Marty06807

Can anyone give me suggestions for getting to Venice. I'm flying from New York to Milan, and would like to continue on to Venice, preferably by fast train. Is it an easy transfer, for someone who speaks no Italian (but makes do in French), do I need reservations beforehand, is there a guide which gives detailed directions? Or should I plan to spend a night in Milan? (I don't want to start a delicious vacation off with an ordeal getting to my first destination.) Many thanks for any suggestions from those of you who have done it.

ira

Hi Marty,

You will want to take the *bus* to Milano Centrale station. From there you can take the train to Venice San Lucia station.

Do not take the train to Milan, it goes to the wrong station.

>...do I need reservations beforehand,..

You can book your tickets online at www.trenitalia.com/en. Use the ticketless option. You will get a confirmation number. Bring that and the same CC with you to get a ticket for an IC train. For the ES* train bring the confirmation. You won't need a ticket.

>...should I plan to spend a night in Milan? <

Not necessary.

Marty06807

Thank-you very much, Ira! Marty

dickv2

Good morning, Marty The trip by bus to Milano Centrale from Malplensa(?)
takes about 55 mins. plus the time for waiting for a Venice SL train and a trip of about 3 hours, so rufly you are looking at 5 hours to get into
Venice SL. Might consider checking into a continuation of your flite into
Marco Polo which would be considerably
less in time spent on traveling..
Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

elaine

Hi
I like Richard's suggestion of the plane just in terms of timing. The train ride to Venice from Milano is pleasant, and there's a great experience of arriving at the Venice train station for the first time, but by the time you take the bus to the train and wait for the train, you can be there by plane since you are already at the airport anyway. By the way, when I did exactly the same thing (airport to train) my ride from Malpensa to Centrale took 90 minutes in bumper-to-bumper morning rush hour traffic.

If you do take the train,don't worry about not speaking Italian. The tourist information office in Milano Centrale station has agents that speak English.

frankc

i agree with the suggestion to fly from milan to venice. i am going late september and was going to take the train until i realized i would use most of the day getting from milan to venice. i am now flying and will be in marco polo by 10:30 am and to my hotel by noon. by my estimate, i am gaining a hlf day i would have lost.

dickv2

Goodmorning, it is a most wonderful feeling to be having lunch on the Grand Canal and realize that about 12 hours ago you were home and still have the afternoon and a good dinner to look forward too. Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

LaraM

Hi- I was planning on the same trip of flying into Milan and taking the train to Venice. Sounds as if taking a plane would be a better option though. Can anyone offer an opinion of how much time to leave between arrival into Milan and taking off for Venice? Also, is there a particular airline anyone could recommend for this flight? Thank you!

dickv2

Good evening, LaraM
Not knowing the arrival time in Maopensa, there are three flights out
on an average day, it appears from the schedule that on two flites there are no Saturday Departures. However Alitalia/Delta have at departure at
09:45 with arrival at 10:45, another at 14:40 with arrival at 15:40 and the last, Alitalia at 21:50 and arriving at 22:50...Another example would be Swiss International out of Newark and that would be arrival in at 10:55 and departure for Venice at 13:10, arrv at 14:20...They also have two more flites into Venice during that day.
Richard of LaGrange Park IL

LaraM

Thank you Richard-
I will be arriving in Milan at 7:55am and was nervous about being able to catch the early flights to Venice. After checking for tickets though I just can't afford the price. I'm hoping that the train ride will be a pleasant vacation experience in itself.

Mary_Fran

We flew into Milan, took the express bus to Milano Centrale, and then trained to Venice, and we found the experience pleasant. The best part indeed was emerging from the train station and finding Venice before us. It was, for me, reminiscent of the scene in the Wizard of Oz, when the house landed in Oz after the tornado ended, and suddenly the world changed from black and white to technicolor.

About taking the plane from Milan to Venice - by the time we'd flown from Seattle to Milan, with a stop in NY, we'd had quite enough of being cooped up in airplanes. The bus and train were a welcome change.

The only thing I would have done differently was to buy our train tickets in advance and be sure to get reserved seats. We bought first class tickets and, because we were fortunate enough to board the train as early as possible, we were able to find seats. However, a whole lot of folks who paid for first class tickets stood up in the aisles outside the first class compartments for most of the trip to Venice because they didn't pay a bit more for "reserved" seats.

Have a wonderful time in Venice! I'll never forget emerging from a narrow street, surrounded by buildings, and stepping into San Marco plaza and immediately saying to my sister, "No matter what else happens on this trip, seeing this will have made the trip worth it all."

Marty06807

I very much appreciate your information and opinions. I last visited Venice over 25 years ago, and my most vivid memory of the city was emerging from the train station onto the Grand Canal. However, this is a different chapter in my life, and I tend to travel a bit cushier, if less frugal these days. After checking with Alitalia, there is a connecting flight to Venice for about $175 pp, tax included. So I've decided to miss the grand entrance and opt for lunch on the Grand Canal. Thanks so much.

elaine

I'm wondering if one of the discount airlines like volare can offer you a better fare.