Hi , in 3 days I'm beginning my 2 week trip in Milan and planning to see the Duomo Tues.at 8:00 am when it opens. We're staying the prior night at the Four Points Sheraton Central Milan which is a 7 minute walk to the station, however, I understand that we'll need to take the yellow line Metro 3 to the Duomo. I want to go up to the rooftop after seeing the inside of the basilica, but the rooftop (elevator ticket) opens at 9:00 am. The issue is that our train to Varenna leaves the train station @ 10:20. I've read that the Duomo is only a 10 minute stop from the Train Station, so my question is, if we were to book the 9:00am rooftop ticket and stay only 20-30 minutes on the roof, would there be enough time to return on the Metro to the Centrale station, walk to the hotel to get our bags and back to the station (~15-20 minutes), and be at the station for our train, considering the website said that yellow line trains run every 2-4 minutes? OR ...is there a place at Milan Central Station to safely stow our bags for 2+ hours while we tour the Duomo so we don't have to return to the hotel (saving 20 minutes) to get our bags? Appreciate the help... (note from Lake Como we won't be returning to Milan so no other time to see the rooftop...I've read it's amazing to see the statues, marble and views from there!)
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1525 posts
It probably can be done; this does not mean you can really manage to do it and that it is wise to do it. For example, from the base of the elevator to the actual metro platform where the train leaves it is a five minutes walk, assuming you do not take any wrong turn in a large underground metro station. From the station entrance to the the railway platform, five minutes assuming you exactly know where you are heading. You are also assuming you are first in line at the elevator and you are giving yourself twenty minutes to see the whole thing. I would seriously consider boarding the 1.20pm train and having an adequate time window to do the visit.
Posted by
Milan, Italy
308 posts
Sorry to rain on your parade but your plan is not doable and sounds stressful as heck. Even if all the stars align for everything else, you’re not factoring in the actual time to get down to the platform of the yellow line at 2 of the busiest stations in Milan. You’ll be dodging tourists and people getting to work during rush hour (assuming it’s a week day) and like the previous poster said, you’re also assuming you’ll be first in line for the elevator. At 9 am, piazza Duomo is jammed with tourists already and you can bet you’re not the only one who wants to be first on the rooftop. Then you’ve got to assume you will be first in line to get the tiny elevator back down to the piazza, dodge all the tourists and people going to work again, get to the yellow line platform, arrive at Centrale, push your way through everyone at Centrale, hope there’s not a line to pick up the bags you checked at either Centrale (yes, there’s is one in the basement that’s out of the way for someone in a hurry) or Four Points, go upstairs to the main platform and then find your correct track. Whew!
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11142 posts
Is it not possible to take a later train? They run hourly
Posted by
Milan, Italy
288 posts
Its possible you can make it, although as others have said, only if you don't make a wrong turn or stop to look at the subway map, or go out on the wrong exit of the metro station. But even if you make it, what's the sense in spending 20 minutes there? Counting that you have to make the security line, wait for the elevator, you won't have time to enjoy anything .
Either take a later train, they're very frequent and regionale, so you don't need reservations, or skip the terraces.
Posted by
US
598 posts
When we took the elevator several years ago, it did not go all the way to the rooftop. Upon exiting the elevator, we still had to climb some narrow stairs to the actual rooftop. As I recall, the elevator only accommodated a small number of people at a time. If this is still true, then your "20-30 minutes on the roof" might actually be 30-60 minutes, depending on the number of people there. The views of the Duomo rooftop itself are wonderful, however.
Posted by
Paris
6868 posts
Just take a later train to Varenna: you do not need to book, seating is all unreserved.
Posted by
163 posts
According to the manufacturer’s plate on the wall of that elevator, it is made by Schindler. Always made me laugh: “Schindler’s Lift”.
Posted by
Tucson
4151 posts
I did this in 2017. It's an amazing thing to do, but I agree with those who are telling you that you need more time. With a regional train, you should be able to adjust your trip to Varenna to a later time. It will still be there.
Perhaps things have changed in the past couple of years, but I had to go to a separate building on the side of the church to get my tickets. We pulled numbers for the kind of tickets we wanted. Then we waited until our number came up to get our tickets. I think they were time sensitive, i.e. there's no elevator for you before your time, but you may indeed have to wait awhile after it to get on. And they do a security check of your bag(s). I only had a tiny purse, so I easily passed. I didn't see anyone with backpacks. I don't know about anything in-between.
To get to the elevator, you go outside and behind the church, almost totally opposite to where you go into the church itself. You go up about 10+ steps to get to the elevator. Including the guy running the machine, there's room for 9 or 10 people. It does not go fast.
There are indeed more steps after you get off to get to the main level. There's a place farther along where you can go up more steps, maybe about 20, to go even higher. I loved being on buttress and gargoyle level so I didn't go any higher.
I'd say that including every thing, the whole process for just getting to the top took at least an hour and that's not counting the waiting for your time to come up.
But the wonder of being up there is hard to explain. It's not just about the view.