Milan Travel Guide: What We Loved (and What Surprised Us)

adriana hamelin
1 day ago
2 min read

✈️ Getting from Malpensa Airport to the City

We landed at Malpensa and took the Terravision bus to Milano Centrale.

💶 €10 one-way / €16 round-trip
⏱️ About 50 minutes
👍 Very easy and budget-friendly

From there, we just walked to our hotel, which made everything super smooth after a long travel day.

👉 Tip: On the way back, leave more time than you think, you don’t want airport stress.

🏨 Where We Stayed: Hilton Milan

We stayed at the Hilton (twice actually), and it became our home base in Milan.

The vibe is rich and classic
Staff was amazing (Moira made the experience feel personal)
Location = walking distance from the train station

And honestly, going back the second time felt even better, as they remembered us… even the cappuccino order ☕️

🚇 Getting Around Milan

Milan is very easy to navigate:

Use your phone or credit card → tap in/out for metro
Bus = tap once
Metro gets you to Duomo di Milano in ~10 minutes

We also took the tram to Arco della Pace—honestly one of the most charming ways to move around the city.

🏛️ The Highlight: Duomo di Milano

This is the main reason to visit Milan and it exceeded expectations.

One of the largest churches in the world
Took 600 years to build
Massive piazza and incredibly detailed facade

Right next to it is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

👉 Don’t forget the tradition:spin 3 times on the bull for good luck 🐂

🎟️ Duomo Tips

Here’s what I wish I knew before going:

✔️ Book in advance

✔️ Get the elevator ticket to the terrace

✔️ Ticket is valid 2 days (not super clear online)

We planned it like this:

Museum → Cathedral → Terrace

🏛️ Museum

Interesting and gives context but a bit long.

⛪ Inside the Duomo

Huge, darker atmosphere
Stunning stained glass (some of the largest in churches)

🔝 Terrace (BEST PART)

Unreal views
You walk among the spires
Lots of photo/video spots

It does get crowded in certain areas, but it’s 100% worth it.

🍝 Gluten-Free Find: Mama Eat Milano

If you’re gluten-free → GO HERE.

We ordered… a lot 😅

Arancini (huge + amazing)
Fried chicken (crispy overload in the best way)
Pizza (of course)
Tiramisu to finish

👉 Let’s just say… workouts are necessary in Italy.

We also saw

🌳 Arco della Pace & Park Walk

We took the tram to Arco della Pace and walked through the park.

Super lively on weekends
Locals just hanging out
Relaxed, social vibe

We continued through Sforza Castle courtyard, beautiful and worth passing through.

Our Honest Thoughts on Milan

Some people say Milan is “skippable”…but we actually really liked it.

Clean
Easy to get around
Stylish energy
Good balance of city + culture

👉 Husband approved ✔️