We are landing at Malpensa for 10 day driving trip. Only spending the morning and afternoon in Milan. Want to see the Duomo area and Davinci's last supper before we head off to lake district. Can someone please advise re driving to each and how close can you get to Duomo to park. Is there a nearby hotel that would let us park there, have lunch and then sightsee for the afternoon? Not staying any longer. Not using train, bus or taxi. So those responses with actual driving experience, either on this thread or by PM would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Skip
Posted by
bergamo
401 posts
If your plans are to go onto the lakes after seeing Milan, you are basically driving down into the city and then turning around and going back the way you came. The airport is a long way from the City, a good 45 minutes when there is no traffic. A for driving in Milan, you didn't mention what day you will be coming in but you now need something called and Ecopass to drive in Milan during the week, and MIlan is FULL of ZTL zones. You might do better taking the train or the bus into Milan and the picking up the rental car afterwards.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Skip: Claire (first reply) knows what she's talking about. Malpensa is 30 miles from Milan city center. If you have not tried to drive into the center of a large Italian city, it may be more difficult than you think.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, Ga
211 posts
Thanks. I was afraid those would be the answers I got. We are actually headed to Lake Oseo east of Bergamo and then to Tuscany so I was trying to avoid 1--doubling back which would shorten the already brief time we have for a quick look around Milan or 2--lugging luggage about (we like everything about Rick except his concept of traveling with only a knapsack). Only reason in Milan is it was only place for the time that could find a free ticket. It will be midweek. I have driven in downtown Rome and in and around Florence in past but neither is my idea of fun. That was the reason I was wondering about driving to a nice hotel nearby Duomo to leave car.
Posted by
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
206 posts
Here is a link to an earlier discussion. As noted when I posted originally, we drove a car from Genoa and parked at one of the lots outside the city center and took the metro. You can get off the metro right at the Duomo, and also ride the metro to within a couple of blocks of The Last Supper. In case the link doesn't work, this is from an 10/2 discussion called parking in milan.
http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/23005/parking-in-milan.html
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, Ga
211 posts
Thanks for the info Kathy. Just what I needed.
Posted by
bergamo
401 posts
Oh, you are going to Largo D'Iseo? Ok, so Milan is actually a good place to stop off on the way down the A4. I second Kathy's suggestion that you leave the car at a train station or metro stop outside Milan and take the metro into the city. The last thing I would want to do after a long flight is to tackle Milan traffic and parking while jet lagged. Milan isn't exactly a place you stop in for 10 minutes, just getting where you want to go takes time. The metro is definitely the best way of getting around, especially during a week day.