Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
Page 133
Emergency!
• POLICE: Police Headquarters. (V. San Vitale 15 06 46 86 A: Repubblica.) Carabinieri have offices at V. Mentana 6 (06 58 59 62 00 Near Termini.) and P. Venezia (06 67 58 28 00). City Police (P. del Collegio Romano 3 06 69 01 21).
• CRISIS LINES: Rape Crisis Line: Centro Anti-Violenza provides legal, psychological, and medical counseling for women of all nationalities. (V. di Torre Spaccata 157, V. di Villa Pamphili 100 06 23 26 90 49; 06 58 10 926 www.differenzadonna.it Phone lines open 24hr.) Samaritans provides psychological counseling on the phone in many languages; call for in-person guidance. (800 86 00 22 www.samaritansonlus.org Line operating daily 1-10pm.)
• LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES: Farmacia della Stazione is by Termini Station. (P. dei Cinquecento 49/51 06 48 80 019 Open 24hr.) Farmacia Internazionale is toward the Centro Storico. (P. Barberini 49 06 48 25 456 A: Barberini. Open 24hr.) Farmacia Doricchi is toward the Villa Borghese. (V. XX Settembre 47 06 48 73 880 Open 24hr.) Brienza is near the Vatican City. (P. del Risorgimento 44 06 39 73 81 86 Open 24hr.)
• HOSPITALS/MEDICAL SERVICES: Policlinico Umberto I is Rome’s largest public hospital. (Vle. del Policlinico 155 06 44 62 341 www.policlinicoumberto1.it B: Policlinico or bus #649 to Policlinico. Emergency treatment free. Non-emergencies €25-50. Open 24hr.)
Getting There
By Plane
DA VINCI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (FIUMICINO; FCO)
30km southwest of the city
06 65 951
Commonly known as Fiumicino, Da Vinci International Airport oversees most international flights. If you’re arriving in Rome from a different continent, you’ll almost certainly land here, as it’s serviced by most carriers. To get from the airport—which is located right on the Mediterranean coast—to central Rome, take the Leonardo Express train to Termini Station. After leaving customs, follow signs to the Stazione Trenitalia/Railway Station, where you can buy a train ticket at an automated machine or from the ticket office. ( €14. 32min., every 30min. 6:47am-11:37pm.)
ROME CIAMPINO AIRPORT (CIA)
15km southeast of the city
06 65 951
Ciampino is the rapidly growing airport serviced by budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet. There are no trains connecting the airport to the city center, but various options for getting into Rome from Ciampino exist. The SIT Bus Shuttle (06 59 23 507 www.sitbusshuttle.it €4. 40min., every 45-60min. 7:45am-11:15pm.) runs from the airport to V. Marsala, outside Termini Station.
By Train
All Trenitalia trains run through Termini Station, the main transport hub in central Rome. International and overnight trains also run to Termini. City buses #C2, H, M, 36, 38, 40 64, 86, 90, 92, 105, 170, 175, 217, 310, 714, and 910 stop outside in the P. del Cinquecento.
Trains run to and from Florence ( €16.10-44. 1½ -4hr., 52 per day, 5:57am-8:15pm.), Venice ( €42.50-73.50. 4-7hr., 17 per day, 6:45am-8pm.), Milan ( €46-89. 3-8hr., 33 per day, 6:45am-11:04pm.), Naples ( €10.50-44. 1-3hr., 50 per day, 4:52am-9:39pm.), and Bologna ( €36-58. 2-4 hr., 42 per day, 6:15am-8:15pm.).
Getting Around
Rome’s public transportation system is run by ATAC. (06 57 003 www.atac.roma.it Open M-Sa 8am-8pm.) It consists of the Metro, buses, and trams, which service the city center and outskirts, as well as various Ferrovie urbane and Ferrovie metropolitane, which service more distant suburbs including Ostia Lido, Tivoli, Fregene, and Viterbo. Transit tickets are valid for any of these lines and can be bought at tabacherrie throughout the city, at some bars, and from self-service machines or ticket windows at major stations including Termini, Ostiense, and Trastevere. A BIT (integrated time ticket; €1) is valid for 1¼hr. after validation and allows unlimited bus travel plus one Metro ride within that time frame; it is generally the most economical choice. A BIG (integrated daily ticket; €4) is valid until midnight on the day of validation and allows unlimited bus and Metro use. The BTI (integrated tourist ticket; €11) grants unrestricted access for three days after validation. The CIS (integrated weekly ticket; €16) grants unrestricted access for seven days after validation. Tickets must be validated at Metro station turnstiles and stamping machines on buses and trams.
