Storage in Milan or Europe / Suitcases on trains in Europe

(Jane) wrote in
om:

Hi,

I am arriving in Milan with some heavy baggage. I intend to spend
the night near lake Como (and would set out from Milan late in the
evening). My arrival is early in the morning so I would really
like to keep my baggage somewhere in Milan (near a train station
or something) so that I can visit some sights in Milan during the
day without being constrained by my baggage. Any ideas how I can
do this?


If you arrive in the Milan Malpensa Airport you could get the
"Malpensa Express" train (plenty of room for luggage) and reach the
railway station of Milano Cadorna. It's the cheapest way to reach the
center of the city from the airport.
Taxis are very expensive and bus are often stuck in a traffic jam.
In the station you'll find a small luggage deposit (I think it's
better if you write an e-mail to asking for
more information about it, I live not far from Milan and never had
the need for it).
From the Cadorna railwy station you'll be able to take the
underground (2 of the 3 lines crosses there) and reach the dome
(Duomo) or other interesting places in the city.
Then you can come back to the station, take your luggage and board a
train to Como.
If you avoid rush-hour (17-00/18-30) you'll be able to carry your
luggage with you and sit.
If the train is very crowded you should leave the luggage near the
doors.

Does anyone have train schedules for Milan to Como?

http://www.ferrovienord.it look for "orari"


[...]
Also, if someone would be as so kind to tell me if there is a
'general' way to solve this problem in Europe, by say stopping by
at a hostel and payin a few euros for storage, I would greatly
appreciate it.


There's no general rule. Usually Youth Hostels allow you to leave
your baggage at the hostel (sometimes in a locked room) after you
leave your room in the morning.

--
Valter Minute
(the reply address of this message is invalid)

Jane wrote:
Hi,

I am arriving in Milan with some heavy baggage. I intend to spend the
night near lake Como (and would set out from Milan late in the
evening). My arrival is early in the morning so I would really like to
keep my baggage somewhere in Milan (near a train station or something)
so that I can visit some sights in Milan during the day without being
constrained by my baggage. Any ideas how I can do this?

Does anyone have train schedules for Milan to Como? I would also like
to know if the train journey would require me not to carry
suitcases... The problem, however is I am traveling from Singapore
(spending 2 months in Europe) and traveling light is difficult. Also,
My havesack just got ripped on a recent trip

I expect to do a lot of train traveling... and I just don't know if
carrying suitcases is feasible...

Also, if someone would be as so kind to tell me if there is a
'general' way to solve this problem in Europe, by say stopping by at a
hostel and payin a few euros for storage, I would greatly appreciate
it.

Thanks!
Jane

Jane,

Traveling by train demands that you travel light, whether you're out
there for 2 hours or 2 months. For some hints see my pages at:
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap05/clothes.htm
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap06/packing.htm
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap07/luggage.htm

And for using the trains
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail.htm

For extensive traveling around Europe on the trains get a Thomas Cook
Continental Timetable at
http://www.thomascooktimetables.com/...les&book_id=44

For Milan in particular, be careful of gypsies outside and around the
station. Being overloaded as you plan to be will be a green flag for
these pickpockets and baggage thieves. Most stations in Europe have
luggage lockers while Italian stations are more likely to have manned
check rooms. Terrorism has put the kibosh on these services in some
countries, e.g. Spain abandoned luggage storage many years ago. At the
least have wheels for your heavy stuff, but then again when you get on a
train can you lift it six feet to a luggage rack?

John Bermont

--
------------------------------------------------------
* * * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * * *
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/
------------------------------------------------------

On 26 Jul 2004 09:05:47 -0700, (Jane) wrote:

Hi,

I am arriving in Milan with some heavy baggage. I intend to spend the
night near lake Como (and would set out from Milan late in the
evening). My arrival is early in the morning so I would really like to
keep my baggage somewhere in Milan (near a train station or something)
so that I can visit some sights in Milan during the day without being
constrained by my baggage. Any ideas how I can do this?

