We will be in Rome for a week or so and have a pretty full schedule. We then head to France. My son wants to see Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio in Milan. Is it doable to take the high speed train to Milan from Rome. Spend a few hours (maybe even go to Mass at Sant'Ambrogio) and train back to Rome?
Thank you!!!
Sure, anything is possible ... just know that it's an 8-hour return train ride.
Thank you periscope. Do you mean 4 hours each way, or do you mean that there is no highspeed train in the evening so that the return to Rome will take 8 hours?
We would stay over in Milan, but we already booked lodging for the full time in Rome.....
4 hours > <
PLUS the time to and from the train stations
As periscope explained, Milan would involve a LOT of time sitting on a train for one attraction, Heck, it would be a lot of rail time for an even broader itinerary than that. I've been to Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio and agree that it's well worth visiting (For me, less for religious purposes than architectural and historical) BUT not as a day trip that would eat 4-5 hours each way. IMHO, that's 8-10 hours better used for sightseeing. Nope, best left for another trip when you'll be staying in Milan, closer to it, or transiting through to another destination with time to visit this church.
It would be a different case if you were traveling on to France from the North. I'll assume you're flying from Rome?
OK, I've just seen your other post:
It seems to indicate that you've not made a decision whether to fly to Paris from Rome or Milan? While I still wouldn't travel all the way to Milan just for this one church, if it's REALLY important to him then you could leave early in the morning, take the train up, check the bags at the station, make your visit, collect the bags and travel on to France from there.
Are you intending on spending time in Paris before heading off to Tours? If not, there could be a more efficient way to get there (Tours) from Milan and skip Paris altogether. Best to have the folks with more experience in France than I do weigh in on that one, though.
There are 2 high speed trains in the morning that make no intermediate stops and do the Rome-Milan route in 2 hours and 59 minutes. An expensive train for politicians and businessmen.
So you could depart from Rome at 6:25 AM and be in Milan at 9:24 AM. Trenitalia's last train back from Milan to Rome departs at 8:10 PM. Italo's last is scheduled to depart from Milan at 8:40.
Your son must be really mad for early Christian architecture. I agree that it's an important building, but I'd just try to fly to Paris from Milan.
I looked at a random date in August and those 3 hour trains weren't shown, that's why I posted 4 hours each way.
The 6:25 train is showed up to the 5th of August, a Friday, and then it pops up again on the 29th, a Monday. I guess neither politicians nor businessmen work so close to Ferragosto and the demand drops to zero.
I can't thank you all enough for your care in helping me, and others that will read this.
We are not planning to spend time in Paris this trip.
We check out of our Rome flat on the 1st.
I check into my Amboises, France (Loire Valley) flat on the 2nd. My son will be staying at Solesmes and Fontgombault.
So theoretically we could take the train to Milan early on the 1st, and then travel to France later in the day on the 1st or stay in Milan on the 1st and travel on the 2nd.
We have not made travel arrangements yet from Italy to France.
I looked into to flying from Milan to Tours (and get a rental car in Tours) but it seems that I can't find flights to Tours from Milan. So will either have to fly to Paris and then take a train to Tours or train from Milan. A nice overnight sleeper would be okay, but it appears a few train changes are needed.
My first time doing this, so apologies for ignorance.
Best,
Hmmm, I'm still hoping someone has some bright ideas for the Milan>Tours leg.
No apologies necessary: we all start somewhere, and sorting out public transport is my personal nemesis! 😬
