Trips to other Italian cities, departing from Milan

Not only is Milan famous in the whole world for fashion, it’s also known in Europe to be an important hub when it comes to travelling. It’s located quite in the middle of Europe, so it makes it very easy to access other Italian cities and European countries from there. I thought of doing a post in which I would like to give you some ideas of trips if you’re staying in Milan, with some information about the travel times and budget. I will also give some recommendation for the cities that I have been to! I hope this post can give you some inspiration for your next trips and make you want to visit all these cities!

There are several cities to visit that are close to Milan in the North of Italy. Here’s a list of some of them:

Venice (Venezia)

This city is a must-see of northern Italy for obvious reasons. Whether you go with your lover or your friends, like I did, Venice is great! The most convenient way to go there from Milan is by bus. The travel time is of 3 hours and the budget of about €25 for the round-trip. I think one day is enough to see the main places of the city, so I would advise you to get a bus early in the morning and come back in the evening. Definitely recommended! (You can read more about my experience of Venezia by clicking here).

Turin (Torino)

I made a trip to this city very recently and I had a very nice surprise with my day there! Here again, the best way to go there is by bus. It takes about 2 hours to get there and the round trip cost me only about €15. There is a very beautiful architecture on all the buildings and a river going through the city gives it some very nice peacefulness. Definitely recommended! (You can read more about my experience of Turin by clicking here).

Bergamo

This city is very close to Milan. It only takes about 30 minutes by train to get there. I do not remember exactly how much I paid for this train trip but the round-trip must be between €10 and €15 for the round-trip. If you’re staying in Milan for an Erasmus you will eventually go there. It’s nice to spend a day there, especially in the old part of the city. Recommended! (You can read more about my experience of Bergamo by clicking here).

Monza

This is a very (very, very) small city. If you’re taking the train from the Centrale train station to another city, Monza will most likely be the first stop of the train. It takes less than 15 minutes to go there, and the round-trip costs €10. Now Monza is really small and not a touristy city at all, with really not much to see. It’s not a town that you need to visit, but you can go there for only afternoon if you’re tired of Milan and want to go somewhere else. Not in the list of priority trips to make.

Genoa (Genova)

This is a quite popular city of Italy. I didn’t get such a good experience when I went there so I didn’t like it that much. The seaside walk is nice though, and the water has a beautiful color, these were my favorite things to see in this city. If you want to go there, definitely do not use the bus as it will drop you far from the center of the city and in an area that seemed not very safe to me. The driving time was of about 2h30 and cost us around €25. It’s probably better to go there by train. It might be a little more expensive, but it's also faster and safer. (You can read more about my experience of Genoa by clicking here).

Como Lake (Lago di Como)

This is one of my favorite places to go to in Northern Italy. I already went there twice since I arrived in Milan for my Erasmus, and my trips there only get better every time I go. My personal favorite village that I went to was Varenna. The cities around the lake that are the closest to Milan are just about one hour away by train, and the round-trips cost around €15. 100% definitely recommended! (You can read more about my experiences of the Como Lake by clicking here and here)

Florence (Firenze)

Located in Tuscany, the trip to go there takes about 3 hours, by bus..It cost me a little less than €30 to go there but I think it was worth it! There are some beautiful monuments and views to see. Definitely recommended! (You can read more about my experience of Florence by clicking here)

Verona

This is most likely my next destination! I have already been there just for one day a few years ago but I do not really remember it. I would really like to visit the arena. By bus, the round-trip costs about €20 and it’s a 2-hour drive. Stay tuned for a post on my experience of Verona!

(UPDATE: the trip has been made and I love it! You can read more about Verona by clicking here).

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Bologna

Here again this city is on my list of my next destinations. From the pictures that I saw, it looks like a beautiful city! The round-trip would cost between €20 and €25, and it’s a 3-hour drive from Milan. I’ll keep you updated if I go!

UPDATE: as we had planned, we organized this trip to Bologna, and you can read about it by clicking here. In the end, I recommend to do this trip!

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Cinque Terre

A little further but soooo worth it! Cinque Terre was the first trip I made after I started my Erasmus and also my favorite so far, the landscapes are just breathtaking. It took us about 2 hours to go there by train and we paid €50 for thr round-trip. Once you are there, you can take a train to go from one village to another that only costs €4. We were there for a little bit more than one afternoon and we saw two villages (and we took our time), so I think one day could be enough to see the five villages (although it would probably be an intensive one and you would have to take the train very early). There are also many hotels if you prefer to stay there and have more days to enjoy this place. 100% definitely recommended! (You can read more about my experience in Cinque Terre by clicking here).

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Rome (Roma)

Not exactly located in the North of Italy, but I think Rome is really a city that you need to see if you come to Italy on an Erasmus. I have already been there twice but I intend to go back this semester because I really love it! I think here the most convenient way to travel there is by train, because it’s an 8-hour drive by bus and it’s not so much cheaper. It can take only 3 hours by train, but the prices are really different depending on the dates that you plan to travel there. Anyway, I think the best is to take your tickets as early as possible because that's how you can get some cheaper tickets! The price range for the train tickets to Rome is from €40 if you book them a few weeks / months before, to €100 if you book them last minute.

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These are the main cities in Italy to go and visit if you are staying in Milan for one semester / year. There are obviously many others that you can go to, depending on what you want to see and your budget!

There are also many possibilities to visit cities in other countries departing from Milan as it is quite in the middle of Europe. I know for a fact that many people go to Budapest, Hungary departing from here and find some cheap flights and accomodation there! I also travel to Paris, France quite often and the flights to go there are quite cheap if you book them in advance, like €30 or €40 for the round-trip! The South of France is also very close to Milan by car, in cities like Nice for example.

Austria, Germany and Switzerland are also quite close from here and are a good idea for a weekend getaway! Italy also has a border with Slovenia and I actually managed to make a trip there this year! You can read about it by clicking on this link).

Finally, I know Czech Republic is also very attractive to students here, and I have personally planned to go there next month, so stay tuned for more tips and pictures on this country! (UPDATE: the trip has been made and you can read about it by clicking here too! The result is: totally recommended!)

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