Tag: Milan

Milan, Italy – A to Z Travel Tips

On By Travels with MelindaIn Italy, Milan, Travel, travel essentials, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We got to spend a lovely week in Milan when we visited recently for a Bruce Springsteen concert that unfortunately never happened due to Bruce’s illness. Oh well, disappointed not to see Bruce but it’s always wonderful to be in Italy. Milan is a working town vs. the historically preserved Florence that we had spent two weeks in earlier. In WWII, a large portion of Milan was leveled by Allied bombs and you can see that by the mix of a few older buildings and mostly modern structures in the city core. That the Duomo, The Last Supper, Sforza Castle, and other beautiful landmarks survived the bombings is a miracle.

Here’s a suggested itinerary for a week plus practical travel tips to follow during your stay in Milan. Enjoy the journey!

Day 1: Explore the Heart of Milan and luxury shopping

  1. Piazza del Duomo: Duomo di Milano – Official Website (duomomilano.it)
    • Start your day at the magnificent Milan Cathedral (Il Duomo). Get the guided tour with roof access. Milan Super Saver: Skip-the-Line Duomo and Rooftop Guided Tour 2024 (viator.com). We loved this tour and you won’t believe the views from the top! Pay extra for use of the elevator with this tour package if you don’t love climbing steps.
    • Climb Brunelleschi’s Dome for panoramic views.
    • Explore the Baptistery and Giotto’s Bell Tower.
  2. Explore the Vittoria Emanuele Gallerie:  https://www.ingalleria.com/en
    • Opposite the Duomo, spend time at cafes and shopping at high end stores. Under the central dome is a floor mosaic with the Savoy Coat of Arms. According to legend, you will have good luck if you step with your right foot on the bull and twirl around 360 degrees around with your eyes closed. Don’t worry about finding it-there will be tourists lined up to take a turn!
  3. Golden Quadrangle:
    • Stroll along Via Monte Napoleone and Via Alessandro Manzoni.
    • Window shop at luxury boutiques like LV, Fendi, Armani, and Gucci. If you are a serious shopper, make an appointment in advance.
    • Visit the High Line Outlet for shopping on a budget (located out of town).
  4. Visit La Scala Theater either by taking in a performance (lots of ballet, opera, etc.-get tickets in advance) or book a guided tour: https://www.museoscala.org/en/visit/museum-and-theater/guided-tour-of-the-theater.html. We went on the tour because the tickets are pretty expensive but I’m sure it would be a wonderful experience.

Day 2: Art, History, and Vintage Cars

Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco): Welcome to Castello Sforzesco Official Site | Castello Sforzesco Official Website (milanocastello.it) Spend the day wandering the grounds and the museum!

  • Explore the castle and its museums.
  • Admire Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures.
    1. Vintage Fiat 500 Tour:
    2. Navigli District-Spend evening wanders in the canals that has lots of cafes and shops. Take a cruise down the canal: Milan: Navigli District Guided Canal Cruise | GetYourGuide. We even had a musical journey with a wonderful sax player entertaining us on our cruise.

    Day 3: Art and Chapels

    1. Santa Maria delle Grazie:
    2. Sant’Ambrogio Basilica: Home page – Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio (basilicasantambrogio.it)
      • Visit this ancient church with stunning mosaics.
      • Explore the nearby Sant’Eustorgio Basilica.
    3. Jazz-Take in a show at the Blue Note Jazz Club famous for it’s musical variety Jazz Club, Ristorante, Location Eventi Milano | Blue Note (bluenotemilano.com)

    Day 4: Brera Neighborhood

    1. Pinacoteca di Brera neighborhood:

    Day 5: Parks, Museum, and Cemetery

    1. Parco Sempione:
      • Relax in this beautiful park near Sforza Castle.
      • Visit the Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace).
    2. Monumental Cemetery https://monumentale.comune.milano.it/
    3. Leonardo Museum https://www.leonardo3.net/en/

    Day 6+: Day Trips

    If you have the time, Milan is the perfect hub to take day trips from, so off you go on your own to the train station (about one hour trip if you get the express-$8 euro each way) or get a guided bus tour at Day Trips from Milan | GetYourGuide.  Popular choices are to visit Lake Como but be prepared for an 11 hour day to/from on a bus with stops along the way and a boat cruise.

