I am planning a two week trip to Italy and will be in Tuscany for the last week. My flight is out of Milan on a Sunday afternoon, 3:30 pm. We are staying in Lucca on Friday and Saturday and will have a car. One option is to stay in Lucca one more night and drive to Malpensa in the morning. I am not too fond of this as I feel that the driving distance is too long in the event of car trouble, road closures, etc.
Another option would be to stay in Milan for the last night and enjoy the city. However, i am leaning to drive to Stresa or another town on Lake Maggiore and spend the afternoon hiking, however i have not found many sources for ideas. Lake Garda area seems to have a lot of trails, but this is too far to drive from Lucca, spend the day, and then drive to Malpensa. Please give me your ideas on how to spend this last day.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2320 posts
Stresa is absolutely wonderful and would make a great spot for your last night. You’ll probably wish you planned more time there. Try to get there early enough to take the ferry out to one of the islands, or even spring for a water taxi.
I highly recommend Hotel du Parc.
Posted by
Irving
2954 posts
I recommend spending your last night in Stresa too where you might be able to drop off your rental car and take a direct bus to Malpensa airport.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8145 posts
It's a 200 mile, 4 hour drive from Lucca to Malpensa Airport. With a 3:30 p.m. flight, you'd usually want to get close to the airport by lunchtime.
We prefer to get closer to the airport the night before to avoid any problems.
Posted by
Seattel, Washington, USA
113 posts
I would get to Milan by whatever means and then wander around the city, go to see the Dumo (well worth it!), do a spin on the testicles of the bull in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and have a long dinner with a good bottle of Italian wine and get up the next morning and head to the airport. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3099 posts
Are you talking about canceling Saturday night at Luca and heading that morning?
When and where are you supposed to return the car?
If the answer is at Malpensavon Sunday, then spending Saturday night is Stresa sounds goo to me. I think I have seen references to a cable car up to hiking trails from Stresa. Maybe someone else knows for sure.