Milan recommendations

[StephenHunter]

I'm looking to go to Milan in Italy later this year and would like some advice:

1. I'm planning to fly out and get the train back home; going via the Simplon route partly because of the landslide that's blocked the LGV Sud-East in France. Would it be best to overnight in Paris or Geneva?
2. What is there worth doing in Milan, rail and otherwise?
3. Do you have any recommendations for heritage railways near Milan?
4. Is there any pass for the regional trains in the Milan area?
5. Any issues with photography at stations?
6. Any hotel recommendations near Centrale?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hornet]

43 Station Hotel. Stayed there a few years back. Was good value. A couple of minutes walk to Centrale, going right past the main Tram Stops for the Station. The Trams are a must. Never had any trouble snapping Trains in Italy. Rail fares are good value. Check this website.

How to get around Milan by public transport ATM, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi

www.atm.it

Don't forget the food and take a trip to the Cathedral.

 

[signed]

Any issues with photography at stations?

Most of the Milan stations are barriered a long way before the platforms.

If you want a great vantage point of Milano Centrale and are booked on either italo or Frecce, get a lounge pass. It's 10€ on italo and 20€ on Frecce AFAICR

Is there any pass for the regional trains in the Milan area?

How long are you staying? Most trains in Italy are very cheap, especially the regional ones not be worth to get a pass

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What is there worth doing in Milan

By all means the Duomo

If you are staying for more than a few days, I would only stay like 1 day in Milan and do either of the 3 great lakes, Lago Como, Lago Maggiore or Lago Garda

Around Lago Maggiore you have the Domodossola-Locarno meter gauge railway

Domodossola–Locarno railway line - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[StephenHunter]

How long are you staying? Most trains in Italy are very cheap, especially the regional ones not be worth to get a pass

Looking to do five nights.

 

[signed]

Looking to do five nights.

Then by all means try to plan around staying and touring around a great lake. The Milano-Lecco-Tirano railway line is lake side as well

I'm preparing a day trip to lago Como, and it seems there are really too much stunning things to see over there to do in one day

 

[Iskra]

Most of the Milan stations are barriered a long way before the platforms.

If you want a great vantage point of Milano Centrale and are booked on either italo or Frecce, get a lounge pass. It's 10€ on italo and 20€ on Frecce AFAICR


How long are you staying? Most trains in Italy are very cheap, especially the regional ones not be worth to get a pass

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jul 2024 ==


By all means the Duomo

If you are staying for more than a few days, I would only stay like 1 day in Milan and do either of the 3 great lakes, Lago Como, Lago Maggiore or Lago Garda

Around Lago Maggiore you have the Domodossola-Locarno meter gauge railway

Domodossola–Locarno railway line - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You don't need a ticket to pass through the barriers at Milano Centrale, they simply open as you approach them.

For photography- if you walk to the far end of the platforms, you will be left well alone, staff are quite accommodating providing you are sensible and it's very peaceful, safe, relaxing and feels a world away from the crowds of the main station area. There are some nice angles and you can use the underpass to move between platforms easily and without encountering crowds.

The Station Bistrot as recommended to me by @D6130 is excellent. There's also a museum at the station to the Holocaust deportations from Italy, although I haven't visited myself yet.

 

[Tester]

You don't need a ticket to pass through the barriers at Milano Centrale, they simply open as you approach them.

This is often the case, but not always.

In recent visits I have had free entrance on some occasions, and ticket checks on others.

 

[D6130]

If you enjoy real ale or craft beer, the Birrificio Lambrate pub in Via Adelchi - five minutes walk West of Lambrate rail/metro station - is a must visit. Very much like a traditional Englsh city centre pub in atmosphere, it is very friendly and has a huge range of beers from their own brewery. They have another pub in the university area (Via Golghi), but it doesn't have the same atmosphere as the original.

