To plan a day trip from Milan to Venice?

[ilikeachallenge]

I’m travelling to Milan with a friend this summer.

I’ve seen that you can travel by train to Venice and do it in a day. It’s a long day, but I’ve always wanted to go to Venice. A long trip there isn’t in my future.

My friend would rather spend the day in Milan and do some designer shopping.

AIBU to say we go our separate ways for the day and do what we would like? I can’t see many drawbacks to my plan, she thinks it’s far too long for a day trip.

I wouldn't want to go on such a long day trip, but I wouldn't have a problem doing my own thing for a day if a friend I was on holiday with wanted to go and I didn't.

I think it’ll be a long day for sure, but I’d love to. I think I’d always regret not going when I had the chance

Of course you should.

You wouldn’t get any reasonable length of time in Venice. This would be pointless.

It is always worth seeing Venice at any opportunity. Always. Even in summer when it will be hot and crowded.

(But if possible, go back again over winter or spring, before the cruise ship season, and wander about unimpeded.)

The train gets you there by 9:30am, it can be even earlier if you get to Milano Centrale for 6am. The last train back is at 7:45pm, so it’s nearly 11 hours there!

6 hours of travelling for a day? Not including getting from your hotel to the station. To have how long there? Are you happy coming back really late into Milan to make the most of it? Seems a bit mad to me. There's loads to do in Milan too. I'd make Venice a separate trip another time.

All you're going to have time to do is run round a couple of sights just to tick it off your list without actually relaxing and enjoying it.

That's better timings than I thought. If it's your only chance to see Venice, go for it!

It’s 2 hours 15 either way. I don’t think it’s awful for 11 hours there

Defintely do it! I did exactly the same and it was magical.

It looks like it’s about 2.5 hours for quickest train. If you’re a morning person and could get on one to get there by 10 or 11 I’d say it’s worth it! A stroll, some lunch, maybe a sight/church and then a late afternoon train home. It may just give you the taste for a trip to Venice though as you won’t be able to see it all, of course! Maybe your friend isn’t as confident spending a day by herself in Milan?

It's not much more than my commute to work. It's hardly unreasonable

Each of you do your own thing on the day. You take the fast train to Venice, it takes about 2.5 hours or so, book ahead on TrenItalia. Make sure to get out at the last stop (obviously), the Santa Lucia station in Venice. Believe me, you will not believe the sight that awaits you when you exit. OMG.

Do not hesitate to do this trip. Yes it is a long day, but if you even have a few hours in Venice you can see a lot. Just drink in the absolutely amazing atmosphere. Don't order a coffee anywhere along the quay near St. Marks unless you want to take out another mortgage.

When you come out of Santa Lucia Station go straight ahead to the water bus stops. Pick a route around the Canale Grande and you will see the best of Venice from the water.

A trip not to be missed. I wish I had the wonder of a first trip to Venice all over again! Enjoy.

I'm going Glasgow-London next week for a 3 hour show, then straight home again.

Go Op, I absolutely would too.

Honestly I have three goals:

1. see the iconic bridge
2. take a gondola
3. eat a lemon gelato on the canals

if I get them done I’d be happy 🤣

How long are you staying in Milan?

I would probably do it, but I was actually in Milan 2 weeks ago, travelled up to Switzerland via Comp and Monza on a regional train. The train was absolutely rammed.

2 and a half days 😅 the other day we’re travelling up to Varenna

Ok, that's difficult? any chance you will return to Milan again soon? Have you been before?

Obviously Milan itself had got some good stuff, though when I went 2 weeks ago the 19th century Shopping Arcade thing was again insanely rammed.

Why not? I don't even think you'd have to stay 11 hours in Venice. That would be tiring. I'd get in for 10 and leave around 5. I'd just walk everywhere, you'll cross plenty of bridges. (There's nice shopping in Venice too, btw).
Make sure you know if your ticket needs to be vailidated before you travel (some high speed trains don't). I've done this trip in a day. It's fun!
It's the Bienalle atm too so there are a lot of countries 'pavillions' dotted around the city. These are free and will take you into historic buildings and palaces you wouldn't normally get access to. You should deffo try and find a few. They are usually weird and wonderful art installations in lovely buildings. They will also be much quieter than the usual tourist places (and cooler too).

Absolutely do it ! We did similar and I can honestly say that coming out of the train station in Venice was incredible! We spent a few hours wandering around and having a relaxed lunch, then took a riverbus around the grand canal. We didn’t go into st marks as it had long queues. One thing I would say is it’s quite easy to get a bit lost wandering along bridges and narrow pathways so try and pick up a physical map as well as phone maps!

I have taken the train to Venice from Florence, and all over Italy. Italian trains are very different to UK trains in that they are fast, tend to run on time and are very comfortable. I am very lucky, the last time I went to Venice was in Covid times so I saw it at probably the only time it was not crammed with tourists.

It was a conscious decision to add it onto our Tuscany trip (very cheap Eurocamp place) as DC had never been. I would suggest you should try and stay overnight, slightly outside the main tourist drag. It is a very different city when the day trippers leave. It can be done relatively reasonably. We had a small and basic apartment in a less fashionable area near a co-op, but directly on a canal. So we paid for a cheap set menu at lunch and sorted ourselves out in the evenings.

I love Italy but do not really rate Milan, although it is a good gateway to other places in North Italy and onward flights (there are always cheap flights to Milan). If you have time and really want to do it, just go and let your friend do her thing. Personally, I do not think you need much time in Milan. If you have not booked your flights yet, maybe just fly back from Venice?

We’re only there because it’s a cheap bed during/after the formula one. We fly in on the Friday morning before the race and leave on the Wednesday after.

That's worth it! Just wandering with an all day vaporetto ticket would be amazing. You don't even need to go into any of the museums, just being in Venice is glorious! Maybe even visit Murano and/or Burano? Enjoy, I envy you your first visit to Venice!

Just to add, now DC at uni and being a widow I am traveling a lot. I have been to lots of weird and wonderful places and normally travel with the country and region using buses, trains whatever. Those travel times are nothing! It will be a long day but if it is what you want them totally worth it. It is different to a flight with all the airport and check in hours, I see overland travel as down time. You look out the window and listen to podcasts, watch downloads or nap etc. It is totally different to a commute in the UK. I think people in the UK see travel very differently to a lot of the world because we are such a small, congested island with shit rail travel

Make sure you go to Veneto Santa Lucia not the other Veneto train station because you want to be on the islands not the mainland.