Mistakes everyone makes in Milan
Five mistakes that cost time, a ticket or entry in Milan, and what to do instead.
- Last Supper
- no slot means no entry
- The Duomo
- covered shoulders and knees
- The airport
- 'Milan Bergamo' sits by Bergamo
The costliest mistakes in Milan happen before arrival: a ticket bought for the wrong airport, an entry planned without a booking, or a car brought into a centre that doesn't need one. Below is the fix for each.
1. Counting on getting into the Last Supper without a booking
The ticket for the Cenacolo Vinciano is in your name and has to be bought ahead; it isn't sold at the door, and there's no queue to join. It's closed on Mondays, and slots are released quarterly, with a top-up released on Wednesdays at noon for the following week. Instead, buy your ticket as soon as you have a date, or watch for the Wednesday top-up if you've left it late.
2. Showing up at the Duomo with bare shoulders
The Duomo, like most Italian cathedrals, won't let in bare shoulders or knees, whatever the heat outside. Instead of a tank top or shorts, carry a light scarf you can put on at the door — plenty of visitors carry it in hand and put it on for the last fifty metres.
3. Buying a 'Milan Bergamo' ticket thinking it's Milan
Low-cost carriers sell Orio al Serio as 'Milan Bergamo', but the airport sits by Bergamo, on the opposite side of the city from Malpensa. Instead of finding that out on landing, check ahead how long the coach into Milan takes and what it costs with the operator — the timetable and fare change by season.
4. Renting a car for the centre
Milan has a zone that charges cars entering the wider centre (Area C), on weekdays, and the system reads the plate automatically — there's no one to explain to that you're a tourist. Instead of a car, the centre is covered by metro and on foot; a car only makes sense for trips outside the city, where parking isn't a problem.
5. Taking a taxi from Linate out of habit
Before M4 reached the airport, a taxi was the only quick way into the centre, and the habit stuck around even after the line opened. Today the metro runs direct to San Babila in 12 min, for the price of an ordinary ticket. Instead of a taxi on arrival, follow the signs for M4.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What if I miss a Last Supper slot?
A new batch of tickets comes out on Wednesdays at noon for the following week; there's no entry at the door without one.
Can I go into the Duomo in short sleeves?
Yes, but shoulders and knees have to be covered — carry a light scarf just in case.
Is Bergamo airport close to Milan?
No, it sits by Bergamo; a coach runs into Milan on the operator's own timetable.
Ready for Milan?
Where to next
From the airport to Milan
→Two airports, two different ways into the city: Linate sits on a metro line, Malpensa is the international…
Lake Como · 39 km
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How well does Milan suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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