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Sensible strategy for post-Rome Sat.Mar8-Mon.Mar17 xMilan?

Posted by (Saint Paul, MN, USA) on

Two concerns about that specific week: is that a rainy time of year(for Cinque Terre hike)?, and second weekend is 2008 Palm Sunday, which means what, re need to reserve hotels anywhere?. And factor in: many sites/museums closed Sun/Mon ..so best do CT or hill towns those days?

The two of us are first-time to Italy Mar1-17, flying into Rome (7 nights reserved), then open schedule until leaving from Milan at noon Mon3/17. Economy budget. Content to stroll side streets, and have modest but interesting food experiences. Not compelled to see every duomo/gallery. Perhaps prefer 2-night stays, rather than move every day.

The first Sat night after Rome will probably be in Perugia (to meet friend-of-friend living there), so next stop could be 2 nights based in Siena/hill towns. Also fit 2 nights in/near Venice? Florence could be daytime pass-through or a night? My main puzzle is working backwards from the Milan noon-Monday departure: I've little interest in Milan, but wonder if it's unwise to sleep in some other town (east x-Venice or west/Genoa) and risk missing the flight home?

I have an uninformed bias to approach Milan after a Cinque Terre experience, and a curiosity about Genoa's old town ..which would mean Fri-Sun nights CT/Genoa/Milan, unless Palm Sunday weekend is somehow an issue?

Posted by
405 posts

if you want to be sure to get your flight, stay near the Milan airport; you never know when the trains might go on strike

Posted by
10344 posts

Your instincts are right: Don't move every day. It is too distracting from what you came there to experience. And yes, it can be rainy in CT that time of year, no way of telling until you get within a few days of your arrival in CT, then forecasts become more accurate. And yes, do hill towns or CT trails on days when museums/duomos/etc are closed for national holidays, which they take seriously there. Not too much in Genoa. If you have any interest in where the Renaissance started and what the Florentines did to get it going, don't give Florence short shrift. And finally, you want to be very careful about sleeping outside of Milan prior to your departure; time of departure is critical. If departing from Malpensa, it is 30 miles outside of central Milan, factor in travel time.

Posted by
13 posts

Thanks for the solid advice! ..About unpredictable train strikes: I recall someone somewhere in these forums noting that the strikes often last only a day and are often on a Sunday? So if even I sensibly book a Sunday night Milan room for a noon Monday Malpensa flight, does this mean I shouldn't assume I've got all day Sunday to reach Milan by train from Venice?

Posted by
2335 posts

Re: strikes - sometimes, they're pre-announced. Thoughtfully, the Italian Commission on Strikes has publishes these prearranged ones - it's all in Italian, but you can usually get the gist. See http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/. Click on the picture of the calendar, then select the "Elenco Scioperi" button (for local strikes) or "Scioperi Nazionale" (for national strikes).

But, often they're not announced but for the sign posted on the ticket window. I had a ferry strike on Lake Como (Friday), metro strike in Milan (Saturday), and a train strike in Cinque Terre (also Saturday).

Regardless, it's Italy, so flexible must be your motto.

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