Milan travel guide: tips, the best sights & day trips

Milan travel guide: tips, the best sights & day trips

Do you like shopping, beautiful buildings, and good food? Go to Milan, Italy! In this Milan travel guide, I’ll share some practical tips, the best sights, and tips for day trips.

How to get to Milan?

Milan is located in the northern part of Italy, and easily accessible from Europe by train, plane, or bus.

By train

Going on a city trip by train is so much fun and it’s also good for the environment! Milan has multiple stations and is easily reachable from France, Switzerland, and Germany. It might take a while, but there will be plenty to see during the trip. Check the Rail Europe website for international train tickets in Europe.

Tip: if you’d like to see more of Italy besides Milan, I can highly recommend this Northern Italy by train itinerary.

By plane

Traveling by plane is probably the fastest way to get to Milan. Milan has multiple airports and there are many low-cost carriers flying to Milan. Check Skyscanner for all the possibilities and prices.

By bus

You can reach Milan by Flixbus, which is one of the cheapest ways to travel in Europe. I used Flixbus to travel to Milan from Interlaken and although it was two hours late, it still was a pleasant journey.Check the website of Flixbus for prices and schedules.

Public transport in Milan

Centraal station in Milaan
Milan Central Station is huge!

Milan is a large city with about 1.4 million inhabitants and there is a large public transport network that many people use.

Metro, tram & bus

As one of the few cities in Italy, Milan has an excellent metro network, with which you can actually get to many places very easily. The metro is also the fastest form of public transport. In addition, there are a lot of trams and buses that you can take. I always look for the timetable on Google Maps, but usually, there’s a metro or tram every couple of minutes. You can buy a ticket (€ 2 for 90 minutes) at one of the machines at the metro station or via the app (even easier!) ATM Milano .

Travel by train in Italy

Do you want to make day trips from Milan? That is very easy to do by train. There are several stations in Milan and Milano Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi stations are closest to the center. The easiest way to buy a ticket online is via Omio, you will immediately receive an e-ticket in your mailbox. Please note that there are different types of trains and each has its own prices and tickets. So make sure that you board the right train (at the right time).

Of course, you can also buy a ticket at one of the machines at the station. Make sure to validate the ticket by inserting it into one of the yellow machines on the platform. They don’t all work correctly, so make sure it has a date stamp on it.

What is the best time to travel to Milan?

If you would like good weather during your Milan city trip, it is best to visit the city between mid-April and the end of June or in September. The temperatures are then very pleasant during those months. In July and August, it can get very hot, and it also can get really crowded in the city center.

Accommodation in Milan

Milan is gigantic, so there are also many places to stay overnight. Because public transport is well organized, you can actually stay pretty much in all areas around the center, but some are of course more fun than others. I personally found the neighborhoods of San Marco, Brera, Isolo, Porta Nuova, and Zona Risorgimento very pleasant to walk around. There are also many cozy restaurants here. Check Booking.com for all the possibilities and prices.

Do you want to stay a little longer or do you prefer to sleep in an apartment? Then there are also many good options on VBRO or Airbnb. Have you never booked through this website? Use this link for a great discount on your first reservation.

The best sights in Milan

What should you really have seen during a city trip in Milan? In any case, these three sights:

The Duomo

Co in front of the Duomo in Milan
The famous Duomo.

The Duomo in Milan is world-famous and with good reason: it is beautiful! It is a gothic masterpiece and you will be amazed at all the beautiful details you can discover. Both on the outside and on the inside. It is also nice to climb on the roof, from above you have a nice view of the city.

The Last Supper

Het laatste avondmaal in Milaan
Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s mural The Last Supper is arguably one of the most famous works of art in the world. You can admire it in the dining room of the Monastery of Santa Maria Delle Grazie. This room is hermetically sealed and only a limited number of people are allowed in per 15 minutes. You often have to reserve a time slot months in advance, which you can do on this website or by phone. Is it not possible or are you too late? Then you can often last minute (for a higher price) reserve a tour with Get Your Guide.

Galleria Vittoria Emanuele

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan
This is probably one of the most beautiful shopping streets in the world.

Even if you don’t like shopping, you should take a look at this richly decorated covered shopping street. The dome in the middle is almost 50 meters high and there are so many beautiful details to discover!

Day trips from Milan

Due to the many train connections, Milan is also a very suitable city for a day trip by train. A few of my favorites:

Bergamo

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo
The historic city center of Bergamo is a must-see.

Bergamo is a city east of Milan and is known for its beautiful historic center. It is wonderful to stroll through the super narrow streets, taste the local dishes in the cozy restaurants, take a walk on the castle wall or visit the beautiful churches. The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever visited.

Read more: 15 awesome things to do in Bergamo Italy

Como

Day trip to Como
Visit Lake Como as a day trip from Milan.

Como is a town on the shore of Lake Como. There are so many parks, which makes it a very nice place to escape the busy city. You can take lovely walks along the lake and marvel at the large villas, take a boat trip on the lake or go for a hike into the mountains.

This is my Milan travel guide! Do you have any questions? Ask them by leaving a message below this article.

Would you like to read more about Milan or Italy?

Get one of these great guidebooks:
DK Eyewitness Milan and the Lakes

Lonely Planet Italy

Or read one of these articles:

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Co

As a girl from a small town in the Netherlands, I always dreamed of traveling. I thought it would always be a dream, but nowadays, I travel 6 to 8 months a year and I hike thousands of miles on the most beautiful hiking trails. On this website you can read all about my favorite destinations.

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