Our Rick Steves Village Italy tour will end in Lake Orta, after breakfast. Our flight out of Milan isn’t until 12:20 p.m. the next day. An extra day in the Italian lakes district would be lovely. I think I’d like to spend our final day and night in Varenna. It looks like we can get there by train, but it’s via Milan, where there is a train change. Then, the next morning, I know we can get from Varenna to MXP airport by train, but again we’ll have to go into Milan Central and change trains. There may even be another transfer before that. I think all that will be stressful when we are worried about checking into our flight 3 hours before its departure time. I’m guessing my husband will nix this plan, saying that the two train trips (Lake Orta to Varenna via Milan, then 24 hours later, Varenna to the airport via Milan) will be costly, time consuming and burdensome . . . not worth it just to get in one night in a different area of the lakes district. But I want to see Varenna! Another option would be a car rental. I’m told there might not be a place to rent a car in Lake Orta, but we can do it in Stresa. I believe there’s an easy way to get from Lake Orta to Stresa by public transport though I haven’t looked into what it involves. If we have a car that we can drive to Varenna, then we can drive ourselves to MXP the next day and return the rental car there. I kind of like the idea of having a car on our final day, after the tour ends, so we have control over what we see and do, with a place to hold our luggage prior to our Varenna hotel check in, and aren't lugging it around with us. The car will allow us to time our ride to the airport to best suit us. However, how will the drive to the airport be? If the route is going to be confusing and there is a high risk of a traffic jam, it’s not a great option. Does anyone have a recommendation on the best plan for us?
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
34895 posts
what day of the week?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32452 posts
Vickie,
A short trip to Varenna after your tour is certainly possible, and that would be great place to spend your last night in Italy. An extra day or so would have been good but if it's all the time you have, it will have to do.
That trip is not especially onerous, but it will take about 3.5 hours with two changes. You'll first need to get to the Orta-Miasino rail station. From there you'll travel to Novara, Milano Centrale and finally Varenna-Esino. Travel will mostly be via Regionale trains (DON'T forget to validate!) and the current one-way fares are €12.05 PP, so it's not too expensive. Depending on where you stay in Varenna, you should be able to walk to your hotel (provided you're not carrying a couple of Steamer Trunks).
The trip from Varenna to the airport is very simple. The first leg will be from Varenna to Milano Centrale and then from there to MXP via the Malpensa Express, which will take 2 - 2.5 hours total. The easiest trips will be a departure from Varenna at 06:35 or 07:37 (they only have one change at Milano Centrale). I assume your flight departs from Terminal 1?
The Guide will coordinate departure of tour members at the end of the tour, so there may be others in your group going in the same direction. When will this tour be taking place?
Happy travels!
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
34895 posts
and the time of year would be nice to help, too.
At this time of the year there is a 6:35 train from Varenna-Esino to Milano Centrale, arrives in 11 stops at M CLE at 8:08, depart on another train to the airport at 8:25 arriving at 9:17 which should about meet the 3 hour requirement. Total travel time, 2:42. You could leave Varenna-Esino 12 minutes earlier on a faster train, have more time in M CLE for shopping or eating and catch the same train to the airport. Or, by changing 2 times of 15 minutes and 23 minutes at Monza (the famous Monza, a suburb of Milan and home to the world famous Formula 1 track) and Saronno and get to the airport at 9:04.
I don't know how long the drive would take because of my earlier questions.
Posted by
OP
Wisconsin
472 posts
Thanks, Ken and Nigel, for all the helpful detail about taking the train. Our tour is Sept. 8-21. The trip to MXP airport will be on a Monday. Obviously, I've got lots of time to figure it all out, but having just booked the tour, I'm excited about it and wanted to start planning for the parts of the trip that are on our own!
Posted by
The Heartland USA
9275 posts
Vickie if you arrange ahead of time, it is possible to take a taxi to MXP from Varenna. Not cheap, but probably less than a rental car. No reason to have a rental car in Varenna. I think there is info on taking a taxi in the RS Italy Guidebook. But really, trains are no problem.