GETTING THERE
AIRPORT
Milan has two airports
MilanMalpensa Airport (MXP)
Tel: 02 232 323.
It is the main airport, located 48km (30 miles) northwest of Milan.
The Malpensa Express (www.malpensaexpress.it) runs from Terminal 1 to Stazione Cadorna, north of the historic centre. Trains stop at Milano Bovisa Politecnico and Saronno Centro. Another shuttle connects terminals with Gallarate station, with connections to Stazione Centrale or Stazione Porta Garibaldi.
Milan Linate International Airport(LIN)
Tel: 02 232 323.
It is located only 7km (4 miles) east of Milan's city centre.
A coach and local bus service operate from the airport to Milan's city centre. The Starfly shuttle service (www.starfly.net) runs to Stazione Centrale.
LOW COST FLIGHTS
From and to Linate Airport:
Aer lingus
Easyjet
Volareweb
Meridiana
Air Dolomiti
Aegean air
Windjet
From and to Malpensa Airport
www.aireurope.com
www.easyjet.com
vueling
Blue1
Germanwings
Estonian air
Tuifly
Meridiana
Bleuexpress
atlas blue
Flylal
Air Baltic
Flybe
Turkish airlines
Aegean air
TRAINS
The main railway station in Milan is the Stazione Centrale, Piazza Duca d'Aosta, which has high-speed links to the most important cities in Italy, including Bologna, Venice, Turin, Naples, Florence and Rome (www.trenitalia.com).
Trains from Cadorna station (downtown Milan), including the Malpensa Express, are run by Ferrovie Nord Milano - www.ferrovienord.it).
MOTORWAYS
Italy's central motorways, the A1 (Autostrada del Sole), runs south from Milan to Reggio Calabria via Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. The A4 (Turin-Milan-Bergamo-Brescia-Verona-Venice-Trieste) forms the ring road skirting the north of the city.
The A8 and A9 reach Lake Maggiore and Switzerland.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Milan has a wide transport network run by Azienda Trasporti Milanesi - ATM(www.atm-mi.it).
The metro has three lines - red MM1, green MM2 and yellow MM3 - which converge at Duomo, Centrale FS, Loreto and Cadorna
CAR RENTALS
Car hire companies in Milan include Avis (tel: 02 6707 0884; www.avis.com) and Hertz (tel: 02 6698 5151; www.hertz.it).
ALAMO-Milano www.alamo.com
Autonoleggio Mntaxi www.mntaxi.blogspot.com
Elite Rent a Car www.eliterent.com
Europe Milan www.europcar.com
MT Autonoleggio www.mtautonoleggio.it
My Limousine www.mylimousine.it
National Milan www.nationalcar.com
TOP ATTRACTIONS
CHURCHES
Duomo
It is the world's largest gothic cathedral, landmark of Milan. Tourists should explore the underground octagonal chamber where St. Charles Borromeo is buried, the adjacent Treasury and, above the forest of 135 spires and 3,500 statues, the small gilded copper statue of the Virgin on the top of the central lantern (www.duomomilano.it).
Santa Maria delle Grazie
This Dominican masterpiece houses the magnificent "The Last Supper" (Il Cenacolo) of Leonardo Da Vinci. (www.cenacolovinciano.org ).
Basilica Sant'Ambrogio (St. Ambrose Basilica)
St. Ambrose is the patron of Milan and this is oneof the city's finest churches, a monumental building in the mature Lombard Romanesque style (www.santambrogio-basilica.it).
MONUMENTS
La Scala Theatre
Well known by all opera lovers.
Via Filodrammatici 2
Tel: 02 88791.
GalleriaVittorio Emanuele II
Located in Piazza del Duomo, in front of the cathedral, it is a Belle Epoque shopping arcade.
CimiteroMonumentale (Monumental Cemetery)
It is located few blocks from Stazione Garibaldi and houses wonderful examples of art nouveau in its funerary architecture. Toscanini, Alessandro Manzoni and poet Salvatore Quasimodo are buried here (www.monumentale.net)
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Museod'Arte Antica, Castello Sforzesco (Museum of Historic Art, Sforza Castle)
Piazza Castello
Tel: 02 8846 3703.
