For the UK Easter break, we decided to go on a 4-day getaway to Milan. It’s a short 2-hour flight from London and we arrived at Malpensa Airport at around 10 AM. It’s a small airport so we got through customs quickly and were out by 10.20 AM. The train station is a short 5-minute walk away and buses to the city center are also available at the terminal. Buses cost 8 EUR1 and the train is 13 EUR. We decided to take the train and got on the 10.30 AM train to Milano Centrale. The onboard ticket man was very friendly and recommended us to get a daily travel card which cost 4.50 EUR to get around in the city. He also said we could touch and go using contactless credit cards. The train ride to Milano Centrale took about an hour so we got there at around 11.30 AM. The station is huge and there are no ticket barriers to exit so you just make your way out. From the station, we decided to walk to our Airbnb2 near Duomo since we had time to spare before our check-in time slot. It should take about 45 minutes to walk but we made several stops for pictures so it took us 1 hour 30 minutes. On the way, we walked through Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli which is a garden where the natural history museum is. We also came across the shopping district which has several Gallerias which are like shopping malls.
We got to our Airbnb at around 1 PM and after settling in we went looking for food. We soon found out that most of the local places close the kitchen between 2-3 PM. We managed to find a place that said they could serve us if we ordered quickly. After lunch, we headed to the historic city center. The main site is the Duomo and it is a truly magnificent cathedral. The building is huge and it has many columns all with great detail. The plaza also covers a large area and is great for pictures. We walked around the area and got back to the Airbnb by 7 PM.
Our next two days we took day trips to Como and Verona which you can find out more about from the links. On our last day, our flight was at 8 PM so we explored the city throughout the day. In the morning, we went to Sempione Park which is one of the biggest in Milan. We got off at the Cardona metro station and walked towards Castello Sforzesco which serves as an entrance to the park. It is free to enter the open areas of the castle and tickets are available for the museum. The park has gardens and a lake which make for a picturesque walk. We walked through the park and got to the Arco della Pace which is an arch dedicated to peace. From here, we went to get lunch and then to the Duomo.
There are several tickets available to visit the inside of the Duomo; cathedral only, cathedral plus stairs to the top, or cathedral plus lift to the top. We chose the ticket with lift access and it cost 37 EUR. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket office. The queue for the lift was quite long and we waited for about 30 minutes. The stairs queue was practically empty so it would have been quicker and cheaper to go by stairs. Also, the lift entrance is around the back of the Duomo. Once inside, the lift takes you to the terrace area. The level of detail in the stonework is mesmerizing and there are several balconies that make for great pictures. You walk across the terrace to the front and climb a couple of stairs to get to the top. More impressive views from here and you can walk over to the other end of the cathedral. Watch your footing as some of the stonework can be slippery. Once we were done, we headed down to visit the inside of the cathedral.
The inside is massive and there are many tall columns throughout. It’s very gothic in style and nice to walk around. At the entrance of the cathedral, there are some stairs which lead underground. Here you’ll see some tombs and the original baptism pool. This is a museum-like area and there are several artifacts on display. When finished with this, the ticket also gives you access to the museum opposite the Duomo. Do keep in mind that the museum closes at 6 but the last entry is at 5 PM. So we couldn’t get in as we got there at 5.10 PM. Following the Duomo, we went for a quick walk around the area and came across the Leonardo da Vinci statue. From here we then headed to the airport for our flight back to London.
