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MILAN
Why Milan?
Favouring frivolity over frugality, Milan is a city that could be described as haute-couture. It may be most famous for la moda italiana, but Italy’s second city is gaining a reputation for far more than just fashion week. Home to 200,000 students – around 14,000 of which are Erasmus – one can easily imagine that Milan is the kind of city that never quite sleeps. From sipping Campari alongside the canals in Naviglia to taking a train to the luxurious lakes of Lombardy, Milan is far from a diamond in the rough: it is a sparkling gem in Italy’s cosmopolitan crown.
Entertainment
"I wanted to be in Milan because I have been to many cities in Italy but had not yet been to Milan. It is a big city (but not too big) and it has so much going on. Especially for fashion and other things! Milan to me seemed like a wonderful option."
Isabella
Year Abroad 18/19
Fondazione Prada
This is the best modern art museum in town and the best place for views of Milan and the Lombardian mountains that surround it. With a cinema, workshops, exciting exhibitions, a bar, a restaurant and an observatory, you could spend your whole weekend in here without getting bored.
Parco Sempione
This vast park overlooks Sforza Castle and is surrounded by a great selection of bars and restaurants on the nearby strip. Some call it Milan’s take on Central Park…and the locals would say it’s far better.
Mag Café
There are many aperitivi spots in Milan, but Mag Café is the best one. Find it on the Navigli canals where the Milanese congregate for cocktails after work.
Le Trottoir alla Darsena
Home to ‘art, culture and entertainment’ this is our experts’ favourite bar where you can find locals and live music late into the night. As for vibes, this place is unrivalled.
The Best of Milan
Destinations > Italy > Milan Our Top Restaurants in Milan …
Why You Should Go to Milan For Your Year Abroad …
Accommodation
Some of the best areas to build your base are Navigli and Porta Ticenese. The former is named after the canals that run through it, and the latter after the monumental city gate. These areas are perfect for night owls, as they are the home of Milan’s best nightlife…perhaps this explains why some flats here are advertised for €1500 per month. Just 15 minutes away from Milano Centrale on the S Line (the suburban train), Porto Vittoria has (slightly) more affordable rent, costing about €750 for a crib here. Looking for a flat?
Try Facebook groups called ‘Stanze a Milano’ and ‘In affito a Milano’ – many young people find their flats this way, for you can talk to the landlord more directly and check out your potential housemates.
"If I could go back and do it again, though, I think I'd definitely try and find an apartment. The halls were nice and full of Erasmus students, but there were so many security rules to follow."
"I would advise people to start looking early for Milan and look on such websites as soon as possible, because even 2 months before, everything is gone or overpriced."
"Use Spotahome. I would normally advise people not to give any money before arriving in the country and viewing the room but it is actually a very secure website."
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Transport
The transport company is called ATM and you can find all the travel information you need on their website or app.
Mobike is a really convenient way to get around the city (as Bologna is relatively small) and costs about 25 cents an hour.
Definitely get a student travel card, it costs €25 per month, but gets you unlimited travel on the metro, trams, and buses. You’ll need to fill out some forms at one of the ATM offices (I did mine at the Duomo station) but it’s pretty straight forward and 100% worth it.
There is also Uber in Milan, as well as the e-bikes and e-scooters! Citymapper is a great app to help you get around that gives you the quickest routes everywhere.
Need help planning your trip? Book a free consultation with one of our team members today!
Our Community
Get in touch with one of our ambassadors who have spent an extended period of time in this place. They have great advice!
Annabel
General FAQs
Barcelona is mostly a fairly flat city, where it’s always sunny, so getting around by bike is a very good option. Barcelona has its own version of Boris bikes called Bicing. Also apps like Yego where you can rent mopeds all over the city for around 20 cents a minute.
It is also a good option to buy a T-10 card. With this card you will have 10 trips on all public transport, otherwise it’s €2.20 per ride. The metro runs 5am to midnight Sunday to Thursday, till 2am on Friday and 24 hours on Saturday.
Avoid Uber if you can. It’s a very small city, so its very easy to walk places. FreeNow is a reliable taxi service around the city.
