Will We Make It to The Last Supper?
 

We just called to make reservations to see The Last supper in early April (we will be in Milan less than 1 day) and the only time available was 9:30 am. The problem is, our flight into Milan is scheduled to arrive around 7:30 am. Any chance we will make it (assuming our flight is exactly on time)? And is there anywhere to leave our luggage at the airport? We were going to take it to the train station, but now there won't be time.

Thanks in advance!

If you are arriving at Malpensa, I think you will have trouble making this appointment. Customs and luggage issues could take more than an hour easily. The bus to Milano Centrale takes 40 minutes on the best of days. A taxi might get you there if you clear customs quickly.

I'm not sure I understnad why you would consider leaving your luggage at the airport--do you need to return there later in the day?

Are you arriving from an overseas flight? If so, you will be jetlagged and disoriented and trying to meet a very tight schedule. . . a challenging way to begin a vacation.

We don't need to return to the airport, just didn't want to carry our luggage around with us during the day.

Yup, this is an overseas flight, flying in direct from Washington Dulles.

Chances aren't too great that you'll make it - but it's not impossible. If you really want to see it, why don't you try to do things in advance to increase your chances? If I were you, I would:

-Pack everything in a rollerbag you can take on the plane. (I've done this for a 2-week trip to Italy in May and found that I had more than enough clothes with me.) This will save you time picking up your bag.

-Try to get a seat near the front of the plane, and get to the front of the customs lines ASAP.

-If you have a rollerbag, as opposed to a big suitcase, you may be able to leave it at the museum (I don't know, though, check it out). This way you won't have to leave your stuff at the airport and worry about picking it up later. (Plus, you lose valuable time trying to find where you leave the bag, dropping it off, etc.)

-Make arrangements for a taxi to take you to Milan, rather than using the bus. It will cost much more, but I don't think you stand a chance of making your reservation otherwise.

I also believe that you have to be at the museum 15 or 20 minutes before your reservation - so you actually have even less time than you think.

I really hope it works out for you! Good luck!

Thanks for the great advice hunnym! I just double checked and our arrival time is 7:10, so we have a little more time (at this point, every minute counts!). And, yes, we need to arrive 15 minutes prior to our reservation.

7:10 - even better.

I would go for it.

I don't know about you, but I'm not in Milan every day. I wouldn't want to be kicking myself for not trying to see The Last Supper if I had the opportunity. The only thing it will cost you is some extra $ to take a cab versus a bus. If you can afford it, I'd say it's well worth it.

Heck, you have to get into Milan anyway, and with less than a day there, I would consider a taxi money well spent - regardless of whether you see the Last Supper or not.

As an aside, I have found that my international flights tend to arrive on time, if not early. Certainly nothing like my domestic flights, which aren't nearly so reliable! Any international flights I have had (and I've flown a decent amount) that have been late have been SERIOUSLY late (like 5 hours for mechanical problems). Also, I've breezed through immigration and customs in way less than an hour plenty of times. Not always - but often enough.

If you do decide to try to make the reservation, please post about whether it worked out or not.

Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it to The Last Supper - with plenty of time to spare!

The plane arrived a little early. We did not check any bags and were sitting fairly close to the front of the plane (although I think we would have made it even if this hadn't been the case). It took only a few minutes to get through passport control and we walked right through customs. We were in a cab before 7:30 and to The Last Supper by 8:00! So, we hung out at a cafe across the street for an hour and walked into the last supper with all of our luggage!

Thanks again for the advice!

Glad to hear the end of the story.

How was the rest of your trip?

Well done ! Presumably there was somewhere to leave your luggage ?

That's great. So you were able to have the first breakfast while waiting for the last supper!

We are thinking of doing something similar when we arrive in Milan in September. What did you do with your luggage once you arrived at the Last Supper? Did they have a place to check it there? We normally travel with 22" rolling suitcases.