Venue, Travel and Accommodation

Venue, Travel and Accommodation

Conference venue

MATHPIE will be hosted at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Milan, located in the Città Studi campus. The main entrance to the campus is at Via Giovanni Celoria 18.

The nearest metro and suburban railway stations are: Argonne (Metro M4), Piola (Metro M2), Susa (Metro M4), Porta Venezia (Metro M1), Dateo (Metro M4 and suburban lines S1, S5, S6, S13), Lambrate (suburban line S9).

conference venue

How to get to Milan

By Train

  • SBB/CFF/FFS: Most Swiss cities have direct connections to Milan, with some Basel–Milan services continuining to Frankfurt
  • ÖBB: NightJet trains from Vienna and Munich
  • Trenitalia + SNCF: Several connections from Paris and Lyon

By Air

There are three airports serving Milan:

Linate (LIN) is the city airport: it is connected by subway (M4) to the campus and to the city centre. Since it takes less than half an hour from the venue to the check-in desks, this is the ideal option if you plan to arrive on Monday morning or leave on Thursday afternoon. A taxi ride from Linate to the campus should cost around 15€.

Malpensa (MXP) is the main airport and the largest easyJet hub in continental Europe. It is connected to Milan by train every 15', with a trave; time to the closest station (Dateo) of 56' from T1 and 64' from T2. A taxi from Malpensa to anywhere in Milan costs 114€ and may take from 30' to 1h30' (or more) depending on traffic.

Orio al Serio (BGY), also known as Milano-Bergamo, is a major Ryanair hub: it is connected by bus to Milan Central Station, with a travel time of about 50', depending on traffic (much longer on Monday early mornings or Friday afternoons). A taxi from Orio to any destination in Milan costs 128€.

By Car

If you arrive by car, we strongly recommend parking it at your hotel and leaving it there.

Suggestions for accommodation 

There are very few accommodation options on campus, and the neighbourhood becomes very quiet after working hours. Most participants may therefore prefer to stay in the Corso Buenos Aires area, which is about a 20' walk to campus (or a short tram or bus ride), and about a 20' walk to the Cathedral Square (the conventional central point of Milan).

Another convenient option is to stay near the Susa or Argonne stations on Metro line M4, just south of campus, which offer a direct connection to Linate airport and to the city centre.

Alternatively, any central location close to a Metro M2 or M4 station would also work well.

Negotiated hotel rates

Please notice that the following rates are available for a limited number of rooms, first come first served

  • Hotel Galles (Lima M1), ⭑⭑⭑⭑.
    Use the 'MATHPIE' discount code, available also for the Century Hotel (Centrale M2, M3) 
  • Hotel Città Studi (Piola M2, Susa M4), ⭑⭑⭑
    Single room with breakfast 82,40€. 
    You have to write to info@hotelcittastudi.it mentioning you will be a guest of the University of Milan
  • Hotel 10 (Piola M2, Susa M4), ⭑⭑⭑⭑
    Single room with breakfast 112€. 
    You have to write to info@hoteldieci.it mentioning you will be a guest of the University of Milan 

How to move around Milan

By car

Please don't. 

By public transportation

Milan has five subways (with M2 and M4 being the most relevant for the campus), an extensive tram network (lines  5, 19, and 33 run through or next to the campus),  a suburban rail network, and many buses (including 39, 45, 61, 62, 90-91, and 93).

A single ticket costs 2,20€, a 24-hour ticket 7,60€, a 3-day ticket 13€. You can simply pay by tapping your credit or debit card at the metro gates. Make sure to tap both when entering and when exiting, so that the correct fare is charged. The same card can also be used on trams and buses.

Apple Maps, Google Maps and Moovit provide live directions. Some lines also run through the night.

By bike

Not for the faint of heart, but Milan is actually a very good city for cycling: it is compact and flat and many members of the LOC use a bike daily, as it is often the fastest way to get around. Using a navigation app is strongly recommended.

BikeMI is the official bike sharing of the City of Milan: 325 stations, 4280 classic bikes and 1000 e-bikes,A weekly pass costs 9€, and the first half hour for free.

