We were not interested in the club facilities, so didn't take advantage.

Also of note, while we were there in late April, breakfast was served in a large breakfast room. In warmer weather, there was a lovely outdoor terrace with pergola for breakfast time--no view of the lake, but nice to be outdoors.

Bellagio to Milan:

We caught the ferry back to Varenna and bought our train ticket to Milan from a travel agency up the road toward the station. There were people who pointed us to it and it's on the left as you go up the hill toward the station.

We ended up in the first-class section without realizing it since we just hopped onto a train car. There are no reserved seats so we didn't think about 1st and 2nd class as an option.

When the conductor came around she wrote down the amount we should pay over what we had already ticketed. We told her we had made a mistake and wanted to walk to another car rather than pay and she looked displeased but it was OK. The train had been running only 10 minutes...

We moved to the very next car and found seats.

The only difference between first class and second on this train was that second was far more crowded.

We arrived in Milan and found a taxi easily. Milan is a thriving busy city with a lot of scooters and well-dressed people. It's also quite friendly.

I loved seeing women in skirts on scooters wearing spiked heels.I think my husband did also. :)

We arrived at our hotel Duca di York. Our taxi driver actually got a little lost and apologized and offered to discount the trip, but we were fine.

WOW. This is not NYC.

I had booked the hotel through their web site and secured a discount that was for a standard room. We paid 158 Euro complete with taxes and a nice breakfast.

Our "standard room" was on the third floor and was a corner and had three windows, all viewing in different directions. Bright and cheery.

It was spacious and well appointed and had a bright Italian-designer-tiled bathroom. We were very pleased. What a value. Also, a great bed!

All the books recommend this hotel and I can see why.

Bonus: the great Trattoria Alla Vecchia Latteria (on Via Unione) is a block or two away as is Peck, the Wow gourmet foods emporium.

The Duomo is also not far, 3-4 blocks. The Last Supper is a taxi ride or tram ride away or a 20-minute walk depending on your preference.

We dined in the Brera neighborhood, my husband's find through the New York Times, his fave newspaper.

The Brera area is a no-cars walking neighborhood with a lot of night life, even mid week. Plenty of sidewalk cafes to choose from.

We got very lost walking around at night after dinner but we were able to see a thriving, friendly city serving up a lot of design.

Window shopping is fun along many streets including the designer row on MonteNapoleon.

The blocks are all at odd angles and even someone who can follow a map (my husband) got lost. Wear comfy shoes!

Visit the Duomo in the morning or late in the day (I think it closes at 7pm.) because in the summer that roof, part of the tour, is HOT!

The Duomo exterior is especially gorgeous at night and you'll find night life.

The Last Supper was my favorite experience. We took the advice of a fellow Fodorite and made reservations months in advance through our hotel.

I e-mailed the hotel with the preferred date and number of people and they e-mailed back a confirmation number. Done. We paid at the church.

We only had the fifteen minutes with the masterpiece and it is striking and dramatic. We apparently were reserved with an English-speaking guide and she was fantastic. Don't miss this masterpiece if art is important to you!

After our 48 hours in Milan, We took the "Malpensa Express", a train designated for the airport, which we caught at the train station. Our hotel told us where to go.

It's the only reasonable way to the airport since it's too far for a cab unless you want to throw Euros out the window as you go.

After such a fantastic trip I shouldn't tell you this last part since I'm already way too lucky.

But...in the airport we got pulled out of line at the gate (we didn't know why) and upgraded to first class. OMG!

Picture us sipping mimosas and reclining in those great seats all the way home. At the price of coach.

Milan was a treat we didn't expect.
Let me know if you have any questions or need a recommendation for a fun vegetarian lunch spot. Annealex

Great report! I, too, appreciate all the detail about your stay in Bellagio.

I thoroughly enjoyed reliving some of my experiences through your report. Glad to read about your enjoyment of CT and of Arpaiu. I think that has the best location of any, at least in Manarola. I agree, too, about the Duca di York hotel.

Did you visit the Brera Gallery while in Milan? I loved that museum - the art as well as the lack of crowds.

Could you name the restaurant in Brera that you enjoyed?

Congratulations on getting the upgrade to 1st class! What a prize!

I have a couple of corrections on the restaurants: our favorite by our hotel was Trattoria Milanese on Via Santa Marta written up in the NYT in April '07. Simple but WOW.

The casual vegetarian restaurant good for lunch (but really for those who like that type of cuisine) is alla vecchia Latteria on via Union. It may also be called Latteria Cucina Vegetariana and my lack of Italian confuses the issue.

The owner is very charming and pretty much decides what to serve you! He refused my husband white wine and insisted we drink red (and I was applauding his taste!)They also make a great tiramisu!

I can't find the name of the restaurant in the La Brera neighborhood at the moment, but I will ask my husband and post it.

We did not visit the Brera gallery but did notice a lot of galleries in the area. There was one gallery we were
intrigued with but it was closed and we didn't note the name.

Thanks for your comments. I'm pleased the report was helpful. It was a wonderful trip. Annealex

Nabucco is the cafe in the Brera neighborhood we also enjoyed. Small place, solid food, but not a standout like Trattoria Milanese.

There are a lot of restaurants to choose from in the Brera neighborhood so go with the menu that looks good to you.

Thanks so much!
I am so grateful for your excellent trip report. It was really informative and lots of fun to read!

can't believe you got upgraded to first class! what a treat!

We were quite taken aback by our good fortune. Glad you found the report helpful; it was fun to share.

Thanks for the names of both restaurants in Milan.

Such a terrific report...Grazie!!!

Bookmarking this for a 2008 trip.