Mind the doors. On…read morea recent family trip to Milan, we used the subway to cross the city. Always making sure to enter each subway car in a timely manner. At the Duomo M3 a lady ran to make the train, but her long braided hair got stuck as the doors shut and she could not pull it from the closed doors. I pulled the emergency brake before the train started to move. This opened the doors and allowed her hair to be released from the tightly closed doors that had trapped her hair. Of course this caused a delay in transit, but someone just came to our car, reset the lever and once again the subway was back in service. Thank goodness she was okay, but definitely mind the doors.

The Duomo metro stop is larger underground than it appears. There are many, and I do mean many,…read moreentrances/exits to this station. Some has chair lifts to navigate steps but most entrances have many steps and some have long hallways leading under the Piazza del Duomo. Exiting you will end up in one corner, or another of Piazza del Duomo or near Via Torino if you walk a bit further along. Once underground, you will see several automated ticket machines near the underground entrance turnstiles. Sometimes you will find a person there who wishes to 'help' you purchase your tickets. These folks are looking for a tip. If you don't need help, just say 'no grazie' and go about your business. The machines have language options to help. Once you have your ticket, scan at the turnstile and make your way down the escalators. There are maps throughout the underground to check you get on the correct train. If you prefer to purchase your tickets from a person, head up the ramp (turnstiles will be on your left) and here you will find a small area with some shops and a ticket area. Many shops in subways throughout Milan will sell tickets. Just look for the "Biglietti" sign and have cash ready. The is often a line. If you look around this area, you will see underground walkways leading off to the left. This long corridor is lined with cafe's and stores. Eventually, you will end up in the San Babila metro station where you can exit behind the Duomo shopping area. Lots of shops and some churches between San Babila and the Duomo. Exiting at Piazza del Duomo you will find the Duomo, Duomo museum, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele the oldest indoor shopping arcade in Italy, Museo del Novecento, shopping and restaurants behind the Duomo, across the street from the Duomo you will find Piazza dei Mercanti a medieval square off the pedestrian zone that leads to Castello Sforzesco. You will find many stores, restaurants and theaters in the pedestrian zone. Teatro alla Scala, a statue of Leonardo Di Vinci and Palazzo Marino are on the other side of Galleria Emanuele, just walk through. Panzerotti Luini, Milan street food, is on Via San Radegonda where you'll get a sweet or savory 'panzerotto' for just a few euro. In the west corner the metro station exits onto Via Falcone, one block south of Via Torino which includes many clothing stores. Wander the streets off Via Torino into the Centro Storico section of Milan where you'll find cobble stone streets, archeological sights, many churches and ancient piazzas. Good metro stop.

If you're taking the train from Milano Centrale to Venezia, which is over 2 hours, here's one…read morepiece of advice: arrive early! Milano Centrale is a beautiful station, but it's also incredibly busy. There are people everywhere, trains constantly arriving and departing, and the departure boards can be overwhelming if it's your first time navigating an Italian train station. I was trying to catch a train that was leaving soon, and reading the departure board while figuring out which platform I needed was a little stressful. I asked a few people for help, but they either couldn't or didn't want to assist me. Thankfully, I eventually found a very kind station employee who pointed me in the right direction, and I literally made my train by the skin of my teeth! If you're visiting from the United States, don't assume it's as simple as walking in a few minutes before departure. Give yourself at least 30 minutes and honestly 45 minutes if it's your first time. That extra time will let you: Find your train on the departure board. Confirm your platform (track). Navigate the station without rushing. Avoid the stress of missing your train. Arrive even earlier to shop! Once I got on board, everything was smooth, but those first few minutes in the station definitely had my heart racing! **My tip:** Take a deep breath, arrive early, and don't wait until the last minute. It'll make your train experience much more enjoyable.

I can't really review a lot about this station; we trained in from Milan on our way to Verona then…read morecame back this way through on our way back to Malpensa on our way home. We did notice that there are a good number of restaurants, shops and cafes for travelers, and we did end up stopping for a focaccia sandwich each before our next train pulled in. On our first stop in, the city experienced a hail storm, which was loud against the metal roof of the station. It came out of nowhere, and went as quickly as it came. It was loud and a little startling, but pretty dang cool. It's easy to navigate and find your necessary platforms, and it's clean and feels safe. The staff was friendly and seemed attentive to the people walking around.

A 40 minute walk vs a ride on the metro to get to a family dinner in the Brera district?? Hmmm…read more Nice to have the 24 hour tourist card. Hop on and off at will. The Lanza M2 was so easy. Nice clean station. Plus seats on the way back.

The place was relatively clean and had a bench to wait for the next train. It was very easy to…read moreaccess.