I know this may be asking too much, but after 3 weeks in Italy (Venice and Florence primarily) in May 2011, my wife will be flying out of Milan. We are looking for a place to stay there on the night prior to our flight at 1 p.m. the next day. Does anyone have a suggestion for a place other than an airport hotel? We're just hoping for a little taste of Milan before we fly away...Thank you all. Tom
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17244 posts
No need to stay in an airport hotel and waste your last night in Italy! We spent 24 hours in Milan prior to a 1 pm departure (by train, not plane) and made the most of it. (We had tickets for La Scala so that helped). Our hotel was right near Via Dante so we enjoyed the walk up to the Sforza Castel and down to the Duomo. It was too hot to go up on the Duomo roof but we did stroll the Galleria. WE bought wonder foccacia sandwiches at Princi bakery for a light meal (and inexpensive) dinner before the ballet. We could walk to La Scala from our hotel. Antica Locanda di Mercanti was one the expensive side but well worth it for our one night. We had a terrace room for our picnic dinner, so the 100+ euros we saved on dinner (for a family of 4) more than offset the cost of the rooms. We found the people of Milan with whom we dealt to be very warm and friendly, in some cases going out of their way for us. Our young adult daughters loved the "buzz" and the openness of the city---more like Paris than the other Italian cities we visited. Hotel prices in Milan are widely variable, depending on trade shows and other events. If you are lucky to hit an evening when nothing's on, you might find something quite affordable. Weekends are better than weekdays.
Posted by
Piedmont, nc, usa
316 posts
I just picked a hotel downtown near the train station at random and reserved a bus tour of Milan that included LaScala, Sforza Castle, the Duomo and The Last Supper. By the end of the trip I was tired of being the tour guide and enjoyed sitting in a bus seat without worrying about taking the underground or a taxi to get around. Also, with a bus tour, there's no worry about getting Last Supper tickets if you're interested. The next day you can get to the airport quickly.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17244 posts
You may be in luck on prices if you are there on a weekend. I just checked Una Hotel Cusani, a very nice 4* hotel near Sforza castle (and the Cadorna station wihich has trains to Malpensa airport). Their room prices in high season are 400+ euros a night, but weekend nights in May look to be 173 euros including breakfast with advance payment, otherwise 193 euros. They have other hotels in other areas, including Una Hotel Maison which is closer to the Duomo. We really enjoyed the Via Dante area and being able to walk everywhere.
Posted by
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
OK, I'm wondering what is going on with Tom after his wife flies out of Milan.....
Posted by
OP
Porterville
11 posts
Good one, Ted. I am busted! Ha! Not really...just a typo :). anyway, thank you all for your feedback. We are traveling by train, so I will look for a place near the train station, for sure.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
5 posts
Tom - we thought about one of the "outside the airport" hotels, but opted for a night in Milan to make the most of our last hours in Italy! I booked a room at Hotel Cavour (http://www.hotelcavourmilan.com/). It was between there and Hotel Canada which had higher ratings but didn't seem as convenient for airport connections. Lancaster also looks promising. The two I saw mentioned the most in the travel guide had dismal reviews! I didn't want to risk it. Have fun!