Milan is the regional capital of Lombardy and is among the most avant-garde Italian cities for various reasons and from different points of view: extremely active from an economic and cultural point of view, it is a reality to discover in order to get to know its historical and modern views, ranging from the magical Via dei Fiori Chiari to the newest view of the fantastic City Life. The style of the typical Art Nouveau buildings is widespread and its wonderful attractions are known all over the world , such as the great Duomo and the majestic Sforzesco Castle.
These are some of the many reasons that push tourists from all over the world to visit the city of charm and glamor. Here is a guide on how to get around Milan: info, costs and advice!
The best way to visit Milan is by public transport : the Lombard capital is famous for its dense network of connections that also connects the most peripheral areas, managing to streamline the chaotic traffic and solving the parking problem. You will then have the metro, tram and bus at your disposal. Perfect for setting the hop-on hop-off bus , which will allow you to get on and off without limits at all stops, located in strategic points of the city!
Instead, it is recommended to move on foot in the individual neighborhoods and in the historic center . The first day to settle in, it is recommended to opt for a guided tour on foot or by segway . Finally, the city also offers abike sharing service thanks to the BikeMi app , being able to discover the city in an alternative and green way. Here too, for a first approach, it is better to opt for a guided bike tour first , to familiarize yourself with the routes and cycle paths of the city together with a guide!
Finally, the Milan Pass, in addition to admissions and discounts on affiliated attractions and activities, includes a single ticket to travel on ATM public transport and a ticket for the tourist bus.
- Recommended solutions and means : on foot, metro, tram, hop-on hop-off bus
- Solutions and means not recommended : bus, car
- Recommended city cards and season tickets : Milano Pass (from € 79.00 – see details ), daily transport ticket (from € 7.00), 10-ride booklet (from € 18.00)
How to get from the airport to the center of Milan
The city of Milan boasts the presence of three international airports located in different areas: Linate in the South-East, Malpensa in the North-West (Varese area) and Orio al Serio in the North East (Bergamo).
The closest is that of Linate, however the others are also well connected to the Lombard center ; from each airport it is possible to reach the city center with travel times ranging from 25 to 60 minutes, relying on public transport, taxis, or the transfers offered by various companies. Let’s see the movements from each airport in detail.
Aeroporto di Linate
- Distance from the center : 8 km / travel time: 30 min;
- By shuttle : Linate Shuttle line / ticket cost: € 5.00
- By taxi : average cost from € 25.00 / travel time: about 25 minutes
- By bus : average cost € 1.60 / ATM line 73 (every 10 min)
- Private transfer : transfer to the center or to the hotel
Aeroporto di Malpensa
- Distance from the center : 57 km / travel time: 60 min;
- By train : Malpensa Express line / ticket cost: € 13.00
- By shuttle : Malpensa Shuttle line / ticket cost: € 10.00
- By taxi : average cost € 80.00 / travel time: 60 min
- By bus : average cost € 8.00 / Terravision company
- Private transfer : transfer to the center
Aeroporto di Orio al Serio
- Distance from the center : 48 km / travel time: 45 min
- By shuttle : Orio Shuttle line / ticket cost: € 10.00
- By taxi : average cost € 90.00 / travel time: 40 minutes
- By bus : average cost € 5.00 / Terravision company
- Private transfer : Milan transfer from Bergamo Airport
How to get around on foot
Once you have reached the center of Milan, it is advisable to check the distance between the area you are in and the one you want to reach. The center of Milan is quite large, but you can also move comfortably on foot , as the main points of interest are not very far from each other.
On the first day you can opt for a guided walking or segway tour to get used to the city.
For example, if you have to move from Piazza Duomo to Castello Sforzesco (Cairoli), you will travel about 1 km, then a pleasant walk along Via Dante; if you have to move from Piazza Duomo to the Navigli, it is recommended to take public transport.
SEE ALSO :One day itinerary in Milan
By public transport
Milan’s public service is called ATM and includes metro, buses and trams . If the distance you have to travel is too much, you will undoubtedly opt for the metro. It is definitely the fastest and most frequent way. For short distances you can also opt for buses and trams, albeit a little slower in their journeys, but remember to absolutely avoid them during rush hours if you don’t want to get stuck in traffic and take twice as long.
To settle in the city , especially the first few days, the best choice is definitely the hop-on hop-off busfor 24, 48 or 72 hours! This tourist bus will allow you to hop on and off without limits at all stops, located in strategic points, close to attractions and in the main districts. It is also a great way to enjoy a panoramic tour of Milan , ideal if you have little time available!
