KLouis

The museum of La Scala (if you're an opera lover - I am!).

jb12

discount outlets are foxtown, seravalle

alisyed8

Regarding Milan its rich with all kind of food resturants.

You can easily find the local information office located in the Central Train Station (Centro Statzione di Milano).

Beside that for the whole sale shopping Prix and Decathlon are super mart for wholesale.

For enjoy the churches and museums then Piazza Doumo di milano would be your destination. Where you can enjoy Galleria di Doumo and Doumo (main church of the city)

hopel

My spouse and I will fly home from Milan at the end of a two week vacation in Italy. Our first visit to Italy. Our plan is to arrive in Milan from Florence on Saturday Oct 14, spend the day in Milan, and then fly home from MXP on Sunday Oct 15 in the morning. Would love some advice about what to do, where to eat, and best place to stay. We noticed that MXP is quite a way out of the city--best to stay near MXP or in the city?
Thanks!

ckendall

Many other threads on this, but I would recommend spending the day in the city and sleeping at the Sheraton Malpensa (inside the airport). There are great museums, restaurants, shopping and churches that are more than sufficient to fill a day and then take either a train/bus/taxi to the airport. The taxi is pretty expensive (95Euros) but bus and trains are cheaper and convenient.

Perche

As you probably already know if you've been following this Forum, Milan is generally not a place that people choose to visit, except on business, or because they are in the fashion industry. It's known for grey skies and glass skyscrapers. But it's easy to put together a rewarding day, just don't expect traditional Italy. It's a very modern, urban Metropolis.

I've been there many, many times because I used to live and work in Torino, and would often have to go to Milano for various things.

You will probably be arriving to the Milano Centrale train station. Mussolini wanted to be a great Emperor and leave his stamp like Caesar Augustus. He wanted to create buildings that would rival the Colosseum. Thus, "Fascist Architecture" was born and Milano Centrale train station may very well be the most famous example of it. It is gigantic fascist architecture.

I like being there. Not for the fascist history, of course, but because it is architecturally unique. A few months ago I learned on this Forum when Up In
The Air posted about, "Platform 21," a hidden memorial to Holocaust victims who were sent to their death from that station. That may be of interest to you.

From there I'd head to the Duomo. In Milan when someone is always slow and late there is an expression to describe them, "lento como il Duomo," or as slow as the Duomo, because it took 600 years to build! There is a lot to see in there, and you'll have to time-budget that according to your personal taste.

From there you can walk to the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. It might be the most famous shopping mall in Italy. It's where all the high end fashion is. It's very expensive, but great for people watching. The times I've been there I'd go to a restaurant and watch Italian models coming in and out of restaurants to eat, both male and female, looking as if they were competing for how many heads they could turn.

There are other things of course. Seeing Da Vinci's The Last Supper in the church Santa Maria Della Grazie. I wouldn't count on it. You have to make a reservation. I bet it's already booked for all of October. I think they only bring in two groups of 25 people per day. The group goes into an ante-chamber where they sort of de-dust you to preserve the purity of the air around the painting. Each group is allowed to look at it for 15 minutes, then out you go. Most people have no idea about the symbolisms in the painting and spend more time reading the plaques explaining the painting than actually seeing the painting before their 15 minutes are up. You might be able to get a guide who can still get you in and explain the painting, if that's what you really want. Keep in mind that in Italy it is not called The Last Supper, just like The Leaning Tower of Pisa is not called The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The painting is called Il Cenacolo (Leaning Tower of Pisa is called Il Torre Pendente.) If you are going to stop someone on the street to ask for directions, it's a good idea to know the name of what you are looking for.

If the Cenacolo is not for you, from the Galleria you can go to La Scala, arguably the most famous opera house in the world. You can see the lobby or take a tour.

There are a few other sights, but since you will be winding down your vacation, I wouldn't try to do too much. Just know two things. Milan probably has the best restaurants in all of Italy if you are into high end dining, and want that type of splurge. There is already a thread on where to eat in Milan, but I cannot provide the link because I'm just on an iPhone. If high end dining is not what you want, I'd head to the Navigli District. It's a neighborhood with canals lined by interesting bars where you can get apericena, or aperitivi, and sit outside or inside and eat and have a drink, and reminisce about the lovely vacation you just had.

