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Berlin or Milan; a vs city comparison and travel guide

Both Berlin and Milan are fantastic cities, but which is better for your city-break or holiday?

We understand your dilemma. There is a wealth of information about both cities, but little stating which is the better destination and more suited for your trip.
This article will provide our unbiased opinions of Milan and Berlin, and hopefully help you to choose the best city to visit.

The article is divided into the following sections, and can be jumped to using the links:
• Introduction to the cities
• Scores and ratings
• Which one should I, friends, or family visit?
• When to visit and weather
• Who is the city suited for?
• The perfect 48hours (with map)
• Tourism details (where to stay? airport details?)

Introduction to Milan and Berlin

Big, bustling, boisterous Berlin. Welcome to the beating heart of modern Germany. A city at once steeped in dark histories and creative culture, it's a place to strut between the ruins of the Berlin Wall seeing subversive graffiti murals, or to sip craft beers within eyeshot of Checkpoint Charlie.

At its best, Berlin should be seen as a patchwork of neighbourhoods with their own unique vibes. There's Mitte, with its must-see landmarks and sights, or Prenzlauer Berg, peppered with pavement cafés and jazz joints. Kreuzberg is a hodgepodge of art squats and Turkic grills, while Rixdorf is rustic, replete with cobbled lanes and leafy parks.
And that's just scratching the surface of Berlin…

Milan is inexplicably connected to fashion and high-end shopping.
This is a city where looking your finest is an obsession, and even the main tourist attraction, the Galleria, is shopping arcade. Luxury brands and designer boutiques may fill the historic centre but out on the outskirts are edgy districts, where this creativity originated from.

As a visitor, you should realise that Milan does not have the breadth of monuments and standout tourist attractions as of other Italian cities. This is primarily a business focused city, which reveres in sophistication and looking good.

The gothic Duomo in central Milan – a highlight is the view from the roof

The TV tower (Berliner Fernsehturm) at Alexanderplat dominates the skyline of Berlin

High-level summary for Berlin and Milan

Summary
Which city would I go to?
Berlin
Which one would I recommend to my parents?
Berlin
Which location for my 19-year-old cousin?
Berlin
Which for my food obsessed friend?
Berlin
Note: The above comparison does not consider the weather, and assumes travel at the best time of year - which is detailed later in this article.

The following sections compare the two cities and considers; how long to spend in them, when to visit, and provides suggested 48hours in each city (along with an interactive map).
The final section is tourism practicalities and includes which airport to fly into, what district to be based in and how best to explore the city.

We hope that you find all of this information useful, in planning your next exciting trip!

Destination details

How long to spend each city?

The main sights of Milan can be easily seen in a single day of sightseeing.
A second day allows time to explore the more atmospheric districts (Navigli, Zona Tortona) or provides extra time for shopping.

To capture the essence of the city, you need to experience the early evening drinks culture and the evening strolls where everyone wears their finest clothes. Milan may lack many tourist sights, but there surrounding region certain compensates with many enjoyable day trips.

This includes the historic towns of Bergamo, Brescia and Pavia, the beautiful lakes of Garda, Maggiore and Como, plus the Italian Alps. It is even possible to visit Verona as a day trip.

Berlin is one of those vibrant metropolises that always seems to have something new to discover on each visit.

You could easily spend months here and not do everything you want. That's really a result of just how big it is – more than 3.5 million people call it home, and it's the largest city in Germany by a long shot.

That said, a weekend or a three-day break is often ample for a whirlwind tour of the capital's most iconic points of interest.

The ultra-efficient U-Bahn, tram and buses make it easy to hop around the city, and fortunately, the main attractions are relatively close together; woven into the blocks of Mitte, Wedding and hipster East Central.

The Naviglio Grande canal runs through the heart of the Naviglio district

Berlin is a city that lives for it’s nightlife……

When to visit?

For the real Milan experience, you want to visit during the summer or winter fashion weeks (Sep/Oct or Feb/Mar), to mingle with models, stylish and Aficionados.

For a city break, Milan is almost year-round, but it is cool and possibly wet in the winter, while in hot August most residents head to the beach for the whole month.

One of the quirks of Milan is at the weekends, most of its affluent or mobile residents leave the city for the coast (summer), the Alps (winter) or lakes (Spring/Autumn), leaving the city to tourists and foreign shoppers.

