4-Day Italy Itinerary: Pisa, Milan & Lake Como Budget Travel Story

It was the end of June, the heat was starting to pick up and I could feel summer on my skin. With little to no money in my bank account but a lot of ambition, I opened skyscanner to look for a short 4 – day getaway from Nottingham. To my surprise I was getting really cheap tickets to Italy and seeing all the Italian summer instagram reels and tiktoks, I didn’t even hesitate before booking the flight. So here I was with a 4 day gap between work, heading off to Italy. The plan wasn’t too stretched, a bit dramatic maybe but here’s how it was – a day in Pisa, a day in Milan, a day in Como and the 4th day was a day where my heart would want to take me.

Day 1 – Pisa

Everyone knows this small town situated in the Tuscany region not far from Florence for a unique leaning structure called the Leaning Tower of Pisa or just the Tower of Pisa. It is one of the wonders of the World and people from all across the globe come to push it back in place, hold it from the tip, keep it on the back or some may even tend to hump it. Personally, I always thought it’s more of an illusion than the tower actually leaning but I was proven wrong. The Tower leans 4 degrees because its foundation was built on soft, unstable soil that couldn’t support the structure’s weight, causing it to sink unevenly starting just five years into construction in the 1170s. The builders tried to correct the tilt by making upper floors taller on one side, resulting in a slight curve, but it continued to lean until major stabilization efforts between 1990 and 2001 reduced the tilt and secured it for centuries. You might think, “Shaz, did you just go to Pisa to see the tower or is there more to the place?” Well the answer isn’t simple – firstly, I was there in Pisa for basically half a day as I was getting cheap flights, Secondly, People usually tend to do day trips to Pisa from Florence, Rome and Milan and Finally there is some more to the place but won’t take more than a full day.

Walking along the Arno river, looking at colourful houses and some street acts, having a shot of espresso and a scoop of gelato, looking at other great monuments around the Tower such as Camposanto Monumentale, Pisa Cathedral (Duomo di Pisa) and Opera del Duomo Museum and checking out the Murale Tuttomondo too. Overall walking around this quaint town is an experience in itself. I was staying at the Safestay Pisa Centrale hostel which was a 15 minute walk from the airport, 10 minutes away from the Tower and 2 minutes away from the Train station making it a perfect spot. I paid 10 Euros for one night and it was a really chill place. I went during the Euros so they had an outdoor projector screening, and had an indoor bar with a nice chill space. A social place too where I met a few solo travellers. I would highly recommend it if you are planning to stay in Pisa.

Day 2 – Milan

Before I start writing about Milan, I would openly like to say that Milan didn’t appeal to me that much and there isn’t much to do in the city as such. Had a few bad experiences here and there which don’t influence my opinion though. I took an early morning 6am train from Pisa to Milan which took 4 hours. I have always loved trains and it was a really comfortable ride with good views. From the station, I took the metro to my hostel and to always be alert, I noticed a dude was following me. Places like Paris and Milan are known for theft and robberies and I was warned already. Having to experience that in my first 15 minutes in Milan was not the best start. Luckily, I managed to dodge him and escape to reach my hostel safely. I had booked Ostello Old Milano which was the cheapest hostel I could get during peak tourist season and was at a decent location too. It wasn’t the best hostel I have stayed at as it wasn’t that social and the overall environment was a bit dull for a solo traveller. Anyways, I was going to be out the whole day just to come back to sleep. My first stop had to be of course the Duomo. Milan Cathedral or Duomo di Milano is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. It has some beautiful architecture and it took 579 years to be completed. Starting in 1386 and finishing in 1965. You can visit inside and go up stairs too which costs around 20 euros. The square by the Duomo is a great spot to relax as many local street performances are going on, small food stalls are there and when the golden rays of the sun hits the structure during dusk, it radiates golden pink-white Candoglia marble. I spent a lot of time around the Duomo as it became my favourite spot.

