Lake Como & Milan

[ukbabe]

Hey ladies I need some help here. I just found out at work that I will need to be in Milan for about four days next week, and I am stretching it out for a bit. But I did my Italy trip (which I think I posted about somewhere on these boards) some months ago, and didn't really care for Milan too much.

Anyhoo, people at work suggested Lake Como, so I am trying to find out some things about Lake Como, logistics and what is a "must-see". All suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

In addition, I would like to do some "discount" shopping in Milan so any tips there too will help.

Cheers!

[HeatherFL]

These threads might be helpful:

Italy Help (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=21608&highlight=Lake+Como)

Going to Italy What Should I Bring (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=3284&highlight=Lake+Como)

Italy Anyone? (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=17679&highlight=Lake+Como)

Suggestions for Suggestions or recommendations for a trip through Ireland, France and Northern Italy? (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=13199&highlight=Lake+Como)

~H.

[tlew12778]

AHHHHHHHH. I just lost a long, long post! Grrr...

OK here we go again...

You are lucky in that it is sale season here. We only have sales 2x a year -- January and July. Since you will be here as the sales are winding down (the stores will all close in August for their renovations), you will get the best discounts. Do not forget to get your tax back if you spend more than 153 euro in any one store.

This is copied from my OOT booklet from my April wedding (so it's all up to date):
Shopping
Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Borgospesso, Via Sant'Andrea – Home to Italy’s most famous designers – Ferragamo, Armani, Versace, Ungaro, D&G, Prada, Fendi, Gucci, etc.
Corso Vittorio Emmanuele,Via Torino, Via Dante, Corso Buenos Aires, Corso Vercelli, Corso Ticinese – Here you’ll find more moderately priced stores like Mango, Zara, Benetton, Frette, etc.
The Open Markets – Open markets are where the Italians shop. Each neighborhood has its own open market that appears twice a week. One of the most famous in Milan is the “mercato di Papiniano” that takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays along Via Papiniano.


If you have access to a car, you might want to take a ride out to the outlet mall (http://serravalle.mcarthurglen.it/index.php?lang=en) in Serravalle. It's a straight drive on the A7 highway, about 40 min from the city.

Eating:
Reservations are highly recommended for all restaurants, trattoria or osteria in Milan. Generally a pizzeria does not require a reservation.

Lunch time starts around 12:30 and goes until about 2, dinner
starts at 7 and goes until about 11. Outside of these hours, you will be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that will serve you.

The following restaurants are all in downtown Milan:

Quick Bites
Luini – Milan’s famous panzerotti. Ask for “uno, mozzarella, pomodoro”. Via Radegonda, 16 (next to the Duomo). Cost: €2.20
Panino Giusto – Not your usual panino, but lots of interesting choices on the menu. Piazza XXIV Maggio, 4. Average cost: €10 euro per person.

Pizzeria
In Italy, pizzas are personal. The diameter of the pizza will depend on the pizzeria. The average size is roughly 12-14”. Expect to spend roughly €15-20 per person.
Da Willy – This chain is scattered around Milan. The closest to the Duomo is located in Piazza XXIV Maggio, 7 (corner of Via Gian Galeazzo). The pizzas here are huge – twice the size of a normal pizza in Milan.
Rosso Pomodoro – Naples-style pizza (thick crust). This is another chain in Milan. The closest to the Duomo is located on Via Molino delle Armi, 48. There is another one on the Darsena of the canals (the end of Corso Ticinese).

Ethnic
Giardino di Giada – Chinese. Via Palazzo Reale, 5. 02.8053891. Average price: €25-30 per person without wine.
Fonda Maya – Mexican. Via Ferrari. 02.8372464. Closed Tuesdays. Average price: €30-40 euro per person.
Spice – Thai. Via Ippolito, 33.02. 341290. Closed Sundays. Average price: €35-40 per person without wine.
Sushi Koboo – Japanese with conveyor belt style sushi bar. Viale Col di Lana, 1. 02.8372608. Closed Mondays.

Como... I don't go that often bc I can't really figure out what there is to do there. We always just go and walk around. Como itself is not that nice. It's a port more or less. The little villages around Como are nice - Bellagio, Menaggio, Cernobbio. You can get a ferry from Como and hop on and off. From Milan, you can take the train to Como (I think it leaves from Cadorna) and walk down to the lake. Here is a NY Times article (http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/travel/25goingto.html?pagewanted=2)on Como. I have heard the funicular is a nice thing to do but everytime I have been, I have never actually found the station... granted, I never look too hard though. Anyway the article is wrong about the travel time. It takes about 30-40 min to get to Como from downtown Milan on the train, not 90. It takes 90 is you are going from the airport to downtown Milan (40 min) then take the train to Como from there.

I actually enjoy the Isole Borromeo (http://www.borromeoturismo.it/scripts/home.php) more. They are on Lago Maggiore. They are more... unique... IMO. I also like Sirmione (http://www.sirmione.com/english.htm)a lot. It's a peninsula that jets out into Lago di Garda.

[ukbabe]

Thanks for your help ladies.