Overview
Milan's rapid transit system is the Metropolitana di Milano, operated by Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM). It is the largest rapid transit system in Italy by length, number of stations and ridership, and the fifth longest in the European Union. The network has five lines, 111.8 km (69.5 mi) of track and 125 stations, most of them underground, carrying roughly 1.4 million passengers on a weekday.
For a visitor, the system is straightforward to use end to end. You buy a ticket or tap a contactless bank card or phone at the orange gates found in every metro station, ride to your stop, and exit through the gates. A single ticket is valid for 90 minutes from validation across metro, tram, bus, trolleybus and suburban lines within Milan and 21 bordering municipalities, but it allows only one metro entry. Stations have LED screens showing destinations and waiting times, and recorded announcements give the direction of each approaching train and the name of each station; newer Meneghino and Leonardo trains and the driverless Line 5 trains also have on-board displays and announcements in Italian and English. Mobile phone coverage (UMTS, HSDPA and LTE) works throughout the stations and trains.
The network
Milan's public transport combines a metro, a suburban rail network, trams, buses and trolleybuses. The metro is the backbone, and nine interchange stations each link two metro lines: Loreto (Lines 1 and 2), Cadorna (Lines 1 and 2), Centrale (Lines 2 and 3), Duomo (Lines 1 and 3), Zara (Lines 3 and 5), Garibaldi (Lines 2 and 5), Lotto (Lines 1 and 5), San Babila (Lines 1 and 4) and Sant'Ambrogio (Lines 2 and 4).
- Line 1 (M1) – opened in 1964, the oldest line, running from the north-east to the south-west.
- Line 2 (M2) – opened in 1969, with branches including the Assago extension; the northern part and the Assago branch run above ground.
- Line 3 (M3) – opened in 1990, running north-west to south-east.
- Line 4 (M4) – a driverless line opened in stages from 2022, linking Linate airport to the city and extended to San Babila (2023) and San Cristoforo FS (2024).
- Line 5 (M5) – the first automated line, opened in 2013, running from Bignami through Garibaldi FS to San Siro Stadio.
All lines run underground except the northern part of Line 2 and its Assago branch. Lines 1–3 are heavy rapid-transit lines with 6-car trains about 105 m long; Lines 4 and 5 are light metro lines with 4-car trains about 50 m long. Platform screen doors are fitted at all Line 4 and Line 5 stations and at some Line 1 stations. Beyond Milan, the metro serves 13 neighbouring municipalities, including Assago, Cologno Monzese, Gessate, Rho, Sesto San Giovanni and San Donato Milanese.
The metro connects with the suburban rail service at 14 interchange stations, among them Cadorna FN, Garibaldi FS, Lambrate FS, Rogoredo FS, Rho Fiera and Sesto 1º Maggio. Regional trains are run by Trenord, while national services are provided by Trenitalia and NTV (Italo), with Milano Centrale as the main railway station.
Trams, buses and trolleybuses fill in the surface network; the metro replaced several interurban tram routes, notably the Line 2 route to Gessate. Milan has no ferry service as part of its urban transit network.
Tickets & fares
Fares below are approximate and change; always check current prices with ATM before you travel.
- Single ticket: €2.20, valid 90 minutes from validation with transfers between metro, tram and bus, but only one metro entry.
- Carnet of 10 single tickets: €19.50.
- 24-hour ticket: €7.60 for unlimited travel in the urban area for 24 hours from first validation.
- 3-day ticket: €13.00 for 72 hours of unlimited travel.
- Weekly pass: €17.00.
- Contactless daily cap: €7.60 per day when you tap a bank card or phone.
Other ticket types include daily, weekly, monthly, annual, student and senior passes. Additional fares apply if you travel outside Milan and the 21 bordering municipalities. Children under 14 travel free when accompanied by a paying adult, and ID may be requested to prove age.
You can buy tickets from touchscreen machines at every metro station, which accept cards and cash and offer English; from tobacconists and newsstands displaying the ATM sign; or as mobile tickets stored on your phone, shown as a QR code or activated at the gate. Paper tickets must be validated by tapping at a metro gate or on an on-board reader on trams and buses. Contactless bank cards and phones can be tapped directly at the metro gate or on-board reader, with the single fare charged automatically and a daily cap applied; this works provided your trip starts in the metro, and it is not available on suburban lines. ATM also offers the Itinero and RicaricaMi smartcards, which can be loaded with season tickets or credit.