Private free-flow systems are RideMovi, Dott, and Lime, offering e-bikes and scooters. Notice that wearing a helmet is legally required when riding a scooter.

By foot

Almost everything you might be want to see is in a 4-km radius of the Cathedral Square: with many tree-lined avenues and smaller streets, walking can be a slow-paced but fascinating way to explore the city.

You might want to avoid long walks in the afternoon during the summer, though.

Eating out

With 30 Michelin stars, Milan is a foodie paradise, offering classic Milanese cuisine, any kind of regional Italian cuisine, and many options from cuisines around the world.

Popular areas for bars, restaurants and nightlife include Porta Venezia (about halfway between campus and the Cathedral Square, where Corso Buenos Aires begins), Corso Como, and the canals (Ripa di Porta Ticinese, Alzaia del Naviglio Grande). The first is probably the most convenient; the second is the ideal place if you want to spot football stars or fashion models (assuming they happen to be in Milan in June…), while the third is the most picturesque and touristy. 
Brera (the historic art district just north of the Cathedral) is another interesting area, especially if you enjoy historical buildings and elegant shops.

In these places you will have hundreds of options, but if you prefer to plan ahead, we suggest checking reviews on TripAdvisor. We also recommend booking in advance, especially for parties larger than four; if you prefer to reserve online, the most widely used app in Italy is TheFork (use the code 7AEA5141 on your first reservation).

What follows are just a few suggestions.

Milanese cuisine

The two great classics of the Milanese cuisine are risotto and cotoletta

  • The area south and west of Milan produces most of European rice (you might have seen the rice paddies while landing in Linate or Malpensa). In fact, until the ’60s durum wheat-pasta was considered something of an ethnic food here, and the local cuisine relied mainly on rice and polenta (cornmeal) as its staples. If you are looking for the most Milanese experience, you should try Risotto with ossobuco and gremolada (braised veal shank with chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest).
  • Cotoletta is the Milanese version of the Habsburg Empire's national dish. Unlike the Austrian Schnitzel it is supposed to be made with veal, and in its most traditional form it is still served with the rib attached (Costola in Italian—hence Co[s]toletta, literally ‘little rib’). A common variant is known as elephant’s ear, and can be enormous.

Some other traditional dishes you may find during the summer include Insalata di nervetti (veal cartilage with onions, celery and vinegar), Mondeghili (meatballs traditionally made with the leftover meat used to prepare broth), Riso al salto (fried risotto).

These are our preferred restaurants not too far from campus and corso Buenos Aires:

Another interesting option is the restaurant of Terrazza Gallia, a quite fancy restaurant with a magnificent view, where a humongous cotoletta for two will set you back 130€.

Aperitivo

Aperitivo is a social ritual in Italy, a perfect opportunity to continue the conversations started during the conference sessions—but with a drink in hand. In some places the drink comes with a few small snacks, while others offer a more generous buffet that can easily replace dinner. This is sometimes called apericena ("aperitivo + dinner"), a term not particularly appreciated by many Italians. 

If you are staying on campus, or would like to have one right at the end of the day, our students’ favourites are:

A famous Milanese aperitivo spot is Bar Basso, where the Negroni Sbagliato was invented in the 1960s. Located between Corso Buenos Aires and the campus, it remains a favourite meeting place for designers and architects.

If you would like to splurge, enjoy a quintessential Milanese experience, and spend your dinner budget, here are some suggestions:

  • The bar at Terrazza Gallia, with a magnificent view over Milan
  • Terrazza Aperol, above the entrance to the Galleria, overlooking the Cathedral
  • The bar in the food hall on the 7th floor of La Rinascente department store. Particularly recommended if you could not manage to get a ticket for the Cathedral terraces, as it is right next to them.

 Around campus

These would be some options if you are staying close to the conference venue:

Around Piazza Lima and Corso Buenos Aires

Here you will find more options that you could possibly try in a couple of months.

If you are looking for pizza,  Marghe is a good choice.

This area is also one of the few places in Italy where you could encounter the culinary influence of the former Italian colonial empire, with several Somali, Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurants. Be ready to eat with your hands and share dishes with friends! Some options include:

 
Loading... Loading...