Milan in May 2024 – is it worth going? Weather, air temperature and precipitation, what to wear, prices in hotels and on excursions. What to do in Milan in early May and late spring, where to go nearby – in the review of good Time for Trip.
If you are an experienced traveler and have often visited many major European cities, then you know that spring is the best time for a tourist trip. In particular, its culmination – May!
When it gets so warm in the air that you no longer need to wear really warm clothes, and nature is at its blossoming peak. When there are a lot of tourists around, but not too much, and prices are high, but still not maximum.
Where exactly should you travel? A lot depends on your preferences and where you’ve been before.
Today, we made the hero of our story Milan in May. The huge and a little chaotic city, always in a hurry somewhere and therefore managed to disappoint a considerable number of travelers, primarily seeking tranquility.
However, who in their right mind would pass by Milan and its Duomo? As well as boutiques and stores, where so many things are collected that it will stir up a person who is completely indifferent to shopping.
In general, we are definitely voting for a trip to Milan. Especially in May! Why should you go to it not during the summer sales in Italy, which are just nothing left, or not at the peak of summer, when it gets really warm here? Let’s tell you now!
Weather in Milan in May
It has one serious drawback that deters a lot of tourists from visiting the capital of Lombardy at this time – it is rainy. According to long-term statistics, May is the most rainy month in Milan. And this, of course, scares away tourists who are aiming for hours-long excursions around the city.
However, at the very beginning of May it gets warm in Milan. The daytime air temperature rises to +20 and even +22-23 °C before even the end of the first decade of the month.
It usually doesn’t do it very stably! So Milan, until the middle of May, experiences periods of warm and slightly cooler weather (during the day no higher than +15-17 °C).
At night, the air temperature dropped to +14-15 °C until the 20th. Although after sunset it usually does not leave the range of +10-13°C in the first half of the month.
At the end of May, Milan is experiencing a real turning point in weather sentiment. So by the afternoon, street thermometers show up to +27-29 °C, and tourists begin to languish from the heat if they unwisely choose to see the city center in this time.
It is cooler at night and during this period: no higher than +16-17 °C, sometimes less. Accordingly, if you find it difficult to digest the hot weather, then rearrange your route around the city so that most of them fall in the morning and evening hours.
During the day, you can wander around boutiques and galleries. It is a pleasure to stroll under the shady and cool arches of the huge cathedral, to study the great paintings in the Pinacoteca Brera or in the halls of its much less famous colleague, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana – ambrosiana.it.
- Milan weather forecast for the next 3 days – meteoam.it/it/meteo-citta/milano
Precipitation
It doesn’t rain every day, but it stands out in substantial volumes. So if you do not familiarize yourself with the weather forecast and put on water-repellent clothes, your city tour may be urgently interrupting.
The average monthly rainfall in Milan in May exceeds 110-120 mm per month, and this is really a lot. The average number of rainy days per month is 7-8.
The power in this case remains within reasonable limits and does not often exceed 70%. As a result, even in warm weather and after heavy rain, the city breathes easily, there is no stuffiness.
What to Wear
You won’t need too warm clothes, but take with you a raincoat and windbreaker, an umbrella and even rubber shoes. After all, this is the only way you can bring your excursion plans to life without regard to the weather.
On our own, we advise you to dress up for a trip to Milan in May in clothes of juicy, bright colors. Not to stand out from the crowd, but mainly to lift the mood. After all, on a cloudy, rainy day, things of warm and sunny tones are so uplifting!
Italians themselves, by the way, prefer to dress in clothes of traditional colors – in particular, they are very fond of black. Which, of course, at first greatly surprises a foreign tourist who represents Italy as an exceptionally cheerful country soaked in the sun. But then it comes to an understanding – because in fact it is very stylish!
What to Do in Milan in May
Someone claims that there are not so many attractions in the second largest Italian city. But we boldly assert that they will be more than enough for 3-4 days of exploring – again, your attention will be distracted by shopping all the time!
Naturally, the first movement that a tourist arriving in the capital of Lombardy makes is to go to inspect the grandiose Milan Cathedral. It was created not just by the labors of several generations – it was built for several centuries. Is it any wonder that in the end it turned out to be such a grandiose and unique structure?
The Duomo Museum is housed in the Royal Palace, which is located right on the square. Well, behind the pompous arch lies the incredible Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, flanked by the most expensive boutiques in the city.
For fans of Renaissance architecture, we advise you to go to Piazza Mercanti, which is located very close to the cathedral. After all, it looks quite atypical for Milan, built up with much more modern (but also very beautiful houses).
