Great 'MoneySaving city guides, #5: Milan' Hunt

As in most Italian towns, it is much cheaper to drink your coffee standing up at the espresso bar, rather than to get a table. You can get a quick single shot for €0.50 (if you're lucky) or max €1, and most places throw in a little biscuit or chocolate for this price...the ideal way to perk yourself up after a hard morning's sight-seeing.:beer:

Also, if you intend to see Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper', you had best book this a long time in advance through the official web-site. You can still go with a private tour company, but usually they are more expensive. Sorry, but I can't remember which company we ended up going with.

A tour of the Cathederal (Duomo) roof is also fantastic, whatever the weather. Make sure you brave the steps instead of the lift for maximum moneysaving!

For the Gasto moneysavers amongst you, I recommend a trip to the city's famous delicatessen, Peck. This is an Aladdin's cave of wonderful foodstuffs, admittedly mostly quite pricey, but it's nice just looking around. Their truffle oil, however, is an absolute bargain: ~€18 for 250ml...Fortnum and Mason sell the same thing for £100!

cloughja wrote: »

A can of coke is 3 euros in a cafe for example.

Sounds like the 'sitting down' price... (see my earlier post)

Some things are particularly expensive (or seem it with the exchange rate being like it is atm) such as baby wipes...best bring your own. Other things e.g. Ham, Cheese, etc, are usually good value.

Hi,

I take your point alexandragrlimnos but who wants to go to a place where they rip you off just cos they can?

I think food has improved enormously in the UK in recent years and I was less than impressed with the food in Italy - it was mostly just OK. I can cook as good pizza and pasta myself.

For a mid price hotel - we stayed at Atahotel Contessa Jolanda, a few metro stops from the centre, it was half the price of a similar hotel in the centre. It was nice enough, the breakfast was ok, and best of all, there was a fully fitted kitchen in the room - but absolutely no crockery, cookware, utensils. So if you can be bothered to take your own, you can save a lot of money on food (not to mention cups of tea) - there was a Lidl just round the corner too.
We booked direct with the hotel which was slightly cheaper than all the hotel booking sites. It's always worth checking.

General tip if you are a confirmed tea and coffee drinker like me - look for a hotel room with a fridge, take a travel kettle, tea bags and cups. Ignore anyone who says you are a sad freak.

My daughter worked in Milan for 6 months, she said there was basically no such thing as cheap/discount/cut price shops such as you get everywhere in the UK, for buying household stuff etc. Only IKEA and Lidl.

cloughja wrote: »

Hi,

We just got back from a holiday in Milan and was amazed by how expensive it all was. A can of coke is 3 euros in a cafe for example. We traveled to a number of cities in the region and there seems to be little difference in price.

Even the supermarkets are twice the price of over here. It's nice but, not being a millionaire, I'll not be going back.

Sorry to hear about that, actually here in Italy Milan is really regarded as the most expensive city you can find, and local small shops sellers take a pride in ripping off poor tourists. Don't worry it's not race or nationality discrimination, the other day on tv there was an Italian woman interviewed after having just paid like 5eur for a small water bottle (normal price in a groceries shop, 20 to 30 cents). The rule to save is: avoid small shops, avoid shops in the city center and possibly don't sit down in bars. As soon as you sit down anywhere to order, most of the places will charge you with what we call a "coperto", actually being a service charge. They might not charge that in bars in smaller cities, but it's a constant in big cities with lots of tourists. It can go from 50c per person to several euros so beware of that. Most restaurants/bars will have a price list stitched on the outside window, check on that and avoid those which don't. Remember that drinking in a bar = always expensive in Italy. 3 eur for a 50cl glass of coke is normal. Your best trick (if in your hotel you're getting a freezer/fridge) might be bringing an insulated backpack, then at the beginning of your trip going to a big department store (Carrefour, Auchan, etc but plan for that in advance as they usually are placed at the outskirts of the big towns) and stock up on drinks and a couple of ice packs. Also remember that 1,5liter bottles are incredibly better value than 0,5lt ones and cans, you can save huge amounts for the same drink. If bored about their size/weight, buy a pack of small water bottles and refill them!
If buying sliced salame/ham and similar in shops, check the price per Kg. The prepackaged ones look good but they're often much, much more expensive than the ones the salesman will cut for you at his counter, and he'll cut you more or less the exact amount you want, no waste. And as I said again, try to avoid the smaller shops especially when next to attractions. In small shops the owners often put their own prices, in big ones most prices are fixed by the retail chain.
In Italy, beware of taxis. They're a plague. I mean, not real ones but you'll find plenty of fake ones who will try to dispatch them as real ones. Don't accept runs from people who follow you inside railway stations or at the exit gates of airports. Try to use taxis as little as possible as they're more expensive than elsewhere in europe (it's not a free job, you must own a license that is limited in number and is often passed from father to son or sold at really high prices). Try to always grab them at a taxi line, they're available in several city center spots and outside all the main railway stations and airports. If in doubt ask the driver about the average fare to reach your destination. Check that the meter in the car is on and working. When you pay, check your rest (this also applies when u pay for tickets at boots or in most other places, most people are honest ones but a few ones might ruin your vacation and if you don't complain about your rest immediately, you can consider your money as good as lost).
Aside from that, what else... just the usual stuff, check for tourist cards before you leave. They can often be bought online or at the place and often include a flat access to public transports and several attractions/museums, they're usually a good value if you plan to use all what they offer. Also if going with museums, check their website as sometimes some museums/sites are linked together(eg administered by the same people) and offer good value tickets for visiting the whole lot.
If you're a student, bring with you a proof of that, there are huge savings on tickets for students.