    Vareena: We went to Vareena for the day by train from Milan. Buy your tickets for the train online. Leaves from main station, Milano Centrale. When you arrive in Vareena, walk down to the water and take the trail along the lake that leads to shops/cafes with great views of the harbor. As the masses exit the train, they headed right for the ferry to take a boat ride across Lake Como. We walked instead and waited for the next ferry (they come every 30 minutes or so). Buy a ticket at the standby the ferry dock ($9 euros per person round trip from Vareena to Bellagio) and wait in line. Grab a seat on the top (outside or inside seats) and prepare to enjoy the view and relax. You can just ride over and stay on the boat to ride back or you can get off and walk about Bellagio and take a later ferry back.

    Remember to savor Italian cuisine especially the risotto dishes, indulge in gelato, and soak up the vibrant atmosphere of Milan!

    TRANSPORTATION IN MILAN

    • The car traffic is heavy in Milan so allow lots of time to get where you want to go, even with taxis able to take the bus lane. We stayed at a hotel out of the city near San Siro Stadium (to see the Bruce concert that didn’t happen) so we ended up taking a lot of taxis when we couldn’t use the bus/subway combo to get somewhere. The buses/subways are well used so be prepared to stand and be packed in with people. The trolleys are cute and can get you around the city core. One day we just hopped on one near Sforza Castle and rode it all the way around town. You tap to pay to take all public transportation-the machine is on the bus/trolley, or you tap to get through the gate into the subway.
    • You will see A LOT of graffiti on buildings in Milan. Not street art but random writing on buildings. The landmarks are not tagged or, if they are, they clean them up, but most other buildings are defaced. Life in an urban environment!
    • Flying in and out of Milan-there is an international airport (Malpensa) and a local airport (Linate) on opposite ends of town. Make sure to specify which one you want to go to. If you have any VAT to apply for, you must get your receipts (given to you by the store you bought at) BEFORE you go through security. Then, on the other side of security, you will see an office for “tax refund” and you take your paperwork there to get the VAT refund. We learned the hard way and did not get the required stamp and didn’t want to go back so we just left without it despite Thom shopping his way through the swanky Milan men’s boutiques.

    Many of the smaller airports don’t have gates attached to terminal so you board buses to get to and from the plane to the terminal. Make sure you are able to carry your luggage and do stairs up and down to get on planes. Otherwise, use only larger airports. Florence’s airport and Milan’s Linate airports both use buses for some flights.

    CURRENCY

    Italy uses the euro. Bring a coin purse because you will get a lot of coins as change. Only bills are 5, 10, 20, etc. The coins are 1, 2 and all under 1. I started using a baggie, but it looked so tacky I bought a small coin bag in Florence.

    RESTROOMS

    You need to have a few 1 and 50 cent coins with you at all times to get into public bathrooms, which are usually clean and some even have attendants. Bring tissues with you too as toilet paper can be scarce. Also, hand sanitizer is a must have.

    If there aren’t public bathrooms, go to a big busy cafe or department store where they can’t track all patrons and go right through to the bathroom. Don’t ask permission. The main attractions will all have bathrooms, but most will be located past entry if there is an entry fee.

    FOOD

    • Milan is known for their risotto (northern Italy) vs. pasta (southern Italy). The classico Milanese risotto version has saffron, and cheese and it is delicious. I wanted to lick the plate clean.
    • Don’t worry-gelato is everywhere in Italy. There are also exquisite pastries in the shops so when you need that espresso to keep you going, there are sweet treats to enjoy as well.
    • Aperitivo starts early afternoon until about 7 and dinner starts at 8-restaurants don’t even open until then so have a late lunch. You’ll get snacks with a spritz, usually olives, chips, nuts so you won’t be starving when you get your meal at 9 pm.
    • Cafes in the Galleria looked like a great place (expensive) to get a drink or bite, and people watch.
    • Pistachios are a big thing all over Italy. Pistachios are included in croissants, cannolis, gelato, etc.