On the other side of the famous Gallery is located the nondescript-looking outside but absolutely stunning inside La Scala Opera House. Which we definitely recommend you to visit on one of those May evenings when the soul longs for something original and beautiful.
Also,
The List of Must-Visit Places in Milan
usually includes:
- Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, amazing in itself, but became world famous thanks to Leonardo’s fresco
- Pinacoteca Brera, the main city’s art museum
- Castello Sforzesco, the austere castle of the former rulers of the city, the Dukes of Sforza and Visconti. Overwhelming with its gloomy grandeur, but keeping inside the amazing unfinished Pieta Rondanini by Michelangelo.
If possible, we recommend that you pay some of your attention to the Biblioteca Pinacoteca Accademia Ambrosiana. A relatively little-known museum, but with an excellent collection of paintings.
What Else
Chiesa di San Sepolcro, which is located next to this Pinacoteca, also efinitely deserves the attention of a traveler. Its facade was redesigned in the 19th century in the neo-Romanesque style, but the sculpture of the 15th and 16th centuries has been preserved inside. The crypt, dating back to the 11th century, is also open to visitors – it is one of the oldest churches in Milan!
Curious adults, and especially kids, should enjoy visiting the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci. Where the projects and even models that the greatest genius of mankind worked on are presented.
Shopping
It is very difficult to come to Milan, the capital of world fashion, and not make purchases. So even citizens who do not consider themselves shopaholics and not during the sales period – and May definitely does not apply to them – can’t resist the temptation.
Owners of an impressive bank account can look into the Golden Square of Fashion, walk through expensive boutiques on Via Monte Napoleone. Well, for those who look at the world more soberly and are not ready to shell out crazy money for clothes, we recommend visiting the shops on Via Dante. Or walk along the Corso Buenos Aires, where, in addition, you will find supermarkets selling groceries.
Don’t you want to try traditional Italian dishes? And also to bring some gifts as keepsake of Italy?
Where to Go Outside the City
If you have 1-2 days of free time, then in May you will definitely go somewhere from Milan. For example, to the Alpine lakes Como or Garda. Because at the end of spring, surrounded by fresh greenery of mountain forests and meadows, they are especially impressive. And how beautiful and fresh is the wonderful Sirmione, decorated with the Scaliger castle!
Do not forget that the Gardaland amusement park is based on Lake Garda. A visit to which will delight any child and most adults.
A full-day excursion is planned, including a visit to Lake Como and a trip on the Bernina Express in Switzerland. And it will be an unforgettable experience – in just a few hours you will move from the heart of a huge city to the kingdom of mountains and glaciers.
Looks like a great idea a day trip to Bergamo. A small and very beautiful town located just 50 km north of Milan.
You can also get to Verona by train in just 1.5 minutes. Where, in addition to the great Roman arena and Juliet’s House, you can see a lot of interesting things.
Well, the most active travelers will probably get from Milan to Venice. Although let’s say right away that you need to plan such a trip only if you have 2-3 days of free time.
Transport
In case of bad weather in Milan in May, it makes plain sense to alternate hiking with public transport trips. Which is represented by both metro, bus and tram routes.
Few people know that trams in general are a kind of symbol of Milan and one of its attractions. They first wagons took to the streets of the city in 1924!
Until now, more than 100 tram wagons, produced about 100 years ago, operate on regular lines. And you can take a ride on such a rare transport, just by buying a ticket worth € 1.5.
To save on travel, you can also buy a ticket to:
- 10 trips – Carnet 10 viaggi – for €13.80
- for 24 hours – Biglietto giornaliero – for € 4.5
- for 48 hours – Biglietto bigiornaliero – for €8.25
- for a week (no more than 2 times a day for 6 days) – Settimanale 2×6 – for €10
Tickets can be purchased at:
- ATM points (atm.it/en/)
- magazine kiosks
- tobacco shops
- in vending machines, near metro stations
Prices in Hotels and on Excursions
Milan is the city, very popular among tourists and shopaholics. Therefore, you should not rely on low prices in hotels a priori.
However, if you come to Milan not in January or, for example, June, as well as the summer months, you can save a little. In particular, for € 80-90 per day you will be able to rent a room in a good hotel in the Porta Vittoria area, which is only 1.5 km from the center.
Rooms in hotels located near Milan Central Station or, for example, in the Porta Garibaldi area, famous for its clubs and restaurants, cost about the same.
For a tour of Milan Cathedral, which includes entrance fees and a climb to the roof, a traveler in 2024 will pay about €50. If you decide to purchase a package ticket to the cathedral and to the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is on display, then you will already pay €75.
But a 3-hour bike ride around Milan in search of its “hidden” attractions will cost only €40!
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