basingstoke2

We will be over the Atlantic on New Year's eve (in coach)on our way to Milan flying AA. Does anyone know if there is anything the airline does to aknowledge or celebrate the time?

BTW upon landing we will make our way to Verona. Should we expect any transportation problems because of New Year's day? Any suggestions on the best way to go from the airport in Milan to Verona? We are not adverse to bus travel, particularly if there is a direct connection from the airport.

stfc

No idea, but you can entertain yourselves by working out exactly at which moment the New Year starts during your flight.

New Year's Day is an official holiday in Italy, though. No doubt someone will know about transportation.

flanneruk

My experience with overnight flights on New Year's Eve is that - quite rightly - nothing happens, except for a "happy new year" announcement as the plane's coming in to land.

Most of us are getting some sleep. If any bloody airline thinks it's got the right to wake me up because its staff have some damnfool urge to celebrate, they won't get my business again. And that's a view which - churlish or not - the airlines I've used on Dec 31 assume is widely shared.

DalaiLlama

It would be quite tricky to nail down the exact moment of the transition into the New Year while en route to Europe - which time zone would you go by? Some mid-Atlantic zone? Can't be the departing East Coast time since you're no longer there, and time is compacting as you head to Europe - at the time you leave the East Coast it is already many hours closer to the New Year over there (how many of course depends on just where in Europe), so you do the math...

In Italy the "Sundays and Holidays" (domenica e giorni festivi ) schedule will be in effect. To be sure that you get accurate train schedules, wait until after the 12th or so, by the 14th of December the 2009 schedules will be in force all over Europe, so look to www.ferroviedellostato.it after that date.

But already now I see plenty of trains on that route, most taking 1:22 hour on the EuroStar-City. Seat reservation is mandatory and comes with the ticket.

There won't be very many people travelling, just take the airport bus into town to the Milano Centrale station (takes about an hour) and go buy your tickets for the next available train, shouldn't be long before you can hop on.

Don't forget to validate (timestamp) the tickets near the platform access - stick it into the yellow box or you'll get a language lesson from the conductor, or worse...

basingstoke2

Thanks st and flanner - glad to know there will be nothing to interrupt my ambien induced coma.

DL that is good info -pretty much what I expected. Maybe I won't validate so I can see if all of those hours with Pimsleur Italian worked.

LoveItaly

Hi basingstoke2, here is the website for the Malpensa/Central Milan train station to help you get started with your plans.

Beginning the New Year's in Italy..priceless! Have a wonderful trip.

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

DalaiLlama

basingstoke2: While realizing the humor in your reply, I think the conductor (who will probably be resentful that he or she was rostered on to work the morning after NYE...) may use vocabulary that Pimsleur wouldn't dare include in their course for fear of lawsuits... not to mention the hand gestures to go with the vocabulary... Not a pretty sight (but fun to imagine, of course).

basingstoke2

DL - having been brought up in a neighborhood that was half immigrants from southern Italy, hand gestures is the one part of the language in which I remain fluent. I never thought that I would miss the aroma of Parodi cigarettes and the vision of leather faced old men playing Bocci in the empty lot.