By Bus
The best way to get around the city other than by walking is by bus: dozens of routes service the entire city center as well as outskirts. Bus stops are marked by yellow poles and display a route map for all lines that pass through the stop.
By Metro
Rome’s Metro system consists of two lines: A, which runs from Battistini to Anagnina (hitting P. di Spagna and S. Giovanni), and B, which runs from Laurentina to Rebibbida (hitting the Colosseum, Ostiense, and southern Rome); they intersect only at Termini Station. While the Metro is fast, it does not service many regions of the city and is better used for getting across long distances than between neighborhoods.
By Tram
Electric trams make many stops but are still an efficient means of getting around. A few useful lines include tram #3 (Trastevere, Piramide, Aventine, P. San Giovanni, Villa Borghese, P. Thorwaldsen), tram #8 (Trastevere to Largo Argentina), and tram #19 (Ottaviano, Villa Borghese, San Lorenzo, Prenestina, P. dei Gerani).
By Bike
ATAC runs Bikesharing (06 57 03 www.bikesharing.roma.it). Purchase a card at any ATAC ticket office. ( A: Anagnina, Spagna, Lepanto, Ottaviano, Cornelia, Battistini or B: Termini, Laurentina, EUR Fermi, or Ponte Mammolo. Open M-Sa 7am-8pm, Su 8am-8pm.) Bikes can be parked at 19 stations around the city. Cards are rechargeable. ( €5 initial charge, €0.50 per 30min. thereafter. Bikes available for a max. 24hr. at a time.)
Rome Metro
By Taxi
Given the scope of Rome’s bus system, taxis should only be reserved for desperate or time-sensitive affairs. Legally, you may not “hail” a cab on the street—either call RadioTaxi (06 66 45) or head to a taxi point (near most major sights) where drivers wait for customers.
milan milano
02
An intersection of fashion and finance, Milan is a city whose residents are ready to proclaim their pride in the sophisticated metropolis they call home. Italy’s moral capital is the antithesis of the chaotic south. Citizens speak in a refined dialect, the government officials actually work, and even the scooters stop for red lights. Although the cost of living is high and traffic can be a nightmare, the spires of the city’s intricately carved Duomo, the echoing notes of the renowned La Scala theater, and the gleaming boutiques of the Fashion District, where casually parallel parking a cherry-red Ferrari is no big deal, help prove the Milanese’s point: this is a truly cultured town. But in addition to its role as a national and global trendsetter, Milan plays an essential part in the Italian economy, home as it is to rubber giant Pirelli and scores of banks, hedge funds, and other GDP-boosting institutions that remain mysterious to the layperson. While the city’s dark-suited bankers walk its streets with a clear purpose, meandering tourists can find many artistic treasures that remain less known. Leonardo’s Last Supper, one of the world’s best-known paintings, is here, as are the collections at the Pinoteca di Brera and Pinoteca Ambrosiana, both filled with priceless Italian art dating from the Renaissance to the 20th century. And of course there’s soccer, with the fanatically followed Inter and A.C. Milan. The city has everything that’s to be expected from a world-class metropolis—wealth, culture, sport, and more—all carried off with that cosmopolitan, stylish élan of which the Vespa-driving, street-smart Milanese are so proud.
ORIENTATION
Piazza Del Duomo and Fashion District
Sitting in the heart of downtown centro, the Duomo is the geographical and spiritual center of Milan. It is also the city’s tourist hub, from which many tours make their start. Consequently, this neighborhood is characterized by overpriced chain restaurants and souvenir stalls. A little to the north, the Fashion District is the home of every designer brand you’re ever heard of, and ten more too. Its central location makes it all the more convenient for the Bentley chauffeurs a
nd Ferrari-driving executives who populate the place.
