Reader Trinh Hang, Hanoi, traveled to Italy in February. She shares her destinations and experiences during her nearly two-week trip there.
Milan is famous as one of the most vibrant cities in Italy and Europe - an attractive tourist center. Milan is home to countless branded goods, many unique architectural works and artistic masterpieces. This is also an expensive city in Europe, but there are still ways to "hack" the cost when having fun in this fashion capital.
Take public transport
Make the most of the city’s public transport system, known as ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi), which includes metro, tram, trains, buses, and a network of bicycles and scooters for rent at reasonable rates.
The most popular "passport" in this city is the ATM24h transport card, priced at 7.6 euros (about 190,000 VND), which allows you to travel within 24 hours by all public transport, with no distance limit, no limit on the number of trips, except to the airport. To get from the airport to the city center, the most popular is the Malpensa Express train, priced at 13 euros one way (about 325,000 VND), travel time 45-50 minutes.
If you stay for several days, buy a 3-day ATM card for 15.5 euros (387,500 VND). That's an average of about 130,000 VND per day to travel around the city. This is a "great deal" compared to buying individual tickets, which cost 2.2 euros per trip. Travelers with large luggage, pets, baby strollers, and electric scooters can all take them on trains, subways, and buses in Milan.
Transport cards are widely available at all train stations in the city, and can be purchased directly at the counter or at ticket vending machines. In addition, the city has a network of newsstands where visitors can easily buy transport cards at the price of the ticket vending machines. Visitors are advised to install the ATM official app (the city's official transport app) and buy tickets directly on the app. The card is activated the first time it is used, and expires after the number of hours corresponding to the type of card purchased.
In the apartment for rent
Milan is an expensive city, and a room for 60 euros a night is considered a bargain. The most convenient way to rent a room is through Airbnb or popular websites like Booking or Agoda. You can also find apartments in apartment buildings in the city center. These are usually studios for rent, but there are also cases where you rent a room in a multi-room apartment from the landlord.
Most rentals are safe, clean, comfortable, and fully equipped. To save money, choose a room with a kitchen and cooking utensils, so you can buy your own food to prepare breakfast, or even dinner. In Milan, it is not always easy to find a restaurant that serves breakfast. And it is not easy to find a restaurant that serves dinner at a reasonable price.
Please note that check-in and check-out times vary greatly from place to place, and even depend on the host's schedule. Before arriving in Milan, contact your host or hotel to let them know your arrival and departure times, and if you need to store your luggage outside of these hours, you should also discuss this with them in advance.
Seasonal shopping
You should exchange Vietnamese Dong to Euro before arriving, because the exchange fee in Italy is quite high.
If you are going to Milan for shopping, go at the change of seasons to take advantage of the big discounts. For household items or gifts, choose the largest supermarket chains in Italy such as Conad, Coop, Esselunga, Carrefour, Despar because these places have a wide selection and often have discounts. Sweets, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, wine, spices for Italian cooking are all good items at affordable prices.
Souvenirs such as postcards, key chains, fabric decorations, and T-shirts with Italian-style prints are widely available in Milan, but the prices are relatively high compared to some other tourist centers in Italy such as Florence or Venice, so consider carefully when buying these items.
Visit during off-peak hours
Don't go during peak season, every tourist knows this, but it is especially true for Milan. From June to August every year is the time when millions of tourists flock to Italy, including Milan. The heavy traffic pressure often causes tourists to jostle, the price of accommodation increases, and food services are at risk of being overloaded. Especially when visiting famous tourist attractions, you risk having to queue for several hours.
So if you have time, visit Milan in the early months of the year or late fall, when the number of tourists has decreased. Milan is still crowded, but you can spend more reasonably and spend less time waiting in line.
TH (according to VnExpress)Source
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