My first solo trip: Milan and Lake Como!
The year was 2022 and I wasn’t feeling very accomplished at the company I was working for, so I decided to change. I had roughly a week between leaving one company and starting at the other and I really wanted to make it count. The problem was: there was no one that could go with me! I wanted to go with my boyfriend but he couldn’t take those days off, so I said to myself “You know what? Time to go on a solo trip!” and that’s what I did. Flights to Milan were quite cheap and I found a great hostel…all I had to do was pack and go!
There were quite some ups and downs during that trip but I still loved it and I really wanted to take the time to let you know about it. So keep reading if you want to know everything about my 4-day trip to Milan and a little detour to check some nice villages around lake Como.
Day 1: Arriving in Milan
I was going to catch an early flight so I woke up at around 3 am, to catch the bus to the airport and be there on time for my 7 am flight to Bergamo airport.
As soon as I got off the plane, I just had to go all the way to the area of the trains and hop on the train to Milan. You can buy a ticket in the machines at the entrance of that area for around 5,80€ or you can check the train website here and buy your ticket online. The train leaves at the central station (Milano Centrale) and, from there, you can easily reach the areas you want to visit.
Still on the matter of transportation, I truly advise that you install the ATM app on your phone. No, not the ATM for money, this one is the public transport company of Milan (find it here). In the app, you can check both the times and fares of the buses and trams.
Milano Centrale
Milano Centrale is a landmark itself, so take a few moments there to absorb the beauty of the station and its surroundings. From the station, I jumped on a tram to the center of Milan (for 2€ in the app) and checked in at the hostel I’d chosen to drop some of my clothes there, rest a minute or two, eat something along the way, and start exploring the city.
San Bernardino alle ossa
My first stop was San Bernardino Alle Ossa and Basilica di Santo Maggiore. San Bernardino is a very peculiar place, very popular for its unique and sinister decoration: human bones. Well, it’s not that unique because there are a few places like that around the world, but it is still a rare decor choice 😉.
I entered Santo Maggiore to also get to know it but the highlight is definitely the ossuary of San Bernardino. The entrance is free and no one will ask you for any money when you enter the chapel. However, when you go to the ossuary (a small chamber right next to the chapel), there will probably be a person there to ask you to give some amount of your choice to help in preserving the ossuary.
For a little bit of history, the bone chapel was built in 1210 when the adjacent cemetery ran out of space and they needed a new place to store the bones.
If you are sensitive to these things, the best thing may be not to go inside the ossuary. If that’s not the case, then I totally recommend it. It is impressive the number of bones there and how they can be so well preserved after all these years. The chamber is a quite dark and small place but the ceiling is quite high, full of bones and skulls on the walls. It is beautiful! It's creepy…but beautiful!
Pinacoteca di Brera
After I left San Bernardino, the day was already coming to an end but there was still time for one more thing before going back to the hostel. I walked a bit around Bairro di Brera, a bohemian place full of art and magic. You can visit Palazzo di Brera or Pinacoteca di Brera, which is what I did and I have to say that it was one of the highlights of Milan, I loved strolling around the museum and seeing the amazing frescos on the walls, the beautiful sculptures, and amazing objects. I got lost for a few hours there and still didn’t see everything thoroughly.
The entrance fee is 2€ if you’re a European citizen of 25 years old or less. If you’re not lucky to be in this category, then you will have to pay from 10€ to 15€, depending if you can get a reduced rate or not (check it here). You can buy your ticket from a machine at the base of the stairs, after the main entrance or you can buy it online. You cannot take backpacks or tripods, so you will need to leave those in the lockers which will cost 2€ at first, but you will get them back once you take your stuff from there at the end of your visit (you can also ask for a plastic coin at the counter and it will also work).
It became officially the Pinacoteca di Brera, an art gallery, in 1809. However, the first collection of the gallery already existed since 1776 for educational purposes. The main goal was to allow students to study these masterpieces up close. Read more about it on this page.
