Hi all,

We will be going to Italy this summer and would welcome your advice on how to get around. We are copying some friends' itinerary so I will present them as an option.

We will be flying into Milan but just passing through to get to Lake Como, and was wondering what your recommendations are for making that trip. Should we rent a car or is there some public transportation that is reasonably efficient? Our friends are taking a car to get there.

After our stay in Como we are heading to Capri. Our friends are going back to Milan and taking Easy Jet to Naples. Not sure yet how they are getting from Naples to Capri. This is only a weeklong trip so I think taking the train from Como to Capri is probably unfortunately out.

Thanks in advance!

I found a thread that discusses taking the train from Milan to Como
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=425635&highlight=como

There is a bus that goes from Malpensa to Lake Como several times a day. The bus stop was right outside the terminal. I took it last year, and it was very comfortable.

Coincidentally, your question is in tomorrow's New York Times. From a March 28, 2007 NYT article (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9501E0D61F3DF933A05752C0A9669C8B63),

Trains depart from Malpensa Terminal 1 for Saronno, where passengers must change, 5 minutes and 35 minutes past the hour. (A shuttle bus connects Terminals 1 and 2.) From Saronno, trains usually run twice an hour to Lake Como, a trip that takes 40 minutes. The train fare is $5.25 from Malpensa to Saronno and $2 from Saronno to Como, calculated at 1,911 lire to the dollar.

If you prefer the bus from Malpensa to Como, there are departures daily from Terminal 1, platform 13, in front of exits 3-4 at 9:25 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., and four minutes later from Terminal 2. Buses also depart every day but Sunday at 11 a.m., 4:25 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The trip takes an hour and a one-way ticket is $10.20.

Naples to Capri is very simple. There are ferries that run regularly throughout the day. You go to the harbor and buy a ticket.

I'm unable to help with Como to Naples, though I am sure it is do-able by train.

Since you have such a limited time in Italy, I would suggest looking at the possibility of flying to Naples from Milan, as the train trip would probably be at a minimum 6.5 hrs. To get to Capri, your only option is by boat(which you would get in the Naples marina). There are a number of budget/LCC airlines that fly in Italy and I have found that by booking on the Alitalia website (non-english i.e. Italian site only) that is possible to get some good fares, that would probably be competitive with train fares. Also, there is a wealth of information on slowtalk.com about travel in Italy, that I would highly recommend looking at.

Thank you so much for the suggestions. Another thread in this forum has convinced me not to rent a car and drive ourselves. Sounds like the train from Milan to Como is the best way to go, since we are staying in Varenna. Then probably fly to Naples and take the ferry to Capri.