Blog
Milan – the Heart of Italy’s Business, Fashion and Design Industries
Milan is the second biggest city in Italy after the popular capital of Rome and is renowned for its important business and financial quarters – and for being the leader of high street fashion and design.
At Hamiltons we make the whole process of European removals to Milan relatively simple and we can get involved with as little or as much of your move as you wish. Here are six of the top reasons to move to this city in northern Italy for a life-changing experience and mix of modern and traditional culture.
Quality of Life
A recent survey by Deutsche Bank showed that Milan was the highest ranked place to live in Italy, with an overall ranking of 29th worldwide. Milan has proved to be a place that centres on providing high quality of life to all its residents as well as great healthcare, business and finance facilities and job prospects.
Milan is an exciting, global city with a friendly vibe and an excellent far-reaching transport network, education system and job opportunities in business, trade, banking, commerce, design and fashion.
If you enjoy indulging in the ultimate shopping experience, then Milan is the place for you. Shoppers flock to the city eager to spend their cash and many of the major stores have outlets just off Duomo Square, where the city’s cathedral is located.
Cultural Offering
Milan is home to two major film festivals every year, the Milano and Fashion film festivals. while La Scala venue is a must-see and is renowned for hosting ballet, opera and concerts all year round for all culture fanatics.
If you are looking to explore the historical architecture of Milan, then you will not be disappointed with the soaring spires of the Gothic cathedral and Da Vinci’s Last Supper etched on the wall of Santa Maria. You will never grow tired of the city, with plenty of museums and art galleries to explore such as the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Castello Sforzesco, which contains works by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Milan is also known for hosting regular football matches with two of Europe’s best football teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan, boasting a rich pedigree on both the national and international stage.
Thriving Economy
Milan is Italy’s financial and business capital, with the Borsa Italiana as one of the biggest financial markets in Europe, located in the heart of the city centre. Milan is also in Europe’s top five for GDP per capita.
It is a dynamic and progressive city in many ways and is the centre for many financial businesses such as the Fiera Milan Exhibition Centre, the new Fiera, situated in the ex-refinery of Rho Pero and other famous businesses in the fashion industry including Giorgio Armani, Valentino and Versace. The fashion industry in Milan is thriving, holding two major shows every year with over 12,000 companies involved.
Milan is also leading the way when it comes to Italy’s green energy. A large proportion of the country’s hydroelectric power produced in the city making it a very eco-friendly place to live in 2019.
Excellent Transport Links
Milan is served by three airports including Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio, at Bergamo. The Central railway station, Milano Central has major links with all other Italian cities, such as Venice, Rome, Florence and Naples, which can be easily accessed, as well as routes into the city centre and wider Europe.
This thriving city has up to four underground lines, a streetcar service, buses and a bike sharing service meaning that you will never need to drive into the city. All major attractions in Italy near Milan like Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and the Alps are easily in reach by train or motorway.
Culinary Scene
Milan has around 150 Michelin-starred restaurants which specialise in serving favourite Italian dishes. Some of the most popular dishes are risotto alla Milanese and Cotoletta alla Milanese.
The culinary scene in Milan is a must for those of you who love Italian food, especially if you are a fan of risotto, known as the ‘rice bowl of Italy’ and sweet panettone, complete with a slice of sweet bread and a glass of prosecco. To indulge in some top Italian cuisine, you must visit some of Milan’s top restaurants including the Giacomo Arengario and the Ristorante Cracco.
A City of Learning
For those considering European removals to Milan who want to know about the education on offer, the city has seven different universities to choose from. It is also very popular in terms of art culture and has a variety of music and fine art schools and colleges scattered around the city.
Milan prides itself on being a very modern and inter-changeable city, with several international schools offering a full curriculum taught in English, and international kindergarten schools for children of preschool age.
European Removals to Milan with Hamiltons
Get in touch with Hamiltons Removals today, to find out more about our European removals service to Milan. We also supply removal services to Rome, Genoa and Turin, for an unforgettable removal experience to Italy.
Our other services include a Currencies Direct service, making overseas money transfers easy for you, a self-storage service for those who need to keep their possessions safe during the moving process, and a specialist move service when it comes to transporting your pets, vehicles, tractors and machinery overseas. Follow this link to learn more about all our services, or call us on 01379 855203.
