MILAN travel guide with sample travel plan & budget

My Milanese pals are pleased of their city, and they have every reason to. Milan is one of the greatest cities in Europe, with its complex Duomo and an even a lot more sophisticated history. My other Italian friends, however, describe it as a little bit “un-Italian.” I couldn’t understand what that indicated prior to our trip.

Upon arrival in Milan, however, we sensed it ideal away. Milan was our eighth destination in Italy, and it seemed inherently different from the other cities we set foot in. We couldn’t put a finger on it at the time; it just felt different. but different is not a bad thing.

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UNDERSTANDING MILAN
WHERE TO stay IN MILANBEST areas TO stay IN MILAN
TOP MILAN HOSTELS
TOP budget hotels & APARTMENTS
Search for a lot more Milan Hotels!

HOW TO get TO MILANBy Plane
Search for low-cost Flights!Malpensa airport to Milan City Center
Linate airport to Milan City Center

By TrainFrom other Italian Cities
From other European Cities

Search for Train Tickets Here!

HOW TO get around MILANBy Public TransportationHow much is the fare?
How to validate tickets?
Where to get tickets?

By Hop-on Hop-off vacationer Bus

MILAN TOURSFree Milan walking Tour
Duomo di Milano
Milan Food Tour
Da Vinci Tour
Lake Como Tour
La Scala theater Museum
Navigli
Other Milan Attractions

DAY trips FROM MILAN
SAMPLE MILAN ITINERARY
MORE ideas FOR THE poor TRAVELER
FREQUENTLY ASKED questions about MILANDo I need a visa to check out Milan?
Is Milan safe?
What scams are common in Milan?
When is the best time to check out Milan?
How much is Milan vacationer tax? Is it included in hotel bookings?
What is the tipping policy in Milan?
Is tap water in Milan safe to drink?
What type of power plug / socket is used in Milan?

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UNDERSTANDING MILAN

Milan is considered Italy’s second city. but in various points of history, it was the capital of the Western Roman empire (286–402), the Duchy of Milan (1395–1796), and the Kingdom of Lombardy Venetia (1815–1859). It has also been devastated several times: in 452, when Attila the Hun invaded; in 539, when the Goths recaptured the city after a long siege; and a lot more recently, during world war II, when it was a target of lots of Allied bombings. The city was rebuilt and got back on its feet in the decades that followed.

Today, while Rome remains the capital of modern-day Italy, Milan serves as the nation’s financial, commercial, and industrial center. and oh, it’s also one of the world’s fashion capitals.

Perhaps this is why Milan feels divergent. It’s easy to think of the whole of Italy the way it is portrayed in Hollywood films — romantic, rustic, laid-back. It’s where you could see yourself living la dolce vita. but that’s not always the case. While the other Italian cities put their old towns, frayed buildings and bygone-era treasures front and center, Milan normally feels very contemporary. Sure, heritage sites abound in parts, but the atmosphere is relatively modern. like a lot of service hubs and global cities, Milan is a living, breathing, bustling metropolis, home to over 8.2 million (including the surrounding municipalities).

Here are other things you need to know:

Location: Milan is the capital of Italy’s Lombardy region. Coordinates: 45°28′01″N 09°11′24″E.

Time Zone: UTC+1 (Central European Time). Rome is 7 hours behind the Philippines, Singapore or Malaysia; and 8 hours behind Japan. However, daylight saving time is in effect from the last Sunday of March until the last Sunday of October, which puts it at UTC+2, only 6 hours behind PH, SG, and MY.

Language: Italian. a lot of signs have English translations.

Currency: Euro (EUR, €). €1 is roughly USD 1.18, SGD 1.61, PHP 57.23 (as of August 2020)

Modes of Payment: lots of establishments accept credit scores cards, but a lot of still like cash.

WHERE TO stay IN MILAN

BEST areas TO stay IN MILAN

Milan is composed of nine boroughs, each made up of several districts (quartiere). As in any other major vacationer destinations, the closer you are to the center of the city, the higher the costs.

I asked my pals living in Milan for the best areas for tourists to stay, and these are their recommendations depending on your budget.

These districts are located near main points of interests so accommodation rates are normally expensive:

Centro Storico, the city’s historic core. It covers the Duomo di Milano and the surrounding blocks. expect big hordes of tourists.