After this amazing visit, I went back to the hostel to get some well-deserved rest and to prepare for the next very exciting day. I bought some cannoli on the way but I didn’t like them very much…I either chose them wrong or they’re maybe just not for me. I really need to give them another try once I go back to Italy 🙈
Day 2 - Discovering lake Como
This day was the highlight of the whole trip, definitely my favorite day. Don’t get me wrong, Milan is a good place to spend a couple of days and I think you should visit at least once in your life. However, it is far from being my favorite city and the number of people around was a bit overwhelming for me, so the calmness of the villages around lake Como was very needed and welcomed.
Getting to Varenna
This picturesque little town is a small jewel on lake Como and is incredible and easy to reach from Milan. I woke up really early to get on the tram to Milano Centrale and, from there, I got on a train to Varenna. You just need to go to the Trenord website and look for the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna Esino. Once you decide on the time of your departure, you can get a ticket for a little over 7€ and the train ride lasts for a bit more than an hour.
While on the train, you will start to notice the amazing views as you get closer and closer to your destination.
As soon as you get to the Varenna train station, be ready to be wowed by the beauty of the place. The station is a cute little building on a hill with the most amazing views of the lake. When you get off the train, you will find some stairs to your left that will take you to the main road…you just need to follow that until the center of Varenna (maybe get Google maps working just to be sure you don’t get lost, but it is pretty easy to find, trust me).
In Varenna, there are two Villas that I really recommend you visit, but take your time to walk around the village for a bit before going there. It is really a picturesque little town with colorful buildings and some cute narrow streets pointing at the lake.
Villa Monastero
When you’re happy with your little stroll around town, head to Villa Monastero. The most important thing, when visiting Varenna and these Villas, is to check the opening times because the Villas are closed for some months of the year (I didn’t check this in advance and one of the villas I wanted to visit in Bellagio was closed). For Villa Monastero, you can find that information here.
This Villa has a museum and a garden and you can choose to visit both or only the garden (I visited the garden only because there was an event going on and I couldn’t go to the museum, so I cannot say anything about that part). The ticket to the garden is 10€ (5€ if you’re aged 15 to 25) and the ticket to both the museum and the garden is 13€ (7€ if you are aged 15 to 25), but some exceptions apply under certain conditions and you can check that on the website too.
There was practically no one there when I visited because it was still low season. It was really sunny and I was ok without a jacket when in the sun, as soon as I got in the shade, I had to put my jacket on. Even though it was not hot enough for swimming in the lake, I wouldn’t change the date I went because the peace I felt while visiting almost by myself is incomparable. I just took my time to take in everything I was seeing, all those amazing views, all the nature around me, and it was priceless.
I was always putting up my tripod to take some pictures and I wasn’t nervous at all to leave my camera away from me while I was taking pictures. This goes just to show you how calm it was.
There is not much I can say, I’ll just show you the pictures to let you see it by yourself. It is amazing!
Villa Cipressi
After Villa Monastero, I went a bit down the street towards the center and visited Villa Cipressi, which is a hotel but you can visit the botanical garden. Once again, check the website for the opening times and fares. The entrance fee is similar to Villa Monastero.
Regarding this Villa, all the same applies. Everything I felt and experienced in Villa Monastero, I also felt in this one. The view is breathtaking, the gardens are really beautiful, there is a calmness, peace, and quiet in the air, and you can just sit and take it all in.
Between the two, and if I had to choose only one, I would say that Villa Monastero is a bit more worthy of your visit. However, you could find it different…it depends on your personal taste. When in doubt, visit both and you won’t feel bad about it 😉
As I said, I cannot translate all that I felt into words, so I’ll just leave a few pictures. Although I have to say that it does not make justice to the magic of the place.
Bellagio
A spent the morning and the beginning of the afternoon in Varenna, but I also wanted to check Bellagio. To go from Varenna to Bellagio, you can catch a ferry at the port and, in 15 minutes, you’ll be in Bellagio. You can check the ferry timetable here and you can buy a ticket at the port (I paid 9,20€ for a two-way ticket)
The trip itself is already very good to see the little towns from the middle of the lake. You’ll feel like you are in a movie!
When you get off the ferry, you should walk around the center for a while as in Varenna because the town itself is really cute. I even sat on some stairs to the lake to eat something and just enjoy the stillness of the place. Bellagio had a bit more people than Varenna but still not a lot.
