On Thursday the 20th of August, my boyfriend and I flew to Italy for a weekend break in Milano with/thanks to BRB Travel! I’ve explained the concept of BRB Travel before – and will go into more detail below – but the trip was a surprise destination arranged via our together plan with BRB Travel.
We flew from London Luton, so we actually headed down to Luton the night before to have dinner at my Dad’s and leave the car there to save on the train fair.
We did experience a few minor problems with Wizz Air. The first problem was that my boyfriend and I were not actually seated together when we checked in online – but I called up and a member of staff sat us together without me having to pay for specific seats. We also found that upon arrival at the airport, my hand luggage (a suitcase which is actually handed luggage size approved!) was too big, meaning we had to fork out £35 at the gate, which was money we would have rather not parted with. This is an issue that lies with the airline, however – not BRB Travel – and I have since read that Wizzair are notorious for overcharging for things like this as they are a budget airline.
Luckily we had a smooth flight there – all seats on the plane were taken so there was no social distancing but everyone wore masks. In terms of Covid-19, the team at BRB Travel were pretty much in touch with us in the run-up to our trip the whole time. There was a point when we all thought the trip may not go ahead, but they managed to swing it. They did note that they would never send anyone to a city that was unsafe and likewise, wouldn’t send anyone to a city that was safe but had so many shops or attractions closed that it couldn’t be enjoyed. So we were thankful for this!
In terms of safety during our weekend break in Milano, we felt safe at all times. Masks were always worn indoors but it wasn’t too busy overall either. Only very, very hot!
Full disclosure: we received a discount on our plan due to being part of BRB Travel’s ambassador program. However, as explained in previous posts, I was happy to pay full price for our subscription and had every intention of doing so before becoming aware of their ambassador program. In fact, I had already begun to sign-up process (for a full-price subscription) before taking part in this program. This means I can offer you a discount on your subscription if you choose to sign up, however! Keep your eyes peeled for my discount code at the end of this post.
Here’s how the weekend (and a bit!) went!
DAY ONE
After landing in Milano around noon, we made it to our hotel and checked in at half two. The coach only takes about an hour from the airport to central Milan, however, we had a bit of trouble finding the correct coach. It took us directly to the Milano Centrale railway station which was literally just across the road from our hotel, Starhotels E.c.ho. I really liked it here! This four-star hotel had a touch of luxury to it with friendly staff, a tasty breakfast buffet and a bar that served tasty cocktails. I really liked its central location too – by train, we could get into the centre of Milan within just a few minutes. However, we checked in, got changed and headed back out for a slow walk into the centre – not quite realizing how long the walk would be but just wanting to explore! I especially enjoyed taking notice of all the beautiful architecture of the buildings as we walked – and that’s possibly why we took so long, zigzagging among different streets to see what was on offer.
We took a walk through Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli – a wonderful park which is home to a museum and a few eateries. We stopped at Bar Bianco for a bite to eat (and a couple of G&Ts) and, sitting in the sun slightly tipsy and with lunch, I finally got that relaxed holiday feeling. It was lovely!
We then continued our walk into central Milano and stumbled across one of the oldest shopping malls in the world: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II! Home to designer names such as Prada and Gucci, the mall is also known as a major landmark due to its beautiful glass dome roof and triumphal arch entrance.
After a few photo opportunities (there’s no way we could afford to shop there!) we walked out to the other side to be greeted with the wonderful view of Milano’s famous Duomo di Milano! I was totally taken aback, not expecting it to be so beautiful or big. The major square was filled with crowds, performers and tourist stands, but it was lovely nonetheless.
We headed back to the hotel after this, keeping our eyes open for somewhere to indulge in aperitivo. We found one small place along the street advertising cocktails, but once sitting down found they didn’t serve Mojitos (despite advertising them). We stayed for a disappointing aperitivo of what I’m sure was slightly out-of-date crisps with another cocktail, and grabbed a Mojito back at the hotel bar instead.
Read more: 5 reasons to sign up to BRB Travel right now
DAY TWO
We had more of a plan for our second day in Italy. We grabbed a tasty breakfast at the hotel before catching the tram to Cimitero Monumentale – one of the largest cemeteries in Milan which is noted for artistic tombs and monuments. Visiting here was one of my favourite things we did in Milan as the place was absolutely breathtaking. We spent nearly three hours walking around the different sculptures and enjoying the sunshine (it was really, really hot) and I’d say Cimitero Monumentale is a must-visit for anyone travelling to Milan. It was very peaceful and quiet there too, and my boyfriend and I enjoyed pointing out different tombs to each other or sometimes wandering off slowly by ourselves. We also spotted a few cute little lizards and a stray cat that seems to live within the grounds.
