We went to Milan for the weekend primarily to do a parkrun. Basically, we found ourselves in Switzerland, as we had transported some equipment our daughter needed for an experiment. But they don’t do parkrun in Switzerland. So, on Friday, we jumped into our (her) hired van and drove to Italy. Milan is, in fact, the perfect place for a weekend break, regardless of whether you intend to spend Saturday morning running round the park or not.
How to get to Milan
We drove to Milan from Switzerland. Italy has a good motorway system, however parts of it are privately owned. In some places, there are toll booths. On the A36 Pedemontana, you must pay online afterwards. Note: The signs explaining this are very small and the fine for not doing so is steep. Further details about Italian tolls can be found here.
If you choose to fly, Milan Malpensa Airport is around 30 miles northwest of the city. From here, the train will get you into central Milan in 32 minutes. Tickets cost €14.
Getting around Milan
The best way to get around Milan is by Metro. It’s relatively easy to use, once you’ve worked out the ticket machine. (It’s a question of knowing the difference between interurban tickets and intraurban tickets.) A standard ticket costs €2.20 and is valid for 90 minutes across different transport modes.
Where to stay in Milan
We stayed at the Smarthotel Re Milano Nord to the north of the city. We chose this hotel because it is opposite Parco Nord, location of Milan Parkrun. It is also close to a metro station (Sesto Rondò on the M1 Line), so convenient for getting into the centre.
Milan in 2 Days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Drive to Milan Picnic in Monza Park Autodromo Nazionale Monza Accommodation – Smarthotel Re Milano Nord |
| Day 2 | Milano Nord Parkrun – Parco Nord Milan Cathedral Museo del Novecento Da Vinci’s the Last Supper Pizza for Dinner |
Milan Day 1
Drive to Milan
The drive to Milan from Switzerland is a combination of beautiful mountain scenery interspersed with numerous tunnels. In all, we notch up 54 km underground – I feel a bit like a Womble. Half way through the 17 km long Gotthard tunnel, the road signs change from German to Italian and when we finally emerge, we are in the Italian part of Switzerland.
We cross the Italian border and are happily driving along, when we spot a not particularly large sign stating that we are in a booth free toll area and have 15 days to pay online.
First stop, on the outskirts (10 miles north east) of Milan is Monza. We stop for supplies in a supermarket. One thing that I often miss when I travel is good cheese. Not a problem I will be having in Italy!
Picnic in Monza Park
We reach Monza Park and find a nice spot for a picnic lunch. The park is enormous, with 700 hectares of parks, gardens, a villa, sports facilities etc. But I am here for one thing; to visit the iconic race track.
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Situated inside the park is the Autodromo Nazionale Monza race track. Apparently, during the week, the track is open to the public. I have told daughter No 2 that we are taking her hired van for a spin and take a photograph of the van by the track sign to send her. I find this way funnier than she does.
After lunch, we walk through the woods to the track. It takes a while to work out where to go in the huge 113,000 seat complex. Parts of it are closed. But there’s also a lot of action; people with passes, security guards, visitors milling around. I’m all for striding on brazenly until challenged. But the old man is way too square for such behaviour.
Eventually, we find our way into a stand on the Ascari Chicane. We watch three cars pass by, then nothing. We wait a while, thinking we’re too late. Then all off a sudden, there’s a crescendo of noise and proper GP style racing cars appear. It’s an unexpected bonus.
During a break, we move to the main stand, opposite the pit lane to watch the next session.
Accommodation – Smarthotel Re Milano Nord
Then we head to our hotel in Milan, Smarthotel Re Milano Nord, excited but deaf. It’s a pleasant hotel with clean, spacious rooms. And right opposite the park, so a nice setting. Ideal for getting to parkrun or just a general stroll in the park.
Milan Day 2
It’s Saturday – AKA parkrun day. Today, we’re going to Milano Nord parkrun in Parco Nord.
Milano Nord Parkrun – Parco Nord
This morning’s run has pros and cons. Pros; (1) it’s a scenic route, (2) it’s flat (3) the participants are of diverse ability, so I’m not on my own at the back. Cons; (1) there are a lot of other park users to avoid, (2) I’m not fit (3) it’s bloody hot. I persevere and make it to the finish line.
Note, that as mentioned above, Parco Nord is a pretty park. Even if you don’t intend to run round it, it’s well worth a visit.
There was supposed to be water at the finish, but the fast runners have drunk it all. So I hobble off to the supermarket dehydrated and grumpy. For breakfast, I buy spoonable Gorgonzola. Cheese you can eat with a spoon! I love Italy. We return to the hotel and I have Gorgonzola and blueberry jam sandwiches. Literally the best breakfast ever. No longer grumpy!
In the afternoon, we take the Metro into Milan. Outside, the temperature is 31 degrees. The train is like a sauna on wheels. The lady opposite keeps wiping the sweat off her face with a tissue. She started the journey with pencilled on eyebrows. By the time we arrive, the lines have spread in a zigzag across here face and she looks like Harry Potter’s gran.
Milan Cathedral
We arrive in the main square, the Piazza del Duomo, overlooking the enormous Milan Cathedral with its 135 spires and 3400 statues of pink marble. It’s quite spectacular!
To visit, you need to queue to get a ticket, to join the queue to buy a ticket, before you can queue to get in.
Finally, we have negotiated all the queues and make it into the cathedral, which is equally as grand as the exterior, with its carved pillars and stained glass windows.
The cathedral is open daily. There is a range of ticketing options. A ticket for the cathedral costs €10. It’s €22 if you also want to climb to the roof terrace via the stairs or €26 to take the elevator up (you may still need to take the stairs down).
Museo del Novecento
We continue across the piazza to the Museo del Novecento; a modern art gallery housed in the Palazzo dell’Arengario.
The Palazzo was built in 1936 as the seat of the fascist government, with a balcony from where Mussolini used to deliver speeches to the masses in the piazza below.
Through the middle of the stone building is a large glass spiral staircase. You work your way up the stairs through a series of chronologically arranged galleries.
There are great views across the piazza to the cathedral from the top floor.
The museum is open daily except Monday from 10 am until 7.30 pm (10.30 pm on Thursday). Adult admission costs €5.
Da Vinci’s the Last Supper
We would have loved to see Da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper, which hangs in the refectory adjoining the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie. But tickets sell out well in advance. So, if this is on your wish list, more foresight is required that merely jumping in a van and hoping for the best! Tickets go on sale in 3 month blocks (in September, reservations open for November, December and January, etc). Adult entry costs €15.
Pizza for Dinner
It’s been a long day, so we decide to head back towards the hotel in search of pizza and beer. We return to our hotel, via a pizzeria. Our weekend in Milan has been interesting but exhausting.
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
- Trip Taken: June 2019
- Updated: June 2025
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