For team building, Milan has an advantage few cities share: within a reasonable distance there are three large lakes, wine country hills and the mountains. The downside is that getting there means using ring roads and motorways that jam at rush hour, often starting from offices scattered between the city and the surrounding area. Whether the day works is decided at 08:00, when the group gets on the coach.
Below we suggest some destinations, grouped by length of day, and the transport choices each one calls for. We set off from our Lainate base, north-west of Milan, with our own vehicles, all Euro 6, the same ones we use for coach and bus hire in Milan.
Half a day: Brianza and the surrounding area
When the team building takes up an afternoon, perhaps after a morning of meetings, the destination needs to be close. Brianza and the hills north of the city offer villas, farmhouses and outdoor spaces for group activities, cooking or sport. The journey is short, but ring road traffic at the end of the day is not: if the return falls around 18:00, it is worth allowing for it in the programme.
In these cases the coach makes the outward and return trips and waits on site. If the group leaves from two offices, for example one in the city and one in the hinterland, we send two vehicles with a single arrival time. Anyone who first has to pass through the centre must take into account coach parking, Area B and Area C, which govern tour bus access in Milan.
A full day: the lakes and Franciacorta
A full day opens up more options. Lake Como and Lake Maggiore are the most popular destinations: you can combine the coach with a stretch by boat, organise a lakeside lunch or a walk in the hills. The residences on Lake Maggiore are about an hour and a half from Milano Centrale station. On Lake Como some lakeside roads are narrow, and the vehicle has to be chosen after seeing the exact address: we work on the same roads for weddings, with the wedding guest shuttle on Lake Como.
Franciacorta, between Brescia and Lake Iseo, is the typical choice for wine-themed team building: winery visits, tastings, activities among the vineyards. Wineries often have large forecourts but are reached by country roads, so we always ask for the precise address and check whether the Gran Turismo coach can reach the entrance. With two or three wineries on the same day, a minibus is more nimble for the short transfers.
Two days: the Langhe and the mountains
For team building with an overnight stay, the Langhe in Piedmont is a frequent destination for those who want to combine wine, food and landscape. Further north are the Valtellina and the Alpine valleys, suited to sports programmes in every season. These are longer trips, and the coach stays with the group for the whole time.
On multi-day trips the driver stays overnight locally, and the cost is shown separately in the quote. The programme also has to be built around the driver’s driving and rest times. An unplanned evening outing, after an already long day of driving, might not be possible with the same driver. That is why we ask for the full programme before confirming: if there are evening journeys between hotel and restaurant, we factor them in from the start and, if necessary, organise the service so that the driver takes the required breaks without leaving the group stranded.
The right vehicle for team building from Milan
With 15-20 people a van or minibus is enough, and it fits into farmhouse courtyards and village streets. From 25 to 36 people we use a large minibus or a bus. For 50-56 people there is the Gran Turismo, with a luggage hold for equipment and, depending on the model, Wi-Fi, USB sockets and a microphone for a briefing on the way. The difference between a minibus and a Gran Turismo coach therefore lies in the seats, the equipment and the roads the vehicle can use.
Many Milan companies report travel in their sustainability report. The vehicles at our Milan base are all Euro 6, we are ISO 14001:2015 certified and on request we provide emissions data per km for the service. If you need them, ask for them with the quote, so your ESG office has them ready at the end of the year.
One last point concerns the departure. If participants are coming from different offices or from home, it is best to choose a pick-up point that is easy to reach by public transport and has somewhere to leave the car for the day: a station on the Passante (Milan’s suburban rail link) or a metro terminus outside the centre avoids taking the coach into city traffic at rush hour.
How to request a quote for team building
To prepare a proposal we need:
- date and length (half day, full day, several days);
- departure office or offices and the venue address;
- number of participants and equipment to load;
- departure and return times;
- stops and intermediate transfers (wineries, boat piers, restaurants).
The quote is written, with driver, fuel, passenger insurance and maintenance included; tolls and the driver’s overnight accommodation are shown separately. Half-day and full-day services are priced differently, depending on the vehicle and the distance, as with all coach hire in Milan. In spring and for services with several vehicles we recommend booking 2-3 months ahead.
If you are looking for something more touristic and less structured, we also organise day trips from Milan to other destinations.
For the end-of-year party we also run the company dinner shuttle, taking employees there and back.
From our Rome depot we also organise transport for team building days out from Rome.
Phone: +39 06 4882027. Email: info@toddebus.it (subject line: “Milano, team building”).
Frequently asked questions
What are the closest team building destinations to Milan?
For half a day, Brianza and the hills north of the city. For a full day, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Franciacorta. For two days, the Langhe or the Alpine valleys.
Can we combine coach and boat on the lakes?
Yes. The coach takes the group to the pier and picks it up at another point on the lake. We need the boat timetable to synchronise the pick-up.
Can the coach reach the wineries in Franciacorta?
Often yes, but it depends on the access road. We check every address before the service and, if needed, use a minibus for transfers between wineries.
How do you handle team building with departures from several offices?
We send a vehicle from each office, with times calculated so that everyone arrives at the venue together. On the way back, each group returns to its own office.
Can you provide emissions data for the transport?
Yes, on request we provide emissions data per km, useful for ESG reporting. The vehicles at our Milan base are all Euro 6.
