We are flying from ATL next fall and our first stop will be Cinque Terre. We wanted to take a direct flight to Milan since I have poretty bad air sickness. From Milan's airport we would then take the train to CT. We do not have any carry on luggage and would just have to go through Customs. However, we have read that Milan's airport can be a nightmare to go through. Would it be better to fly into Florence (thru Amsterdam connection from ATL) and take the train from there to CT? Does anyone have any other options that they think would work?
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7052 posts
Florence is a bad idea in my opinion, Pisa would be a better option. Larger airport with more flights and closer to Cinque Terre.
If a direct flight to Milan is better than a flight to Pisa with a change is a matter of personal preference. I would go for the direct flight to Milan, but that's just my opinion.
Posted by
Miami
338 posts
Another option is flying into Genoa from Amsterdam. That’s what I would do.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11948 posts
We do not have any carry on luggage
That being the case, I would want to minimize the chance the delayed/lost luggage and avoid making a connection.
My experience with MXP was pre-covid, but it went smoothly.
Posted by
OP
41 posts
I mis-spoke. We have no checked bags. We will have backpack luggare that we can carry on the plane.
Posted by
Huntsville, TX, USA
319 posts
I have flown into Milan several times, including one trip to the Cinque Terre, and it has always been very easy to navigate. Get your Malpensa Express tickets ahead of time, if that makes you less anxious, and head there after you get your luggage. There are many clear signs to direct you to the train. Once you get to Milano Centrale, you will change trains. We stayed in Levanto and it was an easy train trip from Milan. Good luck.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16133 posts
Genoa (GOA) and Pisa (PSA) are the closest airports to the Cinque Terre, however neither one has direct flights from/to North America and therefore you will need to change planes somewhere in Europe.
Florence, in spite of being a smaller airport than Pisa, actually offers more flight options from North America with traditional airlines, as Pisa handles primarily low cost airlines, like RyanAir, Easyjet or WizzAir, and does not have as many flights (if any) with traditional airlines like Air France or KLM (both Delta partners) via Paris CDG or Amsterdam Schipol. However Florence (which does have several of such AirFrance or KLM connections, also would require a lay over somewhere else in Europe, as there are no direct links from North America to Italian airports except for Rome, Milan, and Venice. Florence is a bit further away and would require at least one extra train change compared to Genoa or Pisa.
If you prefer a non stop flight, from ATL you can fly non stop to Milan MXP or Rome FCO. You can reach the Cinque Terre from either airport by train in approximately the same time (about 4+ hours). It will require at least one train change (at Milano Centrale or Roma Termini respectively), depending on which village you plan to go.
Posted by
OP
41 posts
I cannot thank everyone enough for all of your information. It has indeed helped in our planning. There are many options I see and we will be able to decide which is best for us now that all of you kind people have helped us with insights and suggestions. Thank you again, we look forward to exploring Europe soon!!