Skiing in Italy and a Visit to Milan

1.The charm of the town and the feeling that you are in a foreign country with very little English spoken.
2.Hot chocolate, vin brulee (hot wine), gelato, and pastries sitting at an outdoor cafe, even in winter.
3.The wonderful lift system and the ease of scanning your lift ticket.
4. Home made fresh pasta, cheese platters, paninis, and pork or lamb shank for lunch.
5.Having sunshine everyday.
6.Cocktails by the fireplace, before and after dinner.
7.Walking through town and people-watching after skiing in late afternoon with light snow falling and the night lights slowly coming on.
8.Great meals at dinner with a huge antipasto buffet table.
9.The friendliness of Franco, the owner, and his helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable staff.
10. Having lunch at Zeledria and getting a ride back to the slopes by trailer or rope tow.

Quick Tips:

1. Lift tickets are much less expensive than in the US. €168 Euros six days and for €10 more you get an area pass good at a few more nearby areas.
2. Ski Rentals are also inexpensive /day, but you may not recognize the same models as promoted in the US
3. Make an effort to get to the rental shop when you arrive in late afternoon on Saturday. Rentals get picked over very quickly and some may not be available if you wait too long.
4. Bring sunscreen. We've skied here 21 days and never had anything but sunny blue skies. This is known as the "Valley of the Sun".
5. Rooms facing the town can be noisy at 1:30am when the crowds leave the local "stubes" after a night of fun.
6. Buy water for €1.50 for six bottles at the supermarket two doors down instead of €2.00 a bottle in the minibar.
7. A calling card for €5 works well from the hotel phone with no extra charges added on. Made keeping in touch with the US affordable and less expensive than using a cell phone.
8. Remember to return your magnetized ski pass to the ticket office for a €5 refund at the end of the week.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once in Madonna, it isn't necessary to have a car. Parking is limited and you have all that you need in the town. The biggest problem here is the distance to the airport: 3½ hours from Milan and a bit shorter from Venice but with fewer choices of flights from the US.

If you book a package through a tour operator, your transfers via van or motor coach will be included; otherwise expect to pay probably per person one way.

There is no train station in Madonna and bus service is very limited. If you prefer to rent a car, the drive from Milan along the highway is easy, but once you turn off to ascend into the mountains, the roads are narrow, hilly, curvy, and there are lots of small towns to go through. In good weather, it is an interesting drive, but with snow or rain it can be nerve-wracking.

A free local bus takes you to the outlying hotels along the perimeter of town, to the golf course, and to a couple of nearby ski areas. A schedule is posted at bus stops. They seem to run hourly according to the schedule but we waited quite a while a few times.

My advice is stay in town and book the hotel through a tour operator to get the inexpensive transfers.

This is a repeat visit for us to Hotel Savoia Palace in Madonna di Campiglio. We love the location in the pedestrian zone, the food is wonderful, the staff very helpful and pleasant, and Franco, the owner, is very welcoming and interested in making sure that you are happy.

Franco was in the lobby to greet our group of eleven after our long trip from New York. We were given a choice of rooms facing the street or more quiet ones in back. Rooms are basically the same. A three-story building with elevator access, some rooms have balconies with plastic chairs. The non- balcony rooms have three large windows, the width of the room, so they appear brighter than the balcony rooms which have only a glass door.

The foyer entrance into the room is well designed for skiers: a seat, lots of hooks, overhead shelving, and bin storage. This sure helps keep your room neat. All have twin beds that can be made up as a king. Certainly not the Westin or Marriott type "Heavenly beds" but fairly comfortable. A large dresser has three drawers for storage and serves as a desk, TV table and stocked mini bar with reasonable prices. Wood floors, paneled walls (little bit old-fashioned), built in cabinets, a safe, and one very large chair and ottoman make the room comfy and spacious enough, European rather than luxurious.

The marble and tile bathroom has a deep soaking tub with shower, heated towel rack, bidet, a sink with large mirror, but no cabinet storage. Water pressure and temperature are fine but the hairdryer is wimpy. Bring along washcloths and conditioner if you need them, the towels remind me of dish towels, cotton rather than Turkish that we are used to.

The dining room serves breakfast and dinner and the bar is cozy—back to the '60s—red leather sofas, plaid carpeting, a fireplace, a very friendly bartender indeed make this an inviting area to hang out in before and after dinner. Adjacent to the bar is a card room, reading room, and one computer with service available for €10 per hour and it's rather slow. The game room with pinball machines may be appealing to teens, but it was not used while we were there.

New this year is a "Wellness Spa". Small but lovely with a jacuzzi, exercise room, and massage rooms. Also has access to a deck that may be used in summer. The €20 per person per day charge certainly was a factor in keeping it uncrowded. Some of our group splurged for massages and were pleased with their services.

All in all, I would highly recommend the hotel and will return because of the casual friendliness, location, and great food.

Since our flight from Milan was oversold, we were guests of Delta for three nights in Milan center....How much better can it get???? We chose a city center hotel rather than the airport (we were given the choice). Delta Airlines put us up at the Atlantic Hotel, part of the Quality chain, one block from the Statione Centrales - the main train station.

