Milan to Genoa-how to get there

[ROCKYCAT]

We are using American airline mileage which gets us from LA to Milan. Booking a Milan to Genoa flight is exorbinant-$400.00pp. We've been told the train is the best way to get to Genoa . Can anyone give us any more information? How to we get a train schedule? How do we book the train? We are on the Sinfonia 3/22 Eclipse cruise. Is anyone else going? Anyone else going through Milan?

[goodclicks]

The link for the Italian train schedules is: www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html. The trains are by all accounts pretty effecient but, personally, I'd be wary of strikes, which threaten Italian travel fairly frequently.

Perhaps the MSC lays on a coach transfer? I did read something about a shuttle, but maybe that was on the Costa board - oops!

[salabc]

From Milano Malpensa you can take the shuttle bus to Milano main station ( sld be abt 40 minuts) and then basically you have an intercuty train to genova every 2 hours ( is abt 2 hrs ride) alternative you can also rent a car and drive to Genoa is also abt 2 hours or just above

[caviargal]

I just did this route to catch Sinfonia as I refused to pay the ridiculous prices MSC charges for transfers.

Take the Malpensa Shuttle to Milano Centrale, then pick up a direct train to Genoa. It is then a 15 dollar cab ride to the ship.

Allow several hours and be prepared to carry your own luggage at all times, as porters are vitually non existent in Italy.

It is easy enough but I would allow some extra time; the Italian train system is not known for being timely and, after 15 or so visits there, I always build in extra time when I have somewhere I have to be.

[tom_uk]

I have to say that when we cruised on Sinfonia last May, we bought inclusive air from MSC + transfers, and that worked brilliantly. We were almost the only people in a full-sized coach from Malpensa to Genoa; right to the dock-side. Nor did we have to worry about our bags: once we handed them over to the coach driver, the next time we saw them was outside our cabin door. So you might want to review the decision not to use MSC's transfers: at the very least, it's easy.

I can't speak for the train, but the coach ride is quite spectacular, well the last 45 minutes or so. The first hour and a quarter you're slowly climbing out of the Lombard plain, but the climb is so gentle you're not aware of it. Then suddenly you're in the Ligurian alps and plunging downwards, with fabulous views of the mountains, valleys, rivers, villages: an excellent drive.