ckendall

Crowne plaza puts you near the train station for easy access for your trips (especially if you'll be getting up early for your day trips!---Venice is not a quick ride). There is a lot of art/history/culture in Milan besides the Last Supper; the area around the Duomo/Galleria has a lot of very fashionable stores with good window shopping (and even sales in January) and La Scala might be also worth a visit. Let me know what kind of stuff you're interested in and I can give some pointers.

SJOGuy

You know best what your travel style is, frugalgal, but that strikes me as a lot of time spent riding trains during a short trip sandwiched between two transatlantic flights. I'm also flying to MXP this winter (a targeted AA promotion), but I'm going to stay relatively put. I don't know Milan at all and am looking forward to exploring the city. The farthest afield I'll venture is Turin for a couple of days, and that's just an hour away on the train.

victoriyad

Hi, I will be going with two kids, should I rent a car or use train? We plan to see Rome and Florence. Thank you.

ckendall

You won't want a car inside Milan but you may find it useful to have one driving across Italy.

SJOGuy, my offer made above stands. Milan is trickier to get to know than say Rome or Florence but there are a lot of nice things there that can be done. Give me some clues (art history/food/shopping) and I can try to point some of them out (I spend around 5 weeks a year in Milan).

Gargoyle

If the weather is half decent, don't miss the Cimitero Monumentale

SJOGuy

I'll take you up on your ideas, ckendall. Thank you. And thank you too, Gargoyle.

I'm interested in those three things, in that order. I do have a guidebook, which I'm using for ideas. I realize that Milan isn't quite as "obvious" a tourist destination as Rome, Florence, and Venice, but that's precisely why I'm interested.

ckendall

Note: this is a list of what I have actually seen in the last few years and does not include places I have not been in a long time.

Art: beyond the Last Supper, the Pinacoteca Brera, Ambrosiana and the Pinacoteca at Castello Sforzesco all have serious big Italian art collections.

The other museums at Castello Sforzesco have collections focused on other periods (Egyptian etc.).

Houses: the house museums are great (I have been to all but the Boschi di Stefano). http://www.casemuseomilano.it/en/casamuseo.php?ID=1# The art is somewhat variable (best of the three I have been to is Poldi Pezzoli) but in the case of Bagatti Valsecchi and Necchi Campiglio you get to see how very wealthy Milanese lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I am not sure how detailed the tours will be in English (I did them in Italian), but if you have done some reading before you can get a sense anyway.

City center: The Duomo/Galleria are easily accessible; La Scala is worth of visit to see the opera house and some of the collection if you have any interest. Next to the Galleria is the "Quadrilateral" of fashion, filled with designer shops ranging from traditional to way out there. Note that sales in Italy follow the calendar. Food shops (Pecks and Eat's) are worth a visit if only just to look around.

I hope this gets you started....

SJOGuy

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions, ckendall. I don't have much FT time for a couple of days. I'll look over them and comment more toward the end of the week.

jerryhung

I'm travelling in April 2014 and I'm already almost done all the work (the big ones) :P
It's easier if one maps all of them out on Google Maps

e.g.
arrive Milan
train (Italo) to Florence - 3 days 2 nights. Avios for hotel
train (Italo) to Venice - 2 days 1 night. Aeroplan for hotel
train (Trentalia) back to Milan - 3 days 3 nights. Club Carlson & SPG points for hotels

SJOGuy

I'm getting enthused reading your suggestions, ckendall. Thank you.

Okay. How formal are you expected to dress when attending a production at La Scala? I see my time in Milan will coincide with Verdi's Il Trovatore. I'm not a huge opera fan, but it seems a shame to be near one of the world's most famous opera houses and not take advantage. Is a jacket and tie sufficient for a man? I have no plans to take a suit. I see tickets go on sale this coming Monday.

Thanks.

Sunshinedaydream1

Any hotel suggestions for 3 adults in a room?

JMN57

Jacket and tie are more than fine. Just make sure to line up your tickets in advance and get familiar with the seating plan. The orchestra seats (expensive) are fine and have great views. The galleria seats are a c**p shoot. If you are high up, you have to be in the front row to see anything - in the back you'll hear but not see. Buying spot market, close-in can cost a lot. It's an old theater and sight lines weren't a priority for the architects.

It's definitely a must do but, to my taste, I'd rather see a summer opera outdoors such as Verona or even Macerata.

ckendall

How long are you in Milan? What is your budget? I have stayed in short term apartments (for a week) that would probably be better.

Sunshinedaydream1

Sorry, should have elaborated. Only need a room for two nights and would like to keep it under $400/night, if possible. Seems there are quite a few options a bit further out, but would prefer to be closer to city center.

SJOGuy

Thank you, JMN57. That is very helpful. Sure, I'd love to go to one of those outdoor summer productions one day, but this is when AA was having its targeted 20%-off sale on top of some already good fares to MXP, so a winter trip to Milan it is.

We have the Teatro Nacional here in Costa Rica, which opened in 1897 and was built in the style of a grand European opera house. Same issue: poor sight lines.