A Few Days in Milan
Feb 18, 2014, 7:49 am
#91
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
One more tip for first-time visitors (as we were):
If you're taking the Malpensa Express train into the city & are reasonably confident that you'll arrive more or less on time -- say, going nonstop EWR-MXP rather than (mis)connecting from the west coast -- it's not a bad idea to buy your ticket online.
Advantages:
Disadvantage:
If you opt for an e-ticket, I suggest buying one for the earliest possible train. Our flight was scheduled to land ~8:40am, so I bought (in what I thought was an optimistic approach) tickets for the 9:43am train. Instead, we landed early, sailed through bag claim/immigration/customs, and made the short walk to the train by 9am.
I asked the clerk if we could use our tickets for the earlier 9:19 train & he said yes. Of course, he was wrong; the 4-hour window of validity only goes forward, not backward. Fortunately, our conductor was nice about it once I explained, and let us off with a reminder "for next time." If I had it to do over, I'd book the first train after 8:50am.
If you're taking the Malpensa Express train into the city & are reasonably confident that you'll arrive more or less on time -- say, going nonstop EWR-MXP rather than (mis)connecting from the west coast -- it's not a bad idea to buy your ticket online.
Advantages:
- It's easy.
- It's quick. The biglitteria isn't very big, and it would be no fun to be stuck in line if the next train is about to leave. (There are ticket machines, but it's unclear to me whether a US-issued magstripe or chip/signature card will work. The experience of being defeated by the ticket machines at CDG some years ago is burned in my brain.)
- You can do it entirely on your mobile device; no paper required. If the conductor collects tickets, just show your e-ticket code. This option has the added benefit that unlike with regular tickets, you don't need to validate your ticket before descending to the platform level. (I checked, and the validation slot isn't big enough to fit your phone into.
)
Disadvantage:
- The ticket is "pre-validated" in the sense that it is only good for the booked date/time, or any train within the following 4 hours. If you miss a connection in ZRH & arrive an hour or two later, no biggie. OTOH, if you end up being delayed much beyond that, you forfeit the value & will need to buy a new ticket.
If you opt for an e-ticket, I suggest buying one for the earliest possible train. Our flight was scheduled to land ~8:40am, so I bought (in what I thought was an optimistic approach) tickets for the 9:43am train. Instead, we landed early, sailed through bag claim/immigration/customs, and made the short walk to the train by 9am.
I asked the clerk if we could use our tickets for the earlier 9:19 train & he said yes. Of course, he was wrong; the 4-hour window of validity only goes forward, not backward. Fortunately, our conductor was nice about it once I explained, and let us off with a reminder "for next time." If I had it to do over, I'd book the first train after 8:50am.
I'm debating on whether to buy it online, since there's no price advantage (no discount), since I already bought Trenitalia Milan Centrale-Florence train 5 hours after my landing already
Mar 14, 2014, 12:00 pm
#92
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 269
These were great suggestions, thank you. We were there in February and staying right around the corner from the Porta Venezia subway in an apartment we rented from Airbnb. Which was a great location by the way, not too far to walk to main attractions and very convenient to the subway.
Woo!
Mar 23, 2014, 6:30 pm
#94
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 63
Options outside of Milan?
I also took advantage of the great sale to Milan. I saw that Portofino and Cinque Terre were suggestions of other places to go around Milan, does anyone have any other suggestions? We were considering heading down to Rome, but we will only be there from 3/27-3/31.
Mar 23, 2014, 6:59 pm
#95
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
I would stay within Milan, or simply do a 2-day-1-night in either Florence or Venice, both 2 hours train away
Mar 23, 2014, 7:29 pm
#97
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
Milan - Venice
2 hrs 35 minutes
http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Milano-Cen...Station/Venice
Milan - Rome Termini (but you can stop over at Florence if you have time)
2 hours 56 minutes
http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Milano-Centrale-Station/Rome
Mar 23, 2014, 8:33 pm
#98
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
Agree that Rome is not best for a short stay traveling from Milano. Also think it's a good idea to get out of the metropolis of Milan. People who want to visit Italy generally don't choose Milan as their primary destination unless they are going there for business or fashion.
Cinque Terre and Portofino will be at the beginning of their season. They are waterfront/port places. A seaside holiday when it is still cold may not be optimal.
If this is your first time in Italy I'd do your research on Venice and consider going there from Milan. Alternatives are Torino, then either Mantua or Brescia.
If you don't go anywhere else, enjoy Milan, but you only have time to sample one place. Agree with jerryhung, you have to make a choice. You don't have time to sample more than one place.
Cinque Terre and Portofino will be at the beginning of their season. They are waterfront/port places. A seaside holiday when it is still cold may not be optimal.
If this is your first time in Italy I'd do your research on Venice and consider going there from Milan. Alternatives are Torino, then either Mantua or Brescia.
If you don't go anywhere else, enjoy Milan, but you only have time to sample one place. Agree with jerryhung, you have to make a choice. You don't have time to sample more than one place.