Afterwards, we went in search of somewhere to cool down out of the sun. We took the tram back into the centre and found a beautiful hidden away bistro called ecooking which served light authentic food like buddha bowls or brunch options in a little glass booth on the pavement. It was really charming and the food was delicious – in particular the Pomodorino pasta which was full of rich flavour. Opting out of cocktails for once, we ordered flavoured fruit water: mint, raspberry and ginger. It was so refreshing, and I’m still thinking of the amazing food.
Next, we headed back over to Duomo di Milano for our rooftop tour/entry. It was so hot by now, so heading up all those stairs was definitely a challenge – but a worthwhile one for the stunning views from the top. We could see for miles across Milano and the gorgeous architecture at the top of the cathedral was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. We were faced with bright white and grey statues, spires, stone carvings and gargoyles which were so different from the grungy grey buildings we often see in London for example. Though it’s a popular tourist attraction, it wasn’t too busy when we were there and I’d still recommend doing a rooftop tour because it offers the most staggering views. It only took around twenty minutes to walk around and I was surprised to learn we ended up on the actual roof too, where we could stay as long as we wanted for photo opportunities.
There wasn’t much shade on the roof so once we were done, we were eager to get out of the sticky heat. We jumped on the metro to make our way back to the hotel for a shower and get ready for our evening plans.
After filling up on lunch, we popped back to the hotel for a shower, a brief chill out and to get ready for the evening.
Our evening plans consisted of a slow stroll around the very hip and romantic Navigli district. Filled to the brim with restaurants and bars along the canal, this area is also where many young people in Milano hang out – often spilling out of the bars to sit along the canal with their own drinks. We ducked into one bar for aperitivos – Mojitos of course – and plates full of pizza, crisps, hummus and olives. As the sun started to set around us and we enjoyed our food and drink beneath fairy lights overlooking the river, it really was the loveliest evening. After, we sat further down the canal and enjoyed the atmosphere, including a random seal swimming in the canal!
Don’t forget: You can receive £20 off your first month of BRB Travel by visiting app.berightback.travel and use my code Louise41177!
DAY THREE
After packing so much into our day the day before (it was also our only full day in the city), we chose to take it easy on our last morning. We checked out of the hotel and they kindly allowed us to leave our luggage there as our flight wasn’t until 8pm. We walked into the centre to enjoy exploring again and planned to stop for lunch along the way. It was another sunny day and we were tempted to just buy some random bits from a supermarket and have a picnic in the wonderful Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli but decided against it in the end. We did stumble across a cat cafe, so spend an hour in there playing with the cats and having a drink – as well as getting lots of cute photos.
After, we made our way over to San Bernardino alle Ossa, a church which is well known for its ossuary (side chapel) filled with real human skulls and bones. Of course, I wanted to visit! After lighting a candle for my mum in the main church, we made our way into the tiny side chapel which, despite its sinister decorations, was actually really remarkable. It was built in 1210 after the adjacent cemetery ran out of space for the remains.
We grabbed lunch from a side cafe before making our way back to Duomo di Milano, exploring some different streets along the way. There, Shaun took some more photos and I ducked into a little place to grab souvenirs. After, we made our way back to collect our luggage, take our coach to the airport and fly home!
Like before, we had no issues with safety at the airport and everyone wore their masks as expected. I’d paid for additional hand luggage the night before to avoid any surprise fees, although it did cost me £25 rather than £10 as advertised..! I wasn’t best pleased that I was sat next to a gentleman on the flight who seemed to continually pull down his mask to breathe, burp and cough(?!) as well as putting his hand down his pants..but I was happy to make it home.
I loved our time in Milan as the city had so much more to offer than I expected it to. I do wish we’d had a longer time there or that we’d planned ahead a bit better – we seemed to squeeze everything we really wanted to do in one single day and just chilled on the other two days so we both ended up feeling quite overwhelmed and tired. My favourite part was walking around the incredible Cimitero Monumentale and I think I enjoyed this mostly because we had a whole morning there to explore at our own pace.
When it comes to travel, I tend to try and pack in as much as possible, whereas Shaun is more laid back. I think for future Travel BRB trips, he has the right idea – picking just a few main things to do and indulging in them more, rather than rushing around trying to do so much on a short trip. So that’s something I’ll remember in future!
I’ll certainly be excited to find out where our next trip takes us in November – the destination is set to be revealed in just 22 days – eek! I’ll also be sharing some more posts about our time in Milan over the upcoming weeks such as my recommendations for Milano, more photos from our trip and our thoughts and feedback from our first trip with BRB Travel. Keep your eyes peeled!
Have you ever been to Milan? Would you like to visit? Let me know!
*Please note, we receive a discount on our Go Together plan with BRB Travel due to being part of BRB Travel’s ambassador program.
No Comments