Now this last bit of advice is really, really important. In the evening take a taxi or public transportation to MXP, and stay at the airport Sheraton. Prices fluctuate wildly, from $150-$400, depending on the season. This is money well spent. No other airport hotel will do. And don't stay in the city if you have a morning flight out. Staying at the airport Sheraton is an almost obligatory thing to do on the last night, even if it's tight on the budget.

Perche

If you are thinking of where to eat during your one day in Milan, read this post. But make it to the Malpensa Sheraton that night.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...nner-spot.html

hopel

ckendall thank you for the info about the Sheraton, and Perche, thank you so much for your detailed reply. This is exactly the info I needed. Good news is that I've been able to book the Sheraton with points! And I'm so glad to know that it's the best place to stay overnight. I'll post a report after we return.

rbAA

Well, depends on your flight time. If early, use the airport Sheraton, though there are some other choices nearby as well, some with shuttles. If you have an afternoon flight, staying in the city is better as the airport Sheraton is well, pretty boring and there are no good restaurants around there that don't require a car. Malpensa Exp from Centrale takes about 50 minutes and runs every half hour.

We did the Last Supper viewing with a three hr walking tour of the places you may want to see. Tickitaly.com I believe. Tickets are almost always available that way, if you can't find just the Last Supper tickets.

We stayed at the Westin Palace two nts and then the Sheraton Majestic Diana for one nt when we got back to Milan for our flights out of Italy. Near the Centrale train station and Metro stops, so easy to get around. Both areas have many interesting restaurants. Two of the more different ones were Dry (they were doing a large company party,) which had a "nouvelle" Italian menu that I found good, just different than the typical pastas, and a Japanese restaurant, Mitsui, that was all you can eat for lunch. I know, not Italian but very good, and it was great to get to know the owners. 12 euros per person was great for the high quality of the dishes, as well as the quantity. After 2 weeks of pasta and pizza, we needed a break and ths was perfect.

KLouis

With a name like that, did they serve alcohol?

rbAA

They did, early and often, though I believe they are only open for dinner??? Pricy drinks but otherwise the menu was reasonably priced. We had walked by this restaurant at the beginning of our trip, and they had a more traditional menu posted on the outside near the entrance. Not sure if the menu changed to what we had for the compnay party or permanently.

Perche

I hate those other airport hotels with shuttles. I find them to be misleading. When the Sheraton is over-priced I stay at the MXP Hilton, which they describe as right next to the airport, a mile a way, or something like that. But that is the way the crow flies. The actual driving distance is more like 7 miles, and it seems like it stops at so many hotels that you never get there. It even goes to employees parking lots. It's a true pain to stay in any hotel other than the Sheraton, because of the pain of the shuttles, and the fact that regardless of calling themselves the "Malpensa Whatever Hotel," only the Sheraton is actually near Malpensa.When staying at a hotel requiring a shuttle you have to be in the lobby 15 minutes early to make sure you get a seat. Then, you have to drive around to various hotels stop and go for half an hour. I don't like being in a shuttle bus at 6AM, and most flights to the USA leave in the morning

I don't find the Sheraton boring at all, especially compared to staying in Milan which except in certain neighborhoods like Naviglia, is boring. The Sheraton has a very fine restaurant for a hotel. It has an excellent fitness center. It has a beautiful and reasonably priced spa. A sauna, a hot tub, Turkish shower, or a massage are great ways to ensure a good pre-flight sleep.

This part may not be for everyone, but it's something I like. Flights from many international airlines arrive in the evening. The crew of the top airlines stay at the Sheraton for obvious reasons. For many of these airlines, Singapore, Korea, Etihad, Air France, it's like they come in as a team, almost marching in formation, with astounding colorful uniforms. They don't just come in dragging their roller suitcase behind them. You say to yourself, "Oh, my gosh! This is so colorful, international, unique." The parade of the flight crews coming in during the evening is not something that you would see at JFK, LAX, SFO. I can't say I'm a flight geek, but sitting in the lobby of the Sheraton as the flight crews come in is a very international experience that I always find to be fun.