Not quite as nice as the Duomo Area but probably next best for the convenience of the location on our first visit to Milan. The metro station at the corner and a 2-day pass (5.50 Euros) for unlimited rides, gave us freedom to visit all that we could manage. An internet cafe a block away and public phones on the corner were our communication home and the close by train station was an opportunity to get to Lake Como.

A four star hotel - the Atlantic was comfortable - staff spoke English and were eager to share tips for sightseeing. Adjoining the very small lobby was a comfortable bar area with groups of sofas and small marble tables - An hor d'oeuvres table was set up in early evening. My personal complaint about European bars and restaurants are the bright lights.....they even had a lovely candle arrangement with pot pourri on each table.....Dim the lights and light the candles!!!

A few steps down was another inviting area for reading newspapers in many languages and a large flat screen TV broadcasting in Italian - Also a comfy spot for wi-fi if you bring your computer along for 6 Euros/hour.

A small very neat dining room with a view of a courtyard serves a cold European style breakfast buffet - capucino, espresso, juices, yogurt, cereals, meats, cheese, hard boiled eggs, fruit and even vegetable salads. But best of all - apple filled croissants - so fresh and delicious.

The high ceilinged room with very long windows overlooked the courtyard, so it was relatively quiet. The stark look of very dark furniture was softened by yellow and green upholstery on the headboard, chair, drapes and spread. The 13 inch TV sat on the dresser/desk combo. A mini-bar was filled with juices and liquor. The marble and tile floors throughout gave the room a very clean feel.

A deep soaking tub was welcomed after a day of sightseeing. A lighted magnifying mirror, bidet, a basket filled with soaps and shampoos and a heated towel rack were nice touches. The hair dryer was very hot, but not powerful and I should have brought along face cloths. The bath towels were very large, but made of waffled cotton instead of the fluffy turkish that we're used to. Hand and head towels were pressed, but reminded me of dish towels.

Recommendations for this hotel are for the friendliness of the staff and the convenient location. If you are not opposed to Quality, Best Western or Clarion branding, this hotel may serve you well.

A few years ago we were planning a ski trip to Italy and focusing on Cortina until a co-worker mentioned that we should go to Madonna Di Campiglio instead. Never having heard of it, we were somewhat reluctant to pass up well-known Cortina, but since he is well-traveled and had recommended hotels and restaurants to us that had been so enjoyable, we all decided to give it a try.

Located in the Dolomites, it is a four-hour drive from Milan. We get transfers included with the tour operator. This is a ski resort for the chic Italians. We have never met an American here, but English is spoken as many Brits visit for holiday.

Lift tickets are inexpensive compared to the US. €168 for six days of skiing and for $10 more you get a pass to a few more nearby areas. The skiing is cruising intermediate, but you seem to cover a lot of territory. It is spread out over four peaks. The grooming is excellent and the lift system has everything from pomas to high speed detachable chairs for six that have an automatic bar raising device and a dome for cold or inclement weather, and also a few gondolas.

In the morning, you start on one peak and move along, following the sun all day. It's easy to get on the lifts, your ticket is scanned through your ski clothing. Wear it on your arm or under your jacket or someplace convenient above your waist and the scanner will read it and let you through the automatic gates to board the lift.

I always thought the best skiing was in the Rockies but here they groom as well, the lifts are as updated and the ticket system better. The mountains may not be as big or as challenging but do most skiers need these challenges? And there is so much ambiance here: foreign language, beautiful people, great food; especially pasta. But back to skiing.

Start out in the morning as there are not many on the mountains, Italians start out later. The snow is a bit crusty and fast but it soon softens with the shining sun. There are lots of good runs up and down and up and down. Now we start to think about lunch. It's not only skiing, this is a total experience. Where to go? Top of the mountain, mid-mountain, off the trail to Zeledria (another review); no matter what you choose it will be good. The weather, even in January, was nice enough on most days to eat outdoors. Lunch is done.

More skiing and then fun. Three or four mountain restaurants have music, either live or DJ. Sit on a lounge chair under the sun with a beer and you may even decide to dance on the tables! Go easy though, you still have to ski to the bottom.

Expert skiers may not be the most happy here but there are a few black diamond trails and race courses. Non-skiers can take the gondola up and spend the day sunning and reading or watching the crowds.

If you are not fortunate enough to attend an opera or ballet performance at La Scala, you must at least take a glimpse of the theatre - this is possible as part of the museum admission - 5 Euros for adults/4 Euros for seniors.

La Scala museum is open most every day, but closes for an hour at 12:30PM - Make sure you allow yourself enough time so that you won't be escorted out too soon. We did not see any guided tours or guides when we were there - arrangements I'm sure can be made. It was easy enough to read(in a few languages) about composers, musicians, performers, instruments or painting displayed in each room.

At one point during your visit, a guard will open a "viewing box" for you to see the theatre- an orchestra was practicing during our visit. You only spend a couple of minutes there and cannot use cameras, but it is magnificent.....the immenseness alone is breathaking.....a hugh chandelier.....the many, many, many opera boxes - gold with red velvet curtains - row upon row- upon row....Probably 9 tiers of boxes surround the entire theatre, yet you feel so close to the stage. What a privilege it must be to attend a performance.

