Visit Milano, Italy This Summer

Milano is the fashion capital of Italy and, arguably, the world, rivaling even Paris. As Italy's financial capital and industrial center Milano represents "New Italy" and is a haven for city lovers in addition to possessing fantastic history and architecture.

Milano Malpensa airport is where you start. Recent airfare on sidestep.com from the Eastern US ranged from less than $400 in May out of NYC to $800 out of DC in July. NYC, Philadelphia and Boston usually offer the cheapest flights to Italy. In summer, when ticket prices to Italy double, it could be cheaper to fly to Shannon or Dublin in Ireland for $400 - $500 and take a Ryanair flight to Milan for about €40. This is less flexible but could save hundreds of dollars in airfare.

What to See

Milano's Gothic Duomo, dating from 1397 with over a hundred spires and thousands of statues, is the world's second largest cathedral. The Castello Sforzesco, built by the family which once ruled the city, offers free admission to the castle and inexpensive admission to the museum. Don't miss the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, built in 379 by Milano's patron St. Ambrose, redesigned in 1099 in Romanesque style, heavily bombed in WWII and then rebuilt again. The Full-screenSant'Ambrogio‎ metro stop is the best way to reach the Basilica.

World class museums, libraries (biblioteca) and galleries (pinacoteca) include the Pinacoteca di Brera, Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, with notebooks and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, which discounts the entrance fee to €4 for students and on Wednesdays, everyone gets that price. The Museo Teatro alla Scala is also €4.

Other siteseeing staples include La Scala, one of the world's most famous opera houses featuring Pink Floyd Ballet, Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, and Midsummer Night's Dream in June and July, The Church and Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie where Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper is housed, and the Giardini Pubblici near the fashion district. The Last Supper is the most difficult and expensive to book requiring at least a couple month's notice in summer. It is booked through May 2009 right now, for example

Leave plenty of time for exploring the city streets and finding memorable little places not in any guidebook. The subway system is inexpensive and reaches much of the city. Many of these places are in interesting neighborhoods ripe for exploration even if the attraction is booked up or closed. Although the Piazza Duomo is a great place to introduce Milano, try to stray from that area and be rewarded with fewer crowds and better value.

Where to Shop

Since this is a budget guide, there might some money left over to splurge on a fashionable souvenir. The main shopping area is the quadrilatero della Moda, Milano's fashion district. It can be found between the Piazza Duomo, Piazza Cavour, Piazza San Babila, and Montenapoleone subway station. Major streets to look for are via della Spiga, via Monte Napoleone, corso Vittorio Emanuele, and via Alessandro Manzoni. This compact area is home to Giorgio Armani, Nicola Trussardi, Gianni Versace, Enrico Coveri, Gucci Bonvicini and Dolce e Gabanna. For those seeking the trappings of a chic, fashionable lifestyle, these blocks are a mecca. Subway access is from MM1 San Babila or MM3 Montenapoleone subway stations.

Key attractions in this area include the Armani Megastore at Via Manzoni 31, near La Scala Opera House. Experience Giorgio Armani's flagship store with over 8,000 square feet of high-fashion. Don't forget Dolce e Gabbana at via della Spiga no. 2 for women's designs. Milano's Giardini Pubblici is just beyond the fashion district for a breath of fresh air.

Another place to wander on a Saturday is the flea market Fiera di Senigallia near Porta Genova MM2 subway and train station. This is a great place for those not inclined to visit high end boutiques. The treasures include new and second-hand clothes, old furniture, perfumed candles and essences, books, comics, records, videos and DVDs. On Tuesdays and Saturdays there is also the Mercato di Viale Papiniano near the Sant'Agostino metro stop.

If the budget has no room for high end boutiques but an Italian shopping fix is still desired, there is the shopping outlet in Serravalle Scrivia. Reputed to be the first designer outlet in Italy and the largest in Europe with over 180 stores. The outlets are roughly an hour's drive from Milano and tour companies operate buses, leaving from near the Castle, there and back for €20 round-trip.

