How I Planned My Milano-Cortina 2026 Trip (And What You Could Learn for LA28)

Going to the Olympics has been my lifelong dream. I first tried to make it happen for Tokyo 2020 (we all know what happened). I made it to Milano-Cortina 2026 – with a huge twist – so I must be back for LA28. It was actually quite fitting that my first Olympics experience happened to be the Winter Games, which are much smaller in scale and easier to plan and navigate. My Milano-Cortina Olympics would have been almost perfect actually, except for a “minor” detail of dealing with a medical emergency and surgery. I survived, and now I can share what you need to do to plan your own Olympics (the next one is coming up fast in Los Angeles 2028).

Registering for the Tickets Draw Securing your event tickets is the first priority of planning your Olympics experience. To get face-value tickets you need to register for the ticket draw (there are also typically more expensive “hospitality” packages for which you don’t need to be drawn). There is usually a local presale draw and then the public draw.

For Milano-Cortina 2026, I registered approximately 15 months prior (with the draw happening about a year before the Games). I was going with friends and they also registered.

Tip: If you plan to go with someone, have everyone in your group register to improve your chances. Once you purchase your tickets, you can transfer them to members of your group closer to the actual events.

When you are officially registered, the organizers will email you the draw dates and event schedules to prepare. For Milan, I planned the 4 figure skating events I wanted to attend during our 6-day trip. I decided to arrive a day early to to make sure we didn’t miss our main event – the Men’s Free Skate on Friday, February 13th. We were able to purchase all 4 events we planned, although not all levels of tickets were available and we had to buy a more expensive category than we originally intended. We then added another Olympic event that worked with our schedule and was reasonably priced – a hockey game. Just prior to the Games, we also purchased some very affordable tickets to the figure skating training session on our arrival day, and it turned out to be a highlight.

For LA28, the local presale happened unusually early, in April 2026, followed by the first public draw shortly after. I was picked for the first public draw but unfortunately most tickets released in that draw were already taken up by the presale, so public access was quite limited both in terms of events and ticket categories. The second draw (with new inventory being promised) will happen in August 2026 – be sure to register Here by July 22, 2026. Check LA-2028 schedule here and pay close attention to the multiple Olympic Zones across greater LA and beyond when you are considering attending events on the same day.

There are also hospitality packages available from On Location with more expensive tickets and add-ons. If there is an event you truly dream of attending, this might be your “ticket” quite literally.

In Milan, following my surgery, I was even able to buy a ticket on the day of the event. Considering the much greater demand expected for LA, this option might not be realistic. There is also the official resale market to consider. In Milan, resale tickets were sold at face value via the official platform with only a reasonable administrative surcharge.

Lodging Strategy  Lodging is the second most important item on your agenda after securing (some or most of) your tickets. I don’t have my full LA28 schedule yet and most accommodations cannot be booked earlier than 12 months prior. In Milan 2026, with figure skating being our main event and happening in the Assago suburb of Milan, we decided to split our stay between two places: the center of Milan and Assago. Being in the center gave us an opportunity to experience the tourist attractions in the historic heart of the city – and this is also where the Olympic Park and Olympic torch were positioned.

We chose  Max Brown Hotel Missori Milan, a boutique hotel within walking distance of the Duomo square for our Milan part.  For the second part of our Olympic stay, my friend booked an apartment near the Arena in Assago.  And for my “bonus” night following surgery I was able to book a last  minute room at the Royal Garden Assago Milan Hotel adjacent to the Assago Unipol Arena.  It had large public spaces, a pool, airy breakfast area and large rooms. You could not bit the convenience of being next to the Arena, especially for people with any mobility issues (me after surgery).

I generally prefer hotel stays over B&B apartment stays and my medical emergency experience in Milan – trying to find a taxi in the middle of the night to go the hospital with no reliable phone service — only reinforced my preference.  However, outside of emergencies, the three nights in our spacious apartment in Assago cost roughly the same as one night in the hotel. So cost and space might be the decisive factors for me when looking at accommodations for LA28.

You can look for the apartment options on VRBO or Agoda via my blog’s affiliate links (at no additional cost to you).

