Milan is the largest city in Northern Italy. It is the capital of design and the capital of the Lombardy region. With a population of around 1.3 million, it is the most populated city in the north and the second largest in all of Italy after Rome. In Milan, you can enjoy both the old and the most modern and conceptual art, as well as history and modernity.

What is the biggest mistake you can make as a tourist in Milan and how to make your stay there genuinely good, you’ll find out if you keep reading.

What not to do and what to watch out for

The most important tip for Milan is this: don’t rush to visit all tourist attractions and every place recommended by TikTok creators. That is the biggest mistake you can make while you are in Milan.

1. Don’t make an ambitious, packed sightseeing plan. Make a relaxed itinerary.

To actually enjoy Milan, plan your days so you visit only 1, максимум 2 “must” places. Leave the rest for aimless wandering through shops, streets, small restaurants and bars. Explore the neighborhood you are staying in, even if it is not central. Each neighborhood has its own spirit and vibe. Almost every one has at least one gallery, whether for classic or modern art, and at least one park. Everywhere you’ll find nice bars, cafés, and small restaurants where you can practice the Italian version of zen: Dolce Far Niente, the art of doing nothing. Especially if you are traveling with children, it is not worth rushing everyone through tight schedules of “seeing everything.”

Just take it easy and enjoy. Otherwise, the whole experience can turn into hell: racing the heat and the clock, ending up with the feeling that you saw nothing and did nothing in Milan, and that you wasted your time.

And one more important thing: it is better to go in spring or autumn, because summer is brutally hot and full of mosquitoes.

My reasons:

• The city is large and oriented more toward business than historical tourism.
• Milan is a fashion city and people go mainly for shopping, but you can also see many other interesting things if you do your homework. Or read this post. 😉
• If you watch five TikTok videos, you will be left with the impression that there are only five places worth visiting, two or three historical landmarks, and a “mandatory” day trip to a lake. That is not true.
• In summer there is a serious mosquito problem. They were brought unintentionally around the year 2000 from Africa and they are very resilient. Because the city has a lot of greenery, they are everywhere, all the time. They bite hard and are very unpleasant. Bring repellent no matter what: for your body, for your accommodation, for everything.
• Not everything interesting is concentrated in the center. The center is about expensive shopping and the Duomo. Conceptual galleries and design spots are outside the center and often require 30 minutes by public transport one way.

2. Avoid smoking in public places, and not to mention indoors. Research carefully where and how you can smoke.

If you smoke, look for places that provide ashtrays and ask if smoking is allowed. Since early 2025, even smoking in public places is prohibited unless you are at least 10 meters away from other people. Some venues break the rules, but still, check.

3. Don’t leave buying attraction tickets to chance. Decide where you want to go and buy tickets in advance.

Especially in peak season (summer), don’t rely on luck for popular places. For example, to see Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper in person, you need to plan one or two months in advance.

Pick 1 to 2 places per day, close to each other or connected by easy public transport, and buy entry tickets ahead of time.

4. Don’t overpay for accommodation in the center. Find an apartment in slightly more distant neighborhoods.

Smaller neighborhoods are great and you won’t lose anything by not being in the center.

Public transport is very well organized. Metro stations are usually within 10 minutes of anything interesting. Tickets are very easy: you just tap your bank card on the device in the tram or bus, or at the metro entrance. Porta Nuova, Porta Romana, Porta Venezia (where I stayed), and Isola are neighborhoods with less expensive accommodation and normal conditions for staying. The center is expensive, as are conventional hotels.

Important: even if the gates are open when you exit the metro, you still have to tap your bank card on the way out, because that is how the system calculates how long you used transport and which fare to charge. If you don’t tap out, you will be charged the most expensive fare for the day.

5. Don’t hunt specifically for cocktail bars. Check what your neighborhood offers.

Every bar has a good bartender who can make great cocktails.

And don’t drink only Aperol Spritz, even though you can enjoy the most authentic version here. Any bartender with self-respect, even in the most modest bar, can make all kinds of cocktails.

The same applies to restaurants. Places recommended on TikTok, Tripadvisor, and Michelin are extremely popular and often require reservations. If you walk around your neighborhood, you may find spots with very good food at more reasonable prices. In our neighborhood, Porta Venezia, there were Michelin recommended fine dining restaurants, as well as traditional Italian, Arab, Greek, and even street food.

