Piano World Home Page Forums Fun Stuff! - Parties, Tours, Projects & More... Forum Members Parties, Tours, Cruises, & Meetings EUROPEAN PIANO PARTY 2016 - MILAN ITALY - 2 JULY

G Major and I booked our room today. We are excited to see everyone. I guess we better get to practicing...

This sounds like it could be a nice weekend away, I'll start doing some looking into it, would also add a bit of purpose to me trying to get back to playing regularly again!

SwissMs - I am delighted you and G-Major are booked! woohoo!

George, it would be a pleasure to meet you!

Time for some more updates.

GeorgeStorm has joined us as a possible participant.

Our list to-date:

CONFIRMED
3 Sinophilia+ Robi + friend
1 f3r
2 Wisebuff + Mr WiseBuff - have booked their trip, and hotel in Milan!
1/4 Torquenale (MAYBE + Mr. Torquenale , maybe + 2 kids Torquenale)
1 patH
1 UKIkarus
1 Saranoya ---- has bought her plane tickets!
2 SwissMs + G-Major - have booked their hotel!
2 Casinitaly + mr casinitaly

14-17

HOPEFULS
1 Nikolas - hopeful
2 Pianoworld + ladyford - very hopeful!
2/4 CarlosCC + Mrs Carlos- OPTIMISTIC (maybe 2 teens)
1 Catherine 999 will let us know around May
1 siveron - thinking about it
1 Georgestorm - looking into it

8-10

I have just booked a room for two nights at the Hotel Pierre.

I plan to arrive on Friday 1.7.2016 afternoon (probably by plane; the train from Nuremberg would take over 9 hours), meet you the evening, and party on Saturday.

Cheryl:
I also would like to participate in the Sunday program. I haven't booked a flight yet; a good one would be at 17:25 from Linate. Is that late enough?

Now I have to practise the piano.

Hi path,
Delighted to hear that you are booked!

At the moment the only other person flying in, and confirmed, is Saranoya.

Her flight is later.
She'll need to leave no later than 19.00 from central station to get to the airport. (Bergamo)

I haven't worked out a detailed plan for Sunday yet, as the confimations are just starting to be settled.

If there is a flight just a bit later, that will give us more flexibility. But if not, I will happily build the plan around the flight times.

There are tons of things to do in Milan without going farther afield!


What I need to know is who is staying til when on Sunday.

If we tour around Milan we can certainly be done by 16.00.

.

I booked my flight.

Arrival on Friday 1.7.2016 at Milano Linate: 14:25.
Departure on Sunday 3.7.2016 from Milano Linate: 19:25.

So, no worries, we can take our time on Sunday. As long as I'm at the airport in time.

Great!

DIRECTIONS:

Getting in to town from Linate, you'll need a bus.
Take the number 73 - you get off at the end of the line, which will be Milan Piazza San Babila

Departures every 10 minutes, every day

The fare is 1.50 euro - there should be ticket machines at the airport, near the exits.

It is a normal city bus, not a coach.

The bus stops just outside San Babila square, and from San Babila, you can take the subway "Linea 1, M1" (the red line)

(note - the above ground M that marks the entrance to the subway is red for ALL the lines)

USE THE SAME TICKET! It is valid for one ride on the subway, including switching from the red line to the green (Linea 2 M2)
Take the red line subway going in the direction of "Rho Fiera" or "Bisceglie" - (it splits, but you get off before the split, so you can take any train.

Get off at Cadorna Station and transfer to the green line, Linea 2 M2, going in the direction of Abbiategrasso.

Get off at Sant'Ambrogio.
You should be at the corner of Via Edmondo de Amicis /Via Olona and Via Carducci (Carducci changes into Olona after the subway stop).

The hotel is on De Amicis.


From Linate to San Babila should be about 25 minutes, and from San Babila to the hotel about 15-20 max.

Piece of cake.

Anyone familiar with the trains from Milan to Venice?
We are thinking we'd like to arrive on 30 June, stay in Milano through 3 July, then take a train to Venice and spend a couple of days there before flying home.

None of this is in our budget but it's too good to pass up.

Once we figure this all out we will look into booking rooms and flights.

Frank & Kathy
PianoWorld

Venice is one of my favourite cities.

There are high speed trains from Milan Central that can get you to Venice Santa Lucia station in 2.5 hours, and others that take 3 to 3.5 hours.

Trains between these cities run about one per hour.

The cost for the highspeed trains depends a bit on the time of day, and if you go first class or second. On these trains second class is very nice, and half the price.
Normal base fare is about 150 euros round trip for two people - about 37 euros per person each leg. There are some cheaper fares, buy you have to have a special card - there can be sales.

Please be aware that their website, especially for the highspeed trains, doesn't work very well. It is safer to book through your travel agent. That's what I do.

There are tons of great places to stay in Venice.
We usually stay at a little B&B that is not quite in the centre, but within easy walking distance. Plus in Venice the vaporetto "bus" system is via boat, and there is a stop very close to the B&B. It is called BnB Venezia www.bnbvenezia.com

Here is another site that lists a lot of B&Bs - it is in Italian, but if you go to the sites of the individual places they are probably in English.
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/it/venice-italy.html

Again, with regards to the Venice transportation system, you may find it well worth your while to buy a pass - they are available for different combinations - 1 day , 3 days and so on. It is a great way to get around, and your feet will appreciate it - Venice is a city you have to walk, and the vaporettos give you a nice break. With a pass you can just hop on, have a rest and watch the scenery and then get off an continue on your merry way!

Booking flights as we speak.
Thanks for all the info.
We arrive 30 June 8:30 am Will be leaving from Venice on 7 July.
Very excited!
Have to book our hotels next.

Oh, WOW, !!

Very exciting!!!

Can't wait to meet you in person!!!!!!

Frank- which airport are you and Kathy flying in and out of ?
Once you pick your hotel I'll write up directions for you.

It will be a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Frank! I went to college in Venice and lived there for 5 years, so if there's anything you need to know, feel free to ask. I don't know much about fancy hotels and restaurants, but I can tell you where to go to avoid tourists Be prepared to do a lot of walking!

We will arrive at Malpensa airport 30 June at 8:35 a.m.

Departing Venice / Marco Polo Airport 7 July at 1:20 p.m.
Still working out the hotels, will let you know as soon as we decide (which will be within the next couple of days if not sooner).

UPDATE:
I've just booked us into the Pierre Milan Hotel, arriving 30 June, Departing the hotel 4 July.

Still working on where to stay in Venice.

Wow, that's great - so

SwissMs + Gmajor, patH, Wisebuff + Mr. Wisebuff, Pianoworld and Ladyford are all booked at Hotel Pierre! I think that the piano in their lobby is going to be played non-stop that weekend.

I need to look up some info about Malpensa and then I'll get back here with some details. I haven't gone from Malpensa to the city centre in a while, so I think a few things have changed.

Stay tuned.

Cheryl,

Looking at all the options available for LGW airport, it would seem that the cheapest option is to fly into Linate from London Gatwick on the 1st and to fly back via MXP to LGW on the 4th, how easy will it be to get to the other airport for the return trip as it's late at 21:55.

There are no returns available via Linate to LGW Sunday/Monday apparently

Edit:

Alternatively I can book return for 18:40 if that makes things easier for an extra £10

It should not be a problem to get to Malpensa.
It just takes a bit longer.
There are buses and trains.
I will check the schedules for you, don't be worried about getting there.

All booked, Arriving at 10:00AM at Linate on the Friday, departing from Malpensa 18:40 on the Monday.

Great to see you are all organized now UKIkarus!