24 Hours in Milan - 1st time there, any advice/recs?
24 Hours in Milan - 1st time there, any advice/recs?
My 2 friends & I got flights to Milan for €42 (all in) in that one day Aerlingus sale. Due to restrictions on the offer we arrive in Milan (Linate Airport) at 11am and leave the next day at 11.45am. Turns out its down to me to organise accommodation and probably everything else and suddenly we're going next Tuesday (11th) and I'm starting to panic. I've done a search but with time constraints being our main priority I really need to avail of the vast, experienced resource that is my fellow 'baggers [thinly veiled sucking up from desparate lady...]
I would be so grateful if any Milan vetrans could steer me right. Where would be the best area to stay (quality not terribly relevant for the few hours we'll be there) to be most central for everything - i.e. the shops, and not necessarily the golden triangle/quadrangle/whatever it is..... wherever the best budget shopping to match our budget flights is. I suppose we might take a look at something cultural too (!) so I could also do with some help prioritising this. Plus if there's anything else that we really should be aware of please let me know. Its our first time in Italy... I would love to be looking forward to it now instead of freaking out!
Thanks
Answers:
Central Milan is not that big and the metro is easy to use as are the trams and buses. You can buy a carnet of 10 tickets to use for your travel needs. They contain only five stubs, so you obliterate first on one side for one trip, then on the other side with your next metro trip. I stayed with relatives out near the San Siro football stadium/exhibition centre (metro Lotto) and it was a ten minute metro ride into the heart of town. The general area between Piazza del Duomo and the Castello is full of hotels and shops (around via Dante and via Meravigli). More studenty and with smaller streets are the neighbourhoods around the Via Torino.
Linate is much closer to the city centre than Malapensa airport, just 7km out and easily connected to the central railway station by airport buses.
There's lots of wonderful shopping to be done in Milan. There's the big department store Rinascento, right next to the Duomo and all the usual brand stores in close proximity. You will probably want to seek out the outlet stores too : Gastone, Via Vanzetti 20; Diffusione Tessile (lots of MaxMara and Max & Co stuff), Galleria San Carlo 6; Il Salvagente, at Via Bronzetti 16.
Really chic, smart shopping is to be found on the cute Via de la Spiga out on the north-east side of the Roman city.
Culture wise you can visit the Duomo and if it's a good day, go up on the roof terraces to admire the stonework closer up. The La Scala theatre opened up again after years of renovation last month. It's not very impressive from outside, but you might be able to visit the interior. The Sant Ambrogio church is the oldest in Milan and houses its patron saint. It's a very typical Lombardy style. Not far away is the Santa Maria delle Grazie church and convent which houses the famous Leonardo da Vinci fresco of the Last Supper (known as La Cena Ultima in Italian and La Cenacolo -refectory- for its housing). This needs booking several days IN ADVANCE if you wish to visit. Tickets are 8.50EUR and you get a timed visiting slot with if I remember correctly ten minutes to gawp. (reservations tel. (+39) 02.8942.1146 Mon–Fri 9am–7pm; viewing Tues–Sun 8.15am–6.45pm).
Hope that helps.
Answers:
We stayed here
http://milan.nbportal.com/hotels-in-milan/lkzddd.htm
It's nice enough for one night - not spectacular or anything but clean and really handy for the metro (about 5 mins walk). It's very close to the central railway station and it's a good area to be based. This website gives a list of hotels
http://milan.nbportal.com/all-list.htm
Personally I'd stick to near Central station to stay.
The metro system is fantastic - make full use of it, it's dead cheap And I'd say you must go see the Duomo - it's a touristy thing granted but it is fantastic and well worth going up on the roof. From there you can wander about the centre - it's very compact - la scala is a stones throw and there is a really nice street which runs away from the piazza where the duomo is - forget it's name but when we were there a month ago they have a really cool open air photography exhibition in it. It's also really close to the huuuugely expensive shopping street - a pretty little lane full of shops with prices that make your eyes water but well worth some window shopping!!!
Answers:
Thanks agusta and Polly 77 for all that. We've singled out a couple of hotels in the Central Station area and hope to reach agreement soon on whether to go for the insanely cheap 59Eur or quite cheap 89Eur (per triple room). Have kinda been lured by the first line of the description of the Hotel Comfort Hotel & Suites Pasteur: " ....short walk from the longest shopping street in Europe. " Would this be the Corso Buenos Aires?
Is there a day ticket available for the Metro or does the pack of 10 represent better value, do you know can you get the metro from Linate Airport?
I was delighted to see there are outlets in the city, having been devestated finding out about the huge ones way outside which we couldn't have got to, but the names mean nothing to me (just recognised MaxMara!) Are they worth hunting out?
I suppose the ideal scenario would be to pick up loads of cheap stuff that doesn't seem cheap as noone at home would know!
Answers:
Sorry i didn't shop that much, and flew to the other airport so cant help with your questions!!
But the metro is insanely cheap whichever way you do it - we used to just buy single tickets (about E 0.75) which are valid for 75 mins in which time you can travel as much as you like in the central area - it wasn't till the last day we realised you could buy 1 day/2 day tickets!! Duh!
