Milan Any suggestions????

Tracy - we stayed one night this past June at the Hotel Gran Duca di York (www.ducadiyork.com) and liked it very much. The staff at the hotel were very friendly with good suggestions for our one lunch and dinner in Milan. I can't give you any more "insider" tips but the Duomo in Milan really is spectacular, especially up on the roof.

I started a 17 day solo tour in Milan - stayed at Hotel Berna http://www.milan-hotel-berna.com/welcome.cfm?idpage=1&lang=eng which is near the train station. A little bit of evening oriented activity (middle aged prostitutes) but I felt safe. Check trip advisor for recent reviews, but I found the hotel clean, the staff helpful and English speaking, free internet access, and a HUGE buffet breakfast. Very convenient to train station and metro.

As for activities, the duomo is cool, especially up top, and the Szforsca castle is fun to roam around. I hear the cemetery is cool too, but save it for daylight.

Our tip om Milan is to spend as little time there as you can. Aside from the Duomo, there is not much to see there and it is nothing more than a big, dirty and congested city. A much nicer city (on the line between Milan and Venice) is Verona and another is Vicenza

Alle Meraviglie was wonderful, and right on Via Dante. The people watching there is spectacular. Check out Via Speronari as well, very cool little neighborhood with EXCELLENT food at multiple storefronts. My wife and I began our honeymoon in Milan, and enjoyed every minute.

There is a small, but interesting, Duomo museum. If memory serves me correct, it is just to the right of the Duomo, as you face the Duomo. We found the people in Milan to be some of the friendliest in Italy. Possibly because they get nowhere near as many tourists as other cities??

My advice is : do not go to Milan. It is a stressful and grim city, the people there are the most unfriendly people I saw in Europe. I suggest go to Verona, or Como, or Stressa.

I would appreciate it if those who don't have a useful suggestion just NOT post. Milan is on my itinerary, I did not ask for "don't do it" replies. Hotel suggestions and tips.

Thanks to those who were kind enough to reply with helpful info.

Tracy...stay calm. This is a public board and you take the suggestions you want and leave the rest. The postings you don't appreciate may be very important to someone else watching the board.

If Milan you must, you can do worse than Hotel Charly, where we stayed in 2004. It is near the awful train station and close to things like shopping and cafeterias.

Hi Tracy,
I've been to Milan 3 times. I've stayed close to the Duomo each time. I've stayed at both Hotel London (ok hotel, good location between the Duomo and Sforzesca castle) and Hotel Speronari (great location but definitely a low budget hotel). The Duomo is definitely worth a visit and see if you have any chance of getting a reservation for the Last Supper. I'd second the recommendation for the little shops on via Speronari. On via Spaderi is a gourmet food store called Pecks which I love to visit just to drool over all the beautiful foods that they sell, but it is also great for a pastry or if you want things for a picnic. There is also a neighborhood called Navigli which has some canals in the neighborhood and some artsy shops. I haven't been to this neighborhood in 10 years, but recall that I found it really interesting. And finally, if the weather is nice you can take a day trip up to Lake Como. Enjoy your trip.