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Milan Hotels

What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Milan is world famous for its fashion, business and shopping and predictably, this most glamorous of Italian cities has a host of expensive luxury hotels, but there are also some cheaper, more modest hotels in Milan.

Many visitors to Milan will start their exploring in Centro Storico, the historic centre of the city and the hotels here are relatively expensive as one might expect. In Centro Storico you will find the Duomo di Milano (cathedral of Milan) which is a very popular tourist attraction and should certainly be high on any visitors sightseeing list. Often described as the greatest church in the World, the spectacular architecture of 'il Duomo' took over 400 hundred years to complete and stands as the worlds fourth largest church.

Of course, Milan is well known around the world for its fabulous fashion and shopping and also located in Centro Storico within metres of il Duomo you will find the extravagant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - a large, colourful covered shopping arcade, housing fine bars and restaurants as well as a great number of shops, including luxury boutiques selling goods from famous high class brands such as Prada and Loius Vuitton - a shoppers paradise!

A little further out of the city to the west you will find another must see - the Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to what must surely be Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting, The Last Supper. Tickets to see this masterpiece frequently sell out weeks in advance so its highly advisable to book well in advance online.

For football fans a visit to the San Siro stadium is highly worthwhile. Home to both the cities teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan, the stadium is packed with history - made evident by a tour of the stadiums excellent museum. If you time it right you may be also be able to take in a game. The San Siro is out to the west of the city but is easily reached on the Metro system.  

If you are visiting Milan on a tight budget, you may consider staying in the Fiera area of Milan, as hotels here tend to be cheaper, however have good transport connections to more central Milan. To begin your search for Milan hotels simply complete our search form on the left and click search.

Overview

Overview

Foodies, shopaholics, football fans and opera buffs meet in stylish Milan. Italy's commercial heart is an intoxicating mix of the latest trends and world-class art and culture. Wander the Duomo and old canals, feast on risotto and prepare yourself for the epitome of sophistication.

See

Find world-class art and innovative architecture, from Gothic white marble masterpiece the Duomo cathedral, to the renowned collection in the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery. Visit the historicCastello Sforzesco fortress and stroll along the navigli (canals). The elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade is made for people-watching, and locals love to take a siesta in the Giardini Pubblici city park.
Spend

Splurge at Quadrilatero, San Babila's posh shopping district and home to fashion emporium Armani Manzoni 31. Find affordable style along Corso Buenos Aires and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, go shoe-mad on Via Torino and buy leather bags and belts in Chinatown. For new trends, head to Brera and the markets of the Navigli canal quarter.
Get Out

When it gets hot in the city, locals take a breather in Milan's parks. Stroll around the gardens and lakes of Milan's largest, the Giardini Pubblici, and enjoy 360º views of Milan's skyline from the Branca Tower in Parco Sempione. Relax at a pavement café in the Navigli and Brera districts or hop on a train to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore.
Culture

Be moved by an opera at world-famous La Scala, or hear great orchestral works at the Auditorium di Milano. Milan is a treasure trove of art, its museums containing masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raffaello and Titian. Admire Leonardo's Last Supper in the Santa Maria delle Grazie church and Renaissance gems in the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery.
Eat & Drink

Splash out in Michelin-starred Cracco near the Duomo. Dine in fashionable Brera with its mix of traditional, modern Italian and cosmopolitan cuisine from Japanese to Indian. Head south to easy-going Ticinese and Navigli canal quarters for trattorias and pizzerias. Find Milanese specialities osso buco (veal shank) and saffron-flavoured risotto alla Milanese anywhere.
New Perspective

Sip a strong coffee in fashion designer Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli Hollywood inside the steel Branca Tower in Parco Sempione. Then take the lift up to the observation deck – over 100m high – and brace yourself for the best 360° views of Milan.

Prepare

Prepare

Bring an empty suitcase and fill it with designer fashion splurges and bargains. Forget the diet – eating out is a Milanese passion. Just soak up Italian city life at its powerhouse best.