My goal was to visit two Villas as well: Villa Serbelloni and Villa Melzi. Turns out you cannot actually show up at Villa Serbelloni and buy a ticket to enter. 😅 I thought it was possible because I saw a tour that included a visit to the park, but I think you cannot go on your own. If this information is not correct, please let me know!
BUT Villa Melzi is possible to visit and it is stunning! I didn’t visit, however, because it was still closed (only opened in April) and I hadn’t done my research as I should…not my proudest moment, I admit, but it was a last-minute trip and at least I ended up seeing it from the outside. Not everything was bad. Check these photos just to have an idea. So, summing up, even though I didn’t visit, I recommend you do it when you go to Bellagio, so here is all the info you need.
After failing completely to pursue these two goals of my visit, I grabbed my backpack and just walked until I found a nice beach. It was a bit cold but I couldn’t leave Lake Como without dipping my feet in the water, so that’s what I did. Freezing, but worth it 😉
I spent quite some time on the beach just breathing in and absorbing all of that peace, then I just walked all the way to the other end of Bellagio to Punta Spartivento, which is a viewpoint where you can see the lake almost as if you were just floating in the water. It’s quite a view! Once again, the restaurant there was not working because it was low season but I cannot imagine a better way to see the sunset while having a drink on the restaurant’s terrace. I didn’t stay until sunset because I was afraid I wouldn’t have a ferry when I went back (you have one, don’t worry). As you can see, I had a pretty unorganized afternoon in Bellagio but it was still an amazing one!
I went back to Varenna by ferry, then got on the train back to Milano Centrale, and finally on the tram to the hostel, where I slept like a baby after this awesome day!
Day 3 - Museum day
Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral
This day started a bit later than I expected but I met a group of nice people in the hostel and I decided to stay a bit longer at breakfast. Consequently, I arrived quite late at Piazza del Duomo…and hated it!! IT WAS PAAAACKED!
Don’t get me wrong, the place itself is beautiful but it was my first trip on my own, I had my camera gear with me, my phone and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and frightened because I was afraid I would suffer pickpocketing or something like that. Probably I overreacted but I’m here to be honest and this was the most stressful morning of the whole trip.
Still, I spent some time in the Piazza, took some pictures, and did climb up the cathedral because the line was too long at that time and I couldn’t afford to waste all that time. However, you definitely should go if you’re not freaking out like I was 😅 If you do, make sure you check everything here. Warning: some tickets are 20€, so it’s not the cheapest ticket.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
These galleries are very well-known around the world for having some of the oldest stores and restaurants in the world. The building itself is beautiful and there is a funny tradition there: 3 heel turns on the bull. I explain! There are some images on the floor, one of them is the image of a bull and the tradition is that you should put your heel in the place of the balls of the bull and turn three times backward. This is supposed to give you good luck for three years. There are so many people looking for good luck that there is a hole in the middle of the bull already!
Running away from the huge crowd in the Duomo, I ran into the crowd in the galleries. I was a bit less stressed here, but still I was not calm at all. I found it really beautiful but couldn’t actually appreciate its beauty, so I just crossed the hall and went to Il Mondo di Leonardo, the museum about Leonardo DaVinci.
DaVinci Museum
I loved this museum! I paid 11€ for the entrance and 2€ for the locker (this time, you won’t get those 2€ back because you can take your bag, I just didn’t want to). Check their website for more complete information.
The main room of the museum
This is the only photo I have from the inside (I’m not even sure if you can take photos or not but I took this one to show my bf). As you can see, there are many prototypes of Leonardo DaVinci’s inventions.
It is not the cheapest, but it’s really good. If you like interactive things, you will love it!!! They have videos with a lot of information about the history and the inventions of Leonardo, with 3D digital models to show you exactly how it works. You will also find replicas of some of their inventions that you can check in detail, you will be able to play some games and even interact with some of the inventions to really understand how they work.
I loved the fact that I could play a game where I got to build one of the inventions digitally and even got a certificate with my name on it. As you can see, you will spend a good time in this museum and it will only seem to end too fast. If you’re traveling with kids, I think they will love it even more!
Teatro alla Scala
Right next to the exit of the museum, there is Piazza della Scala which is a square with a statue of Leonardo DaVinci in the middle. On one of the sides of the square, there is a building called Teatro alla Scala, a famous opera house, inaugurated in 1778.
