Milan, Italy
Mini Calzone, Aperol, Meat Boards, Coffee and Architecture in a whirlwind 36 hours.
GO. Flights from Manchester for a Saturday morning to Sunday night weekender - a classic Ryanair/Easyjet weekend break. Be aware of the airport situation in Milan - Bergamo is advertised as a Milan airport but is 60-90 mins away on a coach. It is said that Bergamo itself is worth a visit - however if you are going to Milan for a short trip be careful not to fall into the “not quite the actual airport for that City” airport trap!
Passport control at Milan (Malpensa) is a bit of a drag with a child. With no e-gate usage for under 10s (like anywhere), we had to join the very long queue for all nationalities. As we disembarked just after another plane this meant a 30 or so minute wait whilst the e-gates remained pretty clear. This is one of the common frustrations of traveling with an under 10 year old. Most countries seem to keep some sort of reciprocal arrangement for UK passport to use the e-gates, but families are often left in the long queue.
STAY. There was much umming, aahing, and changing of bookings here, until we finally settled on a slightly out of centre hotel in the Novotel Ca’ Granda. A short walk from a Metro station, this clean and simple hotel provided a great base. For just over £115 this did represent good value - Milan is one of those cities where you can go sub-£100 but you may be dicing with dubious quality. We brought the price down from £130 by switching the booking last minute to a non-refundable rate.
EAT. Milan is great for grazing, with a large amount of cafes, bistros, food stalls, and small takeouts serving a range of local and international food. A must try is the Panzerotti, a small filled parcel of doung a bit like a mini calzone pizza. The most recommended one is right in the centre at Luini Panzerotti - and despite the popularity we were able to squeeze in and bag a few treats.
Fresh, tasty cheese and ham Panzerotti.
Down by the Naviglio Grande, head to MAG Cafe. It is a pretty area and in the spring sunshine we spent a lovely hour sat by the canal with a drink and a platter. Bustling, friendly and a very relaxing way to spend some time.
There are a lot of different options here, and many were busy so expect you will not go wrong wherever you end up.
For a larger meal in the evening, we tried to get into Osteria da Fortunata, after a wander around looking for somewhere inviting. We learnt the hard way here that almost everywhere in Milan on a Saturday night appeared to be booked up, and trying to get a walk in is difficult. It is especially difficult for three people (and again when one is a child and they assume will not eat much), and we stood in a queue being told it would not be too long, as 2s and 4s went in before us. Eventually (after 30 mins or so), the waiter cam and told us it would be another 30 mins. We strolled off down the street with a hungry, and now slightly grumpy 7 year old who had been excited about going into the restaurant with the ladies making pasta in the window. Diving into Gamberotta - which looked so very traditionally “Italian” - we were again greeted with a polite sorry. However - I am not sure what face B pulled behind me, but the man in charge came jogging over as we left to say they could find space, and sat us down at a table with a reserved sign on it. Legend. The food was just what we expected, traditionally Italian, and we went home full.
Before dinner on the Saturday we sat outside a food market with a very local feel. To be truthful, we got slightly disorientated whilst walking towards the city fro the hotel, and stumbled across the Piazzale Lagosta’s market - the Mercato Isola. This small affair still had few stalls open serving small plates - and at the City end Aperols were being drunk by all. So we joined in! There’s something very relaxing about taking time to sit, people watch and chat with a drink in a busy city.
Aperol at the Mercato Isola
DO. Milan is a City you could spend a lot of time wandering around. Everywhere you look there is a different form of architecture, grand ornate buildings, statues, some massive doors (and even bigger door knockers), and even interesting street art. The old trams that screech around are good for a ride on (the boy loved that), and if you wanted to look at some handbags that cost the same price as a family hatchback then you can do that too. The Navigli area contains a number of canals flanked by bars and cafes, and on the edge of the city the Castello Sforzesco an impressive building to begin a walk around the Parco Sempione from.
Castello Sforzesco
What we did not know before coming to Milan is that there is a Starbucks Roastery there. This huge cafe offers experiences, drinks, food and a shop where you can get all sorts of coffee related souvenirs. The cafe is worth a visit - we went upstairs to the Arriviamo Bar which was quiet on a Saturday lunchtime. The upstairs terrace offers great views back across the roastery, and we enjoyed drinks (not just coffee - there’s tea, hot chocolate and booze if you fancy it) and a relaxing hour or so. The coffee flight is worth it, although in hindsight it was probably like drinking 10 cans of red bull in one sitting.
Milan also boasts the San Siro Stadium - one of the few in the world that two huge teams call their home ground. With little time to do this, a 7 am start on day two allowed the boys to get up, out and catch one of the first trams 20 minutes out of the City to grab some photos, and some breakfast on the way back! This iconic stadium will likely be demolished in the near future to make way for a new stadium - so see it whilst you can.
The iconic San Siro
Milan is a super weekend trip - and the good train links make a longer trip possible with Lake Como only an hour away, as well as the city of Bergamo.
Trip Date: Mar 2024.