InterRailing In Italy and Greece

9th April 2006

Time for the InterRail journey to begin - well nearly. First we need to get to Italy. A simple German Wings flight to Milan airport was the answer. German Wings are a budget airline who are based (not surprisingly) in Germany. Seats are not allocated which means that getting on the aircraft can be a bit of a scramble if you want to sit in a group.

From the airport we got the direct shuttle bus to Stazione Centrale - the main station. It takes about 45 minutes. We went inside the station to find our bearing and then headed to the hotel.

Hotel Due Giardini - Milan - Map
The hotel Hotel Due Giardini was very friendly - it appeared to be a family run business. The staff were very 'traditional Italian' and made us welcome. They served us breakfast (rolls, juice, tea) in the morning and tried very hard to help us (in English!) when we needed directions for how to walk to Milano Lambrate. The room was clean and confortable with a small bathroom. It overlooked a small garden.
The only problem was the noise. There was loud shouting and banging of doors coming from the hotel for hours after we had gone to sleep. The floors are mainly stone which allows sound to reverberate up the stairs. I think a fair bit of the noise was actually generated by the hotel staff who were watching TV in the reception. Other noise was from the guests. Ear plugs are definitely an essential item here.
Other than the noise this was a good hotel in an ideal location - close to the station (just a 10-15 minute walk from the main station) and to the city centre.

10th April 2006

Milan / Milano

After breakfast we headed into Milan. After finding the town centre - which looked pretty standard - we made our way to the Piazza del Duomo which is where the Duomo di Milano Cathedral is located. The cathedral is large and impressive both on the outside and inside.

We then walked over to the La Scala Opera House (Teatro alla Scala).

For lunch we had a pizza at the famous La Bruschetta Pizzeria. You'll need to get there early for lunch if you don't want to book. We arrived at 12pm and they managed to squeeze us in the corner. This was our first Italian pizza and proved to be delicious.

In Italian restaurants a cover charge of €1-2 for bread is normal. Some restaurants include a typical 10% service charge on the bill, others don't. You need to look at the bill to be sure.

After lunch we went to Castello Sforzesco, an impressive castle in the city. Apparently there is a free art gallery in there but we only had time to look around the ourside and in the courtyards of the castle. Keep a look out for the cats in the moat arount the castle. Loads of them seem to have made it their home during the day.

11th April 2006

Milano Lambrate to Venezia S.Lucia train station

Our train to Venice left from Milano Lambrate station rather than the Milano Centrale which we had arrived at. It was about a 30 minute walk from the Hotel. We drew a quick map and set off. Once at the station we checked the timetable to confirm the train. I found a novel use for my megapixel camera phone. By taking a photo of the correct section of the timetable we would be able to follow the progress of our train without having to spend a few minutes writing it all down.

We'd need the train number / time / destination etc. for writing in our InterRail ticket log book. This has to be filled in before the ticket inspector checks your ticket. Ours was the Inter Regional 11:15am train to Venizia S.Lucia.

The Inter Regional trains are included in the InterRail ticket and are pretty fast and confortable. The seats have headrests that wrap around which allows you to sleep by resting your head against them without falling onto the next person. The arm rests are quite large which keeps you separated from the person you are sitting next to. This can be good if they are a greasy randomer. Not so good if you want to get a bit cosy with your partner. The toilets aren't great. They are generally not very clean, lacking toilet paper and tend not to have any toilet seats.

The lack of toilet seats is something you may have to get used to in Italy. Many restaurant toilets have no seats either. It can look strange if you come from somewhere like the UK where every toilet has a proper seat.

On an InterRail holiday the train journeys are part of the experience. You can get some sleep on the train but you should make sure you keep an eye on what you are riding past as well. Out of the window you can see the scenery and many of the smaller towns that make up the country. Keep an eye out for the views of the coast and the sea as you train goes over the bridge and into Venezia S.Lucia station.

Next page - Venice

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Hotels/Hostels
Hotel Due Giardini
Alloggi Agli Artisti
Luna Rossa
Mi Casa Tu Casa
Pensione Mancini
Aristoteles Hotel

Journeys
Milan -> Venice
Venice -> Florence
Florence -> Pisa
Pisa -> Florence
Florence -> Rome
Rome -> Naples
Naples -> Bari
Bari -> Patras (Ferry)
Patras -> Athens

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