Visiting Milan in Summer. A 3 day trip
Thinking of visiting Milan this summer?
Italy is a very popular destination to spend the summer holidays. So first thing you have to know, it is very hot! Even though Milan is located north of Italy, the summer is tough. I am used to hot weather; I live in Madrid where in summer we reach around 36º to 39º. But the heat in Milan is different, humid maybe? I don’t know what it is but at 9am I was already feeling the heat. So when packing keep this in mind and take enough tops to change as you will be sweating.
Our main reason to go to Milan was to watch Linkin Park who were touring Europe, and the fact that they were playing in a city I have been wanting to visit for a long time sealed the deal!
I will always stand by that the best way to get to know a city is by walking around. You should have a general destination in mind but there are so many things to enjoy and discover along the way; you may find enchanting streets, shops or parks that you would not have discovered otherwise. So do yourself a favour and even though those nice sandals are ideal for your look or those heels look amazing in the photos, grab your trusted comfortable sneakers and live your destination!
And walk we did!!! We also took a few trams, as they are fun; you get further and get to see on the way places you may want to get off the tram for and explore further.
Flying In and Out of Malpensa
We flew into Malpensa Airport, and it’s pretty well connected to the city.
Just a word of advice: go back to the airport with plenty of time.
- Trains can be full (we missed one like this).
- They can also get delayed (yep, that happened too).
So yeah… things happen. Better to have extra time than unnecessary stress.
Visiting Milan
Milan is divided into different areas, each of which has its own charm and characteristics, so depending on what you are looking for you can prioritize one area over the other.
Brera
If the artsy young scene is what you like, Brera neighbourhood is your place. It is walking distance to the centre and is full of restaurants and bars. Our accommodation was in this area and even though we went to explore, the restaurants and bars seemed to be best quality/price in Brera. No ridiculous pricing and full of locals and tourists alike. Here are some recommendations of places we went to on or near our street.
Places in Brera we enjoyed:
- Di Pinto’s Bakery – Nice breakfast
- Scott Duff – for beer lovers. They have a variety of beers on draft, great staff and funki local.
- Osteria da Fortunata – fresh pasta.
- Pub Al Panino Milano – best paninos you will find!!!
- Eataly Milano Smeraldo – it is a food market where you can do your shopping for speciality items and can also enjoy a bite in one of the restaurants.
Still in Brera near the Pinacoteca you can walk around the small alleys full of restaurants and unique shops. Do not miss it.
Visiting Milan
Milan is divided into different areas, each of which has its own charm and characteristics, so depending on what you are looking for you can prioritize one area over the other.
Brera
If the artsy young scene is what you like, Brera neighbourhood is your place. It is walking distance to the centre and is full of restaurants and bars. Our accommodation was in this area and even though we went to explore, the restaurants and bars seemed to be best quality/price in Brera. No ridiculous pricing and full of locals and tourists alike. Here are some recommendations of places we went to on or near our street.
Places in Brera we enjoyed:
- Di Pinto’s Bakery – Nice breakfast
- Scott Duff – for beer lovers. They have a variety of beers on draft, great staff and funki local.
- Osteria da Fortunata – fresh pasta.
- Pub Al Panino Milano – best paninos you will find!!!
- Eataly Milano Smeraldo – it is a food market where you can do your shopping for speciality items and can also enjoy a bite in one of the restaurants.
Still in Brera near the Pinacoteca you can walk around the small alleys full of restaurants and unique shops. Do not miss it.
Cathedral area - Centre
When I talk about the centre I am thinking about the cathedral and its surroundings. Do not eat or drink near it if you are on a budget. Be ready to pay 20+ euros for a drink.
The Cathedral or The Duomo, took nearly six centuries to complete, and it’s one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Its white marble facade, countless spires, and statues make it one of Milan’s most iconic landmarks.
It has been under maintenance for a lot of years. It is still being cleaned, although the front is stunning and ready.
My friend recommended going inside and up to the top; also I was told to pay the little extra to go up with the lift as one it is a long way and as mentioned hot and 2 you will see an area that is less crowded as people that walk it don’t have access to it.
We didn’t end up doing it as it was very hot, so we didn’t feel like being roasted chickens on the top of the church; the long queue to enter was another reason not to go as we tend to avoid them. But if you have the chance I’m sure the views from up there are amazing.
