The best day trips from Milan Italy are just a short train ride away! We love taking the train around Europe as often as we can so all of our Milan day trips suggestions are easily reachable by train in under an hour and a half. Whether you are looking for gorgeous lake views, beautiful churches, delicious food, fascinating history or fun shopping, you will love these day trip ideas.
The best day trips from Milan Italy
Read on to discover the best trips from Milan ideas!
Most of these day trip from Milan ideas are self-guided day trips by train but I’ve also included a couple of organized tour options that would make it easier to go a little further, to visit more than one destination in the same day, and could be nice for you if you’re a solo traveler looking to meet new friends during your day trips or if you just prefer to have your day organized for you from start to finish.
For our self-guided day trips, we use The Trainline to book all of our train travel across Europe. The app makes it so easy to book all train tickets in one place across countries and languages. When you get on the trains you can just show the tickets inside the app and the app even keeps you updated on any delays. We love this app and use it pretty much every month!
We remember traveling before The Trainline existed and it was necessary to purchase train tickets on each country’s individual train websites and it was so much more complicated! The Trainline makes it so easy.
Otherwise, if you prefer to travel by car, renting a car via Discover Cars is your best bet!
Lake Como (one of the simplest day trips from Milan!)
Who doesn’t dream of visiting Lake Como, sitting in a cute cafe along the lake and sipping a frothy cappuccino or a bright Aperol Spritz?
Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Italy. Although you may envision sailing along the lake in a Summer dress under the glistening sun, I encourage you to consider a day trip to Lake Como from Milan even if you are visiting during the Winter months.
It is definitely colder and quieter in the villages surrounding Lake Como during the Winter months, but that is part of the charm. You can still enjoy sitting along the lake, take a boat trip to visit a couple of different lakeside towns and come home with some beautiful, high quality souvenirs.
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How to get there
Hop on a train from Milan!
Train time from Milan
1h05 (to Varenna)
Don’t miss
A lakeside drink or meal at Bar Il Molo.
You can easily visit Lake Como on your own by train.
However, if you are looking for a day trip that is organized for you I like this one that includes Como town, Bellagio, and a boat tour, as well as time in next door Lugano, Switzerland (such a beautiful city).
The added bonus of joining this tour rather than organizing your own day trip to Lake Como is that everything will be organized for you from start to finish and you will also get to visit the stunning city of Lugano on your day trip.
Take a peek at beautiful Lake Como in the video below!
Bergamo
If the idea of visiting a charming Medieval town complete with a stunning Duomo and Basilica followed by a delicious lunch and gorgeous wine excites you, make sure you plan a trip to Bergamo on your Italy trip!
Beautiful Bergamo is divided into two parts – the old city and the new city.
The old city is breathtaking! Climbing up (or taking the quick funicular) is part of the experience.
How to get there
Hop on a train from Milan!
Train time from Milan
48 minutes
Don’t miss
Make sure you visit the Cappella Colleoni, a Renaissance chapel beside the Basilia, created in remarkable, colorful marble. After your visit, stop by historic Caffe del Tasso 1476 for a drink!
Take a peek inside the beautiful city of Bergamo in the video below!
Monza (the fastest day trip from Milan!)
The fastest direct train from Milan to Monza takes under 10 minutes, making this the fastest and easiest day trip from Milan on the list.
Monza is home to one of the most incredible Cathedrals in the world that houses a very special chapel called the Chapel of Queen Theodolinda where you can see the Iron Crown.
How to get there
Hop on a train from Milan!
Train time from Milan
9 minutes
Don’t miss
Visiting the Chapel of Queen Theodolinda inside the Cathedral which houses the Iron Crown. Make sure you book your tour of the chapel in advance, as spots fill up far in advance and the only way to visit the Chapel is on a guided tour.
Take a peek inside the beautiful city of Monza in the video below!
Pavia
Pavia, a student town 35 km outside the city, makes for a fascinating day trip from Milan.
Pavia University was founded in 1361, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. Parts of the university are open to the public, so make sure you leave some time to take a walk around the campus in addition to visiting the city.
How to get there
Hop on a train from Milan!
Train time from Milan
20 minutes
Don’t miss
Stepping on to the charmingly impressive Ponte Coperto (covered bridge) and the incredible Tomb of Saint Augustine.
Take a peek inside the beautiful city of Pavia in the video below!
Verona
Verona is one of our favorite cities in Italy! It is so charming any time of year but really comes to life during the Christmas season, when the Christmas market is in town.
How to get there
Hop on a train from Milan!
Train time from Milan
1 hour 33 minutes
Don’t miss
The impressive Arena di Verona and a meal at our favorite restaurant in Verona, Antica Bottega del Vino.
Take a peek inside the beautiful city of Verona in the video below!
Venice
There are few places more magical in the world than Venice in my humble opinion!
I’ve visited Venice over 30 times – we visited every Summer when I was growing up and Hugo and I have been to Venice together several times too. We think it’s so wonderful that we even chose to celebrate our 10-year dating anniversary in Venice!
Walk around the city, explore the canals, hop on a gondola, visit a museum and stop for aperitivo someplace fabulous.
How to get there
Hop on a train from Milan!
Train time from Milan
2 hours 27 minutes
Don’t miss
The experience of a typical Venetian aperitivo : cicchetti (similar to Italian tapas, small bites) and a Venetian Spritz (Prosecco, Select and soda water).
You can plan your own day trip to Venice or you can join an organized tour to make things easier.
Book your organized day tour to Venice from Milan here! (This one has 700+ amazing reviews!)
Take a peek inside the beautiful city of Venice in the video below!
Bernina Express and St. Moritz
The easiest way to experience the Bernina Express and to visit St. Moritz from Milan, is to join an organized tour.
Day trips from Milan Italy
Choose one or two day trips from Milan Italy from this list or see them all. Which ones are on your list?
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