Porta Nuova, the new Milan. It’s a modern, trendy district with lots of dining and shopping options.

Brera, dubbed artists’ neighborhood. close to both the Centro Storico and Porta Nuova. close to Sforza Castle and Sempione Park.

Central station Area, the blocks fronting Milano Centrale, best for those whose travel plan involves check outs to other destinations in Italy.

On the other hand, the following districts may not be centrally located but very accessible. These are also relatively budget-friendly:

Chinatown, near Garibaldi Station, Sempione Park, and Porta Nuova. lots of Italian and Asian restaurants and fast food.

Porta Venezia, best known for the 19th century gate, a long shopping street called Corso Buenos Aires, and diverse ethnic communities.

Citta Studi, the student quarter. probably the most budget-friendly part of the city because it caters mostly to students. close to the central station but far from the historic center.

Of course, there are exceptions. If you’re lucky, you can find relatively economical apartments even in the city center.

Here are other options!

TOP MILAN HOSTELS

Here are the top hostels in Milan, as scored by Agoda customers.

Ostello Bello Grande. check rates & Availability! ✅

Ostello Bello. check rates & Availability! ✅

Babila Hostel & Bistrot. check rates & Availability! ✅

Hostel Colours. check rates & Availability! ✅

Combo Milano (Navigli). check rates & Availability! ✅

We were able to snag the last room at new Generation Hostel Brera in an area between Brera and Porta Nuova, close to metro stations. From here, a lot of of the stops on our travel plan were easily easily accessible on foot and by metro.

TOP budget hotels & APARTMENTS

Here are the top apartments and budget hotels in Milan, as examined and ranked by Agoda guests.

Bronzino House. check rates & Availability! ✅

Teodora B&B. check rates & Availability! ✅

Monocase Milano. check rates & Availability! ✅

Room Inn. check rates & Availability! ✅

Ai Suma Hotel. check rates & Availability! ✅

Serendipity Apartments – Duomo. check rates & Availability! ✅

Search for a lot more Milan Hotels!

HOW TO get TO MILAN

Cu avionul

Milan is mostly served by two airports: Milan Malpensa airport (MXP) and Milan Linate airport (LIN).

Malpensa airport (MXP), the largest airport in the region and the second busiest in Italy (next only to Rome Fiumicino Airport. It’s 60-90 minutes away from the city center, depending on your mode of transportation.

Linate airport (LIN), smaller airport in the Milan metropolitan area, serving mostly European airlines. located east of the city center, it can be reached after a 45-minute bus ride.

However, two nearby airports may also used to conveniently reach Milan: Orio al Serio international airport (BGY) in Bergamo and Parma Airport.

Search for low-cost Flights!

Malpensa airport to Milan City Center

The Malpensa airport has two passenger terminals that are far apart, so make sure you know which one your flight will be using. aside from the taxi, you have two main public transportation modes to choose from:

By Train: Both terminals have a railway station. Both the Malpensa express and Trenitalia (Regionale Trenord) can take you to the city center. travel time: 54 minutes. Fare: 13€.

By Bus: An Autostradale bus leaves for Milan city center every 15-20 minutes from 6am until around midnight. travel time is 50-60 minutes. Fare: 8€, one-way; 14€, roundtrip.

Linate airport to Milan City Center

Unlike Malpensa, Linate airport does not have its own train station. the best way to reach the city from here is by bus. here are your options:

Air Bus: Bus bound for Milano Centrale (Piazza Luigi da Savoia) every 30 minutes from 6:30am-11:30pm. travel time: 25 minutes. Fare: 5€.

Starfly: runs from Linate airport to Milano Centrale every 20-30 minutes from 6:10am-11:30pm (6:30am-10pm on weekends). travel time: 25 minutes. Fare: 5€.

Bus 73 or X73: This is the least expensive but slowest option. These are public urban buses (ATM) that can take you to San Babila metro station (close to the Duomo). Buses are plenty; there’s one every 10 minutes from 6:05am to 12:55am. but there isn’t much space for luggage. You can purchase a ticket on the bus. travel time: roughly 50 minutes. Fare: 2€.

Cu trenul

Milan has two main railway stations. Both located within the city center, these are not too far apart: only 5 minutes by metro or 20 minutes by foot. Regardless, it’ll be best to know which station is closer to your hotel.

