NorthwestCRJ

Thinking about going to Milan. Alitalia has some good fares but I have a few questions:

1. When is the best time to buy an international flight?

2. Would it be cheaper to book via a travel agent booking tours and hotels with it?

3. Any good places to stay in the Milan Area?

4. Things to see in Italy?

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"At Least One Of Us Is In The Mile-High Club!"
Peter-Family Guy

fromYXU

When the fares are cheap. Sorry, I just had to say it. Seriously, keep an eye on the fares, seat sales and so on. A fare of $400 is reasonable but you can often do a bit better. Do not be greedy, and look at availibility (itn.net) to help decide when to book. Usually, seat sales start within 90 days of departure.

Depends on what you like. I like the freedom to change things on my own, not dealing with someone elses idea of what I like to do. I book everything online - either directly with airlines or hotels, or through something like expedia.com. TAs can help you with some of the more complex stuff - multiple hotels, buses, rentals, etc.

Have fun.



[This message has been edited by fromYXU (edited 10-10-2003).]

kiwibigdave

Loads, but not many, if any, in Milan. It'd be like someone asking about things to see in the USA and answering Detroit. IMHO, and with apologies to those from Detroit. :-)

Rome, Florence and Venice on the other hand DO have plenty of things to see if you're a first-timer to Italy.


[edited because I don't know how to do the smiley thing]

[This message has been edited by kiwibigdave (edited 10-10-2003).]

stut

Milan is worth a day's wandering - the duomo is very impressive, and there's good markets and, naturally, excellent coffee.

Within striking distance of Milan (by train), you've got mountains, lakes, the Cinque Terre around Genoa, Roman ruins and theatre at Verona... Plenty to keep you going.

Then there's the big 3, as mentioned: Rome, Venice and Florence. If you visit these, pace yourself - it's easy to get 'sightseeing overload'.

Ultimately, it depends on what you want out of travelling there, and how likely you are to go back. I'm a wanderer, and just as happy going to random cafés and markets in random towns as I am sightseeing, so I find the crowds and rip-offs in the big 3 a little off-putting. But then, I've made it to them each several times, so I've had the luxury of taking it slowly.

SkiAdcock

Right now a # of the airlines are having airfare sales intl. Book by 10/21 for travel through 4/4/04.

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Sharon

altyfc

As for things to do and see, I would stay in the north, an area I've been to several times. My faves would be Siena and Florence, but Venice, Pisa, etc. are also popular. The duomo (cathedral) at Florence should not be missed - the same is true of the Uffizi if you are into art.

You'll find some (hopefully) useful links on this Italy Guide.

Aaron

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Athena53

We were in Milan a year ago. One thing in Milan that you rally should see, no matter what your religion (or lack thereof) is The Last Supper- the restoration is amazing.

Milan is a good base for day trips, too- we spent a night in Lugano, Switzerland, which was an hour away, and made a day trip to Venice. We'll undoubtedly go back to Venice someday- one day was not enough!

More details of the trip on our Web site at http://www.craftpeople.com .

jabez

Two webites that are a must for Italy travels is Slowtalk.com and the Fodor's travel forum.