Getting to Cortona

Q: We plan to visit the UK in September and from there go to Cortona in Italy for about a week. We would like to travel some of the Italian leg of the holiday by train. Which airline would be the best from London to make a convenient train connection in Italy for Cortona? How much would the combined flight and rail trip cost? Am I correct in assuming that as a South African I would need a UK visa as well as a Schengen for Italy, even though my wife is a British national? - Henrie Geyser

A: The closest airport to Cortona is Florence. The cheapest return flight I could find in September was 146 British pounds on Meridiana but you can also try British Airways. Your arrival time is not that important as the busses and trains you need to catch to get to Cortona run at least once an hour. From the airport you catch one of the regular busses to Florence train station. The bus stop is just around the corner of the station's square. Then you have to take one of the hourly regional trains going to "Camucia-Cortona". Travel time is 1h20mins. As the train station is not in Cortona town, you need to catch a bus or taxi to the town centre. A bus departs every 30 minutes from "Camucia-Cortona" station to town. If it is more convenient to fly to Rome, you can follow the same procedure ie catch a bus or train to a Rome station and then the train to "Camucia-Cortona". Another option is to fly to Rome and then rent a car and drive from Rome Airport directly to Cortona. The route from the airport is very simple along the A1 for 90 minutes and then about 30mins along beautiful country roads into Cortona. You are correct about your visa situation - you will need one for Britain and a Schengen visa for Italy. (30 May 2010)