Milan is the most expensive city in Italy (an already expensive place) but when flights are so cheap to fly there, can it still be done on a budget? Most definitely yes! And it is worth the money that you will spend. My friends and I spent three days in Milan and managed to keep the costs down. Here is how we did it:

Duomo

Accommodation 

First up, where are you going to stay? You've paid hardly anything for a flight but suddenly you look at accommodation and the prices are extorniate. If you shop around you can definitely find some cheaper stays that aren't far out of the city or completely disgusting.

Airbnb: Not always the cheapest but if there are a few of you then it is easy to stay in a decent place in Milan inexpensively. For three nights for three people it cost us £79.60 each to stay in a beautiful Airbnb that averaged around a 30 minute tram ride from all the major sights. We stayed at Alessia's Flat - Portello (which hosts up to four people so find one more friend than we had and it could be even cheaper!). With a balconette, a double bed and a double sofa bed, a glorious shower and a fully equipped kitchen (and great security), we couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. 

Hostel: If you are solo travelling or there are just a couple of you, hostels can be a great option and they don't always have to feel like you're sacrificing cleanliness and comfort. From a quick Hostelworld search you can find many great options, especially if you are willing to stay a little out of the centre. If you wanted to go next month (November) dorms range from £19 upwards. The trick, especially with a place like Milan, is to book early on. For December those hostels are currently cheaper but you need to know your plan two months in advance - not always the case if you are backpacking. 

Transport

Public transport: It can seem counter-intuitive to save money by staying a little out of the way if you're then spending all your cash getting from A to B, but Milan has a fantastic public transport system. If you get the ATM Milano app you can easily buy tickets on the app. A single will set you back €2 or you can get a 24 hour ticket for only €7 that can be used on all the trams, buses and the metro so a worthy investment. Just remember to activate your ticket or you will get fined!

Rent electric scooters: These are everywhere in Milan from all the companies you can imagine - you can rent bikes as well - and they make a super easy and cheap way to get around the city quickly. Just be careful because Louise tried to face plant the floor not long into our Voi trip! But they are generally really safe. 

Free activities

Now you've totted up a decent amount of money in accommodation and transport. How can you spend your time there cheaply? Milan offers a variety of sights and activities that do not need to break the bank to visit. In fact, many can be seen for free. In two days wandering around Milan we went to:

Sforzesco Castle and fountain

Sforzesco Castle: The castle hosts beautiful grounds that you can wander and explore, including an impressive fountain at the front which was way too tempting to jump into on a hot day. We didn't pay to go in, only meandered through the free gardens, but it is only €5 (€3 reduced) so a cheap activity for sure. The grounds itself were beautiful enough and as you walk out the back there is a stunning view of the park and arch. 

Sempione Park: A beautiful park just outside of the castle that offers loads of space to sit and relax, enjoy the sun (or escape from the August heat in the shade of trees), there is a pond with terrapins, sometimes music filling the air, quaint cafes and trickling rivers. It's the perfect place to enjoy a picnic, read a book, or sit and chat with your friends as you rest your feet from all the sightseeing. 

Arco Della Pace

Arco Della Pace: Sat right by Sempione Park, the arch can easily be seen as part of your visit there. It is a phenomenal, towering structure complete with incredible sculptures showcasing horses pulling the Chariot of Peace Another great photo opportunity or a lovely place to sit and relax on the steps before you head off to your next sight. 

Duomo: If you don't fancy paying to go inside the Duomo, it is still an immense view from the outside and worth spending a bit of time there taking it all in. There are great photo opportunities, just be aware that you will get other tourists (and likely a lot of pigeons) in your shots. The incredible architecture on the outside is not something to be missed. The piazza offers a variety of food places and is a wonderful place to spend some time. 

Brera

Brera neighbourhood: There are plenty of things to keep you occupied without spending money in the stunning Brera neighbourhood. Aside from simply walking around and taking in the beautiful sights and shops, we also took a visit to the Brera Botanical Garden. This was free to enter and had an amazing array of plants, as well as interesting facts about them such as their medicinal purposes. Plus the back drop of ivy and a mansion-like house was to-die-for! 

Brera Botanical Gardens

Whilst we were here we ventured to the Brera Art Gallery where the outside section is free. There are loads of statues everywhere that you can peruse and we even saw a model doing a photoshoot, which was so Milan! There is a section inside that you need to pay to visit and a cafe should you want to continue your trip there. 

Brera Art Gallery

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: It would be really easy really quickly to spend a fortune here as soon as you start shopping, however, for a wander through this shopping centre is like no other shopping centre I've seen. The inside is golden and shaped by a glass roof with incredible marble and architecture everywhere. Rumour has it that if you stand in the middle and turn clockwise then you will guarantee your return to Milan. 

Navigli Canals: Built to supply marble to build the cathedral, as well bring wealth to the city, the canals are a lovely place for a wander and to find a bite to eat or some drinks (more on this later). Supposedly it is amazing to see at sunset, although we were too slow getting there and missed it. But it certainly offers some great nightlife and many stalls that you can peruse day or night. 

Pay for activities:

Duomo Covers

Duomo: Although mentioned in the free activities, you need to pay to go into the cathedral or up on the roof - both of which I highly recommend doing. You can buy them as a bulk ticket for only €20 (to take the lift) or €15 (to take the stairs, there are a lot!) which gets you access to the cathedral, achaelogical area, rooftop, museum, Church of San Gottardo and exhibitions, so a worthy investment. There are also many price reductions for children, families, military personnel and those with disabilities so be sure to check those out. Also, book on the official website in advance to get tickets (and avoid the toursist traps), but if you are buying on the day and they are sold out online, head over to the ticket office because they should still have some available which is what happened to us. Remember to cover your shoulders, middrift and knees for entrance to the cathedral but if you forget, the ticket office sell covers for €2. 