My 2 friends & I got flights to Milan for €42 (all in) in that one day Aerlingus sale. Due to restrictions on the offer we arrive in Milan (Linate Airport) at 11am and leave the next day at 11.45am. Turns out its down to me to organise accommodation and probably everything else and suddenly we're going next Tuesday (11th) and I'm starting to panic. I've done a search but with time constraints being our main priority I really need to avail of the vast, experienced resource that is my fellow 'baggers [thinly veiled sucking up from desparate lady...]
I would be so grateful if any Milan vetrans could steer me right. Where would be the best area to stay (quality not terribly relevant for the few hours we'll be there) to be most central for everything - i.e. the shops, and not necessarily the golden triangle/quadrangle/whatever it is..... wherever the best budget shopping to match our budget flights is. I suppose we might take a look at something cultural too (!) so I could also do with some help prioritising this. Plus if there's anything else that we really should be aware of please let me know. Its our first time in Italy... I would love to be looking forward to it now instead of freaking out!
Thanks
Answers:
Central Milan is not that big and the metro is easy to use as are the trams and buses. You can buy a carnet of 10 tickets to use for your travel needs. They contain only five stubs, so you obliterate first on one side for one trip, then on the other side with your next metro trip. I stayed with relatives out near the San Siro football stadium/exhibition centre (metro Lotto) and it was a ten minute metro ride into the heart of town. The general area between Piazza del Duomo and the Castello is full of hotels and shops (around via Dante and via Meravigli). More studenty and with smaller streets are the neighbourhoods around the Via Torino.
Linate is much closer to the city centre than Malapensa airport, just 7km out and easily connected to the central railway station by airport buses.
There's lots of wonderful shopping to be done in Milan. There's the big department store Rinascento, right next to the Duomo and all the usual brand stores in close proximity. You will probably want to seek out the outlet stores too : Gastone, Via Vanzetti 20; Diffusione Tessile (lots of MaxMara and Max & Co stuff), Galleria San Carlo 6; Il Salvagente, at Via Bronzetti 16.
Really chic, smart shopping is to be found on the cute Via de la Spiga out on the north-east side of the Roman city.
Culture wise you can visit the Duomo and if it's a good day, go up on the roof terraces to admire the stonework closer up. The La Scala theatre opened up again after years of renovation last month. It's not very impressive from outside, but you might be able to visit the interior. The Sant Ambrogio church is the oldest in Milan and houses its patron saint. It's a very typical Lombardy style. Not far away is the Santa Maria delle Grazie church and convent which houses the famous Leonardo da Vinci fresco of the Last Supper (known as La Cena Ultima in Italian and La Cenacolo -refectory- for its housing). This needs booking several days IN ADVANCE if you wish to visit. Tickets are 8.50EUR and you get a timed visiting slot with if I remember correctly ten minutes to gawp. (reservations tel. (+39) 02.8942.1146 Mon–Fri 9am–7pm; viewing Tues–Sun 8.15am–6.45pm).
Hope that helps.
Answers:
We stayed here
http://milan.nbportal.com/hotels-in-milan/lkzddd.htm
It's nice enough for one night - not spectacular or anything but clean and really handy for the metro (about 5 mins walk). It's very close to the central railway station and it's a good area to be based. This website gives a list of hotels
http://milan.nbportal.com/all-list.htm
Personally I'd stick to near Central station to stay.
The metro system is fantastic - make full use of it, it's dead cheap And I'd say you must go see the Duomo - it's a touristy thing granted but it is fantastic and well worth going up on the roof. From there you can wander about the centre - it's very compact - la scala is a stones throw and there is a really nice street which runs away from the piazza where the duomo is - forget it's name but when we were there a month ago they have a really cool open air photography exhibition in it. It's also really close to the huuuugely expensive shopping street - a pretty little lane full of shops with prices that make your eyes water but well worth some window shopping!!!
Answers:
Thanks agusta and Polly 77 for all that. We've singled out a couple of hotels in the Central Station area and hope to reach agreement soon on whether to go for the insanely cheap 59Eur or quite cheap 89Eur (per triple room). Have kinda been lured by the first line of the description of the Hotel Comfort Hotel & Suites Pasteur: " ....short walk from the longest shopping street in Europe. " Would this be the Corso Buenos Aires?
Is there a day ticket available for the Metro or does the pack of 10 represent better value, do you know can you get the metro from Linate Airport?
I was delighted to see there are outlets in the city, having been devestated finding out about the huge ones way outside which we couldn't have got to, but the names mean nothing to me (just recognised MaxMara!) Are they worth hunting out?
I suppose the ideal scenario would be to pick up loads of cheap stuff that doesn't seem cheap as noone at home would know!
Answers:
Sorry i didn't shop that much, and flew to the other airport so cant help with your questions!!
But the metro is insanely cheap whichever way you do it - we used to just buy single tickets (about E 0.75) which are valid for 75 mins in which time you can travel as much as you like in the central area - it wasn't till the last day we realised you could buy 1 day/2 day tickets!! Duh!