amateur observing - Can the Milky Way be seen with the naked eye? Does this apply to any galaxy? If yes, then how and when?

Yes, we certainly can see the Milky Way from Earth. I saw it through an airplane window at night. But you don't need to do that, either. Find some place with not much pollution, especially light and smoke, and gaze up at night. You should see a beautiful band of stars. Proof? In the 1990's, there was a major electricity blackout in Los Angeles. People looked up and saw it, but many of them thought that aliens were invading or something . . . so they called up 911.

All you need to know is that you can, you should, and hopefully, you will. As for other galaxies, you won't see them in quite the same way, because we're not situated in such a viewpoint. But you can see them, like the Andromeda Galaxy, if you find a dark place without pollution. Go to the countryside!

It's also possible at any time. Because the milky way is shaped like a bulging disc, and we're in a great spot, we can see it at any time; it spans across the whole Celestial Sphere!