Travelling from Rome to Milan
Several options are available to reach Milan for delegates participating in the IFLA General Conference on 23-27 August.
Train [€75 - travelling time: 3½ to 4 hours]
The easiest way to go from Rome to Milan is by train.
There are trains every half hour connecting Rome to Milan, starting very early in the morning. The summer time-table will be available on line on the Italian Railways website as of mid June.
Delegates wishing to attend the Standing Committee meeting are advised to take the high speed train [Alta velocità] at 8:30 a.m., which also leaves time to check in at the hotel. A high speed train reaches Milan in less than four hours. A one way ticket costs €75.10 in second class and €103.60 in first class.
In addition to high speed trains, conventional Intercity trains take 6 hours and 20 minutes to reach Milan. A one-way fare is €45 in second class and €60 in first class. Under the current time-table, this option is not advisable to those wishing to take part in the Standing Committee meeting at 2:30 p.m. Please check the summer time-table, which should be available on-line on the Italian Railways website as of mid June.
Night trains are also available, at various fares, leaving around 11 p.m. and arriving around 7:30 in the morning.
Discounts are available on tickets purchased on line. Check out the Italian Railways website for any special offers. Sizable discounts are available on high-speed trains if booked very early. Please check for special offers here.
Tickets may also be purchased in Italy at the railway station or from a travel agency until the day of departure. The Senate travel agency will be open on conference days 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Conference participants are advised, however, to buy their tickets from the Italian Railways website, just to make sure of seat availability.
To buy a ticket online, one needs to register first. The signup process is very straight forward and a user name and a password, which are required to complete the purchase, will be sent by email.
Bus [€28-48 - travelling time: 6-7 hours]
The Joint Parliamentary Library is organising two buses to reach Milan from Rome on 22 August.
A ticket will cost from 28 to 48 Euro, depending on the number of passengers. The actual updated fare will be published this page of the website as we receive booking requests. A minimum of 20 passengers will be necessary in order to confirm the bus.
Both buses will leave from Largo di Torre argentina, just next to the Parliamentary Library, at different times:
· The first bus is advised to members or observers of the Standing Committee meeting. It will depart at 7 a.m., so as to be sure to reach the Milano Convention Centre before the SC meeting starts at 2:30 p.m. (the meeting is scheduled to end at 5:30 p.m.).
· The second bus will leave at 10 in the morning and it is advisable to those who can take their time to get to Milan. It will arrive at the main Milan railway station, which is well connected to the rest of the town with buses, metro lines, taxis.
The journey will take 7 hours, including compulsory resting stops (amongst which a lunch break) and barring traffic.
Both coaches are air-conditioned.
Tickets may be booked by sending us an email (preifla2009@parlamento.it) or a fax (+39)0667063603, specifying which bus you intend to choose. Email or fax shall be used as well to modify the chosen option.
Payment of the full bus fare is due on 19 August at the bus company desk in the Joint Parliamentary Library, at the time of registration. Passengers will be issued a payment receipt.
No return trip is scheduled.
Airplane [from €39.99 - travelling time: one hour plus trips to and from airports (total 3 hours)]
To those who want to reach Milan by train at a reasonable price, may we suggest the low cost company Easy Jet (http://www.easyjet.com/), leaving from Rome Fiumicino airport (check airport connections on our website) and arriving at Milan Malpensa (to reach Milan, add another 40 minutes by train or 50 by bus).
If you book early, you may find a flight at the basic fare (with one piece of hand luggage and no priority boarding options) of €39.99 including taxes. Because low-cost airline fares vary almost daily, delegates are advised to book as early as possible.
Delegates wishing to attend the Standing Committee meeting as members or observers are advised to take the 10:25 a.m. flight, which is scheduled to land at 11:40, and thereby leaves time to check in at the hotel (see: http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/index.asp).
Other airline companies operating flights between Rome and Milan, though at higher prices, are Alitalia, AirOne and Lufthansa.