Random Mini-Success in Milan

When I left France, I think my mind was so tired and on the wrong clock, I had no idea how long my train ride would be. I was able to secure a ride to St Etienne to hop on the train there. After a 1 hour transfer in Lyon (where I also forgot a bag – don’t travel heavy on the train!), I got on my next connection which would be a 6 hour ride to Milan. That 6 hours turned into 8 when we had a 2 hour wait at the border. By the time I reached Milan, I didn’t even want to try to find the hotel while carrying all my luggage, so I got a taxi – best decision EVER.

A few weeks prior, I had gone on Orbitz to book a hotel. The most important thing to me was proximity to the main train station. My aunt would be arriving at the Milan airport the next morning and we would meet at the main station to take the train north to where my parents were staying.

The hotel turned out to be great. It was just 4 blocks from the main entrance of the station. I wouldn’t stay there for vacation, but for the one night I needed a clean, private place to stay, I couldn’t ask for anything more. The room was tiny. It had just one single bed, a desk, and a small balcony that opened up into the terrace in the center. The tv was small and only had one American channel. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations but it was perfect for everything I needed it to be.

Down the street I had an amazing calzone and risotto plate (my eyes were waaay bigger than my stomach at the time) that I brought back to my room to enjoy in silence.  There was free wifi as well – not always a guarantee at these places. The hotel was Hotel Terminal (not the most inviting name). The surrounding area was safe enough for daytime walking, although I didn’t wander too far once it got dark. It wasn’t a tourist area either, there was no site seeing to be done. The one issue I did have was that the elevator was either not working on the way down or broke. I was only on the 2nd floor so it wasn’t a huge deal. Also the power went out around 8 for a  half hour but who knows if that was the hotel’s fault, I’m not sure. All in all, it was a great place to crash for just a night.

*note – one other odd thing was that you had to turn in your hotel key if you were stepping out. Not a big deal, you always got it back when you returned, but I’m not really sure what the point was.