Finally, if you stop for several days and have a rich itinerary, we recommend the purchase of the Milan Pass , which in addition to admissions and discounts on affiliated attractions and activities, includes the single ticket to travel on ATM public transport and the ticket for the tourist bus. .
Metero
To move quickly in Milan by public transport, first of all prefer the subway. It is faster and takes much less time to wait than other public transport. It is made up of 4 lines (red M1, green M2, yellow M3, lilac M5) that cross the length and breadth of the city, reaching even the most distant areas from the center.
As far as fares are concerned, Milan is divided into fare zones . Moving to the center, you just need to take the ticket of the lowest price range, which includes the whole of Milan between the Mi1 and Mi9 zones, or a single ticket € 2.00. 10-trip season tickets and booklets are also available.
- Downloadable map : milan-metro-map
- Timetables: from 5:40 am to 12:30 am
- Ticket cost / single journey : from € 2.00
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket : daily € 7.00, 3-day ticket € 12.00, 10 ticket booklet € 18.00
Bus
Source: wikimedia commons.The bus service is full of lines , with different timetables and includes many stops, guaranteeing transport at all hours of the day and night, obviously with different frequencies. On the official ATM website you can consult all the lines with their respective timetables and stops. Unfortunately, however, during rush hour buses cannot travel quickly and on time.
The rates are the same as for the metro . Moving to the center, you just need to take the ticket of the lowest price range, which includes the whole of Milan between the Mi1 and Mi9 zones, or a single ticket € 2.00. 10-trip season tickets and booklets are also available.
- Downloadable map : Milan bus-map
- Timetables: 24 hours on 24
- Ticket cost / single journey : from € 2.00
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket : daily € 7.00, 3-day ticket € 12.00, 10 ticket booklet € 18.00
Tram
The tram network has been present in Milan since 1876 and today the tram service consists of 18 lines , active from early morning until late at night. Even the trams, like the buses, are managed by ATM and on the website you can consult all the lines with their respective timetables and stops.
Fares are the same as for metro and bus . A single ticket starts at € 2.00, depending on the arrival area. Season tickets and 10-trip booklets are also available.
- Downloadable map : milan-tram-map
- Timetables: from 4:30 to 2:30, with possible variations according to the line
- Ticket cost / single journey : from € 2.00
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket : daily € 7.00, 3-day ticket € 12.00, 10 ticket booklet € 18.00
In auto
Using the car to move around Milan is highly discouraged for several reasons! First of all, to avoid getting stuck in traffic which is extremely congested especially in the 7: 00-9: 00 and 18: 00-20: 00, peak times! Then because it is very difficult to park as the only parking spaces available in the center are very often reserved for residents.
Furthermore, Milan is divided into various restricted traffic areas, which vary from area to area, also in relation to the exhaust emissions of your car: this means that you will not be able to access unless under specific conditions and paying a certain daily or weekly rate. Using the car can be a plausible choice only if you have to move to the peripheral areas or in any case on the border with the municipalities of the hinterland, when you arrive at the entrance to the restricted traffic areas, leave your car there and continue towards the center using public transport .
ZTL
The Lombard Municipality has equipped the city network with a ZTL system , especially with the aim of reducing the presence of fine dust and the emission of exhaust gases into the air, thus making the air cleaner. The restricted traffic areas are Area C (historic center), Area B (includes 75% of the territory), Navigli, Arco della Pace, Corso Garibaldi and Via Paolo Sarpi. As for the last 4 areas mentioned, the ban only concerns cars, while mopeds can access freely.
As for the schedules, Area C is active from Monday to Friday 7: 30-18: 30, excluding holidays, Area B is operational from Monday to Friday 7: 30-19: 30, with the exception of holidays. The ZTL dei Navigli is active every day from 20:00 to 07:00, the Arco della Pace area is operational every day from 22:00 to 04:00, Corso Garibaldi and via Paolo Sarpi are active every day 24 hours a day For more information, consult the dedicated page on the official website of the Municipality of Milan .
Stops and parking
At the edge of the Milanese ZTL you are free to park your car in all the points marked with white stripes for free , from here you can use the red M1 underground line or the M2 green line to reach the center. There are also free outdoor unattended car parks, near the Monumental Cemetery, Lambrate and Baggio, so once you have left your car there, you can move around using the trams of lines 14 and 2. Among the recommended areas there is also that of Bicocca , a district of the university of the same name, where parking is free on Saturdays and Sundays and every day starting at 19:00, while there are also specific areas used for free parking; from there you could move to the center using the M5 metro line.
