On my recent trip to Milan with my partner, we stayed in an apartment 6 miles from the centre, managed by the company Altido. We stayed on the ground floor, however on the roof of the apartment complex, there were sun loungers and a jacuzzi. They also had a spa room with a Turkish bath, sauna and another jacuzzi. The room we stayed in was really modern with a smart TV and air conditioning we could control on our phones.

The transport into the centre was so easy as there was a tram line right outside of our apartment block that came every five minutes. It was about 20 minutes on the tram and we would get off right in the centre next to the square and the cathedral.

It would be rude to visit Italy and not make the most of the food!

We found a fantastic Michelin restaurant called ‘The Roof’ which is situated on the 10th floor of a 5-star hotel, boasting gorgeous views out over the city. I tried real Italian ravioli with lobster; the portions looked small and dainty, but they packed a punch and afterwards we were both stuffed!

We also ate at a restaurant in the main square in Milan where we sampled more delicious pasta. I had the Italian version of mac and cheese and my boyfriend had spicy penne arrabiatta which looked amazing.

One place which surprised us was somewhere we found on TikTok. It was a viral sandwich shop and people were queuing all the way down the street so we knew it must be good. I didn’t know it before we visited Milan, but apparently Italy is known for its sandwiches and they are everywhere in the city! The sandwich came with two flat breads, coated with a sweet taste. I got a bacon and cream cheese sandwich which I would highly recommend.

There are so many activities to enjoy

One highlight of my trip was seeing the beautiful Duomo which is centred right in the heart of the city. The pictures really don’t do it justice of how big it actually is! We also went to an Aperol Spritz Bar just next to the Cathedral with a balcony so you could see out over the square. 

There was a festival on next to the Duomo which made the atmosphere of the city ten times better as the square was filled with people. At night, the square lit up with lots of colourful lights to celebrate this music festival.

Another highlight of or trip was visiting Lake Como. It was around an hour on the train from the city centre, we got tickets for a boat ride that took us all around the lake with a tour guide who told us all about the history of the lake.

We also went to the highly recommended canal called Navigli which reminded me of Venice or Amsterdam. There were lots of colourful bars and beautiful architecture, it was a great place to visit in the city and I would highly recommend if you have plenty of time to explore more of Milan.

Why is Milan the perfect addition to your cruise holiday?

Milan would be a great addition to a cruise holiday as a couple of nights is all you need there to take in all of the wonderful attractions. There are also lots of historic and cultural experiences such as the Da Vinci paintings in the Cathedral and the Da Vinci statue in the courtyard. 

Milan is also a major fashion city which makes it a great place to enjoy a weekend of luxury shopping. If you fancy a mixture of city break and lakeside retreat, then you also have the option of combining your visit to Milan with a trip to Lake Como.

Fancy a trip to the fashion capital of Italy? Add a pre- or post-cruise extension to your luxury Venice river cruise with Uniworld or your elite ocean cruise around the Mediterranean! Call the team on 0161 513 8200 today.