Milano Centrale, as the name suggests, is the central station. It lies northeast of the city center. It is Europe’s largest railway station. (It’s also the grandest of all the stations I have seen.) It is the primary gateway for international tourists because a lot of trains crossing the border use this station.

Milano Porta Garibaldi, situated north of the city center, it is Milan’s busiest station as far as commuter traffic is concerned. Trains operating here are mostly domestic.

From other Italian Cities

If you’re on a bigger excursion around Italy, you can easily reach Milan from Florence, Venice, Rome, and other Italian cities by train. There are multiple trains a day.

There are two high-speed train companies in Italy: the state-owned Trenitalia and the privately owned Italo. Both use dynamic pricing (much like airlines). This indicates that fares are not fixed. They change over time. If you don’t have fixed plans yet, you can book on the same day, but expect to pay a lot more for your seat.

Usually, the fare is between €35 and €45. but you can find fares that are as low as €14.90 if you book way in advance.

From other European Cities

If you’re coming from other cities in Europe, the fast option is normally flying. but railway options are also available. There are day trains and overnight trains, depending on where you’re coming from.

PARIS TO MILAN. You can take the high-speed train (TGV) to Milan. travel time: 5h40; full fare is 113€, but you can score low-cost tickets if you book in advance.

NICE TO MILAN. You can board the TER/SNCF train, which entails a transfer in Ventimiglia at the French-Italian border. travel time: 5 hours, 20 minutes. You can also catch a Thello train, which can take you directly to Milan. travel time: 4 hours, 50 minutes. Fare: as low as 15€.

MONACO TO MILAN. From Monte Carlo, you can take the direct Thello train to Milano Centrale. travel time: 4 hours, 30 minutes. Fare: as low as 15€. another option is the TER/SNCF train, which makes a transfer in Ventimiglia.

ZURICH TO MILAN. Take a EuroCity train to Milan. travel time: 3h26. full fare can go as high as 80€ but development reservation can go as low as 29€.

Search for Train Tickets Here!

HOW TO get around MILAN

Milan is normally flat, so it’s easy to get from point A to point B on foot. For short distances, we normally walked. We even tried it to get from Porta Nuova to the Duomo. It’s also a terrific way to see the city and discover a local cafe or shop.

By Public Transportation

For medium and long distances, you can rely on Milan’s public transportation system, which is run by an agency called ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi). It operates a network of buses, trams, and metro.

To help you navigate, download the ATM Milano official app (Apple iOs | Google Android). Then, on the journey planner, enter your destination and it will tell you what route to take to get there and how much to pay.

Milan’s public transportation system is fully integrated, which indicates one ticket can be used on multiple transportation options. For example, you can use the bus and then the tram using the same ticket. how much to pay depends on how lots of zones you will be crossing. Milan’s map is divided into nine fare zones. The city center is in a zone called Mi1-Mi3.

Tap the image to enlarge.
But don’t worry; the city center, where a lot of of the attractions are located, is within the same zone (Mi1-Mi3).

Cat costa drumul?

The minimum fare is 2€. Each fare zone you cross incurs an additional 0.40€.

Here are the types of ticket you can purchase:

Single ticket: 2€ (valid for 90 minutes)

24-hour ticket: 7€

3-day ticket: 12€

Carnet (booklet with 10 single tickets): 18€

A single ticket is valid for 1 metro ride, 1 suburban train ride (within the urban area only), and unrestricted tram and bus rides within 90 minutes of your ticket’s validation. To be clear, once you have used it to take the metro, you cannot use it again for another metro ride but you can still take as lots of bus or tram rides as you like within 90 minutes of your ticket’s validation.

How to validate tickets?

The validity period of your ticket starts as soon as you validate your ticket. Here’s how to validate:

Bus / Tram: Insert your ticket into the box (usually yellow or orange) which will stamp the date and time.

Metro: Validate it at turnstiles as you enter the station. even if you’ve used the same ticket on a bus or tram before, you need to still validate it on the metro.

You must keep your ticket throughout the duration of your journey. Do not lose or damage it. spot checks are done sometimes. If you’re caught without a validated ticket, you will be fined.

Where to get tickets?

Single tickets are available at ticket machines at metro stations.

The other tickets and passes can be purchased at authorized tobacco shops (tabacchi, normally wit