Travelling alone to Milan Italy

Hello,

In a few months I will be going to Italy in search of an area in Milan to live. I will be going alone as nobody I know is able to accompany me.  Obviously I am a bit apprehensive and would like some feedback from people who have traveled alone and are women and/or people who have or live abroad.  PLEASE HELP!  :-)

Do a search for expatriates living in Italy/Milan.  You'll instantly have tons of contacts via forums just like CC, and they'll be able to give you specific advice on Milan and travelling in Italy.

Here are a few I found:

http://www.expatriates.com/classifieds/italy/

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/liv ing/living_abroad/living_in_italy.shtml

http://primeitaly.com/italianclubs/index.php/ category/expatriate-to-italy/

I moved to South Korea alone and had no contacts in country so I understand how you feel. My experience has been mostly great... I've been here for a year and a half already and don't see myself returning to the US anytime soon.

Enjoy your move!

I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain when I was 20-21 yrs old.  I went there alone and was probably as scared as you are right now...not knowing a person on the continent of europe, let alone the country...but let me tell you something one of my friends told me before I went..."you're probably the luckiest person i know right now."

You're going to have an amazing time.  You're probably going to meet some great people, and if not, you'll still have an amazing time.  I went to paris for a weekend while i was there and met a nice girl who was studying there from america and we exchanged emails.  That's just an example of how easy it is to make friends in a foreign country.

Have tons of fun, and be nervous...it almost makes the experience better...afterwards it's a feeling you'll remember forever.  I still think back to my plane ride there...i had an adventurous type nervous feeling and that feeling doesn't happen everyday.

oh, you'll be fine.  western europe is a breeze.  probably 90% of the people speak english, signage is in english, etc.  and italy is fabulous!

i travelled alone in europe when i was 20-21.  the only trouble i got into was trusting some scammers i met in gare du nord in paris (and one of them was french canadian :/).  in light of that experience, if someone you meet brings up money, go the other way :)

Well, I'm not sure how much help I can provide but I happen to live there hehe... if you want feel free to message/email me and I'll do my best to answer... that way at least I can possibily give you some pointers. :)

Try travbuddy.com. It's kind of like MySpace for travelers. You can create a profile and search for specific destinations, and then find other members who either live in that destination or have experience traveling there. Perhaps you can make some friends online who live in Milan who you could meet up with when you get there? They have forums just like CC and it's a very easy-to-navigate website. Of course, just like any online situation, be sure not to reveal too much personal info, etc....just be safe! :)

I went to Milan this summer! I traveled for the first time out of the country by myself to visit a friend there. She was going to school for a year so although she somewhat knew her way around, still didn't speak very good Italian. Me? I knew "caio bella" and "buon giorno" before I left.

Milan is a beautiful city with amazing architecture. The city is fast so you have keep your wits about you. The roads are amazingly confusing. Everything curves and winds around in circles. The streets are named very similar to one another. If you're going to bike around, be prepared for a biking experience you've never had before. You're inches away from cars, people, etc. It was exciting but definitely different. Driving in Milan is like driving in New York (at least I imagine it is). Everyone drives crazy and motorcycles are free to get ahead of cars at red-light intersections. Sidewalks are free game for parking spaces too. I had a great time but almost missed my flight back to the US. Sooooo make sure when flying out that you know which terminal you need to be at. Their terminals are 1 mile away from each other. There is a free bus that takes you between the two but it's a tiny little bus stop outside that can easily be missed!!

If you want to do some site seeing outside of the city, take a train to the lakes north of Milan. They border Switzerland. We took a ferrie on Lake Como to Bellagio and had lunch. It was a sunny day and very beautiful. The lake was amazingly green and blue. It was pretty cheap too! The gifts you buy at Bellagio aren't though. :)

One more tip, go to Joia. It's a vegetarian restaurant created by a Swiss chef. I met him! He was very nice and this was some of the best food I have ever tasted. It's amazingly expensive but worth a one-time visit. Here's the website: www.joia.it   not to mention it was healthy foods!

if you want more specific questions, feel free to message me and I can ask my friend who I visited there.

Good Luck!

Hi,

     I went to Europe last September and I had the best time.  I visited 8 countries in a span of 3.5 weeks, and I was alone.  I initially did not plan on going alone, but my friends bailed on me last minute.  I was very nervous because I had no idea how to get to my hotels, where I was going to eat, and how I was going to get around.  Sure, I read a book about it, but I knew that it was going to be different when I actually got there.  You are nervous now, but once you reach your destination, which in my case, it was my hotel, believe me...you'll feel much better.  I did not go to Milan, however, I did visit Rome, Florence, and Venice, and absolutely loved it.  Someone had mentioned TravBuddy, and I agree...TravBuddy is so resourceful...so be sure to check that out.  I also suggest buying a map, so that you can study the area.  There are these special, non-destructable maps that I love!  They are illustrated, and each illustration has notes and really helpful suggestions.  You can buy these maps at your Local Borders and I believe I saw one for Milan.  It also helps to study the transit system in the country, as, you can determine which pass works for you, if you choose to take public transportation.  Don't forget that they have visitor offices all over, so be sure to visit them.  I had a great time and I met lots of people!  Everyone I had met, was very friendly and very helpful.  I don't know Italian...however, I believe a smile goes a long way.  If you treat them with respect, then it will be returned....anywhere you go!

Oh, if you are looking for some reading material, out of all the books I bought..One was actually helpful ---> Europe for Dummies, it was my bible when I was there!  Haha!

You can always tell an American by the way they refer to places like Milan, Italy, or Paris, France.

Now if you were going to Milan Ohio or somewhere you could state it, but everyone knows Milan is in Italy dont they?

Sorry, just one of my many pet hates lol.

Italy is one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries on earth. You'll love it. Just take common-sense precaustions like if you were going to any city in the US.

Oh, and resist the temptation to do the other American thing - like visiting 8 countries in 3.5 weeks! Why??? Could a European get the feel of say California in one day?

Not being anti-US here I swear!

oh, and do the research and email ex pats for info and as a back up - then meet some Italians!

I studied in Mexico last semester. Now I know comparing the two is like comparing filet mignon and well say, steak fajitas :). But my advice to you is to not worry so much about that stuff, be smart/safe, and have as much fun as humanly possible!

MikeinBrisbane,

People do things for their very own reason.  Learn to respect them.  Try thinking out of the box..obviously you think that it is only an AMERICAN thing to travel so much in such a short period of time.  Well, you're wrong.  Don't be too quick to speak and slow to think.  Aloha!

Please just be smart.  It may sound motherly, and all but use your instincts and be aware of your surroundings like you would be anywhere else.  Let somebody back home know where you'll be staying and check in with him/her everyday.  Don't give out personal information like where you'll be staying, etc. or share cabs with people.  Just keep your wits about you.

But have fun!  I think you'll enjoy it a lot :)

Original Post by hawaii260:

MikeinBrisbane,

People do things for their very own reason.  Learn to respect them.  Try thinking out of the box..obviously you think that it is only an AMERICAN thing to travel so much in such a short period of time.  Well, you're wrong.  Don't be too quick to speak and slow to think.  Aloha!

 Learn to respect people - THAT is so American. I actually do think it is only an American thing to think seeing 8 countries in 3 weeks is cool, yes. Hey, but that's their loss really isn't it?

mikeinbrisbane-- Keep in mind that not all people have the luxury of being able to spend a month+ in each country they visit.