Six Reasons Why Dubai is So Popular with Expats
Dubai is fast becoming one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions – and also one of the most desirable places to go and work. Only one in six of the city’s working population was born in the United Arab Emirates, with many people moving here from around the world.
Hamiltons arrange international removals to all parts of the United Arab Emirates. Here we look at six of the principal reasons why the city has proved to be such a big draw for expats.
The Transport Connections
Dubai is one of the easiest destinations to get to, as the airport is the busiest in the world when it comes to the number of international passengers. In 2018, more than 88 million people used it, beating London Heathrow (75million) into second place.
The main carrier, Emirates Airlines, provides regular services to other parts of the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, South and North America, Australia and New Zealand. This means, if you are based here, you have a wide choice of holiday destinations, and you should find it easy to travel back to your home country. Once you are in the city, you have plenty of choice of how to get around – by car, bike, taxi, boat, metro, tram and monorail.
The Economy
Originally Dubai’s economy was founded on oil, but in the past few years it has developed into one of the world’s biggest centres for high-tech, tourism and financial services. In order to sustain this growth, the economy relies on a large international workforce, and companies are prepared to pay well to attract the right sort of candidate. This means many people need removals from the UK to Dubai for work reasons.
The country also has an extremely low level of taxation, as the authorities don’t impose any individual taxes, although there are some indirect taxes, such as toll roads and alcohol duty. Most goods, including food, are tax-free, so you should be able to treat yourself to the odd luxury – and there are plenty of shopping malls full of designer names – or boost your savings.
The Weather
If you don’t like rain or snow, then Dubai could be the place for you. The city enjoys, on average, 342 sunny days every year. Daytime temperatures have been known to exceed 40C, so the advice to newcomers is to drink plenty of water, exercise early or late in the day, and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Wearing too little, particularly in public places, can cause problems as the city’s main religion, Islam, requires people of both sexes to dress respectably.
The authorities have recognised that the climate can create problems for non-nationals, so there are plenty of swimming pools and water parks where you can cool off. You can also take a dip in the sea – Dubai is on the south-eastern coast of the Persian Gulf and there are plenty of sandy beaches to choose from. In addition, most of the public buildings and shopping malls are equipped with air conditioning.
The Lifestyle
This is one of Dubai’s big draws. The culinary scene, for instance, is notable not just for its quality but its variety. Because there is such a cosmopolitan workforce, you should be able to find cuisine to your taste. And many Michelin-starred and celebrity chefs have bases in Dubai as well –Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay both have eateries in the city.
There are plenty of leisure pursuits to enjoy if you are worried about your waistline. And there are three football teams competing in the UAE Pro-League, while sports fans can also see many of the major stars – there are top-level tennis and golf tournaments every year, while the Meydan Racecourse hosts the Dubai World Cup for thoroughbreds.
It’s Child Friendly
Dubai isn’t just a place for the corporate high-flyer with no family commitments. The city is home to a number of high-quality international schools, for infants right up to further education level.
There are plenty of family-friendly attractions throughout the city, including an aquarium, an underwater zoo, ice rinks, trampoline parks and even an indoor ski centre with classes laid on for children.
The High Levels of Safety and Security
If you live in Dubai, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about your personal safety – in 2018, one study ranked it the eighth safest city in the world. because you should be aware that the country is extremely strict on certain offences such as alcohol sales, public displays of affection and swearing. Any crime tends to be fairly low-level, with traffic offences, petty theft and cybercrime among the most common.
The ever-increasing expat community has also created a more tolerant attitude to religion, and it also means that you should find it easy to settle in the city – with every nationality having its own social scene.
International Removals to the United Arab Emirates with Hamiltons Removals
Hamiltons have more than two decades’ worth of experience in organising international removals to the United Arab Emirates, and have helped move people to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Al Ain as well as Dubai. We give you the choice of a dedicated service, where you have sole use of one of our shipping containers, or a groupage option, where your items are shipped as part of a consignment if you don’t need a container of your own.
We can pack and unpack your items for you if required, and we are also move large or specialist items as well. If you would like to know more, follow this link or call us on 01379 855203.