Giardini Pubblici
The neighborhoods near Giardini Pubblici connect the Porta Venezia area and the public gardens themselves to Stazione Centrale. Many hotels can be founds near the station and along the main roads of Corso Buenos Aires and Viale Tunisia. The area’s primary Metro station, Porta Venezia, is located on C. Buenos Aires at P. S. F. Romano, a maze of traffic and trams that can’t be missed.
Castello Sforzesco
This part of Milan contains an eclectic mix of neighborhoods and attractions, ranging from a major tourist center and transportation hub to upscale apartments and the artsy neighborhood of Brera. At the center of it all is the castle, which—like the Duomo—is surrounded by hawkers toting their wares to tourists. To the west, upscale, brand-name stores; high-class residences; and da Vinci’s Last Supper can be found on C. Magenta.
Navigli and Outskirts
While it seems at first that most of Milan’s attractions are packed within the city center, many cultural heavyweights and affordable accommodations can be found farther afield. Because of Milan’s extensive Metro and tram system, most outskirts are easily accessible from the centro. The Navigli area, in the southwest of the city, is a triangle bounded by two waterways, the Naviglio Grande to the northwest and the Naviglio Pavese to the east, though the area’s many bars and restaurants spread a few blocks beyond. Northwards, Corso Garibaldi leads to the lively nightlife street of Corso Como and the vast Cimitero Monumentale, resting place of many Italian luminaries. Northwest of the city is the wealthy Fiera neighborhood, home to Milan’s business expos as well as less affluent residential areas around Lotto and QT8. Soccer fans will swoon when they see the San Siro stadium complex, home to Milan’s famous soccer teams. Some areas are seedy, especially near Stazione Centrale, where travelers should be careful walking alone late at night.
ACCOMMODATIONS
As you would expect in any large city, Milan’s accommodations run the gamut. A few youth hostels can be found scattered around the city, and some are very conveniently located in quiet residential areas just a short Metro ride from the centro. A number of quality one-star hotels surround the Giardini Pubblici and lie to the southeast of Porta Venezia as well as along Via Giorgio Washington. International chains are clustered closer to the city center, where budget accommodations can be hard to come by.
Piazza Del Duomo and Fashion District
Checkbooks out, please, this part of the city might as well be called Five Star City. Trust us: it’s not just the handbags that are expensive. We recommend you stay somewhere else and take advantage of Milan’s public transit systems. The following are already on the edge of the city center.
For details on Milan map, click here
a question of morality
Some Italian cities boast of their raging nightlife. Others of their centuries-old ruins, stunning Renaissance frescoes, or hell, even the shape of their pasta. Milan’s residents, however, seem to be courting a different kind of tourist crowd: namely, the pious. For reasons that are at best quaintly misguided, and at worst impossibly illogical, Milan calls itself Italy’s “Moral Capital.” Try getting that printed on your souvenir shot glass.
The actual origins of this title are rather obscure. Certainly, like most Italian towns, Milan has a long history of religiosity. It was the Edict of Milan, signed by Emperor Constantine in 313 CE, that protected Christians from persecution at the hands of the Romans, while the Milan Duomo, in addition to being one of the city’s best examples of Gothic architecture, is also the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. But Milan’s inhabitants are emphatic that it being a Moral Capital means something more than churches or proclamations. It’s in the intangibles, we hear.
And really, why should we be skeptical? Milan is the undisputed center of Italian finance. And nothing reeks of morality like Italian financial dealings. And Milan is also one of the world’s most fashionable cities, exhibiting all that is good and virtuous in the world of stilettos and shoulder bags. Just behind that famous Duomo is Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, reputed to be the world’s oldest shopping mall, and the stomping ground of only the most pious holders of Visa Gold.
But there is, perhaps, one thing in Milan absolutely above moral reproach. As the hometown of legendary composer Giuseppe Verdi and the glorious opera house of La Scala, Milan has a musical history that is sacred indeed.