Visitors come to see Michelangelo's last work, the unfinished Pietà Rondanina, which was bought by the museum in 1952, and important paintings by Mantegna, Antonello da Messina and Leonardo da Vinci.
MuseoPoldi Pezzoli
Via Manzoni 12
Tel: 02 796 334.
It represents an icon for Milan's own style and elegance. The museum houses works by Andrea Mantegna and Sandro Botticelli.
Pinacotecadi Brera (Brera Picture Gallery)
Via Brera 28
Tel: 02 722 631.
The unbeatable collection is best known for its Venetian and Lombard masterpieces: the works by Bellini, Mantegna, Tintoretto, Raffaello and Piero della Francesca can be admired here.
Other interesting museums are:
MuseoTeatrale alla Scala (Theatre Museum at La Scala)
MuseoNazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum) (www.museoscienza.org)
MuseoBagatti Valsecchi (www.museobagattivalsecchi.org).
SHOPPING
Milan is the temple of shopping, particularly if you are interested in high fashion: the Quadrilatero d'Oro (between via Montenapoleone and via della Spiga) is full of luxury shopping windows of the most important stylists: Armani, Versace, Prada, Valentino, Dolce e Gabbana, Gucci, Cavalli and many others.
For a more affordable shopping you can visit Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Buenos Ayres and Corso di Porta Ticinese.
There are also some interesting markets: Viale Papiniano (open on Saturday), via Zivetti (open on Wednesday mornings) and the flea market, Fiera di Senigallia, on Saturdays.
RESTAURANTS
Armani Nobu
Armani World, Via Pisoni 1 Tel: 02 6231 2645. www.armaninobu.it
This exclusive Japanese restaurant is housed in the original white-stone Armani World on Via Manzoni. Is the ideal place to meet artists, top models and important businessmen.
Cracco
Via Victor Hugo 4 (off Via Orefici)
Tel: 02 876 774.
Excellent cuisine for lovers of Italian style.
Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia
Via Montecuccoli 6
Tel: 02 416 886.
One of the best restaurants in the city, offers a wide choice of food and wines, in an elegant and comfortable ambience.
Alzaia 26
Alzaia Naviglio Grande 26
tel 02 8323526
www.alzaia26.com/
Close to Santa Maria delle Grazie, it is the ideal place where meeting artists and celebrities.
Bagutta
via Bagutta 14 (san Babila)
tel 0276002767
www.toprestaurants-milano.it/pagine/start.html
It is located in the very heart of Milan and offers a traditional local cuisine with Tuscany's influences.
Trattoria Il Bragosso
via Giovanni Omboni 4 (corso Buenos Aires)
tel 0229529377
www.trattoriailbragosso.it/
An informal ambience where tasting delicious traditional fresh seafood
Il Ristorante Trussardi alla Scala
Piazza della Scala 5
Tel: 02 8068 8201.
A really sumptuous ambient with an unbeatable location and excellent cuisine.
NIGHTLIFE
Milan has a vibrant lifenight, staring from the evening. The "aperitivo" represents a typical must in the city centre, with a buffet of food, free with drinks. After the "aperitivo" time people go for dining, choosing among the plenty of restaurants, cheap or expensive, offered by the different districts.
The night runs in Navigli district, full of bars, typical and trendy locals, open till late.
All locals and entertainment listings are available online at www.corriere.it and www.hellomilano.it. The newspapers Corriere della Sera (on Wednesday) and La Repubblica (on Thursday) also supply listings.
Among the glamorous bars are:
10 Corso Como
Corso Como 10
Tel: 02 2901 3581.
Bhangra Bar
Corso Sempione 1
Tel: 02 3493 4469.
Il Gattopardo Café
Via Piero della Francesca 47
Tel: 02 3453 7699.
For live music, The Blue Note is a landmark in Milan, the most important place where listening to jazz
Via Borsieri 37
Tel: 02 6901 6888.
Do not miss Rolling Stones , Milan's rock temple
Corso XXII Marzo 32
Tel: 02 733 172.
EVENTS
Milanovendemoda (Fashionin Milan)
Every year in March and October, a very important fashion meeting, Fiera district
www.mimilanopretaporter.fieramilano.it
Milan Marathon
In April
http://milanocitymarathon.gazzetta.it
Milan Jazzin' Festival
In July, a big festival with international jazz stars