I stayed 4 days in Milan and 1 day in Venice (took a day trip by train to Venice). It's quite nice but I should have stayed only 2 days in Milan. I got bored by day 3 because I was able to visit all the tourist places in 2 days. Summer in Italy is very hot and humid, so drink plenty of water. Most of them do not speak English, and even if they do, the accent is so heavy. In Milan I visited: St Maria Grazie (Last Supper), Duomo, Piazza Castello, St Ambrogio, Galleria Vittorio, Monte Napoleone, Buenos Aires shopping centre, and La Scala. I stayed at Hotel Berna. The elevator is super small, but the breakfast was superb!

My impression is: Milan is totally overrated. There is nothing to see at La Scala, so I don't know why it's considered as a tourist place. Monte Napoleone is high brand shopping place, but the Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles is much better and cleaner. Duomo is nice from the outside, but the interior is quite dark. On the other hand, St Maria Grazie is very nice with the Last Supper painting by Leonardo. If you plan to visit this site, make sure you book your reservation at least 2 months before your visit.

Milan is quite dirty and crowded. The underground is hot and there is no AC. Be extra careful with your belongings. Always put your bags and wallet in front. There are plenty of pickpockets, and I mean plenty.

The people are very high fashion, even the males. So if you are into shopping, this city is for you. Big sales start in 3rd week of June. You can find good deals at 50% off.

I took a day trip by train to Venice, but did not visit St Mark church due to long line (under the sun!). But the city overall is very nice, plenty of small shops selling cyrstals and souveniers. The train took about 2.5 hours from Milan Stazione Centrale.

I lost my sling bag in the train, right before departure. I was away from my seat for less than 10 seconds (I was checking where the restroom was), and the bag was gone. So be extra careful not to leave your belongings unattended.

If you're planning to visit Italy, my suggestion is: 3 days in Milan (2 days for sigthseeing, 1 day for shopping), 2 days in Venice, 3 days in Rome, 2 days in Florence.

I'm planning to visit Rome and Florence perhaps next year.

Thanks for posting your experience, some I agree, some I do not. The glaring one I think you are flat out wrong is that Milan is dirty; simply too broad a statement, many parts of Milan are very, very nice and clean. Not sure where you hanged out...Crowded? Hello?....Italy in the summer is EXPECTED to be crowded!! Oh, and by the way....why should they be expected to speak any English at all?!

Better research next time.

Perhaps I am wrong, but it appears you have not been to Rome or Florence yet, so suggesting allotting those days is not based on personal experience. IMHO, three days is not enough for Rome and two is not enough Florence, especially if you want to do any day trips. They both have so much to offer. With ten days, I would skip Milan and add those three days to Rome, Florence and Venice. That would be my suggestion for a person making their first trip to Italy. Travel less, Do more in each place.

I agree with Sassafrass that your recommended itinerary for Italy is not what I would recommend after many visits there.

I always keep my personal items with me on a train, whether in NYC or in Italy.

And I personally enjoy Milan. I find the city cosmopolitan and quite clean overall. I have been there a half dozen times and enjoy the energy of the city.

And I much prefer Milan to LA.

As far as not many speaking English, I have not personally found that to be true. More importantly, it is Italy so why in the world would you expect people to speak English? Do most people in LA speak Italian?

i agree why should they speak English? Learn a few polite phrases in the country you will visit and people will be very hospitable.

I second the recommendation of skipping Milano if you've never been to Italy before. Rome, Florence, Venice are the three main cities, and for a reason.

Milano is much like Chicago to me. It has some really great attractions, but in comparison with the "Big Three", not enough to justify visiting on a first trip. Also, Milano is VERY crowded compared with the merely crowded run of Italian tourist cities.

henryw--

So sorry that your experience in Milan was less than satisfactory, judging from your post.

I recently spent 4 days there and enjoyed the sights, the people, the food and the wine thoroughly. My visit to La Scala was a highlight (a special exhibit on Maria Callas was there), and we also enjoyed the Last Supper, the Castello, the Galleria, the Duomo, the Brera.

As noted by the above posters, I don't know that I would put Milan on the top priority list if you have not already visited the other major Italian cities. But it should definitely be considered by travelers, particularly as a gateway to the Lakes or other areas of northern Italy. There is much to see and do there.

Last May was my 6th trip to Italy and my first time in Milan. I loved it, but did validated having placed it as a later destination. That said, I would love to go back and explore more of Milan!

"really great attractions"

Therein lies the basic difference in travel styles. We do not go anywhere for "attractions" but rather to absorb the individual culture of a place,