Hi Everyone. I will be in the CT in the and of July and then will take a night train to Paris. As there is not a night train from La Spezia to Paris (that i have been able to find) I will be going to Milan and taking the train from there. I have a dilema.... The night train will be my last day on a rail pass, and i understand that i will be using the arrival date, not the departure date. So if I am in CT and need to connect in milan I will have to use the departure date to get to Milan and then the Arrival date to get to Paris. Please correct me if im wrong. Since it looks like tickets to milan from La spezia are pretty cheap, i was just going to buy that ticket and use the rail pass for the night train. Since i will now be in milan, is it possible to see anything relatively close to the train station within a couple of hours. I was thinking about arriving aroung 1pm- 4pm and the train to paris doesnt leave until almost midnight. so how much time would i need to get to a couple sites (the last supper).. and would it be doable? or am i better off spending more time in ct and taking a later train to milan to catch the night train? also, what would you reccomend as the highlights of milan? thanks, sorry this is so long!
Posted by
Centennial, CO, USA
1898 posts
You can walk from the train station to the Duomo in about 20 mins. It's easy, and from there, you can shop, or walk to the Szforza Castle and explore the grounds there, soaking in Italy for a few hours. The Galleria is a fun "walk through" in the main piazza too, or sit by the fountain and watch people, have a gelato and relax as this is your last day in Italy!
If you want to see the Last Supper, you need reservations.
We've spend a day in Milan at the end or beginning of 2 different trips to Italy. I'd say, it's good for a day.
My suggestion is to go without plans, and just allow yourself to explore for a few hours/relax before you start your next leg of your trip in France. If you have RS's book, you can use that for some directions/sights to see. There isn't much besides the Duomo, piazza, Last Supper- this is shopping mecca-
Posted by
OP
los angeles, california, usa
58 posts
thanks! thats really what i was looking for! Would the last supper be far from the station? I would like to plan it as i go but if we decide to could we possily make reservations a couple of days in advance? its not a huge deal to see it but it would be nice if its doable...and if we can still relax!
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
To reach Santa Maria delle Grazie church to view Last Supper, you could take Metro line 2 from train station to Cadorna stop and walk 5 minutes or take tram #16 from Piazza Duomo directly to church. It's easy to get there.
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
81 posts
Just was in Milan and CT. Train from Milan to CT was approx 14 euros on the regional train. I think it took about 3 1/2hours.
Posted by
32 posts
My advice on tickets to see Last Supper is to buy as soon as dates are up. I tried to buy for end of April and already sold out.
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
Christy, if you're willing to spend a few bucks, Dark Rome Tours offers an afternoon Milano Tour that might fit your schedule and needs. It starts near the Duomo, covers the Duomo inside and out, walks through the Galleria, by La Scala, through neighborhoods and the Castle, and then includes a scheduled visit to The Last Supper, ending there. The guide was very good, you cover a lot of ground without getting lost, and the fee includes the ticket and reserved time slot at The Last Supper. Since they have daily reservations at The Last Supper, that might solve any ticketing problem. Time was about 2 pm to 5:00 or 5:30 pm when I took the tour on a Sunday, not sure if the schedule is the same for other days of the week. Milano is far from my favorite place in Milano, but this was a good way to visit the highlights quickly. If passing through town, it is easy to check your baggage at the Milano Centrale railway station. If interested, check out darkrome.com and click on Milano.
Posted by
Reading, PA, USA
1637 posts
For seeing the Last Supper see my post in this forum titled "Last Supper Scam". Short story, if you want to see it you will have to deal with a scalper.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
You do not have to deal with a scalper to see Leonardo's Last Supper (see my post under "Last Supper Scams"). If tickets are sold out for your preferred date, you can try a broker (I got two tickets for the end of May in January). They cost about twice the basic rate, but not nearly as much as a tour, if that's all you want to see.
Posted by
1 posts
Zoe in Toledo mentioned using a broker to secure tickets for The Last Supper. Tickets were released a week ago for our dates in Milan, and of course, they're all gone. How do you do about finding a broker to get tickets? We'd rather do that than a 3 hour tour of Milan. Anyone got the answer to this? Thanks much! Michele