maitai - also really enjoying your France report. We spent two days in Milan at the start of our 2012 trip and enjoyed it more than we expected to. We had tickets to see the Last Supper and to see Tosca at La Scala - both were incredible. We also enjoyed the galleria and the duomo - especially the roof. Scroll down to my Oct 6 2012 entry for a more detailed description of our Milan visit than I originally posted at the beginning of the report. My opinion is if you can see the things we did, a two day visit is well worth it. If we would have had more time we would have gone to the Monumental Cemetery but we were satisfied with the things we did. Can't wait to read about your adventures!

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nque-terre.cfm

Pictures:

https://john183italy2012.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

I like Milan. It doesn't feel as touristy or as crowded as Florence which is insanely crowded or Rome. There is certainly plenty to see there for a few days and the food is fabulous.

If you love opera, the place is more than "worth it" for obvious reasons. I would not, however, go there to see the <B>remnant</B> of a DaVinci work but it's all subjective, obviously.

I've been doing business in Milan for several decades, and I have veteran, Italian friends who live there. It's a city rich in history and commerce, so, for the intellectually curious or for the more sophisticated traveler, Milan delivers plenty of stimulation and treats.

Most average tourists have superficial interest in Milan. Milan's secrets take longer to discover and require more work, and most 1-day tourists don't have the time or wish to work that hard on any city they visit. Historical highlights in other cities like Rome are much easier to cross off a bullet list, especially if you're the type of tourist who likes to sleep in until 10 am.

IMO, the Milan experience can be similar to NYC, in that, your perspective of time spent there can very much depend on what you do with your time, whom you know, and when you visit.

The fashion scene in Milan has gone through major changes in the last 30 years, but for someone who loves and, perhaps, works in fashion, Milan is still fabulous.

There are other great shopping finds in Milan that have nothing to do with fashion. But you need time to discover them.

"especially if you're the type of tourist who likes to sleep in until 10 am."

Of course, with me as the evil task master, it never will happen.

I figured I would get diverse opinions about Milan. By the comments above and what I've read other places, I'm probably going to go with at least two and probably a three-night stay to start (Tracy, along with Kim and Mary, who are taking their lives in their hands by joining us again, would probably like to settle in to a routine to start our journey anyway).

I love to plan (many would say over plan), and Kim is great at city logistics and getting to and fro, so between the four of us I think we'll be able to navigate the city and see what we'd like to see. I know it is not the relaxing Italy that most people love, but the four of us kind of thrive on his this type of hyper-activity for some odd reason. We'll get to "relaxing Italy" later on during the trip. Plus, there's always wine to help us relax wherever we are.

The four of us always make the best of any situation (even the wrong gas thing), so I am not concerned that we will not like Milan. Any other suggestions of sights you enjoy in Milan are appreciated. Thanks again for your help!

I've been to Milan twice, both for a few days, and really enjoyed it. So much that I have booked 9 days there this coming March. I'm mostly using it as a base to do day trips - there are so many places within an hour or so of Milan, but it's a great place to come 'home' to after a day trip. I totally agree with the comment that for many tourists it doesn't "match their idea of "quaint" Italy. It's a bustling metropolis, with a wealth of culture, and plenty of historical interest".

Since I do use it as a base to do day trips from, I stay near Milano Centrale. I think the area 'towards' the center and the Duomo is not at all 'seedy', but I do think the area to the back of the station is less desirable. One of my favorite hotels anywhere is a short walk from the station (and the metro) (Hotel Berna). The hotel itself is pretty nice but the breakfast buffet is to die for. And once you've stayed there every year on your birthday they send you a cake recipe.

Re your other plans - I loved San Marino (and our day trip to San Leo). It is much nicer early and late in the day when the day trippers are gone.

I have enjoyed both of my visits to Milan. Besides the "biggies" to visit, it is a vibrant city. Yes, there are more " modern" buildings but heavy WWII bombing is the culprit. The real fashion streets are amazing and I am not a shopper. Watch the locals walking by, beautifully dressed, and notice their shoes.
Good restaurants. Gateway to many of my favorite places in Italy- Liguria, The Lakes, Piemonte.

