How to plan a trip to Milan?

Milan is the perfect city for a weekend getaway, but if you want to make the most of your time and get the most out of the city, we recommend planning your trip to Milan in advance and following our tips. Do you already know the best time to travel, how to get there, and do you have your travel documents ready?

We’ll help you with this post and resolve all your doubts about your next trip to Milan. In the city you’ll be able to eat well, party and enjoy its cultural offer. It’s just a matter of organising it well and using the Passporter App to create the perfect travel itinerary. Our experience was fantastic and we want yours to be too.

1. Prepare the necessary documentation for travelling to Milan

If you are a citizen of the Schegen area in the European Union, you will only need your ID card or passport to enter Italy for tourism, work or study purposes. For tourist purposes you can stay for up to 90 days.

However, if you come from another country you may need to apply for a visa. You can apply for your visa through the Italian embassy or consulate of your country, either in person or online. The processing fee is €80 for adults and €40 for children. To apply you will need to present the completed form, your return ticket, proof of accommodation, travel insurance and proof of sufficient financial resources.

Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.

2. Choose the date to plan your trip to Milan

The best time to travel to Milan is during the spring and autumn months, when temperatures are pleasant, days are longer and the parks are beautiful. In addition, the cityscape is embellished with spring blooms or autumn colours, which makes exploring the city even more appealing. These are also ideal times to enjoy cultural events and outdoor festivals. The city is generally livelier than during the winter. However, if you’re planning a cultural getaway, winter is perfectly fine too.

Summer should be avoided because of the high temperatures, which can reach 40 degrees Celsius, and the crowds of tourists. This is the high season, so prices will be higher. Another time to avoid is fashion week, when the city is crowded, prices go up and you may have problems getting around or visiting certain places.

We travelled in November and although we had to wear a jacket, we spent the whole day walking up and down the streets and gorging ourselves on ice cream.

3. Find out how to get to and around Milan

Milan is very well connected to the main Italian cities and European capitals, so whether by land or air, you won’t have any trouble getting there. Here are all the options available:

• Air: there are several airports close to Milan, such as Malpensa Airport, Linate Airport or Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport. While the first one is the most international, the second and the third are dedicated to domestic flights and others connecting other European cities. From Spain it is very cheap to fly to Milan, you can find return tickets for less than €50. You can compare and book your flights with Skyscanner through the Passporter App.
• Train: Milan Central Station is a major arrival point and offers both domestic and international services, including high-speed trains such as Frecciarossa and Italo. From Rome the journey time is 1 hour and 10 minutes, and fares are not too steep at between €50 and €70.
• Bus: There are several bus companies that connect many Italian and European cities with Milan. The journey time is longer than by train, but it is also a much cheaper option.
• Car: You can travel to Milan in your own car or hire one on arrival at the airport. This option is not recommended if you are not going out of the city as traffic in the city centre is very restricted and you will have to park in car parks.

From Maspensa airport you can get to the centre on the Malpensa Express for €13, or by bus for €10. Taxi fares are around €100. As Linate airport is closer, buses will drop you off in the centre for €1.5, and a taxi costs just €35. From Bergamo airport you can take the bus for €5.

For getting around the city, if your accommodation is more central, you’ll be able to walk. Otherwise, there is a comprehensive bus network and four metro lines that operate between 6:00 and 00:30. A ticket costs €1.5, but there are also 24-hour passes for €4.5 or 48-hour passes for €8.25.

4. Compare and find accommodation with Passporter

There are a number of areas to stay in Milan, however, be aware that it’s not a cheap city and that the price of accommodation rises as you get closer to the centre. The good news is that there’s a wide variety of accommodation, from luxury hotels to budget hostels, and if you look in advance, you’ll be able to choose the cheapest. We encourage you to check out the Passporter App to see where other travellers have stayed and to book directly through booking.

Although transport is very good and no matter where you stay you’ll be able to get to the centre without any problems, these are the best neighbourhoods to stay in:

• Historic Centre: close to major attractions such as the Duomo, ideal for first-time visitors, though a bit pricey.
• Brera: artistic and bohemian district, full of galleries and antiques.
• Navigli: there’s plenty of nightlife thanks to its bars and restaurants along the canals.
• Porta Venezia: a mix of culture and commerce, close to large parks and the shopping area of Corso Buenos Aires.
• Porta Garibaldi / Isola: modernity and tradition with skyscrapers, fashion, art and cafés.
• Fiera Milano and San Siro: for business travellers or football fans, close to the exhibition centre and the stadium.

5. Choose the activities you want to do in Milan

We saw the city in a weekend, but if you want to spend more days, there’s plenty to do and you won’t get bored. You always have the option of day trips to the surrounding cities, such as Verona.

