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Re: extra day in Milan
llike2travel - If you enjoy getting off the beaten path, the Monumental Cemetery in Milan is like strolling through an outdoor sculpture museum. I recommended it to another forum member and she reported back that she was glad she went.
There are many food markets throughout Milan, my favorite being the one within the central train station. Enjoy.
kfnknfzk
Re: extra day in Milan
We did that tour in July. Tauck canceled the after hours viewing of the Last Supper and actually didn’t take us to see it at all. They took us to see La Scala but it was under construction and what you were able to see was limited and it wasn’t a private viewing. So, if you are able to see the Last Supper, you may want to tour La Scala. Also, Tauck takes you to the Duomo but not inside the Duomo. I highly recommend getting tickets to see the inside.
Re: extra day in Milan
We added days in Milan when we did that Tauck tour. On our extra day we ate lunch at the roof top restaurant in a big department store right next to the Duomo. (Sorry I dont recall the name but it had at least 7 floors of goods) We could see right into the rooftop of the Duomo from there. I really enjoyed wandering the neighborhoods near the hotel.. There were lots of non tourist restaurants, farmers markets, etc. I dont think Tauck does the after hours Last Supper Tour any longer so you may want to try to arrange that on your own. I had just read the book titled Beneath The Scarlet Sky (Sullivan) and wandered around areas that were mentioned in the book. It is based on real events in Milan during WW2.
Birder49
Re: extra day in Milan
I second both the rooftop tour of the Duomo and the Monumental Cemetery. Also, window shop. You'll be floored by the styles and the prices. Milan is the fashion capital of Italy.
Kathy M
Re: extra day in Milan
Rooftop tour of the duomo definitely. Also, when we were there last year, we walked a couple of blocks behind our hotel to a park and outside mall surrounded by very modern architecture. It was interesting just to walk around that area admiring the buildings—and grabbing a mid-afternoon gelato.
JanP
Re: extra day in Milan
You will be in the ‘fashion capital’ of the world. I’m not a ‘shopper’, but watching the shoppers was quite an experience.
Sealord
Re: extra day in Milan
In addition to the excellent suggestions above, if you are interested in such things, Leonardo DaVinci’s Codex Atlanticus is housed in The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. We saw it as part of our N.Italy tour with Tauck. Fascinating to see his drawings and writing up close. If you want to see The Last Supper you’ll need very hard to get tickets in advance. We wound up booking an expensive tour as we could not get tickets despite best efforts. Thanks to a fellow poster we had an excellent dinner at Paper Moon Giardino. Also enjoyed a food tour through the Navigli district an area of canals (who would have thought?). We booked this through Eating Europe.
Re: Tauck raises suggested tip amounts
While we are discussing tips and how to include them in the pricing of a tour, I'd like to add another aspect to the discussion. One of the first Tauck tours we took was in 2012 to Spain and Portugal. It was led by Joe Pereira. He was an American with Portuguese roots brought up on Fall River, MA. He was about our age and single.
He and his bus driver had developed a great relationship over the years to the point that Joe would stay with the bus driver (sleeping on his couch) in between tours and was the godfather for the bus driver's two children. He became the de facto grandfather.
Joe explained to us the challenges faced by a bus driver who didn't make that much money and was striving to provide housing for his family and to pay for good schooling, with a goal of living in a two or three room apartment.
Joe make a very generous request of us. He suggested that we cut back on his tip and give some of it as an additional amount for the bus driver. This has remained with me over the years as we've continued to take tours with Tauck.
If more money is put into the base price of the tour, I wouldn't guarantee how much of it would go to the bus driver and how much would remain with the contracted company. The bus company would have to pay more to drivers who drive for Tauck tours than for those who direct for other companies and could get tips. If I ran the company, I would not want to have this type of pay structure.
Kathy M
Re: Tauck raises suggested tip amounts
Kathy M - I love your story about the friendship between the tour director and bus driver. Once, in the countryside of Norway, our tour director asked us if it would be okay for the bus driver to stop along the route so he could say hello to his elderly mother who lived with him and his family. He had done several back-to-back drives and missed her. As the bus slowed, there was a younger man with the driver's mother standing on the side of the road. The man and driver helped her into the bus and she proceeded to walk the length of the bus handing out cookies she had baked earlier. Like your experience, this has stayed with me through the years.
Offering gratuities is a personal choice and one that really does not need to be debated in my opinion. Tauck's suggested amounts are just that—a suggestion. I offer gratuities based solely on what I believe to be fair and equitable, and they are my way of offering a sincere 'thank you'.
kfnknfzk