6. You don’t have to visit Navigli, especially late afternoon and evening.

If you skip Navigli, you won’t lose anything. Canal-side restaurants exist in many cities, including in Bulgaria. That is basically the “special” part of Navigli. It is overcrowded with tourists and the venues are concentrated on two streets. At least for me, the visit felt unnecessary.

Luckily we found a good pizzeria and it was Neapolitan. But my overall feeling was that I was in an Italian version of Sunny Beach: pushy hosts outside restaurants, unclear food quality, heat, mosquitoes, many mosquitoes, street vendors aggressively offering stuff at your table, including Autan, noise, tourists, endless waves of tourists.

7. If you are in Milan for a short time, you don’t have to do a one day trip to a lake, even if TikTok insists. Instead, spend a day in a Milan neighborhood you have not seen.

Whether you have 3 or even 7 days, if it is your first time in Milan, a lake day trip is not mandatory.

If you decide to listen to TikTok and you are there in summer and plan to use ferries, buses or trains, buy tickets early, because they sell out fast.

Don’t believe influencers who recommend going to “less popular” Varenna instead of Como, because everyone has already heard that and rushed to Varenna.

Instead of pushing through crowds of tourists, you can have another great day in Milan with sightseeing, without stress. There is always something worth seeing, and modern art and design galleries change their exhibitions.

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I made the mistake of deciding it was very important to go to Como and Bellagio. First, ferry tickets were sold out early. Second, if you go by car, the road is as challenging as the Amalfi Coast: winding, sometimes very narrow, and you have to pass not only cars but also intercity buses. Sometimes the whole traffic stops and everyone moves centimeter by centimeter so the bus can pass.

Also, the lake towns are small, there are not many things to do, and entire ferry loads of people pour into the same spots. The views are genuinely unforgettable, but the downsides are many.

Instead of crowds, ferries, and villas in the super popular lake towns, I would go to Brera in Milan, visit exhibitions, wander the streets, and eat well in local restaurants.

8. Don’t count on having lunch at unusual hours. Decide whether you will do a late breakfast or a normal lunch.

Many places close in the afternoon. Also, something that looks like a café may serve lunch and refuse to serve only drinks during lunch hours. They calculate how many lunch menus they will sell. The rest of the time may be drinks only. The same applies to dinner.

The “if it’s crowded, it must be good” rule does not work in tourist areas. Sometimes a place with a view of the Duomo or a canal looks attractive and has lots of people, but the food can be poor, service mediocre, and prices excessive. Decide what matters more to you: the view or the quality and budget.

A similar case is with the venues inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

And no, you don’t have to sit on a terrace around the Duomo, even if TikTok insists. These are tourist traps: bad service, high prices, and not great food. I went to Obicà and was not happy. The waiter did not explain which wine was red and which was rosé. He heard me say I wanted rosé but did not warn me that I had chosen red. Then he refused to change it, and in 35°C we had to drink red wine. We also tried a mozzarella tasting platter that was not impressive and was expensive, around 40 euros.

Marchesi 1824 is overrated. Yes, the interior is interesting, but if you decide you want coffee at lunchtime, you stand at a tiny counter, even if your legs are already dead from walking. The staff is also quite unfriendly and clearly tired of tourists. The products are tasty, but expensive. You don’t need to spend 100 euros for a little something for each family member just to see the interior.

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The same goes for Bar Luce (designed by director Wes Anderson), located inside Fondazione Prada. It is interesting, but the food is only okay and the service is terrible. Our waiter delivered only half the order and then his shift ended and he disappeared. We waited, then noticed another waiter bringing sandwiches to new guests while we still had nothing. When we pointed it out, they shrugged. Later they brought the rest and said we wouldn’t pay for it, but the unpleasant feeling remained: they wasted one hour of valuable time I wanted to spend on something else in the city. At least the cocktails were worth it.

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Once again, the conclusion: if you don’t try to cram too much into one day, you won’t get as irritated by situations like this.

No matter how many TikTok creators recommend a restaurant or a bar, check whether five other influencers have already done it. If yes, thousands of people have seen it too, which means crowds and usually higher prices. Milan is full of great places, most likely in your own neighborhood. You don’t need to travel 5 to 10 km just to watch someone spin pizza dough to ABBA.

9. Watch out for street scam sellers around the Duomo. Buy what you need from official places.

Women should not buy disposable skirts in front of the Duomo from street vendors. You can get them for 3 euros from vending machines at the Duomo ticket center and then throw them away. The ones offered by street sellers are often taken from trash bins.