The main Milan train station (Milan Centrale) has a left-luggage
facility. Most of the larger stations have these facilities, but the
cost can be fairly steep. The facility in Rome charges 7 euros per bag
per day.

Does anyone have train schedules for Milan to Como? I would also like
to know if the train journey would require me not to carry
suitcases... The problem, however is I am traveling from Singapore
(spending 2 months in Europe) and traveling light is difficult. Also,
My havesack just got ripped on a recent trip

I expect to do a lot of train traveling... and I just don't know if
carrying suitcases is feasible...

Also, if someone would be as so kind to tell me if there is a
'general' way to solve this problem in Europe, by say stopping by at a
hostel and payin a few euros for storage, I would greatly appreciate
it.

I once travelled for three weeks in Europe carrying all my luggage in
a fairly small backpack plus a fairly large purse. I had some things
for chilly weather and some things for hot weather; I had one or two
slightly dressed-up outfits and the rest were casual outfits. I even
had a gift or two for friends I was visiting.

For two months, you shouldn't need any more clothing than I brought
for three weeks. There is no way to carry enough clothing so that you
never have to do laundry for two months. That being the case, it is
better to count on doing laundry as you go along and just bringing
enough for a week or so. You can bring just enough underwear and socks
for a few days and wash them as soon as you change them. Let them dry
overnight on the towel rack. You can wash a blouse every so often,
wring it out very well by rolling it tightly in a towel and then hang
it in the closet of your hotel. Most hotels will lend you an iron if
you need it. Pants or skirts are a bit more of a problem, so when you
are running out of those, it's time to visit a laundromat and wash
everything that could use washing.

If you are travelling for two months, you should probably plan to
spend several nights or more in each place you stop. Otherwise the
time spent travelling becomes tedious. You can plan to catch up on the
hand washing the day you arrive, so that everything has a chance to
dry. Then, if necessary, visit a laundromat that has a dryer the day
before you leave. Spending several days to a week in one place also
allows you to take day trips with no luggage.

If you bring neutral colors that all can be matched with each other,
you should need only two pairs of pants, plus those you're wearing,
three short-sleeved shirts, two long-sleeved shirts and a washable
sweater or sweatshirt, plus underwear, etc. Two pairs of shoes, and
the bare essential toiletries. A water-resistant jacket and a small
travel umbrella. All of this will fit in a small rolling suitcase or a
reasonably small backpack. It is also enough clothing that you should
need to visit a laundromat only once every two weeks or so.

Believe me, you will be much happier for the entire two months if you
make the effort to travel very light. If you bring more than what I've
suggested, you will hate your luggage within two days. You will begin
to change your sightseeing plans to avoid dealing with it. You will be
tempted to pitch two-thirds of it into the Po before you leave Milan.

If you have a small bag, especially a soft one like a backpack, you
can put it in the overhead rack of the train. If it is large, it won't
fit, assuming you could lift it over your head. In that case, there is
usually a luggage rack at the end of the carriage. However, it is a
nuisance getting on and off trains with a lot of heavy luggage.

I will finish with a vignette I observed last summer in Venice. The
bridges there have high arches, with steps to go up and down, but also
usually with a ramp for suitcases and baby carriages. I saw a couple
who each had a large rolling suitcase and a large backpack, plus a
small pack on the chest. When they got to the bridge, the woman wasn't
able to pull her heavy rolling suitcase up the steep ramp, burdened as
she was with two packs as well. Her husband took both rolling cases
and proceeded to cross the bridge. Before he got to the top, his knees
actually buckled under the weight of his backpack. I felt very sorry
for them, knowing that there were probably about six more bridges
before they got to the train station. This is enough to ruin a
vacation.
-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:38:25 +0000 (UTC), Valter Minute
wrote:

In the station you'll find a small luggage deposit (I think it's
better if you write an e-mail to asking for
more information about it, I live not far from Milan and never had
the need for it).

I once arrived at Milan Centrale a few hours before I had to go to the
airport, and left my luggage in the left luggage facility so that I
could wander around the city instead of staying in the station. I
don't remember very well what the facility was like, but I don't think
it was particularly small.

