Getting Around Milan

Getting Around Milan

Milan's public transportation system is efficient. There are four underground lines, with a fifth being considered, as well as buses and trams. Tickets are available at Metropolitana Milanesa (MM) stations and some newspaper stands. You can sometimes get a free public transport map from ATM offices at the Duomo metro station and Stazione Central.

Subways, Trams and Buses in Milan

Milan has 3 subway lines (M1 - red, M2 - green, M3 - yellow) and the system, called Milan Metro - "M", running for more than 80 km. There is also a light metro-service, "Metrò S. Raffaele", connecting the San Raffaele Hospital with Cascina Gobba station (M2). Extensions of lines 1, 2 and 3 are under construction, to create more than 15 km of track with 10 new stations. Line 5 is also under construction, to be finished in the first half of 2008. Lines 4 (linking downtown with Linate Airport) and 6 are in planning stages.

Greater Milan also has one of the most extensive tramway systems in the world, with more than 286 km of track, and 20 lines.

Milan's public transport system, run by ATM (tel: 800 01 68 57; www.atm-mi.it) is very efficient. The underground consists of four underground lines (red MM1, green MM2, yellow MM3 and blue Passante Ferroviario). A ticket is valid for one underground ride.

Ninety-three bus lines cover over 1,070 km between them. The local transportation authority (ATM) transported more than 600 million passengers in 2003.

Getting around Milan by Train

Milan is the second railway hub of Italy, and the five major stations of Milan are among Italy's busiest. The first rail road built in Milan, the Milan and Monza Rail Road was opened for service on August 17th, 1840.

Stations in the city

- Milano Centrale (passenger station - the second busiest Italian station)
- Milano P.ta Garibaldi (passenger station)
- Milano Lambrate (passenger station)
- Milano Rogoredo (passenger station and cargo station)
- Milano Cadorna (passenger station and cargo station)
- Milano Bovisa-Politecnico (passenger station)
- Milano Greco (passenger station)
- Milano Porta Genova (passenger statio and cargo station)
- Milano San Cristoforo (passenger and cargo station)
- Milano Porta Romana (passenger and cargo station)
- Milano Certosa (passenger station)
- Milano Villapizzone (passenger station)
- Milano Lancetti (passenger station)
- Milano Repubblica (passenger station)
- Milano Porta Venezia (passenger station)
- Milano Dateo (passenger station)
- Milano Porta Vittoria (passenger station)
- Milano Smistamento/Scalo Farini (cargo-trains)
- Milano Romolo (passenger station).

Other new stations for passenger service are under construction:

Milano Tibaldi
Milano/Rho Fiera
High speed train lines are under construction all across Italy, and new lines will open from Milan to Rome and Naples, and from Milan to Torino. The stations for the TAV (Treni ad Alta Velocità - High Speed Trains) will be:

Milano Rogoredo (for the south)
Milano Certosa and Milano/Rho Fiera (for the west)
A line from Milan to Venice and then to Trieste is under construction. At the end of the work, the TAV station for Milan to the east will be:
Milano Pioltello

Regional-Metropolitan Railway services

The Suburban Railway Service ( "S" Lines, a service similar to the French RER and German S-Bahn), composed of eight suburban lines and ten more scheduled for 2008, connects the "Greater Milan" to cities such as Como and Varese. The Regional Railway Service ("R"), instead, links Milan with the rest of Lombardy and the national railway system. The "Passante ferroviario" is an underground railway serving a couple of "S" lines and is very much like another subway line (and is even marked as such on subway maps), except that it is connected to LeNord and Trenitalia suburban networks.

Getting around Milan by Taxi

Save yourself the indignity of trying to hail taxis - they don't stop. Head for a taxi rank.

Milan has a taxi service operated by private companies and licensed by the City of Milan (Comune di Milano). All taxis are the same color, white. Prices are based on time elapsed and distance traveled. As the number of licences is kept low by lobbying of present taxi drivers, prices are fairly high (significantly higher than, for example, in New York) and finding a taxi may be difficult in rush hours.

Getting around Milan by car

Entering central Milan by car is a major hassle. Street parking is limited to two hours and will cost you. To pay, buy a SostaMilano card from a tobacconist, scratch off the date and hour, and display it on your dashboard. Motoring information is provided by the Automobile Club Italia (ACI; tel: 02 774 51; Corso Venezia 43). If you're looking to rent, many companies have offices at Stazione Centrale and both airports.