10. Don’t rely on taxis. They are expensive. Use public transport, it runs late.

If you think you will get somewhere faster by taxi, that is usually not true. Traffic slows them down and you pay a lot. A 2 to 3 km ride can cost 20 euros, while a public transport ticket is 2.20 euros. Also, you won’t get a driver quickly. With Free Now during peak hours, I waited 15 to 20 minutes for a driver to accept the ride, and then another similar time for the driver to arrive. Luckily I didn’t need to be somewhere at an exact time.

11. You don’t have to ride a retro tram. The new ones are more comfortable.

Some TikTok creators recommend riding an old tram. The cars are old, they rattle, there is no air conditioning, the windows are open, and mosquitoes flood in. Old trams exist in Sofia too, for example on line 10. They rattle the same way and are just as hard to climb into.

12. You don’t have to visit Triennale. First check what is on during your stay.

Even if ChatGPT recommends visiting Triennale, check the current exhibitions and then decide. It is in a nice park where Sforzesco Castle is located, so you can visit the castle even if you skip Triennale. But in summer heat, even the short distance between them, even along the park paths, can feel hard. The park has many mosquitoes and some paths are very sunny. Sometimes there are music events and the area may be closed in the evening.

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13. Don’t wander absent-minded. Stay alert and watch for pickpockets.

In summer heat your brain melts, and thieves count on that so they can pull something from your pocket or bag.

Important: watch for pickpockets, especially in the metro and tourist areas.

14. Don’t shop in Milan. Go to Serravalle instead, one of the largest outlets in Europe.

In Serravalle you can shop at half price or even cheaper, and the outlet offers a wide variety of brands and stock. We even booked a hotel nearby so we would have more time to browse, but the truth is that even two days may not be enough to cover it properly. Where can you stay? Read my post: Capriccio Art Hotel, a convenient chic stay near Serravalle Outlet in Italy.

15. And one more thing for those traveling to Italy by car…

If you are on a road trip from Bulgaria to Italy, you can plan one overnight stay in Ljubljana on the way there, and one in Zagreb on the way back. These are classic European cities with history, culture, great restaurants, very good wine at reasonable prices, and nightlife.

You can read about hotels I would recommend in Ljubljana in the following posts, as well as watch short films:

Eurostars uHotel a nice and comfortable hotel in the center of Ljubljana with parking

It is right in the city center, next to the river. The hotel has a pool, a spa, and parking. To secure a spot in the parking lot, you need to arrive earlier in the day; otherwise, they will recommend another nearby parking option.

Lesar Angel Hotel- comfort and style in the old city of Ljubljuana, Slovenia

It is a more expensive option, but the location is excellent, very romantic, and cozy. It is also centrally located, but parking is available at a public parking lot outside the historic center.

In Zagreb, I would recommend the following hotels:

Le Premier Boutique Hotel near the center of Zagreb.

It offers high quality, comfort, and a sense of luxury, with prices that are reasonable compared to those in Western Europe. Parking is available directly in front of the hotel.

Amadria Park Hotel Capital – luxury and style in the center of Zagreb – It is located in the city center and has its own parking, but with valet service, meaning they take your keys and park the car for you. Luxury, comfort, spacious rooms, and an excellent breakfast.

If you travel in summer and decide to stop in Padua, try not to do it at 3 pm, because the central square is large and has few trees. You may experience heat shock.

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Don’t drive fast on highways. Follow the speed limits.

The myth that Italians drive fast and you should do the same is not true. There are cameras everywhere that record speed. If you don’t want “congratulations” in the mail later for hundreds of euros, drive carefully.

City parking in Italy is tight. Protect your car from scratches. Check garage height if you drive an SUV and have a roof box.

For street parking, you can pay at the meter or via an app. The meters show which apps you can use. If you don’t understand what to do at the meter, ask or watch an Italian doing it. People are helpful.

On Friday and Sunday afternoons, the entrances and exits of big cities are heavily congested. In rush hour, traffic can stop suddenly, even when everyone has been driving fast. Be prepared for surprises like that to avoid chain collisions.

How to book your stay in Ljubljana or Zagreb?

I recommend booking your stay directly here. For your convenience, I’ve added a box with a map that shows available rooms in hotels, apartments, and other types of accommodation. You support the blog at no extra cost and still get all your Genius and other discounts!

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