We spent time enjoying busts of composers and performers, musical instruments of the 1800's and miniature porcelain figurines of musical significance. I especially was interested in the paintings of La Scala - "In the rays of the sun" - "In the mist of New Year's Eve" and the rendering of the original La Scala Theatre - you can feel the elegance and the "party atmosphere" of the time.

But....best of all....was the 2nd floor - Probably four rooms of manequins in costume!!! Such magnificent costumes, masks and headdresses - beads and sequins....So elegant and must be so heavy!!! These are not even protected behind glass walls - you could possibly touch them, but there were guards around to discourage this.

Unfortunately, we had only 45 minutes to enjoy the museum because of the midday break at 12:30PM - Plan accordingly if you like more time in a museum....We could have used our ticket all day but were on to other activities in the afternoon.

A lovely small village tucked away in the Dolomites, the former summer home of the Emperor Franz Josef, it's alive in winter. Chic Italians ski here; the only English you'll hear is from a few guests from Great Britain. We've never met another American. The charm is incredible. This is a link to Madonna's website.

Our group of 11 returned to the Hotel Savoia Palace again this year. We love it. It's a four-star hotel in the middle of the pedestrian area, 200 yards from the gondola, with rooms overlooking the pedestrian area and a part of the ski area. As with many "non-branded" European hotels, Americans may find them more simple than "our" four-star ratings, but they are comfortable, roomy, clean, and in Madonna you get the very personal touch of owners present and interested in making your experience memorable.

Our meals are included here making it easy with a group. You meet for cocktails at 7pm, dinner at 7:30, no decisions to be made and the food is great. Before or after dinner, a stroll through town is easy and convenient from this hotel. and while we are out, we love to stop for cappuccino, streudel, gelato, or the best hot chocolate topped with whipped cream; you eat it with a spoon, sort of like a melted candy bar!

Skiing is easy cruising, mostly intermediate. Gorgeous views, inexpensive lift tickets, and lots of choices for lunch on the mountain. There is snow-making and excellent grooming. The lift system surprised us. We had expected old fashioned chairlifts and poma lifts. They have everything here, from a few pomas to high speed detachable chairs for six with a top that comes down automatically and a bar that lowers and raises automatically also. And a machine scans tickets as you enter a maze to lead you to the lift. And after your day of exercise, it's sunning in lounge chairs, listening to music and believe it or not, even dancing on the tables.

For non-skiers, don't feel left out, there are lovely shops, very fashionable clothing, jewelry, ski wear, shoes, gift shops, and lots of cafes with outdoor seating. At the base of the mountain, alongside the town, is a large park with paved walkways, lots of benches and play areas for children. Many Italian families take the gondola and spend the day at one of the many restaurants sitting outdoors, sunning, people watching, reading, playing cards, or enjoying lunch.

Best of all, and I can't believe it myself, we've spent 21 days total in Madonna (three one-week vacations) and had sunshine everyday. One week in January, another in February, and this time in March. I hesitate to go to any other area.

GETTING AROUND MILAN:
As with all cities, a car here is a burden. Busy traffic, no place to park, difficult to get from point A to point B because of one waay streets and high parking charges at hotels.

Whether you arrive by plane,train or bus, getting to the center of town is inexpensive - trains and busses arrive at Central Station and an airport shuttle bus runs every 1/2 hour for 5 Euro. A special from town to the airport - "Buy 2 - get one free" - 3 persons for 10 Euro. We never found a train or bus schedule posted, but ticket counters always had someone available who spoke English.

To get around town, the metro system is rather simple - reminds me of Boston - colored lines - four of them - well marked for 1 Euro per ride. If you are visiting and expect to do sightseeing, a one day pass for 3 Euro or a 48 hour pass for 5.50 Euro is a bargain.

TIPS:
1. Walking shoes are a must
2. Buy a multi day pass for the metro
3. Remember that the La Scala Museum closes for an hour at 12:30PM. Plan accordingly.
4. Bring along a hairdryer, conditioner, face cloths and probably a bath towel. You may miss these amenities in a European hotel.
5. Reserve ticket ahead of time if you plan to visit the "Last Supper".
6. Phone card are an inexpensive way to "keep in touch" once you figure out how to use them - easier if you speak Italian.
7. Buy water at the super mercado - 6 bottles for $1.50 instead of $3 a bottle at the hotel.
8. Carry tissues - some public bathrooms seem to not replace toilet paper as often as needed.

WHAT WE ENJOYED MOST:
1. The vision of the Duomo as you exit the metro - unbelievable.
2. A visit to the Duomo is not complete without going to the roof - pay 2 Euro extra for the elevator ride - it's well worth it.
3. The incredible costumes on the 2nd floor of the La Scala Museum.
4. Enjoy cappucino and gelato at outdoor cafew while watching the passing parade of visitors.
5. This is fashion city...incredible window displays, the best shoes and the "people"!!!