Where We Stayed: Levante Apartment, Milan

Let me start off by saying Milan is an expensive city. After scanning some hotel listings, I started looking at short-term apartment rentals, thinking that I might be able to find something at a price comparable to a hotel. This was the case for the Levante Apartment where we stayed.

The Levante Apartment is across the street from the Centrale train station and about a five-minute walk from where the Airport Shuttle Bus drops off. The location was especially convenient for us, given that we were coming in on that bus and leaving town from Centrale. There are also metro stations nearby at Centrale and Caiazzo. We used the latter station, which was a 7-to-10 minute walk away.

The 1-bedroom apartment is small by US standards for smaller cities, but it is similar in size to an apartment you might find in a large city like New York. Perhaps even more important is that it is more spacious than a typical European hotel room. The bedroom is generously sized. The living area is a bit smaller, but is quite doable, especially if you close up the sofa bed each morning. The kitchen and bathroom are small, but they suited our needs fine. The bedroom and bathroom are on opposite sides of the living room, which meant tiptoeing between the two rooms when my daughter was sleeping. We had no problems, but it might be difficult if a light sleeper is in the living room.

Sofa beds have a reputation for not being very comfortable for grown-ups, but the one in this apartment seemed pretty good. I didn't spend the night in it, but I would lie down in it for bedtime stories, and it seemed pretty comfortable. It didn't have a bar in the middle that poked my back.

I had been worried about train noise when I booked the apartment, but we never heard a single train. The apartment faced the back of the building, so that probably helped the situation. We heard street noise when the windows were open, but it wasn't any more than what you'd expect in a big city. We just closed the windows at night and had no problem at all.

Tomaso, the landlord, was very reliable and helpful. He also has a binder in the apartment with lots of useful information, from a guide to the TV channels to a neighborhood map and restaurant recommendations.

In all, I thought that the Levante apartment was a great alternative to a hotel in Milan.

Bathroom: shower stall
Breakfast: on our own. There is a café down the street where we bought some pastries to go. There is also a mini-market a few blocks away. Even though it called itself a "mini" market, we still found everything we needed for breakfast, sandwiches, and snacks there.
Blow dryer: yes
Crib: Tomaso offered us the use of one, so there is one available. I don't know if it's a traditional crib or a pack-and-play.
Elevator: there is a small elevator in the building. The maximum capacity is 2 adults, and if you have lots of bags with you at check-in or check-out, you might be more comfortable going in the elevator one person at a time. The stairs are an option, but not a very attractive one, as the apartment is on the seventh floor.
Internet: free wifi. We didn't have any problems with it.
Nearest playground: a couple of blocks away on via Mauro Macchi.
Recommend for families with young kids: definitely
Recommend for people without kids: definitely
Website:http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p978943