HOTEL CASA MIA
Vle. Vittorio Veneto 30
HOTEL
02 65 75 249 www.casamiahotel.it
Sadly, this small, nicely decked-out hotel isn’t your home, despite the name. But that might be a good thing because with a location a 10min. walk from the Fashion District, the rent would probably be sky-high. Better to enjoy the views of P. Repubblica through the large windows of someone else’s yellow-walled breakfast area—the perfect sunny place to watch the world go by.
3: Repubblica. Hotel is on the corner of the piazza. Singles €50-65; doubles €70-90; triples €100-120.
HOTEL ALISEO
C. Italia 6
HOTEL
02 86 45 01 56 www.hotelaliseo.it
Things may get a little cozy if you decide to bring that new friend from the bar (or church—who are we to judge?) back to your thin single bed at this hotel. Then again, maybe that’s the idea. The marble staircase makes it ever so slightly more like the Ritz.
3: Missori. Hotel is directly across from the exit on C. Italia. Singles €40-80; doubles €50-110; triples €80-130.
HOTEL VECCHIA
V. Borromei 4
HOTEL
02 87 50 42 www.hotelvecchiamilano.it
It might take a compass and sextant to find this place that’s located on a quieter back lane, but the extra navigation effort is worth it. A comfy, wood-paneled lobby and breakfast room greet guests, and a whimsical spiral staircase above the front desk leads to generously sized double rooms upstairs.
1: Codusio. Follow V. Cordusio, which becomes V. Boccheto and then V. Podone. At P. Borromeo, turn right. Singles €50-70; doubles €70-90; triples €90-110.
Giardini Pubblici
The area between Stazione Centrale and the Giardini Pubblici is packed with hotels, some of them cheap and seedy, others with a doorman and concierge.
HOTEL EVA AND HOTEL ARNO
V. Lazzaretto 17, 4th fl.
HOTEL
02 67 06 093 www.hotelevamilano.com, www.hotelarno.com.
Friendly staff and comfortable rooms make this quirky dual-hotel setup (the two are across the hall, and share a reception) a good choice for budget travelers.
1: Porta Venezia. Follow V. Castati, then turn right onto V. Lazzaretto. Ring bell. Singles €30-45; doubles €50-100; triples €65-90.
HOTEL ITALIA E NAZIONALE
V. Vitruvio 44/46
HOTEL
02 66 93 826 nazionaleeitalia@tiscalinet.it
Despite the slight smell of smoke in some rooms, the prices at this establishment—including breakfast and in-room TV—are hard to beat in central Milan.
2/3: Centrale FS. Singles €35-55; doubles €55-95; triples €110-120.
HOTEL BAGLIORI
V. Boscovich 43
HOTEL
02 29 52 68 84 www.hotelbagliori.com
The idyllic front garden might have been plucked straight out of Versailles and the breakfast room stolen from a country club. Conveniently located and excellently appointed.
1: Lima. Follow C. Buenos Aires south. Singles €50-180; doubles €130-250.
HOTEL SAN TOMASO
V. le Tunisia 6, 4th fl.
HOTEL
02 29 51 47 47 www.hotelsantomaso.com
The rooms are clean, but plastic vines on white walls provide the only decoration at this thimble-sized hotel. More importantly, hotel staff do not necessarily speak English, making booking a room here somewhat difficult.
1: Porta Venezia. Dorms €20; singles €35-85; doubles €50-95; triples €70-120.
; Castello Sforzesco
The neighborhoods around Castello Sforzesco offer very few inexpensive hotels. Milan is a wealthy city, and staying in its center is going to take a bit of change.
HOTEL PANIZZA
V. Panizza 5
HOTEL
02 46 90 604 www.hotelpanizza.it
Don’t get discouraged walking down the street: we’re not sure why this small, simple, and cheap hotel decides to hide itself with only a small plaque announcing its presence, but it is indeed ready and waiting for your patronage. Inside, stained glass on the guestroom doors recalls Milan’s Duomo.
1: Conciliazione. Follow V. Porta Vercellina and turn right onto V. Biffi and again onto V. Panizza at the piazza. Dorms €25-27; singles €30-45; doubles €45-90; triples €65-120.