The average weather for Berlin and Milan

The average rainfall for Milan and Berlin – is it going to be wet?

It's simple: Spring to summer for Berlin.
From May to October, the locals of Berlin seem to come out of their winter hibernation, and the city is in full swing. However, in the summer expect high temperatures where the mid-day heat can easy be over 30C.

If you can handle the cold, snow and greyness, then Berlin is almost free of tourists in the winter. December in Berlin is rewarding, with enchanting Christmas markets at the Charlottenburg Palace and on Alexanderplatz.

Is it for me?

If you're a city slicker with a soft spot for cool cafes (aka the coolest in Europe), great coffee, ethnic eateries, and urban vibes, then Berlin is arguably the place you should be for the rest of your life!

This is the epitome of a metropolis made up of individual neighbourhoods. Each has crafted its own unique character; some are hedonistic, others laid back and easy going, others packed with famous landmarks.
Those who want fresh air can escape to the Tiergarten and the beautiful Spreewald, but those are just supporting acts to the buzz of the downtown. It's not the place to be to attune yourself to nature, relax under the sun, or have swims in the sea.

If you adore fashion, embrace style, and willing to spend a little extra, then Milan is calling you. The city excels in designer shopping, trend-setting, and simply looking good.
Many visitors leave Milan slightly disappointed; it is without the flare of Rome, the culture of Florence, or the photo opportunities of Venice. Milan is a business city, where the reward for the industrious attitude of its residents, is cutting edge fashion and sophisticated nightlife.
Insight: There are few historic buildings in Milan, as many were destroyed by the extensive bombing of the second world war.

The distinctive Castello Sforzesco castle in Milan

The Bode Museum standing on the banks of the Spree River on the Museum Island (Museumsinsel), the cultural centre of Berlin

The perfect 48hours

48 hours in Milan
The interactive map below shows a suggested tour for 48hours in Milan. The first day is shown in green and the second day is marked in yellow.

Begin the first day at the Piazza del Duomo, the heart of Milan. On this plaza is the gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral (head to the roof for amazing views) and the beautiful Galleria shopping complex, filled with boutiques and exclusive retailers. On the opposite side is the Palazzo Marino, and the elegant Teatro alla Scala.

For afternoon explore the sights around the Sforzinda castle and Parco Sempione. Do include the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, where the famed “The Last Supper” fresco is housed. For the latter part of the explore the chic Brera district, with its mix of high-end stores and fashionable people.
The early evening is when Milan excels, as the offices close and workers head to the bars for Apericena (happy hour with light buffet food) to drink exquisite cocktails and flaunt the latest fashions; Navigli is a great area to experience this modern cultural tradition.

The Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, the location of one of the most controversial religious paints….

For the second day, wander down from the Duomo along the bustling Via Torino and then the Corso di Porta Ticinese, passing the Basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore, and enter the atmospheric Navigli district. This canal district is filled with artisan shops, fashionable bars, and where young Milanese frequent.

The canal and train lines separate Navigli from Zona Tortona, the once-gritty but now design and creative hub of Milan. Here designers create the latest fashions in the former warehouses. Understatedly cool, but the place to experience the drive and passion of the Milanese.
If you are a football fan, you probably want to include the tour of the San Siro stadium, in the second day.

San Siro stadium, home to two of Italy’ greatest football teams

48hours in Berlin
Does the perfect 48 hours in Berlin even exist? With so many museums and vibey neighbourhoods to get through, it's hard to pack the highlights of the German capital into just two days. Still, the Berlin itinerary below gives it a go, offering everything from ancient Greek artefacts to cool pavement drinkeries and more.

Day 1: Morning in Mitte. As its name implies (Mitte = Middle), it's the hub of Berlin. You can settle in for a refined breakfast in the hidden courtyards of the Hackescher Höfe. The area is brimming with independent boutique stores and elegant tearooms. A few steps to the south take you beneath the needle-like Berliner Fernsehturm. A relic of Communist times, it's home to the fastest elevators in the world, while the lookouts at the top have jaw-dropping panoramas of the city (tickets cost €16.50).