Milan is known to be the Fashion and Design capital of the world and I surely saw it for myself. A walk through Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele can make you feel that you are in Fashion paradise. All famous Fashion designer shops are there in this beautiful structure. A stroll through it can make you feel poor. The place is just beside the Duomo where you can see an influx of tourists going in. I mentioned earlier that Milan doesn’t have too many places to see and my next stop will exactly show you why. After walking the town centre and Brera District – a historic artists’ quarter, famous for its bohemian atmosphere, cobblestone streets, art galleries, boutiques, and vibrant cafes, I went to Starbucks. It wasnt any ordinary Starbucks, it was a Starbucks Reserve. I don’t drink coffee often but my friends had told me that I need to see this place as there are only 6 of these in the world. Honestly, it didn’t disappoint me, if you don’t have much to do in Milan then you can give this place a visit. My final stop was Sforzesco Castle – built in the 15th century, it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Its a nice place with a lot of green space inside the castle premises where you can have a picnic ( what I did on the last day ). After a full day of walking , completing my daily steps and visiting most of Milan, I called it a day. In the evening, I met a bunch of people from the Hostelworld group chat and we decided to go out for drinks. It was a chill evening with nothing crazy as the next day I was going to the picturesque Lake Como.

Day 3 – Lake Como

To all the folks who told me that Lake Como is overrated, you guys are totally wrong. Apart from the insane tourist crowds ( which can be fairly dodged ), there isn’t one reason why you should skip this place. It is situated in Northern Italy’s Lombardy region, is an upscale resort area known for its dramatic scenery, set against the foothills of the Alps. The lake is shaped like an upside-down Y, with three slender branches. At the bottom of the southwest branch lies the city of Como, home to Renaissance architecture and a funicular that travels up to the mountain town of Brunate. I warn you Lake Como is expensive, very beautiful but expensive. If you are going with your family, friends or your partner, I would suggest you spend 2-3 days in a small town on the Lake booking an Airbnb or something. There are many small towns situated on the Lake which are easily accessible by boat or by road. To avoid the masses, the best thing to do is get there very early in the morning which is what I did. There is a direct train from Milan to Como which takes an hour. I walked around Como town before taking the first boat to Bellagio. It was a slow boat which took around 2 hours to reach Bellagio. There were faster options too which were later. I’m not going to write much about my Como experience and let the pictures do the talking. I went to Bellagio and Varenna and spent a good amount of time in both places. Other places to visit on the Lake would be Lecco, Mennagio, Nesso, Tremezzo. The boat ride itself was so good – blue waters, with the snow capped alps in the backdrop and mountains on either side. I would highly recommend staying in a town on the lake.

Day 4 – ?

Last day in Italy and with no plans or money left, I was forced to spend the day in Milan. I had 3 options which I was confused between – Lugano, Switzerland, similar to Como, Genoa , a coastal town and Verona – famous for Romeo and Juliet. 2 unfortunate things happened, 1. It rained for more than half of the day and 2. The train tickets to these places were super expensive. So after a failed side quest, I decided to go to Monza F1 Track, again a friend’s recommendation. Reaching upon Monza, I found out it was closed for renovation and my hour-long bus ride went to waste. For lunch, I tried the Yellow Risotto which is local to Milan. It gets its colour from spiced saffron and has a unique taste to it. The rest of the day was washed out after lunch so I relaxed in the hostel before heading out in the evening with the people I met earlier through the Hostelworld chat. We did a sunset picnic at the garden area of Sforzesco Castle and ended the night at Navigli District which is famous for its vibrant nightlife. I finally tried my first ever Aperol Spiritz there and with many bars on the canal, we had a great night out there.

Overall, this short and sweet trip to Italy was packed with a lot of memories and I would love to see more of the country as Italy has always been on my bucket list. Places like Rome, the Dolomites, Sardinia, Amalfi, Venice so many more which I want to gatekeep are there on my list. Hopefully in the future you might be reading blogs from these places written by me 😉