I travelling to Milan in late May 09. We will be flying into Milan & I was wondering if someone could help me with suggestions on the best way to get from place to place. Do trains go from Milan to either of these places & then the other?
Posted by
Chicago, Illinois, USA
586 posts
From the airport in Milan, take the shuttle bus to Milano Centrale Stazzione (about e7 each), and take the train to Cinque Terre (direct to Monterosso al Mare, just under 3 hours, about e50 each for 1st class). Cheaper if 2nd class, and nearly as good.
Then just do the reverse going back to Milano (a number of times to choose from in terms of departure for Milan), and at Centrale, change trains on to the lakes district.
We've always chosen Monterosso al Mare as our Cinque Terre base because the trains from/to Milan stop there direct, but in reality, would be easy to get off at Monterosso and grab one of the frequent local trains to any of the five towns you choose as your home base (Steves recommends Vernazza, I think).
On my blog I've got full itineraries--including one for a spring 2009 trip to Cinque Terre we're taking, also from Milan--if you want more detail. As for the lakes, Stresa on Lago di Maggiore, while past its heyday and not as popular (or crowded) as the towns on Lago di Como, is beautiful and serene, and provides easy access via bus to the airports in Milan. Also has a neat cable car ride to the top of Mount Mattarone in the foothills of the Italian Alps. Buon viaggio!
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
Andrew - Some trains from Milan to Cinque Terre stop in towns other than Monterosso. When I visited in 2007, I was able to get a train from Milan that stopped in Vernazza (required a change in Genoa). You can explore your options on the TrenItalia website.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32351 posts
Andrew,
It's very easy to get from Milan to the Cinque Terre and Lago di Como. As Gio mentioned, first take the Shuttle to Milano Centrale, which will be the "hub" for your trips.
For travel to the Cinque Terre, you will be routed either through Genova (north) or La Spezia (south). Which route to take will depend to some extent on which of the five villages you're going to be staying in. RS readers seem to prefer Vernazza, but any of the villages are good (although Corniglia is a bit distant from the ocean and the rail station). You'll have to transfer to the local CT train to get to each of the villages (although not always the case if you're stopping in Monterosso al Mare).
For travel to Lago di Como, you'll again start in Milano. Which area of the lake will you be staying? If you're going to either Varenna or Bellagio, the trip is only one hour. Disembark at Varenna (which will be listed as Varenna Esino). Be ready to exit the train after one hour, as the train only stops for about a minute!
If you're staying in Varenna, it's fairly easy to walk to your hotel (depending on which one you choose?). If you're going to Bellagio, walk down the hill from the station to the Ferry dock, in front of Albergo Olivedo (only a short walk). If you're not "packing light", there are usually Taxi's outside the station to meet the trains.
Use the bahn.de or Trenitalia web sites to determine the times for your rail journeys.
Happy travels!