Train Milan to Florence and car rental

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Mike C

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We are flying into Milan's Malpensa Airport in April 2015 and plan on taking a train from there to Florence and then will be returning to Malpensa airport for the return trip home. (In between we will be spending 7 days in Florence and then renting car from Florence and through Tuscany for 10 more days before returning to Florence for our return trip.)

I need help with three questions:

First, Is their any advice for the trains? I understand we have to go from the airport to central Milan in order to get to train to Florence. Is this straight forward?

Second, we have read some of the horror stories about trying to get out of downtown Florence in an automobile, would it be easier to go to the airport and rent auto from there? It appears that A1 and A11 are near the airport and we could get on one of these to head south into Tuscany. Any advice is appreciated.

Third. On our return trip to Milan, we would like to stop at the Milan Cathedral before going to the Airport. Is there a place to store luggage for a couple of hours at the train station, and also how far is the cathedral from the train station?

Thank-you.
 
From Milan to Florence

Hi Mike,

I try to give you some helpful advice.

First. Yes, you must go from the airport to the station but you can also buy your tickets online. You can go on the site of Trenitalia and select the English flag on the top right. Then put Milan as the departure station, Florence as arrival station, and you look at all the trains that are there every day.

Second. In fact, as every city of art, Florence is also full of restricted areas and so if a person does not know the city can be wrong with the car. However, Florence is quite small and so even if one wrong turn can be corrected very well. You can rent a car directly at the airport Peretola Airport. In this regard, search on Google AVIS RENT A CAR PERETOLA or AVIS AUTONOLEGGIO PERETOLA.

Third. Yes, naturally you can leave your luggage at the train depot. In this regard, you can search on Google LEFT LUGGAGE KIPOINT MILAN. From the station to Duomo there are 2.5 Km. so you can take a walk or take one of the many bus outside the station.
 
Ciao Mike,

I'll add to Infoseps' tips with this info:

1. the trip from the Milan airport to train station (Milano Centrale) is relatively easy. You can take the train (http://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/) or bus shuttles. From Milano Centrale to Florence SMN, you can buy tickets ahead of time on www.trenitalia.com since the fast trains do require specific seats for a specific train. You can buy your return tickets already, if you know more or less by what time you want to be back in Milan.

2. once you're ready to drive out of Florence, you don't NEED to go to the airport to rent even though it is surely an option. The airport isn't that far from the center and would avoid any driving in the center.
BUT you can also get to the car rental agencies in downtown Florence as well and rent from there - those cars have access to the ZTL area for the times you are supposed to leave and enter the center, it is the car rental agency that makes sure you can get to them and out without risk of fines.
Read more tips on renting from the center here: http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-car-rental/

3. As infoseps said, the baggage deposit at the Milano Centrale station is managed by Kipoint - you can find more info on costs, hours and location within the station here: http://www.milanocentrale.it/it/servizi/dettaglio/deposito-bagagli
and you can walk to the Duomo or take a bus or the metro! if you google for the maps or services, you'll find more info.
 
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