After our trip to the Alps and Montreaux we will spend three nights in Locarno. On the fourth day we will head to Malpensa for our flight home. I’m trying to decide how to spend that fourth day.
1 more time in the Locarno area, then head on to MXP
2 take the boat from Locarno to Stresa, spend the night there. Our flight the next day ( day 5). Does not leave until 1:30.
3. Train or boat to Stresa visit, then head on to airport. Spend last night at the airport.
Posted by
Washington DC
30145 posts
A 1:30 PM departure time probably means arriving at the airport by 10:30 AM. Check with your airline, because sometimes they want passengers to arrive more than 3 hours before departure. My philosophy is to be within an affordable taxi ride of the departure airport on my last night, in case something goes wrong with my planned public transportation on departure day. Stresa wouldn't meet that standard for me, because I am very cheap.
I don't know how often boats run between Locarno and Stresa; I assume you are traveling in April or later, and I can't find the summer schedule online. I suspect those boats are infrequent and slow. Be sure you'll have enough time in Stresa to make the diversion worthwhile. I'd hope to get out to the Borromean Isles.
I haven't spent any significant time in Locarno, so I am not sure what you will find to do on a fourth day there. I am very fond of the Centovalli train route from Locarno to Domodossola, which connects with trains to Stresa and Milan. The latter requires at least one transfer, and it would be a long trip from Locarno to Malpensa via that route.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32614 posts
There are numerous trains from Locarno to Malpensa airport, some with one change and some with two (I used an arbitrary date in April to check). Check the Trenitalia website for details. Depending on what time your flight departs, it might be possible to spend one more day in Locarno and go directly to the airport. However that's risky as if the train is delayed for any reason, you could miss your flight.
The safest plan would be to travel to Malpensa the day prior to your flight and stay at an airport hotel. I've stayed at the Sheraton Malpensa and it's very comfortable although not the least expensive option. As I recall, the main floor leads right into the airport terminal.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
12188 posts
I would highly recommend spending the last night close to Milan or Malpensa. We traveled from Locarno to Milan without the stress of a departing flight and endured a significant delay and ultimately a change of trains by SBB on the Swiss portion of the trip. Would have terrified me with a flight scheduled.