After a brief stopover in NYC on our most recent trip, off we went to Milan, Italy, where we only had 48 hours to explore this beautiful city for the first time before our trip continued on to Switzerland. This challenge required prioritizing and careful planning, but we enjoyed our quick stay in Milan, seeing the highlights and soaking up the local culture!

SITES TO SEE

The Duomo is the “must see” in Milan. Too often, we have bypassed the hot tourist spots in cities where we visited because we didn’t plan far enough in advance to secure tickets to skip the lines. My husband really hates lines. We were in Amsterdam and walked by the Anne Frank House, the “must see” there and we skipped it due to the long lines. I won’t let Thom forget that! We also skipped the Sagrada Familiae in Barcelona on our first trip to Europe many years ago. Since then, we have researched and made sure to know exactly when tickets go on sale and decide whether we need just tickets or want a tour. This is the tour we booked to explore the Duomo and learn all about the history and it was well worth the cost:

2023 Fast-Track Private Tour: City Centre and Milan Duomo with Rooftop Terraces (tripadvisor.com)

Our guide, Victor, was very knowledgeable and kind. He took us from the underground underneath the cathedral where remnants of Milan streets date back to the first century to the main cathedral and then it was on to the roof! One reason I wanted this tour was because you could book taking the elevator to the top and back down again. I have walked up hundreds of steps exploring sights with Thom (Notre Dame before the fire!) but I’m ready to book the elevator when I can. We still have over hundred steps to take during the tour, which was fine, but boy did I appreciate the elevator! I couldn’t possibly share all the information I learned from our guide but trust me, this is a place where you want a guide to show you around. I will share one short fact: they built a hole at the top of one of the stained-glass windows to beam the light onto the sundial in the stone flooring. At the highest point of the sun in the day, it hits the appropriate zodiac sign embedded into the floor. Truly amazing!

Just want tickets not a tour? Then go here: BOOKING – Duomo di Milano OFFICIAL SITE (duomomilano.it) Times open vary by day and time of year so check on this site to see when it is open. Make sure you wear appropriate apparel (no bare knees or shoulders) or you will be purchasing a paper dress to cover yourself (see pic above). Many ladies were modelling this fashionable look. If you don’t want to buy tickets or take a tour, you can attend a service in the Cathedral for free! Sunday service is in the main cathedral and every day there are four services in the side section.

The Last Supper is the other “must see” in Milan. Leonardo Da Vinci completed this mural in 1948 in the refectory of the Santa Maria della Grazie church. This has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While you need tickets to see the Last Supper (book as soon as they are available online), you can go in the church and not see the Last Supper anytime without a ticket for free. The gardens of the site are beautiful so make sure to take time to enjoy them too!

I just wanted tickets not a tour, so I went to the official ticket site, Cenacolo Vinciano, which releases tickets for sale for periods of two to four months in advance. Go to the site and check to see when you want to go and when the tickets will be released and mark your calendars! Our tickets were released four months in advance. They sell out quickly and you cannot just walk up and get in because they are sold out so plan ahead to avoid disappointment.

Only a limited # of people are admitted every 15 minutes. Closed Monday, New Year’s Day, May 1st and Christmas Day. Tickets cost €10 for adults, plus a €2 service charge. Tickets are free for those under 18 but a reservation is still required and the €2 service charge applies. You must dress appropriately for a church-no bare shoulders or bare knees. They had signs that said no pictures but literally everyone had their phone out taking pictures and the guards in the room said nothing so shoot away!

La Scala Opera House was on my list to see but we just didn’t have time. You can take a tour or attend a concert if you are in Milan long enough. Check out the details here: Visit the Theatre – Teatro alla Scala Next time!