A quick people-watching session on bustling Alexanderplatz and then move west to Museum Island. Culture vultures should take their time here. The Pergamonmuseum is a real highlight, with its priceless Assyrian statues and even the blue-tiled gates of Babylon. A pitstop at the nearby German Historical Museum is one for those who want to unravel the tale of the nation, with particular highlights in the collections that chronicle the world wars of the 20th century.

From there, walk down Unter den Linden to encounter the main artery of Mitte. That takes you to the world-famous Brandenburg Gate, which stands next to the glass-domed Reichstag Building. A picnic lunch in the Tiergarten park can be followed by a sobering walk through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Past that is Checkpoint Charlie – a onetime gateway between East and West Berlin – and then the lively streets of Kreuzberg, with their ramen restaurants, jazz bars, and multicultural kitchens.

The mock gothic Oberbaum Bridge connects the eastern and western sides of Berlin and is prominent icon of the city’s unity.

Day 2: If you're lucky enough to escape a hangover courtesy of the Kreuzberg bars, then an early morning start in the area of Friedrichshain is in order. It's brimming with graffiti-scrawled coffee bars and breakfast joints.

On the south side of the district is the striking East Side Gallery. Once a bland concrete section of the Berlin Wall, it's now an artist's homage to the fall of the great divider in 1989. From there, go north to the green lawns of Volkspark Friedrichshain. Chilled and leafy, it's actually the oldest public garden in the capital. And it's got monuments to the Spanish Civil War next to volleyball courts and picnic tables.

Hugging that is the enchanting area of Prenzlauer Berg. This is the perfect place to end your 48 hours. It's not bursting with sights and attractions, but it's got a classic Berliner neighbourhood vibe. If you're unsure where to begin, check out Kulturbrauerei – an all-in-one complex of cinemas, theatres, clubs and beer halls.

The Victory Column stands at the centre of Tiergarten Park, and at the viewing platform 285 steps up provides some of the finest views over Berlin

Tourism Practicalities

If you're arriving on a low-cost airline to Berlin, then it's likely you'll jet into the old GDR hub of Schönefeld Airport. That's in south-east Berlin. Reach it on regional train lines or via the S-Bahn, which go directly to a station in front of the terminals. Tickets cost €3.40 each way.

The larger Tegel International Airport is where most premium carriers like Lufthansa and BA will land. If you're going there, you certainly don't want to take the train to Tegel – that won't get you into the heart of Berlin. Instead, choose the frequent bus link to Hauptbahnhof or Alexanderplatz. The fare is €2.80 € and journeys take between 35-50 minutes depending on traffic.

The Berliner Dom cathedral, with its 100m high dome and grand Neo-Renaissance architecture

Getting around Berlin is a cinch. The capital has a super-efficient and well-linked public network of trams, trains and underground lines. You can purchase tickets at any S-Bahn or U-Bahn station, or at any establishment with a BVG sign. Daily and weekly passes for all public transportation are also available with slight reductions. A new smartphone app allows digital purchasing of tickets (search: FahrInfo Plus). All other tickets must be validated before use.

Violence of any sort in the capital is rare and police can be relied upon. Still, have your wits about you, especially if travelling through Berlin's lesser-known or rougher areas, like the ones bordering Kreuzberg, or the nightlife hubs of Alexanderplatz and Friedrichshain.

When it comes to searching for a hotel, there's a hard choice to be made. There are oodles of neighbourhoods here that are worthy of attention. It's really up to you to decide what you want. Generally speaking: Sightseers can't go wrong in Mitte, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are perfect for bar hoppers and foodies, and Neukölln offers something more local.

There are three airports for Milan; Linate (small dated, 7km to centre), Malpensa (main international airport, 50km from west of Milan) and Bergamo (Ryan air hub, 50km from north east of Milan). There is a bus from Bergamo to Milan (60minutes €6.00), train from Malpensa airport (50minutes €13.00) and from Linate just take a taxi (€12-15). There is no shortage of flights and departures to or from Milan, and fares, if booked far enough in advance, can be very cheap.

Milan has ample hotels and accommodation options, but these obviously need to be booked far in advance during the two fashion weeks. For your first visit you would want to be based close to the historic centre (Centro Storico) or for a more lively and authentic experience the Navigli district. For cheaper accommodation look to the Citta Studi, the main student area of the city. Milan has very good public transport, and is easy to travel around the city.