What it mainly comes down to is this; no shuttle. The Sheraton is inside the airport. When you leave your room and get into the elevator and hit the down button, it drops you off at the check-in desk (for most airlines). If you already have your boarding pass you walk by the check-in desk and go straight to the security line. While other people are waiting outside in the heat or the cold, for a stop and go 30 minute ride in the shuttle, at the Sheraton you are already in the airport. Brush your teeth, take a shower, get dressed, take the elevator, and in 1 minute you are standing in the security line.

I agree that this recommendation might change if you had an evening flight out, but this question was posed by someone who indicates they are from the NE USA, and I believe the latest flight out is around 1:30 PM to JFK, but I could be wrong. The bus time is listed as 50 minutes, But Milan is known for traffic. You'd have to add another hour to that to be safe. The train to MXP is reliable and also about 50 minutes, but no matter where you are staying, unless you are a Milano Centrale veteran, you have to add another hour to that, because you have to get to the station (no one stays near the station, it is a bad neighborhood), know how to navigate the station, know how to use the ticket machines, find where your train is departing from. Unless you really know how to do this, you're going to have to add an hour to the 50 minute ride. So for the 1:30 PM to JFK, since you should arrive two hours early at 11:30 AM, you'd have to start your journey to the airport by bus or train at around 9:30 AM. There is not much you can do in Milan before that.

I'd rather sleep as much as I can, maybe go to the fitness center, then since the Sheraton is physically in the airport, just get in the security line, and head to the lounge. I don't have to worry about shuttles, or how I'm going to get to the airport, or if there will be traffic. There are many posts about Milan and the Sheraton. It seems to be a unanimous or near unanimous recommendation. Of course if you have the rare 9PM departure, there are other options, but the Sheraton is the only actual airport hotel. All of the other airport hotels are not at the airport. They just advertise that they are, and you need to take a bus to get to them.

JMN57

Relative to the Sheraton MXP, one tip if you have SPG status/app. If you have an early AM flight back to the States, leave but don't check out of your room. Wait till you are past security and then do it electronically (or just let the time lapse and they'll check you out).

The reason is if there is a flight problem or delay, you can go back to your room and relax a while.

One example: My wife and I were on a flight back to NYC via MIA as the non-stop to NY was full in business. When we went to check-in the NY flight was delayed so AA wanted to re-route a lot of people on the MIA flight to catch (new) connections. They asked us if we were willing to switch off the MIA-LGA cxn we had for the now later direct to JFK. That would get us back to NY earlier and with a lot less hassle. We said sure, checked our bags and then went back to our room at the Sheraton to relax for 3 hours before we had to walk back to go through security. While we had lounge access, the room was much more comfortable than sitting in a lounge for all that time (we did spend 30 minutes in the lounge anyhow).

Perche

Great point! I think there is another post somewhere about someone finding their flight delayed, so they went back to the Sheraton until around 3PM, getting late check-out. You cannot do that at any other MXP "airport" hotel, because only the Sheraton is physically inside the airport, and doesn't require you to take a bus to get to and from there.

rbAA

Sure, early flight, stay at the Sheraton at the airport. I've stayed at that one, and the IHG properties, which are not as nice obviously. Close and quick shuttles though and half the price.

But, there are flights afternoon and evening, depending on your carrier and routing.

Actually, the area around the train station is not so bad, there's the Excelsior Gallia just a couple blocks NW, and I stayed last trip at the Westin Palace, one Metro stop away at Republica. About a 15 minute walk or a 8 euro taxi ride. No need for an hour to get there. Even the Sheraton Majestic, at Venezia stop on Metro line 3 or the street car nearby, was just a little further, but still close. And there's a high end shopping area plus some decent restaurnats. Also, there's the Principe di Savoia across from the Westin, so a good selection of top rated hotels near the station. The Malpensa Express always leaves from Track 1 and haven't experienced any delays.