Welcome to the second and final part of the Milan series (I felt it was too long to put this all in one post!). I have split this post into the following sections to help you out:
. Transport
. Accommodation
. Things to note
. Other things I hoped to do but we couldn’t fit in
Transport
Once having got into Milan (Bergamo) Airport (and found our way out), the bus transfer went very smoothly and was very cost-effective. It is about an hour drive to the central train station in Milan, and the same by train. We chose the bus as it was marginally cheaper and meant we got to see a bit more of Milan before we got out. I think it worked out about 6 euros each which is far cheaper than a taxi (there were four of us and the taxi was over 50 euros – as we didn’t have any cumbersome luggage the bus was just better all round).
The cost of the trip from central station to Milan Malpensa Airport cost a little more at 8 euros (again for a bus), and it was really easy to find the terminal the buses departed from as they are right next to the station.
As for transport actually round Milan, we didn’t use it at all on the first day and just once on the second day to get back to Central Station from the castle. A 90 minute transport pass costs around 1 euro 50 cents, with a day pass costing a little over 6 euros. When you think about transport costs in London, this is crazy as they are nearly four times the cost for a day! I think if we had more time, we definitely would have brought a day pass just so we didn’t tire ourselves out walking so much, but we didn’t feel it was worth it just for one day.
Accommodation
We chose to stay in an Airbnb for our one night, as this meant we had cooking facilities to eat on the cheap and we also had a bit more room than a hotel room. We found Daniel’s apartment on Airbnb which you can view here and it looked perfect for what we needed. Located just a few minutes’ walk from the station in a nice quiet area, it was great. It cost us £95 for one night which included all the cleaning fees etc. which felt really reasonable all things considered.
The only problem we had with the apartment was getting in as there as the building and apartment doors operated by a wireless key which you had to access from a link on your phone. Unfortunately, when we got to the door and tried the key it didn’t seem to want to work. It was only because someone was coming out of the building that we got in, and the key to the apartment door worked fine. Fortunately, once you had got into the apartment there were keys that we could use to get in and out which gave us peace of mind.
Everything seemed in great working order and the apartment was very clean and spacious. You can see from my feedback on Airbnb that I thought Daniel was a great host and I would definitely stay at his again if I found myself back in Milan.
Things to note
Tourist scams
Milan is a safe place for the most part, we didn’t come across any problems anyway. You do need to be wary however of tourist scams that are around. Here are the most common ones:
. Feeding the birds – we saw this particularly in the square outside the Duomo, and this is where people try to put bird feed in your hand and then charge you for it. Keep your hands closed when they are around and you’ll be fine
Photo taken from here
. Bracelets – this is where people tie bracelets onto your wrist quickly and in such a way that you can’t get it off without cutting it. This means you have to pay for it whether you walk away from it or break it off. Just be wary and keep an eye out for these sellers and you’ll be able to avoid them
There are also people selling everything from selfie sticks to toy cars and they can sometimes we quite persistent. A firm no will normally get rid of most of them.
Duomo rules
Photo taken from here
Another thing to note is that your shoulders must be covered whilst you are inside the Duomo. Fortunately we all had jackets but some people had to purchase expensive cover-ups from the ticket office. To avoid this unnecessary expense just remember to pack one.
Central station
We didn’t realise that the Central station wasn’t exactly at the ‘centre’ of Milan but a little way North. As our hotel was about 5 minutes from the station, this also meant that it took quite a long time to get anywhere. In hindsight, it may have been better for us to get a public transport pass because we wasted a lot of precious time walking down to the actual centre each time. I think we could have seen a lot more had we used the transport available.
Other things I hoped to do but we couldn’t fit in
Because we had such limited time here, there were always things that we weren’t going to have time to do. Here is a list of those things, just as a bit more inspiration for you all 😊
. Navigli District – this area has some of the only open canals still visible in Milan. It is known for great bars and eateries and is a great place to while away an evening. This is a little further out which is why we didn’t get there. You can also hire bikes and cycle from the canal district to Gorgonzola which is meant to be lovely.
Photo taken from here
. Sforza Castle – although we had a quick wander in the courtyard, I would like to have spent some more time here and maybe even gone into the castle. This is one of the largest citadels in Europe, so there is a lot to see!
Photo taken from here
. Tram ride – there are quite a few vintage trams in Milan and both the route numbers 1 and 9 are meant to be the most scenic. I think sightseeing on a tram sounds like a great idea. And you can save your legs for more exploring later.
. San Bernardino alle Ossa – this looks like your normal church on the outside, but it has a surprise within. They ran out of space in the graveyard at one stage in time, so decided to just pile the people on top of each other. This meant that there is now a wall full of skulls which I thought was pretty cool and wanted to see.
Photo taken from here
Who knows, maybe I’ll find myself back there one day so I can do all these things…
If you have any additional tips about Milan feel free to comment on this post.
Happy travelling!
Zoe and David x
Written by Zoe
Not-So-Trendy Travellers 