For tourists, ATM's own 24-hour, 3-day and weekly tickets are the simplest transport-only option. The MilanoCard, from about €12 for 24 hours, bundles unlimited public transport with free or discounted museum and attraction entry and partner discounts, and is worthwhile only if you plan to visit several paid sights. The regional integrated ticket "Io viaggio ovunque in Lombardia" is also accepted on Milan metro lines, sold as 1- to 7-day tickets or longer subscriptions.
From the airport
Milan's two main international airports are Malpensa (MXP), about 40 km northwest of the centre, and Linate (LIN), about 7 km from the centre. Orio al Serio (BGY) near Bergamo, about 45 km east, and Parma airport mostly host budget airlines.
- Linate: Metro Line 4 serves the airport, running every 7 minutes and crossing the city from east to west, with interchanges to all three other metro lines. The fare is €2.20, the same as normal public transport, and tickets are available from the newsagent inside the airport terminal. Because this is regular city transport with many stops, it can get crowded at peak hours. Autostradale also runs a shuttle bus from outside Terminal Entrance 6 to Milano Centrale (Luigi di Savoia square) every 30 minutes, stopping at Lambrate railway station, taking about 27 minutes and costing €5 per adult. Taxis to the centre cost around €12–20, with a minimum charge of €12; ignore drivers at the terminal exit offering "taxi" rides, which serve outlying destinations and charge at least €70.
- Malpensa: You can reach central Milan by train, shuttle bus or taxi. The Malpensa Express train connects the airport with Cadorna station, and trains also run to Milano Porta Garibaldi. Malpensa Shuttle buses link the airport with Linate airport with a few stops en route, taking about 1 hour depending on traffic.
- Orio al Serio (Bergamo): Buses leave from immediately outside arrivals for Milan, and return from Ferrante Aporti on the east side of Central Station, taking a little over 1 hour. Coaches are run by Orio Shuttle, Flibco, Autostradale and Terravision. The Orio Shuttle to Milano Centrale generally runs every half hour during the day, less often at night, with an adult one-way fare of €12 on the door (March 2026) or €10 online. Flibco runs up to 22 times per day with tickets from €10 if booked in advance. Alternatively, take a local ATB bus to Bergamo railway station (€2.60, about 15–25 minutes) and a train from there to Milan, running every 30–60 minutes and taking around 1 hour, for €5.80 to Milano Centrale or €4.50 to Milano Porta Garibaldi. A taxi costs at least €100.
Etiquette & customs
- Queuing: Let passengers off the train before you board, and stand to the side of the doors rather than blocking them.
- Escalators: Stand on the right and walk on the left, as is standard across Italy.
- Priority seating: Seats reserved for the elderly, pregnant passengers and people with reduced mobility should be given up when needed.
- Eating and drinking: Keep food and drink consumption minimal on board, and avoid messy or strongly scented food during busy periods.
- Rush hour: Trains are busiest in the early morning and early evening; move down the carriage, keep your bag in front of you, and expect crowded platforms at major interchanges such as Centrale, Duomo and Garibaldi.
- Safety: Watch your belongings around Milano Centrale and other busy stations, where pickpocketing targeting tourists is a known problem, especially at night.
Official links
Survival terms
- Subway/metro: metropolitana (meh-troh-poh-lee-TAH-nah)
- Ticket: biglietto (bee-LYET-toh)
- Line: linea (LEE-neh-ah)
- Entrance: ingresso (een-GRESS-soh)
- Exit: uscita (oo-SHEE-tah)
- Transfer: cambio (KAHM-byoh)
- Single fare: biglietto singolo (bee-LYET-toh SEEN-goh-loh)
- Day pass: biglietto giornaliero (bee-LYET-toh jor-nah-LYEH-roh)
Before you travel, check ATM's current fares and route maps, and remember that a single ticket covers 90 minutes of travel but only one metro entry, so plan your metro hops accordingly.