Trip to Italy: Day 2 (Milan)

In Milan, we stayed at BB Aparthotel Desuite, which we booked via Booking.com. The area doesn’t look particularly fancy, but it appeared to be safe—mostly residential apartments. It's conveniently located near a grocery store and just two Metro stops from Milano Centrale. The apartment was in excellent condition: clean, modern, and seemingly new. We really liked it and recommend it. Just note that it’s not a traditional hotel—the lobby is open during specific hours, and you’ll need to notify them if arriving outside of check-in hours (2–6 p.m.).

To get around Milan, we bought the 3-day ticket for 15.5 EUR, though a 24-hour pass is also available for 7.6 EUR. For more information, download the ATM Milano app, where you can also purchase electronic tickets.

In the afternoon, we booked tickets to the Duomo. The stair tickets were sold out, so we purchased lift tickets instead. The view from the top is absolutely worth it, and it’s fascinating to be able to walk on the roof of the cathedral.

Milano Duomo

View from top of The Duomo

<< Day 1 (Turin) | Trip Itinerary | Day 3 (Lake Como) >>

Trip To Italy: Day 1 (Turin)

To get from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to Turi we took the Flibco bus to Turin. It costs 22 EUR, departs about every hour, and stops at Porta Susa near downtown in Turin.

From there, we took the metro to Porta Nuova. The daily pass for metro/bus cost 3.7 EUR, which you can buy at the station. We stayed at the Best Western Crystal Palace, which is right across from Porta Nuova station.

The receptionist recommended having lunch on Lagrange Street, which offers several options. We ended up eating at Pastificio Defilippis, which turned out to be a great choice. We then visited the Basilica di Maria Ausiliatrice, which hosts the remains of San Giovanni Bosco.

Basilica di Maria Ausiliatrice

Next, we stopped at the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, which hosts the remains of Pier Giorgio Frassati (soon to be canonized) and the Shroud of Turin, which unfortunately was not currently on display.

Cattedrale di San Giovanni Batttista

The next day, we took a stroll along the Po River and visited Parrocchiale della Gran Madre di Dio.

Parrochiale della Gran Madre di Dio

To head back to Milan, we took a train from Porta Nuova to Milano Centrale using Trenitalia.

<< Trip Itinerary | Day 2 (Milan) >>

Trip to Italy: Day 0 (Itinerary)

In June 2025, my family of four took a trip to Italy with a custom itinerary. In this blog series, I'll share some tips and suggestions in case you are venturing on a similar trip. 2025 was the year of the Jubilee for the Catholic Church. We had originally planned to attend a Papal Audience with Pope Francis, who passed away in May, so we were blessed to be able to meet Pope Leo XIV.

We flew out of Dulles Airport into Milan (MXP), with a layover in Frankfurt. It was more affordable than flying directly into Rome (FCO), and we also wanted to visit some cities in northern Italy. We found parking ($10/night) using SpotHero at a nearby hotel. Specifically, we parked at the Fairfield Inn Dulles, and their shuttle service was very convenient and fast since it's only a short drive away.

View of The Alps

Day 0: Washington Dulles (IAD) – Milan (MXP)  

Day 1: Turin

Day 2: Milan

Day 3: Lake Como

Day 4–5: Venice

Day 6: Assisi

Day 7–8: Rome and The Vatican  

Day 9: Rome and The Vatican

Day 10: Papal Audience

Day 11: Milan (MXP) – IAD

Day 1 (Turin) >>