Mar 23, 2014, 9:37 pm
#99
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Agree that Rome is not best for a short stay traveling from Milano. Also think it's a good idea to get out of the metropolis of Milan. People who want to visit Italy generally don't choose Milan as their primary destination unless they are going there for business or fashion.
My advice would be to stay in the city. See the Duomo (inside & out, and especially the roof on a day when the weather is good), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Castello Sforzesco & its numerous museums (all free on Friday afternoon after 2pm), and San Satiro (with its amazing trompe l'oeil choir). Wander the side streets south of Porta Venezia & you'll see amazing Beaux Arts buildings and, if you're lucky, the flamingos in the garden on Via Cappuccini near Via Barozzi. There's more than enough art, architecture, and excellent food to keep one occupied.
We had a great time with this approach, and it left us with the desire to return (as well as hopes to visit Florence, Venice, and the other more standard tourist destinations).
Mar 24, 2014, 6:40 am
#100
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
Having been to Milan on the Wideroe fare just last month (as discussed above), I'll offer the contrarian view that there's plenty in the city to keep one entertained for 4 days. Granted, the DW is a sucker for medieval churches, so we spent a lot of time in the Duomo & other assorted houses of worship; still, we didn't make it to the Pinacoteca di Brera, The Last Supper, the Navigli district, etc.
My advice would be to stay in the city. See the Duomo (inside & out, and especially the roof on a day when the weather is good), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Castello Sforzesco & its numerous museums (all free on Friday afternoon after 2pm), and San Satiro (with its amazing trompe l'oeil choir). Wander the side streets south of Porta Venezia & you'll see amazing Beaux Arts buildings and, if you're lucky, the flamingos in the garden on Via Cappuccini near Via Barozzi. There's more than enough art, architecture, and excellent food to keep one occupied.
We had a great time with this approach, and it left us with the desire to return (as well as hopes to visit Florence, Venice, and the other more standard tourist destinations).
My advice would be to stay in the city. See the Duomo (inside & out, and especially the roof on a day when the weather is good), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Castello Sforzesco & its numerous museums (all free on Friday afternoon after 2pm), and San Satiro (with its amazing trompe l'oeil choir). Wander the side streets south of Porta Venezia & you'll see amazing Beaux Arts buildings and, if you're lucky, the flamingos in the garden on Via Cappuccini near Via Barozzi. There's more than enough art, architecture, and excellent food to keep one occupied.
We had a great time with this approach, and it left us with the desire to return (as well as hopes to visit Florence, Venice, and the other more standard tourist destinations).
Mar 24, 2014, 4:11 pm
#102
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
Very, very cool! And if you do want a taste of a large city, you're just 25-30 miles from wonderful Torino, the fourth largest city in Italy, but beautiful and not metropolitan at all!
Last edited by Perche; Mar 24, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Mar 24, 2014, 4:16 pm
#103
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Choice Elite Platinum
Posts: 433
We were in Milan a couple of weeks ago and we did a Segway Tour.
Here's my review on TripAdvisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...y.html#REVIEWS
Here's my review on TripAdvisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...y.html#REVIEWS
May 1, 2014, 2:22 pm
#104
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 5
My trip to Italy
I just got back from my trip to Italy (thanks to Wideroe!)
We flew out April 16th and got to Milan April 17th at 1:30PM. Our flight left in the morning of April 23rd.
We spent 1 night in Milan, 1 night in Venice, 2 nights in Florence, 1 night in Cinque Terre and 1 very short night in Milan.
It was a fast trip but I would not trade it for the world. I am so so happy I was able to explore Italy and I loved it so much that I can't wait to return and see southern Italy! Cinque Terre is majestic and beautiful - it is a MUST. All of the places we went were SO different so it's hard to compare them all. Venice was stunning. Florence was an amazing city.
I hope to stumble upon another computer glitch this year! Fingers crossed!
We flew out April 16th and got to Milan April 17th at 1:30PM. Our flight left in the morning of April 23rd.
We spent 1 night in Milan, 1 night in Venice, 2 nights in Florence, 1 night in Cinque Terre and 1 very short night in Milan.
It was a fast trip but I would not trade it for the world. I am so so happy I was able to explore Italy and I loved it so much that I can't wait to return and see southern Italy! Cinque Terre is majestic and beautiful - it is a MUST. All of the places we went were SO different so it's hard to compare them all. Venice was stunning. Florence was an amazing city.
I hope to stumble upon another computer glitch this year! Fingers crossed!
May 1, 2014, 11:51 pm
#105
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Carlsbad,CA USA
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Titanuim/Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Gold, United Silver
Posts: 1,534
Drive Time MXP-COMO
We arrive late at night after a very long day+ of travel from San Diego so are spending the first night at the Sheraton MXP. What is the driving time from the airport to Como/Varrena/Bellagio and where would be the best areas to visit.
Thanks
Thanks