Milan Year

Welcome in New Year at the Parade of the Three Wise Men in January, go carnival-crazy at Carnavale Ambrosiano in February and enjoy the arts throughout the city with La Milanesianain June/July. Dress to kill during Milan Fashion Week in September, and in December, celebrate Milan's patron saint at the Fiera degli 'Oh bej Oh bej' Christmas market.
Public Holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan), Epiphany (6 Jan), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), Liberation Day (Apr), May Day, Republic's Day (Jun), Assumption (15 Aug), All Saints' Day (1 Nov), Feast of the Patron Saint (7 Dec), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 Dec), Christmas Day (25 Dec), St Stephen's Day (26 Dec).
Weather

Enjoy a pleasant, mild spring and autumn thanks to Milan's Mediterranean climate. Summers are dry and warm, averaging 24°C in July. If it gets muggy, head to the parks and lakes as the locals do. In winter expect rain, but 4°C in January is usually as low as it gets.
Electricity

230V AC, 50Hz, two-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+39 (national), 02 + 8-figure number (Milan).
Money

Euro (€) is the currency.
GMT

GMT +1 (GMT +2 in summertime).
Milan Tourist Info

Milan Tourist Information website

Fit In

The French may do chic, but the Italians do style, style and bags more style like no-one else. Milan is the fashion powerhouse of the world so deck yourself out in Armani, Prada, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, and any other designer whose name ends in a vowel.

Get Around

Get Around

Milan's historic centre is a tangle of streets around the Duomo. The city is ringed by an inner circle tracing the Navigli (former city canals) and an outer circle following the route of the medieval walls.

Milan's public transport network makes getting around quick and easy. Shaped like a star with the Duomo at its epicentre, many attractions cluster around Piazza Del Duomo. The inner city is ringed by roads built over ancient canals, traces of which survive in the Navigli canal quarter.

Around the historic centre, find Quadrilatero, the designer shopping quarter in the San Babila district, and the sophisticated Brera quarter. To the north is Milan's Central Station, iconic Pirelli Tower and the Castello Sforzesco fortress. Head south for the charming Ticinese and Navigli canal quarters.
Metro

The Metro's three lines cover most of the city and as far east as Gessate, 25km away. Metro hours are 6am-12am. Buy tickets at newsstands, vending machines, tabacchi (stores marked with "T") and bars. Once validated, travel for up to 75 minutes on limitless trams and buses, or once on the three-line Metro.
Trams and buses

The orange buses and trams run till around 2am, and the stops are tall orange poles. Navigation is made easier by route maps at each stop. The same tickets that are valid on the Metro can be used on trams, and bought at newsstands, vending machines, tabacchi (stores marked with "T") and bars.
Taxi

Try waving down a white taxi - but drivers prefer to stop at taxi ranks, and often wait around train stations. If necessary, call the local cab company. Expect extra charges for luggage, and Sunday and night-time travel.
Foot

Walking is often the quickest way of getting around, with unusual sights to be found en route. From the Duomo, the Brera district and Castello Sforzesco can be reached in around ten minutes.
Transport Tips

Using the ATM transport network is easy. Buy single tickets, or cheaper carnets of ten, giornaliero (daily) and two-day tickets. Validate the ticket at the start of your journey by punching it through the SITAM machines on board buses and at Metro stations. Once validated, single tickets let you travel for up to 75 minutes on limitless trams and buses or once on the three-line Metro.
Time Travel

Visit Milan's ornate 19th-century cemetery, the Cimitero Monumentale, final resting ground for many illustrious Milanese; in the canal quarter, early-20th-century wash-houses with beamed roofs offer a glimpse into Milan's pre-war past; look upwards to the towering skyscrapers of the Fiera Milano (Milan Fair) development.
Milan Transport Links

ATM website

Highlights

Highlights

The white-marble Gothic Duomo topped by the Madonnina (our little Madonna) is Milan's central landmark, but don't forget the cultural gems and atmospheric districts that characterise Italy's second city.

Admire the ever-impressive Duomo in Piazza Duomo (cathedral square) and enjoy an ice cream as you soak up the piazza vibe. Indulge in a bout of people-watching in the elegant cafés of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade.

North-west of the centre, find the majestic, red-brick Castello Sforzesco and its pinacoteca (art gallery). Close by, admire Leonardo's masterpiece The Last Supper in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Explore the trendy Brera district, north of the Duomo. Wander its winding streets and stop off at the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery, one of the world's major art collections.
Sightseeing Tips

Many attractions, such as the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, are closed on Mondays so check before you visit. Advance booking to see Leonardo's Last Supper is compulsory – it is advisable to book a couple of weeks in advance. Do as the Milanese and avoid the city in August if possible or you’ll find that many shop and restaurant owners have fled to the nearby lakes or southern seaside to escape the city heat.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.