The views when you get to the top of the cathedral are incredible, you can see the whole of Milan, whilst also being stood on an incredibly historical and fascinating building. Rumoured to have more statues than any other building in the workd, this is definitely not one to miss!

Civic Aquarium of Milan

Civic Aquarium of Milan: This wasn't something we necessarily set out to do but when we walked by we couldn't pass it up. There's a beautiful pond with gold fish at the entrance and then only €5 (€3 reduced) to go around the aquarium. For such a small building they have a fantastic collection of animals, including terrapins in the gardens at the back; we had a blast watching them all trying to eat an apple! There is also a museum of preserved sea creatures and skeletons downstairs. Worth a trip, especially if you have children or it is a rainy day. 

Day Trips

Whilst there are many places to visit around Milan, with limited time we only did one trip out.

Nesso, Lake Como

Lake Como: An absolutely stunning lake that is a must-see in your time in Milan. It is only a 40 minute train journey from Milan for about £4.30 each way and takes you from the bustling city to an idyllic lake, nature, and tranquility (in amongst the bustle of tourists in peak season). As seen on TikTok, we headed straight to Nesso to jump off the now iconic bridge and it was an incredible experience. The bridge definitely feels higher up than it looks once you're up there; my heart was racing as I wondered why I had suggested this to my friends but it was a lot of fun. There is also no need to jump in either as you can safely get in from the sides for a swim to. It is nestled in a little cove with the bridge, dreamy houses and a waterfall so a beautiful spot to visit as part of your trip. We enjoyed icecream from the shop at the top of the hill too. It is easy to bus there from the centre of Lake Como, just be sure to take some cash with you for the bus back as the transport app there is confusing (and in Italian), there are no ATMs and the drivers only take cash!

Lake Como

Unfortunately, we didn't head out to Lake Como until the afternoon so that was all we had time for, as well as a beautiful meal at Bar Lario Ristorante Pizzeria (their Hugo cocktail was out of this world), enjoyed drinks at Ristorante Pizzeria Funicolare and a wander back through Piazza Alessandro Volta where there was a wonderful, musical vibe. But I definitely suggest spending a full day out there and taking the bus to a few other spots. 

If we had longer we also would have checked out the bit further away, but supposedly even more beautiful, Lake Garda. 

Food

Food can definitely easily set you back in Milan so it's worth shopping around before you try anywhere.

Bakeries: The best shout for breakfast is always a bakery. Coffees and pastries are usually really cheap and you can eat and drink for less than €3. 

12oz: A great stop for a quick bite to eat if you are craving something like a bagel. Relatively cheap and there a few around Milan. I visited the one by the Duomo and sat on the steps admiring the impressive sight. 

Cicciobello: Incredibly hungry and with nowhere near us open, we stumbled across the one pizza place we could find at 2pm and it did not disappoint. Whilst a bit out of the centre of Milan and not somewhere you will neccessarily find yourself, if you are near Villapizzone this is definitely somewhere worth eating. A very authentic Italian place out of the rush of crowds and tourist traps, the prices were cheap, the people lovely - they spoke hardly any English but were so accommodating - and the food was wonderful. We had bruschetta that I still dream about, pizzas and beers. Definitely somewhere I would go back to. 

Mercato Centrale Milano: Situated next to the train station, the food hall offered a wide variety of quick eats before we hopped on our train to Lake Como. We tried the pizza from the stall that is really close to the station entrance and were not disappointed. Just be wary that they cut off the size of pizza that you want and you pay by the kilogram so the price can quickly become expensive if you are not careful. 

El Beverin burrata

El Beverin: Brera certainly isn't the cheapest place to eat but we stumbled upon this little gem and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and the price. We couldn't get a table outside because it was so busy (a good sign), but inside we enjoyed a burrata to share, three pasta dishes and three glasses of wine, all for only £70 (just over £23 each), which for fresh pasta and good wine in Milan is definitely a bargain. 

Navigli Canals: If you want to eat here, be wary that it is going to be expensive. We walked around for a while seeing only expensive menus until we stumbled across a sushi place that seemed to be somewhat affordable. It was only once we were sat down sipping €6 tap water that we realised the still slightly expensive prices were per bite of sushi. Safe to say we made a swift exit from there and found ourselves instead at Blues Canal Irish Pub just off from the front of the canals where the food was great and much cheaper. It is stunning place to eat on the canals, but just bear in mind that, much like anywhere in Italy, as soon as you sit down somewhere, they start charging you significantly more!

Drinks

Likely a surprise to anyone that knows me, but we didn't try out many drinking places in Milan. But we did approve of the cheap beers in Lidl for less than a euro and enjoyed wine with many of the meals above and beer at Blues Canal. 

Steam Factory: This place was certainly quirky; it has taken me a while to refind it on Google and I think it looks even trippier than my memory remembers. Certainly a memorable place with affordable and strong drinks (they are not messing around with their Long Island Iced Tea). It's in Navigli and the main place we stayed to drink there. By the time you've had a few drinks the inside becomes like a fever dream. 

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Milan is one of my favourite cities I've visisted. Whilst it can be easy to spend a lot here, there is so much to do and wonderful foods to enjoy that aren't expensive too. Don't be put off by it's label as the tenth most expensive city in Europe because it is a wonderful place to visit. 

Meg x