The streets that go off the main square are full of shops and galleries. The most popular one is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II a beautiful covered shopping street. Walking through it made me feel like Wonka getting to the city where he wanted to build his dream candy shop (if you know you know).
Near to this Galleria, you have the Via Montenapoleone, famous for all the Italian and international high fashion brands. To be honest I didn’t find it to be a specially pretty or interesting street to walk though, although if you are looking for the big brands this is where you should go.
My friend recommended going inside and up to the top; also I was told to pay the little extra to go up with the lift as one it is a long way and as mentioned hot and 2 you will see an area that is less crowded as people that walk it don’t have access to it.
We didn’t end up doing it as it was very hot, so we didn’t feel like being roasted chickens on the top of the church; the long queue to enter was another reason not to go as we tend to avoid them. But if you have the chance I’m sure the views from up there are amazing.
The streets that go off the main square are full of shops and galleries. The most popular one is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II a beautiful covered shopping street. Walking through it made me feel like Wonka getting to the city where he wanted to build his dream candy shop (if you know you know).
Near to this Galleria, you have the Via Montenapoleone, famous for all the Italian and international high fashion brands. To be honest I didn’t find it to be a specially pretty or interesting street to walk though, although if you are looking for the big brands this is where you should go.
Castello Sforzesco and the park.
The castle of Milan is located close to the cathedral and on the edge of a beautiful park you should definitely visit. The park has a few bar/restaurants sprinkled around where you can enjoy a drink and relax. You will find a lot of people walking their dogs, jogging or enjoying a picnic.
You can enter the castle grounds for free but can also enter the castle museum which I think I might do next time I go as it seems very interesting.
This Castle was built in the 15th century, home to the powerful Sforza family. Over the years, it’s been damaged, rebuilt, and repurposed multiple times—and now houses several museums and art collections.
If you are a Milan FC fan, which my husband is. You can visit the Milan museum which is not at the stadium but where the offices are. Entrance price is 20€ per person.
Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie – Leonardo da Vinci the last supper
Leonardo da Vinci’s last supper is located in a small church in Milan. We weren’t able to go as the tickets are sold out well in advance, so if you really wish to go see it, book your tickets as soon as you book your flights.
If you are very interested in Leonardo’s works you can head over a few streets from here to the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia, where you will find an immense interactive expo about the evolution of technology and a whole wing dedicated to Leonardo’s works.
Navigli neighbourhood
Ripa di Porta Ticinese to be exact. A long street full of restaurants and bars along the canal. You can also take a canal boat trip and enjoy the numerous art galleries. In the evenings is when it all comes alive with stalls popped up along both sides of the canal.
It is a nice place to go although very touristy and be ready to pay for a bit of oil if you ask the waiter for. Yes that actually happened and I don’t think I will ever get over it, specially coming from and being in a country where olive oil is a staple that is on every table just like salt and pepper would be.
Little story time for you: Being in Milan I really wanted a Milanesa, so we walked along the canal looking at all the offerings of the different restaurants. Finally we saw on the menu “Cotoletta” a bit high prices but that street in general all seemed a bit more pricey. So we decided wherever we find place, let’s sit down and enjoy. As a standard they already charge you a cover per person, which is usually for the bread which for me is a bit strange but I know in Italy it is common. Now we had our bread, had ordered our food and wanted to make the delicious mix of oil, balsamic, salt and pepper so we can dunk the bread into it (if you haven’t done this I highly recommend it). Well when we asked for some oil the waiter warned us that he will have to charge us for it. Fuck it we were there wanted to enjoy our meal so we ordered it anyway. Mind you they brought us a normal bottle that had been opened and used previously, normal oil you set on the table. The food was very nice nothing to complain about so in that respect I would recommend the place. When it came time to pay we had to pay 2€ per person for the bread and another additional 2€ per person for the oil. I know it is not much money but for me it is more the matter of fact. I mean WTF! Anyway it was a first for me. We clearly landed in the restaurant where they take advantage of the tourists, it is a touristy area with a lot of foot traffic and it is bound to happen.
In case you wish to go the name of the restaurant is Osteria del Cornudo. Nice food loads of choice.
