Planning a September trip to Milan and the lake region. I am curious as to the impact the World Expo 2015 will have on travel throughout the region. More specifically on the availability and costs for hotel rooms, rental car, and train travel. I want a relaxing trip and don't want to be fighting crowds, nor do I want to be paying a premium for hotel rooms. Any insight would be appreciated.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34352 posts
This was discussed here in the Italy Forum 4 days ago. The link is https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/milan-expo-2015-impact
Is there still something that that thread doesn't answer?
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Any impact outside of Milan?
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Book hotels well in advance and hunt out bargains, if there are any. You will probably pay more for hotel than in a non-Expo year, but Milano has lots of conferences, fairs, expos all year and prices do seem to go up a bit for the big ones. An alternative might be to stay outside Milano; Bergamo or the Lake Como area is about an hour away by train.
Train ticket prices are already set, but the cheapest ones will sell out quickly. You can buy up to 120 days ahead if you are taking fast trains.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
All of Italy's popular tourist destinations are busy in September, regardless of any event, so you have to expect crowds. At each stop, try to spend some of your time stepping away from the tourist sites to more residential or low-key areas.