It is enough to stay here for a couple of minutes in order to feel the difference between Milan and Rome. The capital of Italy gladly demonstrates to all the guests of the country its old face. Milan shows the modern view of life. It seems that Milan is more stylish and more active place. Many people compare Milan and Italy just like they usually compare New York and the USA in general. Do not think that Milan is a faceless and noisy mega city. The town is green, very beautiful and individual.
Unlike other Italian cities, Milan is not used to show all its charm and beauty offhand. You need some time being here to understand, learn and taste Milan: famous Duomo, La Scala, Vottorio EmanueleGallery, magnificent palaces and churches, fashion boutiques and inviting cafes. Even gray and rainy Milan makes people to love it at the first view, at the first drink of a hot chocolate, at five-minute walking the city.
Choose your way to get to Milan
Obviously, the easiest and the most popular way to get to Milan is plane. City cares for two main and two additional airports. Pay attention to this, choosing your route. Some of the airports are situated far from the city. Trains and buses come to Milan from the whole Italy and a few foreign international directions. Both of variants are rather convenient and budget ways of travelling.
Travelling by car is mostly profitable just if you are going to travel deluxe, or around the country. Milan is just one and not the last point of your adventurous trip.
The districts of Milan
The historical center of Milan is not big. It is separated by the inner circle in a long line with ancient walls, which were not carefully survived to the present day. The next circle is the whole territory in the center of its ancient surrounding. To get here by car you need to pay compensation.
All that is interesting for tourist is situated in the center of the inner circle. Northern part of the territory is famous of La Scala, Brera District (art-galleries and shops), Montenapoleone fashion district, MilanoCentrale and Porta Garibaldi. Southern part of the city is glorious by the University, San Lorenzo, ancient channels with numerous bars.
Milano Centrale
Milano Centrale is worth seeing architecturally. Try to visit it in the day time. At night this city part is not a pleasant area. However, there are many not bad budget hotels and business-class motels in this territory. Yu can see a business district south of the bus terminal – a busy place during the day and almost desolated by night.
Porta Nuova Milano
Porta Nuova is the main business-center of the city. It is owing to its glorious name by a triumphal arc, built in 1813. This arc is the only one more or less ancient building in this territory. The rest of the area was built in the end of 2000. It is still growing: there are more than 25 sky buildings here. Porta Nuova is comfortably situated, being spread over such Milan districts like Isola, Varesine and Porta Garibaldi.
CityLife
Architecture lovers should visit CityLife. The region is still building. You can see one of the highest sky-buildings of the country – IL Dritto. The others, Lo Storto and IL Curvo are as important as interesting. Besides, CityLife is also free of cars, probably, the biggest in Europe.
Milanese transport
All the system of public transport in Milan has the form of single network. That is why the tickets for all transport communications usually cost equally the same and not much. It is difficult to lose your way here. The ticket price for 90 minutes to everywhere costs about 1, 50 EUR. The price for unlimited 24-houred ticket is about 4, 50 EUR, for 2 days is 8, 25 EUR. You can easily buy all mentioned tickets in the news stalls, tobacco shops or underground.
Subway
There are three brunches of Milanese city subway (red, green and yellow) and a blue brunch of suburban train Passante Freeoviario. Subway works from 6 a.m. till 12 p.m. every day.
Buses and trams
Buses and trams are twenty-four-hours operated in Milan. There is a big necessity to buy tickets beforehand, as they are not sold in the buses and trams.
Taxi
It is impossible to catch taxi just on the street by waving with your hand. The car will not stop. You should call for taxi service or ask for calling taxi in the reception desk.
Auto rental
Car is a must-have thing in Milan, especially, if you are going to explore suburbs. First of all, you can go to the North to visit beautiful lakes. It is really hard to get there without a car. Secondly, you can visit ancient Bergamo, Brescia and Verona. Driving a car you can visit two or three beautiful cities in one day. Finally, if your trip starts just from the Milan-Bergamo airport, you definitely need a car, as it is too far from the city.
There is always an opportunity to hire a car to one of many European and world-famous rental car services – reliable providers. If you are a newcomer in rental business, you need to know some information: a usual price for street parking is about 1, 50 EUR per hour. To pay for your parking is required to get a special paying card SostaMilano. Just pick it to your car wind screen. Anyway, it can happen that hiring a car is not a luxury, but a nice opportunity to travel with comfort.
MilanoCard is a typical discount voucher for city guests. It gives an opportunity to use all kinds of public transport for free or with a big discount: subway, trams, trolleybuses, buses. You can also visit about 20 city museums for a low price and many special attractive offers for visiting about 500 city establishments like shops, restaurants, sport clubs, exhibition halls for the special prices.
You can buy this card beforehand, paying for it just with the help of PayPal system or your credit card. Arriving to Milan, do not forget to get it in the airport or in your hotel. MilanoCard is personalized, so, you cannpt give to somebody else. There is a good new: children can get this card for free if they are younger than 10.
Author Bio: Lily Berns travels all over the world and likes to share her experience and recommendations. She writes for rental24h.com
