Milan Car Hire

Founded in around 600BC by the Celtic Insubres before submitting to Roman rule in 222BC, the city was later subject to imperial French, German, Spanish and Austrian intrusions. Meanwhile, the governing Visconti family transformed Milan into an art and architectural hub. As a result, spectacular relics such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Il Cenacolo (Last Supper) remain inside architectural wonders like the UNESCO World Heritage Santa Maria delle Grazie church.

It was around 1980 that iconic fashion heavyweights including the likes of Versace and Dolce & Gabbana set up shop here, and fashionistas started flocking. The city is now the second-most populous in Italy after Rome, and hosts eight million visitors per year. Its chief draws, for the couture crowd that is, are the glitzy designer flagship-lined Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga. Maxed out your credit card? Duck into the tranquil environs of the restored Castello Sforzesco, followed by a wander around the immense Duomo Cathedral, which took six centuries to complete.

Food aficionados will have plenty to discover too, from gelataria and paticceria serving traditional treats, to the Italianate delis offering cured meats and a feast of cheeses. In the world’s Michelin star list, Milan ranks fifth, and you’ll find many of its prime eateries in the sophisticated Brera district. For something more down-to-earth, look for Al Pont de Ferr, a well-loved osteria serving Michelin-starred pasta.

Once you’ve cut your teeth on Lombardy’s striking capital, Italy’s mountainous north with its celebrated lakes await. Outdoorsy types can reach the beguiling peaks of the Parco delle Orobie Bergamasche in less than two hours. En route, the glimmering fingers of Lakes Como and Lecco offer unrivalled swimming and hiking.

Lake Garda is a two-hour drive to the east of Milan, and skirts the medieval city of Verona. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, wander through its Romeo and Juliet-famed cobbled streets and happen upon Juliet’s balcony at Casa di Giulietta. Chase a lazy espresso at one of the cafés lining Piazza delle Erbe with a peek at the magnificent Arena di Verona Roman amphitheatre. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to attend its opera festival, organised every summer since 1936.

Continue further east to Venice’s waterways or venture high into the hills of the Dolomites. Heading west, you’ll discover Turin – prepare to be very impressed by its extravagant architecture. These are just a handful of the region’s treasures to uncover when you hire a car with Avis in Milan,.