Figuring out Transportation is next order of business as well as getting around once you are there. Airfares are usually available about a year prior (we are considering a cross-country road trip to get to LA28). For Milan, I signed up for an Air France credit card to earn points. Beyond the international flight, there is also the local transportation to consider. Public transport to the venues depends heavily on where you stay and which events you are attending, but I personally preferred using taxis and private transfers for flexibility and convenience. ((I found a car transfer service that met us at the airport and waited for us – with our luggage- at the stadium while we attended a practice session straight after the flight). I I share more details about taxis in the medical emergency section below, but I will say this: I would be much more prepared next time.

We ran into real difficulties finding taxis from the apartment when I needed to get to the hospital in the middle of the night. We eventually relied on Taxi Blue via WhatsApp, which turned out to be a lifesaver because we could type messages in English and did not need a phone service.

Day Trips Once you finalize your events schedule, lodging, and transportation, you may want to add some tours and day trips to your Olympics plan. We added a walking tour of Milan and a day trip to the Venice Carnival on our day off. We also visited the Duomo and saw The Last Supper. We had planned another half-day trip to Bergamo and San Pellegrino Spa with a private driver, but it never happened because of my medical issue.

In LA we are planning to enjoy local attractions (studio tour) and possibly take off for a multi-day break to enjoy the coast.  Visiting local attractions and being a tourist is an important part of Olympic experience and possibly a welcome diversion.

Olympic Atmosphere I shared my most memorable Milan figure skating memories in another article, but to be completely honest I was a little bit underwhelmed by the relative lack of Olympic atmosphere in Milan. The city was still functioning “normally” and aside from a few merchandise kiosks (or a basement section at the historic Rinascente Department Store) and some dressed-up fans, you would not really know you were visiting an Olympic city during the Olympics.

I will give it to the fans for raising the Olympic atmosphere up a few levels! I enjoyed connecting with the people sitting nearby at the arena, but the language barrier was real. I made an effort to get to know my seat neighbors but frankly I had the most in-depth conversations with fellow American figure skating ans.

If I ever get to travel to another Winter Olympics, I will make a bigger effort to visit a second location up in the mountains to get more into the atmosphere. This is one thing we didn’t get to do in Milan because of the distances and logistical difficulties getting to the nearest snow event venue, but I wish we had. That would have made our experience feel more “Olympic”.

Summer Olympics are much bigger of course, with more built-in opportunities of getting into the Olympic spirit. For LA28 we are planning to visit multiple Olympic venues (most located within a 1-2 hour drive from each other), including free outside events like surfing and the marathon. Combined with the events we already have tickets for (beach volleyball, track and handball), I am hoping for a more festive Olympics experience.

Budgeting Attending the Olympics is not cheap, but you can significantly reduce the budget by going with friends (versus paying for multiple family members), buying air tickets on points, and picking less expensive events and seating options via the public draw. LA28 tickets start at $28 (depending on the event). In Milan, figure skating tickets were approximately €300–750 (under €30 for practice sessions) and hockey tickets ranged from €30 to €450.

Dealing with a Medical Emergency Unfortunately, emergencies happen during travel and I could not leave my Olympic emergency out of the story (although I don’t wish it on anyone). I had to deal with an unexpected gallbladder attack that didn’t respond to antibiotics and needed emergency surgery. My story had a good ending and here are a few tips:

Ensure you have reliable access to taxis/Uber/etc. If you are staying in a rental apartment, make sure you have a working taxi app – our apps just didn’t work well in that area. Knowing the nearest hospital also makes a huge difference. In my case, the doctors at Humanitas University Hospital near the Assago arena not only provided quality medical care but also spoke fluent English. Review your medical insurance carefully (whether you are purchasing a separate trip insurance or relying on your home-based medical insurance like I did). You will most likely have to pay out of pocket and submit a claim later like we did. Try to call your insurance from the hospital for pre-authorization and make sure you get an itemized bill. And if you end up with mobility issues, see if you can get an accessible ticket to the events– the wheelchair service I received the day after surgery was an amazing experience that partially made up for everything.

Are you planning to attend the LA28 Games or Nice-2030? What events are at the top of your bucket list? Let me know in the comments below, and let’s get ready to cheer on our favorite athletes!