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.

How is —wasting— spending a day doing ‘designer shopping’ not doing her own thing, if it’s not something you’re into? Unless there’s something you both would like to do, no one has the superior claim over how to spend the day.

I live in Milan and have done a daytrip to Venice several times. Venice is small too so you can do everything you want to. Two fast trains get there in around 2.30 hrs, the Italo and the Frecciarossa, which is Trenitalia.

Regarding shopping in Milan these days it is just high street shops you can find in any city in any country, those on Via Torino or Corso Buenos Aires for example. You'd have to be very rich to shop in the designer ones around Via Montenapoleone or Via della Spiga. There are however lots of tiny boutiques too dotted around the city too.

I’ve done that day trip, it’s fine. Comfy train, enough time to see something and have a good look around. It was enough time in Venice for me - in fact I’m glad I did a day and not a whole holiday as I didn’t really like it!

in a day we managed:
a good walk around to see the sights
a water taxi
leisurely lunch
doges palace
the basilica

could have done a gondola ride but I didn’t want to spend the £ (and was a bit over it by then!!)

the first time I arrived in Venice was by train from Florence. A sunny day in June.
walking out of the station onto the bank of the Grand Canal and all the busyness of a day in Venice will stay with me forever. I had to find a little wall to sit on and catch my breath.
The train is a far better arrival than by water - waterbus or taxi means it kind of sneaks up on you - walking out of the station is WOW.

Go, go, go. Venice is beautiful. The train journey will be fun and you’ll have a bit of an adventure. Go for it. We much preferred Venice and Verona to Milan anyway.

Fly open jaw. Milan in, Venice out. Stay overnight in Milan, get the train the next morning to Venice.

You're a grown adult, you don't have to convince anyone! I'm sure she'll work it out when you don't turn up to breakfast. 😉

They've said it's not in the cards!

My friend and I loved our gondola ride. It’s touristy yes but it’s popular for a reason and we were in fact tourists. I wouldn’t waste my money at Cafe Florian although it is beautiful inside - better coffee to be had elsewhere.

I agree. I spent 4 days there and it wasn't enough.

We did it on our last trip to Milan and it was great. Very simple train journey and we had plenty of time there to explore.

I can't see that it's pointless. It would give a taster and maybe OP will then want to go back.

We did it but from a slightly closer place so the train was 1.5 hours each way. Had an absolute ball, we saw all the sights we wanted to, including going to the islands and having lunch on Burano. Was a long day and we did it with children but it was possibly one of the best days out we have had.

It's such a beautiful introduction to Venice, an amazing first view of it coming out of the station.

I’m late to this thread but thought I add my vote for taking the day trip to Venice. Longer would be better but you can do a lot on a day trip. Take a gondola ride, buy tickets for the vaporetto, make sure you visit St. Marks Square, treat yourself to a coffee at the tables. The last time we stayed in Rome, we took the train to Florence just for the day and had a wonderful time. I do think that pp‘s who seem hell bent on coming up with reasons why you shouldn’t do something you want to do must have very small lives.

I think the lovely thing about Venice is that it’s such a weird, beautiful city, with canals instead of streets, is that it’s not the kind of city where you need to spend a lot of time, or to get into museums etc to start enjoying yourself. I was in Lisbon recently, a city I like and have been to before, but it’s not all that interesting to wander around, or spectacularly beautiful — it’s relatively big, and you have to look for the things that interest you.

Whereas with Venice, it’s enchantingly beautiful to look at as soon as you get off the train. If all you had time for was to take a vaporetto down the Grand Canal and back up, I’d still think that was absolutely worth it.

Yes I'd do it! The train is very comfortable ( book the higher class ticket) so you'll probably be able to sleep.

Venice is the best place I've ever been. It's just glorious. There is a circular walk you can do that takes in all the major sights, including getting the gondola across to the Rialto market.

My first time I was there in my twenties, I was blown away. I went back again nearly 20 years later...still blown away, love it. Streets of water? Come on! Even just taking a water ferry from the train station all the way out to the last stop and back, or to stop to visit Piazza San Marco or at any of the famous bridges is great. Or any small square to grab some food, 11 hours is plenty for this, and will be much more memorable than what is planned for Milan.

Of course it will be worth it, especially if you have always wanted to see Venice. I spend 2hrs on a bus and 30mins on the tube to go to London nd bsck sometimes for a 3 hour show and a meal . So 5hrs+ of traveling for 4-5 hrs of entertainment to eat and watch a play. Of course 11hrs in Venice is worth 6hrs of travel

I am a bit biased though as I dont really like Milan and I know it pretty well as my family is from that part of Italy. In my opinion it is the least interesting city to visit in that area but then again I loathe designer shop type shopping so horses for. courses and all that

Depending on how long you are there I' d also recommend a visit to Parma home of Parma ham, and Parmesan cheese and not a long train trip from Milan - about 1hr. Much less well known and unique than Venice but better than Milan in my opinion. Or my my most favourite city in all Lombardia and Emilia Romagna combined , Bologna . Really nice city for a visit so so much nicer than Milan and again the faster trains take about an hour

You might find it a bit exhausting as you already have a lot planned for Milan and are doing another day trip.
But if you've always wanted to go to Venice and are unlikely to return to Italy any time soon, go for it!
I did a day trip to Venice on the way back from Florence once. Took the train to Venice in the morning, spent all day there and returned home on the night train from Venice.
11 hours is enough to get the flavour of the place - take a ride on the water bus, go up the bell tower, go on a gondola ride, maybe see the Doge's palace (book tickets in advance), get your ice-cream, have a nice meal and then back on the train.
You can have a sleep on the train if you are tired, or just enjoy looking at the countryside.

Suggest to your friend that you go separate ways on that day.

I would!

I did somewhat similar when I was visiting Paris alone about 15 years ago, and really wanted to see Versailles. It wasn't anywhere near as far as Milan to Venice, but the idea is the same.
I spoke next to no French, beyond some very rusty and poor GCSE, but I managed it. And to this day, it's still one of the travel-related things I'm most proud of.

Actually Milan is a good example (for me) of a city that needs time to warm up to, and is possibly more fun to live in than visit, whereas Venice is beautiful and strange from the moment you set foot in it.

To be honest I find holidays where you’re so tired you need another week to recover the best type 🤣 there’s just so much I want to do

Absolutely worth it! You could spend a week in Venice easily but you can tick off your top sights in a few hours.
Someone above mentioned the gondola crossing the grand canal. That's a good, quick budget option for a gondola.
When I was there recently, I didn't see any shared gondola options, so I think you'd need to check in advance you can do this, and where you can do this. The best part of a gondola ride is off the Grand Canal, so if you can find that option, that's the best.
Rialto bridge is magical - there's some lovely gelaterias close by, so you can have your ice cream, see the bridge in one go.

If you like light crime fiction, you can read Donna Leon, Death at La Fenice on the train there and back.