Hello.
My wife and I will be staying 1 night in Milan (train from Venice) before flying out of MXP (Sept 2011). I assume we'll be arriving in Milan around noon so we'd like to walk around the city. I realize we won't have time to see/do much but we're looking forward to experiencing another Italian city before our trip ends. Any suggestions for location of a hotel (considering we'll arrive at the train station and need to get to the airport in the early morning)? We are looking for a cheap/clean place (fancy amenities doesn't interest us) with a location providing easy access to trains/airport. I welcome any knowledge on getting to MXP via public transportation (train?). We're renting apartments during our trip but I figure a hotel might be best for a 1 night stay.

Also, any personal favorites from Milan travelers for where we should visit/eat on our one night? Thanks much, I've really appreciated the quality of information obtained in this forum.
abs004

We flew into Milan last year and we took the Malpensa express train from the airport to Cordona Nord Station, where we took a short cab ride to our Hotel Ariosto http://www.hotelariosto.com . It is more of a business hotel but was a good price with a good breakfast. It is close to a subway stop and so was an easy trip right into the city. It is also only a few blocks from The Last Supper. Our first night we took the subway downtown where we found Luini for Panzerotti. It is a fried pizza pocket. It is fabulous and really inexpensive. No indoor seating, so we sat on a curb but it was perfect!

Reserve tickets NOW to see The Last Supper - well worth the trip to Milan.

http://www.hotelberna.com/

What kybourbon said.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...aexcellent.cfm

The spelling of the train station where you catch the Malpensa Xpress train to the airport is Cadorna.

It is an excellent area for enjoying the city, and it is especially convenient to visiting Da Vinci's The Last Supper. But you can also stay in the area of the Central Station and find easy transportation to the airport by train and bus.

Tripadvisor is your best guide for up-to-date recommendations of places within your budget.

To get good restaurant recommendations, you can consult Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler (he recommends all price ranges) or otherwise state your budget and what you are interested in eating.

Thank you for the info. Sounds like we'll use the Cadorna station to go to the airport (MXP). Does the train from Venice arrive at the Central Station (north of downtown Milan)? I checked a couple train schedules and it looks like the earliest train to Milan leaves Venice around 2pm. Is that the norm or are there usually morning trains? I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience riding that route. Thanks.

There are morning trains from Venice to Milan. The first fast train from Venice S.L. currently departs at 6:20 a.m. It's too soon to search trains for specific dates in September 2011, but the timetables for routes between major cities don't change much, so search for the day of the week you plan to travel (i.e., Tuesday) for a week in January.

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

The train from Venice will arrive at Milano Centrale. From Centrale you can take a shuttle bus or a direct train to Malpensa.

Info on train service from Centrale to Malpensa is available at the Ferrovie website (above), and info on the shuttle bus can be found at:

http://www.malpensashuttle.it/e-default.htm

There is also direct train service from the Cadorna Nord station to Malpensa operated by LeNord Railway.

http://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/index.php

I prefer the area around the Cadorna station, but you're more likely to find inexpensive accommodations near Centrale. I haven't stayed at the Hotel Berna (recommended by kybourbon), but I've been told by several people who travel to/through Milan that it's good value for the rate. If you arrive at Centrale and choose to stay near and depart from Cadorna, there is metro service between the two stations.

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a...lan-metro.html

Fantastic Jean, thank you! I'll see what I can find around Cadorna. If nothing, I'll look around Centrale. Thanks again, much appreciated.

In February i will stay at Hotel Madison. It is located around Centrale station (i chose it for the proximity to the station)

Here you see the map on google maps
http://maps.google.com/maps?um=1&ie=...ed=0CDMQnwIwAQ

This is the official website
http://www.madisonhotelmilano.com/

From Central Station to Malpensa there's a Shuttle Bus which departs every 20 minutes.

I enjoyed my stays at Melia Milano near the Cardona station. It is a lovely hotel and I have found it to be a great value with advance booking.

I do prefer the area to that around Milano Centrale but have also stayed there 2x, winning Le Meridien on Priceline for bargain prices.

oops, meant to type Cadorna, sorry!

We had one of our best meals at Osteria del Treno, Via San Gregorio, 46. Very good quality, pleasant service and reasonably priced.

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I stayed twice at Marconi Hotel for business. Although tailored to businessmen, big groups of tourists came into view both times. I guess this is because it is perfectly located, easy walking distance to the main sights e.g. Duomo, Opera house, shops, Brera art gallery and restaurants.

http://www.marconihotel.it/

I stayed twice at Marconi Hotel for business. Although tailored to businessmen, big groups of tourists came into view both times. I guess this is because it is perfectly located, easy walking distance to the main sights e.g. Duomo, Opera house, shops, Brera art gallery and restaurants.

http://www.marconihotel.it/