Christmas shopping in the fashion capital - the Galleria, the Quadrilatero and proper Milanese food, before the December crowds arrive.
Can you do a Christmas-shopping weekend in Milan from Manchester?
Yes - a roughly 2h 15m flight gets you in, Saturday covers the sights (the Duomo, the Galleria, Brera and the Navigli), and Sunday is for Christmas shopping at the Fidenza Village designer outlet before the evening flight home. Reckon on about £230 per person for two sharing.
Milan is the place to get a head start on Christmas. Come early November the city's shopping is at its best to actually use: the glass-domed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the flagship boutiques of the Quadrilatero della Moda and the eight floors of La Rinascente are all open and stocked for the festive season, but blissfully un-mobbed compared to December. Fly out Friday night, give Saturday to the sights - the Duomo, the Galleria and a wander down to the Navigli canals - then spend Sunday on a Christmas-shopping run to the Fidenza Village designer outlet before an evening flight home. Be straight about one thing: the famous Christmas markets and the headline light displays don't switch on until December - this is the calm, get-ahead trip, not the markets one.
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What it costs
The per-person total, broken down: flights, hotel and airport transfers.
The weekend, hour by hour
Friday night to Sunday afternoon, planned out.
The flights
Times, airline and price for both legs.
Where to stay
The hotel, the area, and what the two nights come to.
What to see
Six places worth your time, with a map of the walk between them.
Where to eat
Where locals actually eat, away from the tourist strip.