The Navigli district (old canal port area) to the South West of the city centre is nowadays a trendy nightlife area alongside the canals (think Camden Lock....but bigger) full of human life. There are bars, restaurants, deli shops, bakeries, music venues and numerous picturesque alleys. On the Naviligio Grande - built to bring marble from the foothills of the Alps for the construction of Milan's spectacular cathedral in the fifteenth century - you can see the first ever canal lock in the World....designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Talking of Leonardo, his famous painting "The Last Supper" is on display in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie....book in advance on-line to avoid the huge queues. The cathedral itself is breathtaking and for an extra fee you can climb onto the roof for the views (lift available). Other nearby sights are the huge nineteenth century shopping arcade - the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele - which links the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) to the La Scala opera house.

A day pass is available covering the trams, buses, Metro and local suburban trains within the - quite wide - city centre zone.

 

[Iskra]

This is often the case, but not always.

In recent visits I have had free entrance on some occasions, and ticket checks on others.

Fair enough. I visit most years, and it is quite a number of years (possibly around 10) since I've had to show a ticket.

 

[The exile]

There's a Lombardy-wide transport pass. Io Viaggio in Lombardia which I would definitely recommend if you're intending to be travelling about a lot - if for no reason than that it saves the hassle of separate tickets and deciding what you're doing in advance.
Link to it on Trenord site: https://www.trenord.it/en/tickets/travel-titles/daily-tickets/ but as it says, it's for all local public transport in Lombardy

 

[D6130]

Another enjoyable - but expensive - attraction in Milan is the ATMosfera restaurant tram. Two modified vintage trams coupled together - a motor car and a trailer - make a two and a half hour lunchtime or evening circuit of the inner city network taking in all the main sights, while the passengers wine and dine in style. One car is the restaurant and the other the kitchen. Lunch costs 75 Euro per person and dinner 90 Euro. Advance reservation is compulsory. Vegetarian and other special diets can be booked. Bookings can be made on the ATM (Milan Transport Authority) website www.atm.it

 

[nwales58]

Fair enough. I visit most years, and it is quite a number of years (possibly around 10) since I've had to show a ticket.

Might depend on time of day and direction. Earlier this year I needed IR pass to get in at Centrale but outbound was automatic. Memory is poor but I think last year the new barrier line was recently installed but not in use, manual checks seemed to be happening in peak direction.

Are you arriving at Malpensa or Linate? From MXP beware if using a pass: you need a 1st class priced fare as far as Busto Arsizio at least so you must buy that on top of any 2nd class pass.

If arriving at Bergamo (Ryanair) it's a pretty place in it's own right with funiculars up to the old town and a modern Interurban tram along a valley to the NW.

Milan trams: the old Interurban routes to the N have gone, Serregno supposedly being rebuilt, but there is now one south to Rozzano, about 10km.

Try a RV/R Caravaggio ('Rock') operated service, as good as German REs but more punctual. Peak period double set gobbling up 1000 passengers at Centrale and the air conditioning still copes.

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Edit (thanks @rvdborgt): Although FNM/Trenord services are in bahn.de and the like only Malpensa-Milano Cadorna currently show. Use trenord.it or trenitalia.it to see the services to Porta Garibaldi and Centrale.

 

[railfan99]

The vintage trams still operate on at least three routes and are well worth doing: a great way to see the city.

I endorse the comments about the Duomo (Cathedral): a short walk from trams, as you'd expect. A good time to visit on a weekday can be lunchtime as the queues decrease due to locals and American tourists going to cafes.

The shopping arcades are stunningly beautiful.

Milano Centrale has a food court on one side of the station: look up the Seat 61 site for more details. It was crowded at late lunchtime (1330 hours) but eventually I found a seat.

Media tells me Milan can be 'unsafe' but I didn't find that.

 

[duesselmartin]

Milan is "unsafe" in the sense that all Italian cities have a high risk of pick pockets.
Last time I was in Milan there were a lot of migrants in and around the Centrale station.

 

[rvdborgt]

Are you arriving at Malpensa or Linate? From MXP beware if using a pass: you need a 1st class priced fare as far as Busto Arsizio at least so you must buy that on top of any 2nd class pass.

AFAIK Interrail isn't valid on any part of the MXP services. Or is it documented somewhere that only part of the service is banned?

