fly to Italy on the Delta flight, non-stop from Atlanta to Zurich. (I think it is DL66). I get on train at airport and go into Itay and return to Zurich to fly home. I usually purchase a Swiss transfer ticket from the RS website as I am only in Switzerland to arrive/depart. I love being able to enjoy the scenery on the train down into Italy and not be worried about driving, etc.....right off of an international flight. I usually stop at Verona for my first night...think there are two changes...Bellazonia (sp?) and Milan if I remember right. You don't have to go that far. You could stop in Milan or in Stresa on Lake Maggiorie.
ATL to Zurich is a great idea! Zurich to Italy by train! Zurich is an easy airport! SLC direct flights to CDG, Heathrow or AMS do not immediately come up in Delta searches. I have to pull teeth or put the flight number in to get the directs or ATL! AMS has worked out well recently but it is about another hour connecting flight to somewhere else.