You should definitely check the building itself, it is worth checking the outside. Nonetheless, the most amazing thing is to watch a show there. I couldn’t but you can always check the shows at the time of your visit and buy a ticket for it, I’m pretty sure it is an amazing experience.
Museo del Novecento
I found the museum really beautiful and packed with modern art, including some immersive rooms and moving art pieces. I love this kind of museum, where you feel the mix between modern and ancient, almost as if you were in an outside world of black and white walls and tall ceilings. I definitely recommend visiting and I also recommend not taking much stuff with you!
I had my big backpack and my tripod with me and I was weary a big heavy coat, so I had quite some weight on my back. I had to leave my tripod in the locker room because it wasn’t allowed in the museum, but I also wanted to leave my backpack and coat and they didn’t let me “because of Covid”…still don’t get that part, but whatever. So I had to take everything with me, which was fine for me (I mean I was carrying that all day, a few more hours wouldn’t hurt so much). The problem was when, at the entrance to the exhibit, the security guy told me I couldn’t have my backpack on my back…I had to carry it in my hand. My backpack is huge, I obviously struggled a lot with that and ended up giving up and putting it on my back again.
Besides this discomfort at first, I really enjoyed my time in this museum. Moving on to more practical info, you can find everything here. You can buy the ticket there or online, it costs 5€ (3€ if you are eligible for the reduced fare).
Castelo Sforzesco and Parco Sempione
After leaving the museum, I was again in the even more chaotic Plaza del Duomo, from which I wanted to run away. So I just went straight down the street in front of it until I bumped into Castelo Sforzesco.
You can actually enter the Castle and visit the inside of it for free and, if you want to visit the exposition, it will cost you 5€ only (find everything about it here).
The Castle is really nice and beautiful inside and out and I also felt a bit better and safer there since there were not as many people as in the iconic Duomo. Make sure you have this place on your list when you go to Milan.
Even though I really liked the Castle, my favorite part was after it: Parco Sempione. This is a big park that you will find after the castle and it is amazing. You will find a lot of people just chilling, others playing sports, some animals, maybe some musicians playing with people dancing, and the whole atmosphere there is just amazing. I spent a few hours there just chilling, taking pictures, and taking it all in and I definitely do not regret it!
Also, on the other end of the park, you will find Arco della Pace, which is Milan’s Arc de Triomphe.
Day 4 - The last day
Piazza Del Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in the morning
As I said, I didn’t like the plaza and the gallery because of the number of people there, but I didn’t want to leave Milan hating the most iconic locations of the city, so I decided to give them a second chance.
On my last day, I had already seen everything I wanted, which meant I would have a really chill day to repeat places and just walk around. I decided to wake up at 6 am, then went to Plaza del Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the difference couldn’t be more astonishing! I loved these places in the morning with only a person here and there. It was actually peaceful, not the craziness I had seen the day before and I’m really glad I decided to give these places a second chance because I came back with a totally different idea of them (check the photos to see for yourself!).
This goes to say that waking up early and visiting places before everyone else is really a game changer. Note this tip for future trips 😉
Going back
After my early visit, I went back to the hostel to have breakfast, checkout and then used the rest of the time I had left to just walk around, have Italian pasta for lunch (my only proper meal of the whole trip), and visit Parco Sempione one last time before heading home again.
Other places
So this was my first trip to Milan and I think that I visited most of the places. However, this was also my first trip solo and I was a bit lost sometimes, which made the trip a bit disorganized and I ended up missing some places, so here are some things I would have done if I went back:
Visit Navigli District
Visit the Duomo (terrace)
Have a proper Italian dinner
See DaVinci’s “Last Supper” (for this one you have to really book a tour in advance)
QC Termemilano
Isola (if you like street art)
Their small Chinatown
Triennale di Milano
If you have time, hop on the train and visit Venice as well ;)
I hope you found this article useful in planning your trip to Milan. I tried to be as honest as I could because it was my first solo trip and it definitely influenced the way this trip went, so I wanted to leave a transparent opinion about the city but also let you know what caused this opinion: Milan is cool, definitely aim to visit it once in your life, however, is far from being one of my favorite cities.
If you ever visit or have visited already and have a different opinion, let me know. I would love to hear your insights 🙂
XOXO,
Barbara