Where to Eat (and Drink)

All the site seeing and shopping is sure to work up an appetite but be prepared, this is not your stereotypical Italian American fare. Milanese cuisine features rice rather than pasta, with risotto, and almost no tomato. Try the breaded cutlets of meat (veal, pork, turkey) pan fried in butter, supposedly derived from Viennese "Wienerschnitzel", although the Milanese claim that "Wienerschnitzel" came from "cotoletta alla milanese". Other typical dishes include the classic Milanese winter dish cassoeula (a hearty pork, sausage, and cabbage stew), ossobuco (braised veal shank) with a sauce called gremolata (a mix of parsley, garlic and lemon peel) served with risotto alla milanese (with saffron and beef marrow), busecca (tripe stew with beans, the broth is delicious), and brasato (stewed beef in hearty red wine, such as Barolo, with potatoes or polenta). Milano is known for salame milano with a very fine grain and gorgonzola from the nearby town of that name.

Lunch in Milano is generally served between 12:30PM and 2:30PM. For quick lunch, try the excellent chain cafés, Brek, Ciao, or Pastarito Pizzarito, with several locations, including near the Duomo. The food is fast, inexpensive and much better than stateside fast food making them a good place to stop for a quick snack.

Recommended local places in different neighborhoods include Bar Ted One at the corner of via Moscova and via Solferino. The lunch is freshly prepared for about €8 - 10. Near the San Babila subway entrance, try Bar Erri at 28 via Durini. They don't speak English and it's a good place for coffee and a snack.

For a good deal on a full lunch near the Duomo plan to arrive early for the lunch special at Da Pino at 14 via Cerva. Primi, side, wine and dessert can be had for under €15 but it gets crowded with office workers on lunch. At La Fattoria on via San Fermo just north of via Montebello one can get either meat or vegetarian hot entree, two sides and a dessert for around €10. They are only open for lunch, however.

For pizza, try Al Galileo at via Galilei Galileo 14. For panzerotti, little fried stuffed pizzas, try Luini. Fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil is a good bet, but they offer a variety of fillings. With a beer this snack can come in under €10. Luini is located close to the Duomo at via S. Radegonda 16. For risotto try Da Abele at via Temperanza 5. the risottos change seasonally and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Don't forget gelato, the excellent Italian ice cream. This is arguably the best part of Italian cuisine for me since it is the hardest to come by in the States. The quality mark "gelato artigianale" indicates that the gelateria produces their own ice cream. Bakeries are open every day, where you can enjoy fastastic and inexpensive pizza and focaccia. Bakeries are almost everywhere in Milan, even in the Duomo area, serving as an alternative to bars for a fast lunch.

Milanese dinner is served from about 7:30PM to 9:30PM. Dinner usually kicks off with an aperitivo, which is typically a glass of sparkling wine, a Negroni (gin, vermouth, Campari, and orange slice), or Negroni Sbagliato (replace the gin with white bubbly). In this spirit, roughly from 7PM to 9PM, many bars offer drinks and cocktails accompanied by free all-you-can-eat buffets with snacks, pasta, rice, and many other appetizers.

Usually these are help yourself with a drink order, although in Milano they may cost €5-10. One of these saved us on our last night in Milan, crunched for time, almost out of money and hungry. This is an excellent and inexpensive way to try a bunch of different foods for dinner while enjoying a casual night out. These are not your typical American bar buffets, being more like a potluck in food quality. Many such places can be found in the area near the Colonne di san Lorenzo and corso di porta Ticinese, or close by in the Navigli area (MM2 Porta Genova Subway Station).

Areas for nightlife include corso Como, near Garibaldi Station, Piazza Brera, Navigli canalside and adjacent Ticinese quarter south of the city center. Classic places to check out include Rita at via Angelo Fumagalli 1 for fresh and exquisite Milanese flavor, the Alcatraz (website is Italian) dance club for Friday night disco, Cicco Simonetta at via Cicco Simonetta 16 for comics, musicians, and €3 beer on Mondays, and Bar Magenta at via Carducci 13 (Metro Station Cadorna). Look for the big yellow letters. This bar is said to have originated the apperitivo and the best time to try it here is around 7PM. Drinks need to be paid for in advance inside the entrance and to the right.

Where to Stay

It is possible to save additional expense by renting out an apartment for the duration of the stay, not only might this be cheaper than nightly hotel but they will often have a kitchenette for cooking meals if this is something that is appealing. Following are a variety of hotels priced at around €50 for a double room. For a Family hotel there is the hotel Florence. For an EcoFriendly option there is the hotel La Residenza. Last but not least is the Free Internet option, hotel Monopole.