Pros and cons for both please.
So we have both booked off the week after Easter and were considering a city break in N. Italy. We're looking at Turin or Milan, but can't decide.
Counter-suggestion: Verona and/or Venice.
They have more to offer from a touristic perspective than what Turin and/or Milan can.
Thanks, but it's one or the other for now. It's a proximity thing primarily; we can drive to Turin in 3 hrs, or take two trains to Milan. Daughter #1 spent a couple of nights in Venice a couple of years ago and wasn't overly impressed.
I've never been to Turin but I really like Milan. It's a nice place to wander around.
We've been by train and by car before.
We once combined it with a trip to Gardaland which is only about an hour away by car.
Milan!
OK!
But why!?
I was there 2 years ago and really liked it, we were a few people, kids included. It is easy, pleasant and really chic. It was a girl trip and Milan is just a place for chicks to go, I felt. Can't compare with Turin but +1 for Milan from me. I wouldn't go there in the summer season again, though, so your timing is pretty good.
Turin and rent a Mini?
Milan:
- second city in Italy, with a rich history
- nice historical centre, with Duomo di Milano, Sforza Castle, La Scala
- amazing restaurants
- great fashion and design shoping
Turin:
- like Milano, just covered with more imdustry and old concrete. If you have a keen eye, you can find a lot
You can easily get a taste of both cities in one weekend, as long as you don't want to visit all the palaces that Turin has to offer.
We went with the SBB 35chf each way offer two weeks ago. We only spent about 4hrs in Milan, but it was snowing so we didn't feel like wandering round too much. We just got the M3 metro to Duomo, then went to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (had the most amazing canella ice cream there) and La Scala. Then we got pizza from Spontini on the main concourse of Milano Centrale, and took the Italo train to Torino Porto Nuova.
On arrival in Turin, we got the 48hr visitor cards with the tickets for public transport, which are on offer until the end of March. https://www.turismotorino.org/en/your-trip/our-cards
I fulfilled a longtime ambition and stayed at the NH Lingotto hotel. It's part of the old Lingotto Fiat factory building, but was redesigned by the architect, Renzo Piano, who was also one of the team that worked on the Pompidou Centre. I used to book loads of clients into the hotel when it belonged to Le Meridien, and they always loved the place. We managed to get the room for €68 B&B, but when we checked in (and perhaps because I have an NH memberhip card), the hotel offered us upgrades. OH chose to upgrade to the suite for an extra €20 per night, and it was worth every cent. It was bigger than our little apartment here.
To be dead honest, we didn't see an awful lot of the city. The snow really set in on the Friday night and didn't melt til late Saturday afternoon.
If you stay at the NHl, you get free entry to the stunning little
Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli art gallery on the roof of the building, and from there, direct access to the Fiat race track on the roof of the building, which is amazing!! I love 'The Italian Job', so I knew the track was there, but OH likes surprises so he was like a big kid running up the end of the track and he was far from the only one. We followed this with a visit to the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile just down the road (kept him happy), then went to a gig at OGR Torino in the evening. Basically, we only got Sunday afternoon to have a quick wander round touristy bits of Turin. In better weather, I could easily spend several days in the area without getting bored.
Turin.
a) Milano sucks.
b) Torino has the best and biggest Egypian museum in the world that is not in Egypt (recently updated).
c) Fiat factory
d) Better food
e) Better wine
f) Nicer location
g) Nicer people
h) Best thing about Milano are the ring-roads.
...
Tom
Agree with Blue Angel - unless you have friends in Milan who can show you the secrets of the city. Turin also has the advantage of mountains nearby.
I've been to Turin, Milano, Genoa, Bologna and Florence for long weekends. My personal favourite is Genoa but Turin is a close second. Turin is much more laid-back than Milan and yet beautiful in the way it's laid out. There's a noble touch to the city that makes you realize how important to royalty it once was.
Tom from Tessin is right: go to Turin. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Torino is great. The home of gianduja! The beautifully built capital of the Kings of Savoy.
And the home of the first social worker in middle Europe, Don Bosco, who educated the sons of the poor and took them off the streets.There is a whole quarter he and his helpers built so the boys had a home and could learn a trade.
Genoa is my next target so it's good to see a recommendation.
Indeed! We visited the church and walked through the courtyard right after visiting the shroud of Turin. There's so much to see in Turin but some of it is a bit hidden so make sure you do some research beforehand.
Ermmm..... This was from the window of our 'mountain view' suite I think we need another visit.
I've been to Milan twice, last time early January this year, and I find it a bit cold (and not just the temperature in Jan!). I've heard lots of good things about Turin in terms of food from those in the know so am planning to go there next time.
And last summer I went to Venice for 2 nights. I wasn't looking forward to it because I hate overly touristy places, but I loved it. Plenty of quiet areas off the beaten track that wern't expensive. I also found it much more friendly than Milan.
I back you, grumpy, Milano is maybe my least favourite of Italian towns. But if you like opera, Teatro alla Scala is really nice. Napule is my favourite till now.
Then daughter #1 hasn't got a clue. Venice is one of the most stunning places you can possibly visit.
I know Milan well and would never go there as a tourist. Apart from a relatively small area of the centre it is not a particularly pretty sight.