SHOPPING

The Galleria  Vittorio Emanuele II is THE shopping promenade by the Duomo Cathedral. Built in the late 1800s, it features a HUGE central dome that is magnificent. The floor mosaics are gorgeous, featuring the Savoy coat of arms and various animals that represent some of Italy’s most important cities. According to legend, find the one with a bull and step with your right foot on the bull and spin around 360 degrees with your eyes closed in order to have good luck. Did I do this with a crowd watching? Of course, I did and so did many other people while we watched. I love a good legend! Shops are generally open 10-7:30 pm every day. Other shops in Milan tend to close at 5 pm.

Under the Galleria dome and arched shopping corridor, you can buy top brands like Louis Vuitton and Prada. There are also find many cafes to choose from to eat including Café Biffi, founded in 1867. There’s even a McDonald’s!

We stopped in a little paper store near the Last Supper site and bought cool postcards and journals with handmade artwork covers. You could see the printing press in the backroom where the loveliest couple who ran the store made everything. I love buying unique items from the artists themselves.

EATING AND DRINKING

Having lived in Seattle for many years, I had read that Milan had the nicest European Starbucks so we walked a few minutes from the hotel to find it. Located in a huge historic building, this Starbucks Roaster certainly delivered. With a wide variety of food from sandwiches to fancy pastries to enjoy with your coffee drinks, there is plenty of room to eat inside their beautiful facility or on their patio-both are lovely. They are open from morning to 10 pm. We were there late in the evening around 9 pm and the place was packed! They also offer lots of Starbuck Roaster merchandise to buy.

Since we were only in Milan for one evening, we didn’t get to check out the food scene but the restaurants were packed-lunch time seemed to run from 1-2 and dinner started around 8 and went until 10 or so. There were a lot of gelato places around-look for the good stuff in metal covered containers not the fancy heaps of brightly colored stuff. All gelato is good but the authentic stuff is amazing.

After our early morning/first in line Last Supper tour, we made sure to stop at a café in the local area vs. the tourist area where we were staying. The coffee did not disappoint. We ordered americanos (espresso with a little hot water) and it was creamy and strong. Paired with an apple tart and apricot marmalade croissant, it was a perfect way to enjoy watching Milan citizens running to work and taking their kids to school.

PLACES TO STAY

I’m a loyal Marriott customer and have platinum level status so they treat me well. So, we chose the Straf hotel in Milan because of it’s super location within a block of the Duomo and other sites in central Milan. With a historic façade, the interior is chic and streamlined throwing off a chic vibe. Our room had concrete walls, floors and minimal decoration. Now, I prefer carpet and cozy furnishings but we were only there for one night so that part was fine. It was clean and the customer service was excellent. The only drawbacks were lack of electrical outlets (none near the only piece of furniture which was the bed). So it necessitated plugging in the electricals (computer, phone, smart watch, Kindle) over by the windows. Just because of that, I wouldn’t stay there again. I’m sure there is some reason for this apparent oversight-probably restricted electrical in this former historic building but there should be an app showing the exact placement and quantity of electrical outlets in all hotel rooms to guide people where to book.

GETTING AROUND

Milan has it all-subway, buses, trams, taxis and Uber. If you are arriving by airplane, be warned that the airport is far away from the city and it will cost $100-150 euros to get a taxi or private car service to take you into central Milan. The good news is that you can take the The Milan Malpensa Express Airport Train | ItaliaRail (bing.com) into town. Malpensa Express fares for a one-way adult fare to Milano Centrale is approximately $14 euros. Children are half price, while kids under the age of 4 travel free (as long as they do not occupy a seat). Seniors are eligible for a 20% discount. What a deal compared to a taxi or car service! From the train station (Milan Centrale is main one) you can easily find a taxi to get to your hotel.

Taxis-we found out from the hotel front desk that because our hotel, The Straf (Marriott property), was located on a small block by the busy Duomo area, only taxis were allowed on the street not Ubers or private cars. So instead of calling an Uber on our app, we had the front desk call a taxi for us to get across town to see the Last Supper. It was about 15 euros for a 15-minute ride and took about 4 minutes to get there once the hotel called for us. Easy peasey! We love to walk everywhere but we opted for a taxi for an early morning tour call to save our legs for the rest of the day. Enjoy the journey!