Now on a more positive note, we went to a really cool cocktail bar MAG Cafe. They grow their own ingredients and change the drinks menu every 6 months. Try their different blends and enjoy the ambience. Also the staff were all very friendly. I definitely recommend this place!
More Shopping?
If you still want to go shopping but not high street fashion you should go to Corso Buenos Aires, considered one of the longest shopping streets in Europe with around 350 shops for you to explore at your heart’s content.
Transport
Moving around Milan in public transport is very easy. You have trams, buses, metro and trains. For all of this you can just tap your contactless bank card. The tram is a standard price so you only need to tap in and it will be valid for 90 min. For the metro you tap in and out and it will charge the amount you traveled. The bus in general you also only tap in. Check online which trams and buses you will need to tap out. Usually its those that leave zone 1 and go a bit further.
To travel by train you can buy the ticket at any of the machines. Keep the ticket as you can reuse it and top up for another trip. Do not forget to validate the ticket when you go in and always tap out again. I never read the ticket itself so all this we didn’t do….. so do not make the same mistake we did! We kept on buying new tickets every time and never validated them… So I’m here to inform you: you also need to tap in and out!!! heheh
Another option is also using your contactless like for the transport in the city, and it will charge you automatically.
Moving around Milan in public transport is very easy. You have trams, buses, metro and trains. For all of this you can just tap your contactless bank card. The tram is a standard price so you only need to tap in and it will be valid for 90 min. For the metro you tap in and out and it will charge the amount you traveled. The bus in general you also only tap in. Check online which trams and buses you will need to tap out. Usually its those that leave zone 1 and go a bit further.
To travel by train you can buy the ticket at any of the machines. Keep the ticket as you can reuse it and top up for another trip. Do not forget to validate the ticket when you go in and always tap out again. I never read the ticket itself so all this we didn’t do….. so do not make the same mistake we did! We kept on buying new tickets every time and never validated them… So I’m here to inform you: you also need to tap in and out!!! heheh
Another option is also using your contactless like for the transport in the city, and it will charge you automatically.
Como
If you have 1 day I highly recommend you do a day trip to Lago di Como. It is a beautiful city just 1h by train away.
How to get there? From Station Garibaldi you can buy your ticket to Como (direction Chiasso) from the Trenord Train company. The price both ways is 10€ per person.
You can catch the ferries that are available to visit different villages along the lake. These boats work the same as any public transport: tap in and tap out. The price of the boat trip to Torno for example was like 2.50€ so a very cheap way to enjoy the lake views. Also dogs are allowed on these boats. Just go, explore and maybe stop in one of the other villages to have lunch. You should know that the boats stop working for lunch time so they stop at around 1ish and restart at 3ish again.
To go and come we flew to Malpensa. It is really not bad. the connection is fairly regular and the train ride is about 1h to Milan Central.
Just a big warning: go back to the airport with more than enough time. Be ready to miss more than one train as it can be full of travelers and you won’t manage to get on the train (happened to us, thankfully we only missed 1 train). Also things can happen and the train can get stuck (also happened to us). SO yea… make sure you have enough time to get to the airport and won’t get stressed out.
All in all I highly recommend visiting this city. You have a lot to discover and experience. Would visit again for sure to experience more of what Milan has to offer. We had a great time even though we decided on what to do almost the same day, discovered a lot of new places and if you like the band, definitely worth travelling to see them live!
PRO TIP: never miss the chance to have gelato when in Milan they were all delicious!
To go and come we flew to Malpensa. It is really not bad. the connection is fairly regular and the train ride is about 1h to Milan Central.
Just a big warning: go back to the airport with more than enough time. Be ready to miss more than one train as it can be full of travelers and you won’t manage to get on the train (happened to us, thankfully we only missed 1 train). Also things can happen and the train can get stuck (also happened to us). SO yea… make sure you have enough time to get to the airport and won’t get stressed out.
All in all I highly recommend visiting this city. You have a lot to discover and experience. Would visit again for sure to experience more of what Milan has to offer. We had a great time even though we decided on what to do almost the same day, discovered a lot of new places and if you like the band, definitely worth travelling to see them live!
PRO TIP: never miss the chance to have gelato when in Milan they were all delicious!