-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:38:25 +0000 (UTC), Valter Minute
wrote:

In the station you'll find a small luggage deposit (I think it's
better if you write an e-mail to asking for
more information about it, I live not far from Milan and never had
the need for it).

I once arrived at Milan Centrale a few hours before I had to go to the
airport, and left my luggage in the left luggage facility so that I
could wander around the city instead of staying in the station. I
don't remember very well what the facility was like, but I don't think
it was particularly small.

-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:38:25 +0000 (UTC), Valter Minute
wrote:

In the station you'll find a small luggage deposit (I think it's
better if you write an e-mail to asking for
more information about it, I live not far from Milan and never had
the need for it).

I once arrived at Milan Centrale a few hours before I had to go to the
airport, and left my luggage in the left luggage facility so that I
could wander around the city instead of staying in the station. I
don't remember very well what the facility was like, but I don't think
it was particularly small.

-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:38:25 +0000 (UTC), Valter Minute
wrote:

In the station you'll find a small luggage deposit (I think it's
better if you write an e-mail to asking for
more information about it, I live not far from Milan and never had
the need for it).

I once arrived at Milan Centrale a few hours before I had to go to the
airport, and left my luggage in the left luggage facility so that I
could wander around the city instead of staying in the station. I
don't remember very well what the facility was like, but I don't think
it was particularly small.

-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

B wrote in
:

[...]
I once arrived at Milan Centrale a few hours before I had to go to
the airport, and left my luggage in the left luggage facility so
that I could wander around the city instead of staying in the
station. I don't remember very well what the facility was like,
but I don't think it was particularly small.


I was talking about Milano Cadorna, it's a smaller station owned by
ferrovie nord and not by the main italian railway company (ferrovie
dello stato, now called "trenitalia" I think) but it's well connected
to both Malpensa Airport (trough the malpensa express train) and Como.
If you need to reach Milano Centrale from Malpensa you've to take a
coach (slow if there's heavvy traffic) or a taxi (slow and expensive)
from Malpensa to Milano Centrale, leave the luggage there and then,
when you need to leave, go back to cadorna (using the crowded tube or
an expensive taxi), and take a train to como.
I see signs for the luggage facility in Milano Cadorna, but I don't
know anything about its size/usage.
Another solution is to leave the luggage at the airport, take the
malpensa express to milan (40 minutes), visit the city and then go back
to the airport (another 40 minutes), get back the luggage, take the
malpensa express again but only toward Saronno (20 min.) that's the
place where the lines from malpensa and to como join and take a train
to como from there. This will mean spend a little more for tickets.

--
Valter Minute
(the reply address of this message is invalid)

Jane schrieb:

My arrival is early in the morning so I would really like to
keep my baggage somewhere in Milan (near a train station or something)

Milano Centrale train station has left luggage facilities, as others have
pointed out.

Does anyone have train schedules for Milan to Como?

There are two train lines, run by different operators, between Milano and
Como:

http://www.trenitalia.com/home/en/index.htm for "Trenitalia" times
http://www.ferrovienord.it/tamtam/pd...nno-comoAR.pdf for
"Ferrovie Nord" times

I would also like
to know if the train journey would require me not to carry
suitcases...

You may carry suitcases on trains (there is some official limit to
baggage carried on trains, but it is rarely enforced). You should
be able to carry all your baggage at once, so you can leave the train
on short notice if necessary.

I expect to do a lot of train traveling... and I just don't know if
carrying suitcases is feasible...

Baggage is limited on "Eurostar" trains between France/Belgium and Great
Britain, and there is a new regulation for French trains requiring that
all baggage must be labeled with your name and address.

Also, if someone would be as so kind to tell me if there is a
'general' way to solve this problem in Europe, by say stopping by at a
hostel and payin a few euros for storage, I would greatly appreciate
it.

The 'general' way is to use the lockers or left luggage offices which
are available at most major European railway stations (with the exception
of Spain and Great Britain, where such facilities have been closed to
prevent terrorist attacks).

.... Martin