Finally, usual reminder about journey planners. FNM/Trenord services are not in bahn.de and the like. Eg you'll only see a fraction of the services, the TI ones, from Malpensa to Milan. Use trenord.it or trenitalia.it

FNM/Trenord services have been in MERITS (and thus any planner based on MERITS data such as DB) for a number of years now. Trenitalia Tper is still missing though.
Italian planners are still more up to date though, I guess because of update frequency. I particularly like the Trenit! app.

 

[newmilton]

There is a railway section at the Museum of Science and Technology https://www.museoscienza.org/en, which is well worth a visit as a whole. For non-railway interests the museums at the Castello Sforzesco are also interesting. The last time I actually stayed in Milan it was at the Hotel Columbia https://www.hotelcolombiamilano.com/ near Centrale, but it was all a bit surreal as it was October 2020 when travel was still limited. I saw da Vinci's Last Supper with only two other people in the room!

Re Paris vs Geneva, I know Geneva well as a friend of mine worked there for 10 years. It's a strange city (and expensive!) in many respects, but there are interesting things to see in the old town, the lakeside is lovely, and there are reasonable hotels near Cornavin Station. I need to go back if only to ride the Léman Express which was still under construction when I last visited. If you have time a ride on one of the paddle steamers is fun. Enjoy.

 

[nwales58]

AFAIK Interrail isn't valid on any part of the MXP services. Or is it documented somewhere that only part of the service is banned?

More complicated than I had remembered. On Interrail's 'railway companies' page it is Fiumicino (Leonardo Express) that is only included on 1st class passes. It thinks that all Trenord is included. However to/from the Malpensa stations only 1st fares are available so it was my interpretation that a 1st class but Interrail would be valid but a 2nd class not.

Anyone know for sure?

By the way, the hourly TILO Malpensa-Lugano S50 allow 2nd class so you can get to central Milan for Eur 8.40 rather than 13.00.

FNM/Trenord services have been in MERITS (and thus any planner based on MERITS data such as DB) for a number of years now. Trenitalia Tper is still missing though.

You're right.
Weird: Bahn only shows the ex-FNM Malpensa Express half-hourly Cadorna services and the hourly S50. It does not show the other half-hourly Porta Garibaldi/Centrale services.

 

[rvdborgt]

Weird: Bahn only shows the ex-FNM Malpensa Express half-hourly Cadorna services and the hourly S50. It does not show the other half-hourly Porta Garibaldi/Centrale services.

That's weird indeed. The otherwise unreliable rail planner app does show them so they must be available. Maybe they were just missing in the most recent MERITS data and they'll reappear soon. bahn.de has the trains but only until Milano Bovisa, so it looks like there's some kind of data error.

 

[urbophile]

If you are staying for more than a few days, I would only stay like 1 day in Milan and do either of the 3 great lakes, Lago Como, Lago Maggiore or Lago Garda

Hmmm!! Unless you're a city-phobe (in which case why plan 5 days in one?) you need more than a day to appreciate Milan. Of course do a day trip to one of the lakes (they each have their distinctive charms) or maybe a small city like Bergamo. But there is much to see and do in Milan (far more than I have managed so far). It combines the buzz of a modern commercial metropolis, with fascinating history stretching back over a millennium, and of course Italian style and great gastronomy.And since you are posting on here, of course much railway interest including a historic but modern tramway network and an efficient metro.

 

[Ian99]

Regarding staying in "Paris or Geneva", I prefer to stay in Mulhouse, Strasbourg, Tirano or Domodossala when doing similar trips. It's cheaper and - to my eye - more interesting than Paris.

 

[newmilton]

Mulhouse, of course, has the Cité du Train, the French National Rail museum, and an equally interesting automotive museum. But it would involve a bit of a detour.

 

[Ian Cunningham]

We've been to Milan quite a few times for gigs and it's a great city to visit.
If you like your beer Milan has a great beer scene. D1630 Has already mentioned Birrifico Lambrate but also worth a look are La Buttiga, Lambiczoon, Birrificio Italiano, Baladin, Pico Brew, Beershow, La Belle Alliance and Bier Fabrik. Most dont open until evening but stay open late, food is generally excellent at the craft beer pubs.

