I'm trying to make plans for the last day of our vacation which is a Sunday. We are staying in Milan in July. I was looking at taking a day trip to Bologna or elsewhere but from what I can tell, most restaurants are closed on Sunday's. Is this gennerally true? Are most places (restaurants/shops/churches) closed on Sundays throughout Italy? If that is generally true, would anyone have suggestions for places to go/things to do on our last day (Sunday) in July. Again, we are staying in Milian but are willing to hop on a train and travel about anywhere within reason. Thanks for any advice!
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Churches sre open on Sunday, but may have restricted visiting hours so as not to coincide with Mass times. Most restaurants are open, and shops that deal with visitors are likely to be open as well. Museums are usually open on Sunday (perhaps with shorter hours), and closed on Monday.
Sure to be open in Milano: the roof of the Duomo (via elevator), the Castello Sforzesco with great open area for strolling, the Galleria. Any guidebook will have opening hours and costs.
If you want to take the train to Como and then the ferry to visit some of the towns, you could do that in a long daytrip.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Let's say that half of the restaurants may be closed and half open on Sundays. Some could also be on vacation in July. Rick's guidebook listings address the standard closed days, and so have other sources I've used, such as reviews from the New York Time or Guardian newspapers, and restaurant web sites. If it's not already on your itinerary, I would choose a daytrip to Lake Como as a closer/cheaper train ticket and more relaxing than Bologna (even though travel time is about an hour each way for either destination). If you have Rick's Italy book, then page 334 summarizes which tourist sites are open in Milan.
Posted by
Albany, NY
238 posts
Sundays were always frustrating for me because I am not into museums or typical "sights." I really like to travel mostly for shopping and food. I love Lugano, Switzerland and there is a shopping mall near there (also near Como) where everything is open on Sunday. It is called FoxTown. I know a mall or shopping outlets are not too exciting for us Americans because we see them all the time but at least there are restaurants and stores there open most of the day and part of the evening. You can take the train there from Milan.
http://www.foxtown.ch/cometrovarci.php?lingua=en