In this article you can read in detail about all the things to do in Milan: What to see and do in Milan Italy, but here’s a little preview to get you started:

1. Duomo di Milano: Milan’s Gothic cathedral, located in the heart of the city, is famous for its impressive architecture and panoramic views from its terrace. Admission costs around 9€, plus 4€ if you want to take the lift up. Visiting hours are from 9:00 to 19:00 but it’s worth going early as there are long queues.
2. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: one of the oldest shopping centres in the world, known for its 19th-century architecture and luxury shops. Shops are open from 10:00 to 20:00.
3. Teatro alla Scala: one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world, where many famous works have been premiered.
4. Sforzesco Castle: an imposing medieval castle that houses several museums and art collections. Admission is 5€ and visiting hours are from 7:00 to 18:00.
5. Santa Maria delle Grazie: the Renaissance church and convent that houses Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”, one of the world’s most famous works of art. Admission is €15 and it is open every day except Mondays from 8.15am to 7pm.
6. Sempione Park: a large green space behind the Sforza Castle, ideal for relaxing and enjoying a bit of nature in the city.
7. Quartiere Brera: a charming neighbourhood known for its art galleries, boutiques and cafés.
8. Pinacoteca di Brera: one of Italy’s most important art museums, with a vast collection of Italian masterpieces. The entrance fee is around 15€ and the opening hours are from 9:30 to 18:30.
9. Corso Como: a fashionable street for shopping, dining and nightlife in Milan.
10. Navigli: Milan’s famous canals, surrounded by bars, restaurants and street markets, especially vibrant at sunset.

6. Where and what to eat in Milan?

Milan’s cuisine reflects the rich culinary tradition of Lombardy, combined with typical Italian dishes. The city has a great variety of restaurants to suit all tastes, and numerous ice-cream parlours where you’ll want to repeat every day.

These are some of the most typical dishes you can’t miss:

1. Panettone: a typical Milanese cake, filled with dried fruit and citrus peel, traditionally eaten at Christmas but available all year round.
2. Cotoletta alla Milanese: battered and fried veal cutlet, thick and cooked on the bone, offering a crispy exterior and a soft interior, similar to the Viennese schnitzel.
3. Risotto alla Milanese: Emblematic of the city, this saffron-yellow risotto is served creamy, often accompanied by ossobuco.
4. Ossobuco: slow-cooked veal shank stew with vegetables, stock and white wine, served with gremolata, a mixture of garlic, parsley and lemon.
5. Gorgonzola: creamy, sharp Lombardy blue cheese, enjoyed on its own, in cheese dishes or in recipes for added flavour.

Some of the city’s most famous restaurants include El Barbapedana, Chiosco Squadre Calcio, Altra Pasta, Il Politico and Nabucco.

7. Organise a trip with friends to Milan

There’s so much to do in Milan that you’ll struggle to agree with your friends on what to see. That’s why we encourage you to use the Passporter App to plan your travel itineraries from start to finish and discover the experiences of other travellers. You can read about the best places to visit in Italy, but also about transport, necessary documentation and many other details. Add your friends and create together your travel itinerary with the stops you are going to make and the points of interest you are going to see. Later you can share your experience through the photos you take during your trip.

At Passporter we want you to enjoy your trip to the fullest, that’s why we help you to prepare your holiday with friends with these tips that you will find in this post: Group travel: The best way to travel with your group of friends.

8. Tips for planning a trip to Milan

• The currency in Italy is the Euro.
• Get up early to enjoy the city with fewer people and have time to see everything.
• The best time to travel to Milan is between October and March.
• State museums are free on the first Sunday of every month.
• If you’re travelling from the EU, you won’t need a visa to travel to Italy; a passport is enough.
• The official language is Italian, but in tourist areas you can communicate in English and other European languages.
• Milan’s water is safe to drink.
• Book flights and accommodation in advance for best prices.
• Find out about events or festivals during your visit.
• Be covered for medical emergencies: travel insured. 
• Sign up for Passporter and discover our Milan travel itinerary. Using Passporter for travel planning is free and helps you to get inspiration from other travellers 🙂

9. How to prepare what to see on your trip to Milan

Download the Passporter App and discover all its possibilities.

• Get inspired by other travellers’ experiences, photos and itineraries.
• Organise your trip by the categories that suit you best: dates, number of days or type of trip (beach, mountain, restaurants).
• Add your friends so they can see and modify all the plans and trip information.
• Create your own itinerary of your destination with everything you want to visit each day.
• Add the stops that interest you the most, including your accommodation, restaurants, museums.
• Book your flights, accommodation, transfers and activities through a single app.
• Save all your documents in the app so you always have everything at hand: reservations, boarding passes, important documents.
• Make any changes you need to make and you’re all set for your trip.
• Share your experience with other users. Upload photos of the places you have visited on your trip to the app and inspire other travellers with your experience. You can also share your experience on how to plan your trip to Milan.

If you have any doubts about how to do it, you can check our post: How to create a travel itinerary on Passporter.

10. Frequently asked questions about travelling to Milan