Cheap Hotels in Milan

Milan is not one of the Italian cities that you will write home about - it lacks the medieval cobbled streets and picturesque piazzas of many the other cities in the country, and although it has its share of museums and tourist attractions, it remains primarily a city of business and banking and not of tourism. Still, because this is where one of Italy's major international airports is located, you may need to search the list of cheap hotels in Milan for a night or so either right when you arrive or just before you fly home.

The problem is that because this is such a wealthy city, and because it is such a center of business, banking and industry for Italy, the number of cheap hotels in Milan is quite small - at least if you are looking for hotels in the city center. If you are just staying in Milan the night before an early Malpensa flight, you can stay at one of the airport hotels and not worry about being close to the city sights - but if you are at all interested in things like Leonardo's "Last Supper" and the city's beautiful cathedral, Malpensa's hotels are much too far away to be convenient.

The good news is that even if your cheap hotel in Milan is not within walking distance of the cathedral (arguably the center of the city), Milan's public transportation system is excellent. Between buses, trams and an easily navigated Metro (with only three lines), you will be able to get into the center even if your hotel is on the outskirts of the downtown area. When you are searching the lists of hotels, just be sure the ones you are looking at are not more than a short walk from either a bus stop, a tram stop, or a Metro stop. (And even with all of that, you will still probably have to adjust your definition of "cheap hotel" up slightly from what you would pay elsewhere.)

Some of the cheap hotels in Milan worth considering are: Hotel Piemonte (short walk from Wagner Metro stop, breakfast included, free WiFi, indoor parking, on-site bar), Hotel Mec (right on 2 bus routes, WiFi available for a fee, breakfast included, laundry service), Hotel Ibis Milano Centro (425 rooms, on-site restaurant, near the central train station, WiFi available, on-site restaurant and bar), Hotel Ariosto (near the Milan fairgrounds and "Last Supper" church, internet access available, 48 rooms, on-site restaurant), and Hotel the Best (near central train station, WiFi available for a fee, 28 rooms, breakfast included, private garden area).