I will be there for about 24 hours next Thursday.
We will be arriving by train in the morning from Turin and heading on to Florence the next day.
I've never been before but DH has a couple of times on business.

The Duomo is on my to do list but otherwise we prefer to leave our options open (DH will not want to shop though!) I will report back if I find any gems

I spent six nights in Milan in March as part of a solo trip to Italy and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Spent the first three nights at the Principe di Savoia which is a fabulous hotel but the area it is in is mostly office buildings, apartment buildings, big hotels etc but the hotel has a shuttle to the centre. (It's a Bentley and was pretty fantastic)
So really liked the hotel but the area not so much. Stayed there as I lucked into a super great deal but only for three nights.

The last three nights I stayed at BandB Four rooms in the Garibaldi district which couldn't have been more different but was fabulous. Loved the area and the BandB was perfect, such lovely people and really a great room with a mini kitchen, lovely outdoor seating, tons of restaurant choices right out the front door. There was an Eataly a few blocks away so I got some great food there to have in my room.
There is a very interesting cemetery a few blocks away called Monumentale and I spent a couple of hours wandering there marvelling at the variety of enormous crypts and statues, never seen anything like it.

I did a Walks of Italy Last Supper tour which included the roof of the Duomo, a wander through the Brera district and of course the Last Supper which was pretty special.
Fashion is a part of my life so Milan was a treat for me, there are great shopping and looking/admiring opportunities all over the place. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is really not the best place in Milan for shopping.

Hi raincitygirl, was this your B&B? http://www.milanobrerarelais.it/wordpress/?lang=en#b&b

We stayed there twice over the past 18 months in the Dell'Angelo suite and loved the location. But we decided we'd rather be in a hotel rather than a B&B, so in September stayed at the Carlyle Brera close by. It's a good 4-star hotel, not a huge amount of character or charm, but perfectly comfortable. And it's the only 4-star in the neighborhood.
http://www.hotelcarlyle.com/en/?view=home

"Fashion is a part of my life so Milan was a treat for me, there are great shopping and looking/admiring opportunities all over the place."

My September trip was with my friends and we were there over Fashion Week, a great time to be in the city! Fab people watching. So many great shops in the Garibaldi/Brera area, but our absolute favorite was the small store owned by designer Nadia Corti with her daughter and featuring her own designs, both RtW and bespoke. Nadia herself was in the shop to help us. Everybody has been thrilled with what they bought and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. http://www.nadiacorti.it/

http://lafavia4rooms.com/?lang=en

No, WeisserTee, this is it. Sorry actually called lafavia4rooms.

Love the looks of the Nadia Corti store! I just missed Fashion Week when I was there in the spring.
I will check it out next time because there will certainly be a next time. You are lucky to be so close!

If you like New York and other large cities you'll like Milan. You've received enough recommendations above to keep you busy for a week. The food is probably a lot better too than in NYC!
If you go to San Marino try to stay overnight. There's a lovely atmosphere after the hordes have departed. We stayed at a hotel with a stupendous view. And don't miss San Leo.
As far as Urbino... sigh, sigh. Wish I could go back.

Somehow we've ended up in Milan at least 5 or 6 times because of convenient flights and connections. It definitely grows on you. Plenty of great hotels and restaurants.

Recently I've been seeing excellent fares between Milan and the US, including on some flights business class for not much more than economy.

I do love Italy hill towns.>>

Tom, if you're serious about that, I recommend Sicily. you would never run out of them.

Someone (I've forgotten who) did a trip report on this district which included a lot of food/restaurant info.

http://www.truemilan.com/place/navigli-district/

<i> So many great shops in the Garibaldi/Brera area, but our absolute favorite was the small store owned by designer Nadia Corti with her daughter and featuring her own designs, both RtW and bespoke. Nadia herself was in the shop to help us. Everybody has been thrilled with what they bought and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. http://www.nadiacorti.it/
</i>

This is the best thing about shopping in a big city. You can find boutiques of all the major names in fashion anywhere in the world, but in many large Italian cities you can also find small shops with unique designs.