In this article you’ll find short reviews of the cheapest accommodation and ways of transportation around the city as well as the list of the most interesting attractions of Milan you can visit for free!
A lot of tourists refuse visiting Milan, only because they think the trip isn’t worth the spent money. For some reason they believe you can have a good time in Milan only if you spend several thousand euro on airfare, hotel, food and of course shopping.
Do you also think Milan doesn’t suit tourist with limited budget? Then this article is for you! Continue to read and you’ll find out how to save some money during your staying in Milan!
Accommodation
If your trip budget doesn’t allow you rent a room in a hotel, don’t be upset, since you still have a few other cheap solutions:
Hostel
For the recent years, hostels have been only gaining in popularity especially among young people who don’t mind living in one room with 5 -15 people in order to economize some money. Most hostels of Milan are very well maintained and have everything for comfortable and safe staying including free Wi-Fi and individual safes for visitors.
The cheapest hostels in Milan cost about 12 -20 EUR per one person per night. Prices depend mainly on the distance to the city center. Anyway, you can always check availability and prices online on one of the numerous booking websites.
Couch-surfing
It’s the only free way to stay in Milan for a couple of nights and in addition to find some new friends and explore the city from “inside” with the help of your host.
The main disadvantages of couch-surfing for you might be the necessity to register on the official couch-surfing website and to fill in a form with information about you. You should also remember that it’s better to start searching the right person to stay at at least in a few months in advance.
Camping
In camping, there is everything needed for everyday life such as toilets and showers, laundry and kitchen where you can cook food on your own and as a result economize more money.
You can live here in a motor-home (if you have one) or in your own tent for less than 15 EUR per night.
Transportation
Milan has convenient and well-developed systems of public transport. A ticket allowing you using both metro and buses during two days costs 8.25 EUR. You can buy it near each metro station or at the newsstands.
Taxi in Milan is quite expensive. It will cost you about 4 EUR for the first 3 km and each additional kilometer of your trip might costs about 1 EUR.
Photo credit: flic.kr/p/g8eC4j
If you can’t imagine your weekend without convenience of driving your own car or you’re going to explore Milan outskirts also, then you should rent a car. Actually, it’s not as expensive as most people believe, especially if you know where and when to book a car. You can learn more about cheap car hire at Milan Airport.
Free tourist attractions in Milan
In Milan, there are many great places of interest that are absolutely free of charge or at least free during some hours or days of the week. Here is the list of the most interesting of them.
Natural History Museum (Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano)
Hours of operating: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 17:30
Free admission: Every Tuesday from 14:00 and every day from 16:30
Being operating since 1844, the Natural History Museum is considered the oldest one in Milan. Here you can get acquainted with the main stages of human evolution, observe hundreds of minerals and plants, learn everything about the origin and evolution of dinosaurs.
Milan Aquarium (Acquario Civico)
Hours of operating: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 13:00; 14:00 – 17:30
Free admission: Every first Sunday of the every month
The Aquarium of Milan has become a home for more than 100 different species of fish, jellyfish, crabs and shellfish that were delivered here from the surrounding lakes and rivers and also from the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico)
Hours of operating: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 17:30
Free admission: Every Tuesday from 14:00 and every day from 16:30
The museum gives you a great opportunity to learn history and culture of Lombardy region and the whole Northern Italy. It houses a large collection of weapons, household items, glassware and jewelry.
Photo credit: flic.kr/p/nPrppv
Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano)
Hours of operating: daily: 7:00 – 18:40
Visiting is free of charge but in order to reach the roof you’ll need to pay 7-12 EUR
Duomo Cathedral is very often called as the main city attraction and one of the most beautiful world’s Gothic cathedrals. Being entirely made of white marble, the Cathedral impresses with its size and unique combination of architectural styles.
Gallery of Modern Art (Galleria d’Arte Moderna)
Hours of operating: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 17:30
Free admission: Every Tuesday from 14:00 and every day from 16:30
Rich collection of more than 2,700 paintings and sculptures is represented in about fifty rooms on two floors of the Gallery of Modern Art. Here you can admire works in style of Divisionism, Futurism, Neo-Classicism and Romanticism of such famous artists as Auguste Renoir, Amedeo Modigliani, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and many others.
Useful tips
- Want to have a tasty meal for little money? Don’t miss “happy hour” in the cafes of Milan! During such hours you can enjoy an excellent atmosphere of lovely Italian cafés while drinking and eating as much as you can for only 7-12 EUR!
- During exploring Milan on foot especially in summer, you should drink enough water. In order to prevent spending additional money, you can buy only one bottle of water and refill it for free in special drinking fountains located throughout the city.
