Travel guide Milan
The best time to go à MILAN
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Practical information for travel à MILAN
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Edition 2025/2026
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What to see what to do à MILAN?
Where to go à MILAN?
The most beautiful tourist sites
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Petit Futé's best addresses à MILAN
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Featured articles de MILAN
Visit Milan's Duomo in 2025: information and tips
Published on 01/07/2025 Activities and experiences
Among Milan's must-sees, the Duomo is unquestionably at the top of the list! With its unique architecture and terraces offering incredible views over the city, it's a must-see when visiting Lombardy....
What to do and see in Italy The 27 must-sees in 2025
Published on 24/06/2025 Activities and experiences
Engaging, exotic and enchanting : three adjectives that perfectly define Italy. From the Alps to the Apennines, from the white sandy beaches of the south to the green valleys of the north, the peninsula...
Where can you go in Europe without flying if you have children in 2025?
Published on 16/06/2025 Activities and experiences
Want to organize a family trip without adding to your carbon footprint? It's easier than you might think to travel with children without taking a plane, especially in Europe. More and more routes...
How to travel à MILAN
How to go alone
Milan can be reached by car (good formula if you also want to visit the great lakes). You leave your vehicle on the outskirts of Milan (heavy traffic and difficult parking). By train, you can reach Milan's Central Station from where you can use public transport. By plane, you have the choice between three airports. Malpensa (50km), Bergamo (45km) and Linate a few kilometres from the centre. Choose a well located accommodation to reduce your time in transport.
How to go on a tour
Milan is not the most touristy destination in Italy. Nevertheless, you can easily find organized stays. Most of the time they are weekends with flight and hotel. They are advantageous outside the tourist season, but be careful about the location of the hotels offered. It is better to stay in a hotel that is a little less comfortable but closer to your points of interest. The Milan and Great Lakes tours can also be attractive.
How to get around
The best way to get around Milan is by public transport: metro, streetcar and bus. By juggling all three you can reach all the important destinations. The Milanocard allows you to use public transportation free of charge for 24, 48 or 72 hours, depending on the option you choose.
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Discover MILAN
Milan was originally a Celtic city before becoming, by the law of arms, Roman, Lombard, French, Spanish and Austrian. Destroyed, rebuilt, the capital of Lombardy does not cultivate a stereotypical Italian identity. Spearhead of the national economy (the Stock Exchange is headquartered here), queen of fashion alongside New York and Paris, Milan has chosen to link its destiny to the future, without forgetting its illustrious past. While at first glance Milan's grey, industrial suburbs may be discouraging, discovering the city is a succession of pleasant surprises, and a plunge into refinement and savoir-vivre "à la milanaise". A skilful blend of heritage and modernism, Milan's charms appeal to lovers of art, culture and urban planning, as well as shopping and design aficionados. As the gateway to the Lake District and the ideal starting point for exploring the region, Milan is well worth a visit.
The 12 keywords à MILAN
#Abbayes
Scattered to the south of Milan and towards Pavia, the silhouettes of several fine Romanesque abbeys stand out elegantly in their red-brick finery against the Lombardy countryside. Architectural masterpieces and spiritual centers of the Middle Ages, their monastic communities played an essential role in the region's agricultural development.
#Business
A major business hub, Milan is often referred to as Italy's economic capital. Its stock exchange is the country's most important economic exchange. Most industrial activities are present here, but the city also draws its economic dynamism from tertiary activities, often managed by family-run SMEs.
#Biscione
The coat of arms of Milan depicts a snake ( biscione) holding a child in its mouth. Legend has it that a dragon terrorized the Milanese and that Umberto Visconti killed it before it could devour a child. An emblem that the Alfa Romeo company, the Mediaset group and Milan soccer club Inter F.C. have made their own.
#Channels
Once criss-crossed by a dense network of canals, Milan today retains only a few sections. The Navigli extended beyond the urban perimeter to cover a large part of Lombardy. Although diminished, they are still part of the Lombardy landscape, and their picturesque character has now outlived their functional aspect.
#Case di ringhiera
"Balustraded houses". This is the name given to Milan's old buildings with spindly balconies. Once popular, now appreciated for their picturesque character, they are often transformed into artists' studios. Numerous in the Navigli area, they are sometimes hidden behind austere storefronts, which you should not hesitate to pass discreetly.
#Design
Milan is not only the capital of fashion, it's also the capital of design. Since 1923, the city has hosted the annual Salon International du Meuble, a major event. Alessi, Kartell and Artemide are just some of the famous names of brands born in Milan or Lombardy that justify the title of design capital.
#Fiera
Since 1920, the Fiera di Milano has been one of the country's leading trade fairs. Located on two sites, one in the city center and the other in Rho, 15 km to the northeast, it hosts events of all kinds all year round. With over 80 events and 160 conventions a year, it's a huge business showcase.
#Liberty
Along with Turin and Palermo, Milan is Italy's most Liberty city. This contemporary style of French Art Nouveau flourished in Milanese architecture at the end of the 19th century. Flowers, leaves, animals and nymphs in wrought iron or majolica decorate many buildings on Corso Venezia and around Corso Magenta.
#Locali
Milan offers night owls a whole panoply of bars, nightclubs and pubs, summed up in Italian by a single word: locali. From trendy bars with designer decor to underground clubs and concert halls to jazzy cafés, each district has its own range of good addresses, for all styles and ages.
#Madonnina
A gilded statue of the Virgin Mary dominates Milan from the cathedral's highest spire. A symbol of the city, the Milanese donated it to the church in 1774. The Duomo, or Santuario di Santa Maria Nascente, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. At over 4 meters tall, the Madonnina weighs 1,390 kg. Her halberd is actually a lightning rod.
#Mode
Stores are everywhere, the greatest couturiers are everywhere, and dressing up is an art. Italy's fashion capital, especially during Fashion Week, Milan is all about fashion, and fashion is all about you! Window-shopping or shopping, the choice is yours, but one thing's for sure: you'll succumb to Milanese style!
#Nebbia
Nebbia, the dense fog that envelops the city and its surroundings, has become an inseparable feature of the Lombardy winter landscape. It's a meteorological feature linked to the morphology of the Po plain, which is humid, highly industrial and not very windy. It does, however, give Milan a certain charm, and always ends up dissipating
You are from here, if...
You eat breakfast to the sound of " cappuccino e brioche ", standing at the counter of the local café.
You're dreaming of buying tickets for La Scala's season opening on December 7.
You discover Brera in the early hours of the morning, enjoying the silence of its sleepy streets.
At weekends, you're off to the lakes to experience la dolce vita, between boat trips and aperitivi on the terrace.
For you, work comes first and your days are never-ending. In fact, you're very proud to live in the country's economic capital!
You visit all the designer showrooms during the Salon du Meuble and manage to get invited to a select event.
On Christmas Eve, you line up at the patisserie to pick up your hot 1 kg panettone.
You wouldn't miss the AC Milan or Inter FC players on Sunday afternoon at the San Sirofor the world.
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