Travel

Mirandola and Modena don’t have airports with commercial operations, so we recommend to fly into one of the three airports below

  1. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) - this is the closest airport to Modena (~1 hour drive to Modena), but is also the smallest out of the three airports, so there won’t be direct flights from BKK/JFK/SFO/CHI. However, there are plenty of connecting flights via Dubai, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, etc. if you want to land here. Folks coming from within Europe should be able to enjoy a direct flight.

  2. Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP) - 2.5 hour drive to Modena. For guests coming from Thailand, there is a direct Thai Airways flight from Bangkok (TG 940 - TG 941).

  3. Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) - 2 hour drive to Modena. There are limited seasonal flights from New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and LA.

We recommend you to rent a car if you’re planning to explore Italy and Emilia-Romagna, the beautiful region where we will be celebrating, before or after the wedding. Taxis/Cabs are not easy to come by unfortunately. Renting a car from the airport is the best option, as Modena won’t have much availability (unless you want to rent a Ferrari :) ).

If you do wish to rent a car for a few days, just keep in mind that parking in the center of Modena is not plentiful (they enact the “Zona Traffico Limitato”), but you can typically park just outside the city center and it’s not a long walk. Be sure to ask your hotel/accomodation in advance if they have private parking or if there are specific parking instructions you need to know prior to your arrival.

Transportation on the wedding day (Saturday, September 27) will be organized, so you won’t need to drive to the church or reception venue - just make sure to fill out the RSVP link.

**If you are a non-EU or non-EEA resident, most car rental companies require you to have an International Driving Permit (IDP). Please double check with your car rental company for all the necessary documents prior to your trip.

Trains in Italy are usually pretty reliable (surprisingly!), and it is possible to travel to Modena by train from other major Italian cities. So if you don’t want to rent a car, the next best option is to take the train from your arrival airport (~3 hours from Milan and Venezia, and ~45 minutes from Bologna) to Stazione dei Treni di Modena.

Beware of thieves on trains! Please be extra careful of your luggage. Some trains, such as some Italo ones, have locks in the luggage compartment, but the majority of trains (like regional trains) don’t. If you want to be on the safe side, we highly recommend you travel with a bike lock and secure your luggage to the luggage rack.

Trenitalia - through Trenitalia you can purchase regional (slow) and Frecciarossa (fast) train tickets: we recommend to download the Trenitalia app to find information about train schedules and purchase tickets.

There are no Uber’s or Lyft’s in Modena / Mirandola, so if you decide not to rent a car, but would still like to go on day trips in the surrounding areas that are not reachable by public transport, please contact Radio Taxi Cotamo or WhatsApp (+39) 335 18 38 555 with your current address (Street Name, Building Number, City), and they will respond with the taxi’s code and in how many minutes they will arrive.

Not sure if you need a visa? Check here! Even if you are 99% sure, please just check in case. If you don’t need a visa, please ignore below!

For some of us, Tanya included, a Schengen visa is needed to travel to Italy. We recommend you contact your local Italian embassy to schedule an appointment as soon as they release dates (180 days prior to intended departure date, so around March) - especially if you live in NYC because the embassy has a very limited number of spots and they get filled immediately (or as Omar has told us, “There are no appointments…. Email the embassy to get on the waitlist!”). Yes, for those who are experienced with visas, you read that right, they finally got their act together and now have a waitlist.

You’ll also need an Invitation Letter for the application, so please email tanya.maithai@gmail.com for the template.

Tip #1: The online appointment booking portal releases appointments at midnight Italian time, not EST!

Tip #2: Write a positive 5-star google review for the Consulate General of Italy in NYC the day you apply in person. You may get approved for a 6-month multiple entry visa AND get a personal call from them thanking you on behalf of the consulate - true story as told by Risa A.