In December 2015 I will be flying into Milan (couldn't pass up the >$700 flight cost from ORD) and then heading to Cortona. Can anyone help me decide if I should pick up a rental car in Milan (MXP) or take the train somewhere closer to Cortona and pick up a car there?
Thank you,
Sharon
I wouldrecommend renting your car nr tuscany ie florence rail station .
Get over jet lag in florence then pic up ur car.
Drive and enjoy w/o jet lag.
You're not flying Turkish are you?
Sam,
I am.... why??
Only that you will not arrive in Milan until 11 pm, pretty tired. I'd get a room at one of the many local airport hotels for the night, then pick up a rental car at the airport in the morning.
Thank, Sam. That was my plan! I have stayed before in Milan at Hotel Garda (I think). Really close to the central train station. However, since it will be late at night and I'm traveling solo, I might splurge for a taxi.
You had me worried for a minute. :)
Thanks again,
Sharon
I would stay overnight in Milan near the Central Station. Then the next morning I would take a train to Florence and then one to Arezzo. I would rent in Arezzo. Avis has an office across the street from the Arezzo station, and all others, like Europcar and Hertz, are a short taxi drive away.
From Arezzo to Cortona is a 20 min drive.
Normally I would recommend to drive all the way from Milan, but you are traveling in winter, and if it's foggy in the Po Valley (it often is in winter), or if it is icy on the Apennines (Bologna to Florence) it's not going to be a fun drive.
Roberto,
Thank you for the suggestion. That makes a lot of sense especially based on the possible fog and ice. This is a last minute trip (considering I usually plan 8-10 months out), so I'm sure I will be back with more questions!
Sharon
If you land at Malpensa airport, which is far from the city, the taxi ride to Milan is a whopping 100€. I would consider the Malpensa Express train:
www.malpensaexpress.it
There are Makpensa Express trains that go to the Cadorna station or trains to the Centrale station. Choose the right one depending on where your hotel will be.
The train to Florence/Arezzo departs from The Milano Centrale, but Cadorna is faster to get to from the airport and is closer to the Duomo in case you decide to stay in Milan two nights and see the sights.
I would actually recommend to stay in Milan the first two nights, because, if you arrive late, and with the jet lag, you will have a hard time to get up early the next day to go to Cortona. I would rest for an extra night in Milan and devote the first day to visit Milan.
I think the OP's plane is landing at 11:15 PM, too late for the train, but there are still Malpensa Shuttle buses at 00:15 and 01:20. Hotel Garda is close to Centrale.
HERTZ MPX! Seriously I'd heard the horror stories but I couldn't have had a better experience with Hertz at MPX. We picked up there, drove to Parma and on to Cortona (stayed at Villa Baldelli), around to CT and Genoa, and back to MXP last week and it was easy. They also DIDNT charge my card the security deposit. No hassles at checkin or return. We paid for GPS and it was great.