Definitely visit the Duomo (go early and go on the roof for the view) and surounding area. Other places to see include the vast Cimitero Monumentale, Teatro La Scala, the Leonardo Da Vinci museum, Triennale di Milano, Castello Sforzesco (yes Milan has a castle) and have a wander round Navigli

The old trams (class 1500) are worth a ride on - I particulalry like them late at night with the lovely old tungsten light and you can hear all their noises in the quieter evening

There are quite a few hotels around Centrale - we've previously stayed in the Glam Hotel and 43 Station Hotel - both were nice. The metro is so good that you stay pretty much anywhere along those routes.
If you are flying into Bergamo it's worth spending time there to visit the medieval Città Alta. Bergamo is often only viewed as an airport but it's lovely old citadel town in itself

Milan is as safe as any big city - watch for pickpockets, scammers and the looky-looky lot but it's generally fine. Lot's of migrants and homeless around Centrale but they don't bother anyone.
Worth having a look at youtube guides to milan - there's a couple of good ones on the Travel Addicts Life and Wolters World channels

enjoy your trip

 

[Alfonso]

If you're going via the Simplon then Brig is a very pleasant place to stay for a night if you like trains and mountains, and brigerbad just outside is a lovely place for a dip if you like thermal pools.

 

[StephenHunter]

Mulhouse, of course, has the Cité du Train, the French National Rail museum, and an equally interesting automotive museum. But it would involve a bit of a detour.

I've already done Cité du Train, but thanks.

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If you're going via the Simplon then Brig is a very pleasant place to stay for a night if you like trains and mountains, and brigerbad just outside is a lovely place for a dip if you like thermal pools.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[AlbertBeale]

If you're going via the Simplon then Brig is a very pleasant place to stay for a night if you like trains and mountains, and brigerbad just outside is a lovely place for a dip if you like thermal pools.

I second Brig as a pleasant staging post for travel via Simplon. Only downside is Swiss prices of course...

I stayed in a pleasant hotel overlooking both railway stations ... wonderful.

 

[LLivery]

I stayed at the NYX Milan a couple years ago, just across the green/tram tracks from the station. It's certainly a bit different, but a nice hotel nevertheless. We arrived in the evening and hadn't looked before hand for food recommendations but there was a Italian restaurant a member of staff recommended which is basically next door. It was pretty good.

Deffo recommend visiting and climbing the Duomo, and the shopping arcade opposite is beautiful. Also visited the Sforzesco Castle, around the corner from Milan Cadorna station. The canal (Navigli Milano) is a nice walk with cafes, little shops and stalls.

I liked the Metro (annoyingly missed L4 opening by a few months) and I didn't feel remotely unsafe in the city. Naples feels far more dodgy, but even then it's mainly just people trying to make a living rather than being a threat.

 

[30907]

I second Brig as a pleasant staging post for travel via Simplon. Only downside is Swiss prices of course...

I stayed in a pleasant hotel overlooking both railway stations ... wonderful.

And coming back from Brig you have a choice of routes - cheapest on Interrail being via Pontarlier, and pretty scenic.

 

[Tester]

And coming back from Brig you have a choice of routes - cheapest on Interrail being via Pontarlier, and pretty scenic.

So I'm not the only one who has sussed out Pontarlier!

 

[nwales58]

If Interrail, as well as Pontarlier consider Bellegarde to pick up the Genève-Paris 2-hourly TGVs and pay domestic TGV supplement instead of Lyria prices; TER as far as Bellegarde are frequent.

Ditto Basel-Mulhouse TER. I prefer the Gard de l'Est-Gare du Nord walk anywhere and the TER200 carry on to Strasbourg making journey times competitive. Overnight in Strasbourg or Colmar (pretty, looks German, sounds French). Strasbourg is a comfortable 1 day journey to most of GB. Though the one week per month the parliament is in town Strasbourg hotels are dearer.

 

[30907]

So I'm not the only one who has sussed out Pontarlier!

Ever since I read Railway Holiday in Switzerland back in the 60s - finally did the route in Spring 2023, though but the weather rather spoilt the view. The considerable saving on IR was a bonus.
3 trains a day now not 2 - but I was many years too late for the Ex-TEE units that finished their days there.