    DRESS

    • Since Milan is the Italian capital of fashion, finance, and industry, you will see men dressed well, usually during the day in suits. Women are styled from head to toe as well. Tourists do stand out here, wearing lots of resort wear in June, when we were there. Lots of bright print dresses and shorts. I always wear black when I travel so I looked very urban by comparison. What you wear is up to you. Just wear comfortable shoes! Every time I saw a woman in pointed toe heels, I shook my head in amazement. How do they walk in those, let alone on cobbled streets???
    • Men in their fine suits don’t wear socks with their Italian loafers. Why? Maybe they want to show their ankles? I need to know.
    • Handbags are important here. At dinner, the well-styled couple next to us went to the manager and got a stool for her large designer handbag so it would not have to rest on the floor. Still not enough, the gallant gentleman put a cloth napkin on the stool before the handbag was placed. I was then also given a stool for my $25 Amazon travel bag, which has rested on floors all over the world. When in Italy!

    Visiting Sforza Castle in Milan

    On By Travels with MelindaIn Italy, Milan, Travel, travel tipsLeave a comment

    Every first Sunday of the month, Sforza Castle in Milan throws open their very large gates and welcomes all in for FREE. We were planning to go on another day during our recent stay in Milan, but I saw this and we rearranged our agenda to take advantage of free admission, which meant more $$ with which to shop. Thom went on an Italian shopping spree, so we needed to save where we could in order to afford more man jewelry, scarves, vests, collarless shirts and the list goes on. But back to the castle. which is enormous and houses an amazing museum filled with art, sculptures, tapestries, medieval weapons-something for everyone. There were even unfinished Michelangelo sculptures that we somehow missed in our wanderings. This place is HUGE!

    We started our adventure by walking throughout the outside areas and imagining how life would have been living and working at the castle back in the 15th century. There has been lots of renovations over the years and as is always ongoing at a site this old. After strolling around outdoors, we dived into the museum. In the summer, go when it is cool in the mornings because these old structures don’t have central air or any air really and it gets hot fast. With so much to see inside, plan ahead to arrive early so you can spend at least a few hours in the museum soaking it all in. I would recommend getting the audio guide. There are English signs on most of the exhibits but taking a tour or listening to an audio guide is in order for such a vast assortment of exhibits.

    Interestingly, we observed from the convenient onsite cafe that there were just as many locals taking advantage of the free admission as there were obvious tourists. When in Milan, enjoy the journey!

    HISTORY:

    We didn’t take a guided tour of the castle but there is so much history that I would recommend taking one if you have time. Short recap according to Castello Sforzesco – Wikipedia:

    The Castello Sforzesco (Italian for “Sforza’s Castle”) is a medieval fortification located in Milan, Northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Extensively rebuilt by Luca Beltrami in 1891–1905, it now houses several of the city’s museums and art collections.

    VISIT INFO:

    Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco): Welcome to Castello Sforzesco Official Site | Castello Sforzesco Official Website (milanocastello.it) The castle is centrally located in Milan so you can wander after your visit and find cafes and shopping nearby. There are also trams that go right by the fountain in front of the castle if you want to hop on and tour around Milan.

    • Free entrance to courtyards 7 – 19.30.
    • Free admission to entire complex including museum every first and third Tuesday from 2 p.m. and every first Sunday of the month.
    • Castello Sforzesco Museums: Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5.30 p.m. (last ticket at 4.30 p.m.; last admission to each individual Museum/section at 5 p.m.)
    • The Museums are closed on Mondays and these holidays: 25 December, 1 January, 1 May
    • You can book online or buy your ticket at the Castle Museum Ticket Office. Ticket office hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-4.30 pm. The purchase must also be made for free holders (including children under 18 years of age).
    • Full ticket € 5.00; reduced ticket € 3.00 (18-25 years and over 65).
    • Audio guide € 5.00, on sale at the Bookshop.
    • Every weekend at 11 a.m. guided tours of the Museums without reservation: on Saturdays in English, on Sundays in Italian. Single rate €17 (including ticket to the Museums), meeting at 10.45 a.m. at the Info point.

    48 Hours in Milan, Italy

    On By Travels with MelindaIn Italy, Milan, Travel, travel apps, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

    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!