What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions driving and public transport in Italy? For me, that’s the stereotypical Italian driving skills, loads of traffic, delays, and slow public transport. This is however far from true in Milan. The public transport in Milan is amazing and above efficient. You need no more than 30 minutes to reach the other part of the city.
It might seem like a piece of cake for locals, yet the dense system of metros, trams, and buses can be overwhelming for foreign nationals. My goal is to show you how to navigate Milanese public transport like a local. Let’s start.
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Visiting Milan? Welcome!
Here are some useful information to plan your trip to Milan in the best way:
- Best Areas to Stay in Milan
- Areas to Avoid in Milan
- All About Public Transport in Milan
- How to Reach Milan From Nearby Airports
- 10 Best Budget-Friendly Hotels in Milan
- Best Luxury Hotels in Milan
- List of Hotels in Milan By Area
- Exciting Cafes & Foodie Places in Milan to Add on Your List
- Best 7 Instagrammable Locations in Milan You Didn’t Know About
Types of public transport in Milan
Like any big city, Milan has several types of public transport. The public transportation system in Milan covers in total of 4 metro, 18 tram and over 80 bus lines. The lines of all public transport are frequent and on time, even on Sundays and holidays.
ATM Milano is the provider and go to place to check for tickets, news, and changes in public transport lines. If you want to know more on public transport, how to buy and validate tickets and discounts, click here.
METRO
The metro might be the most efficient out of all three public transport types in Milan. There are in total of 4 metro lines (M1-M5) with the 5th line fully opening later this year (M4) – at the moment M4 is open between Linate Airport and the city center. Each metro line is defined by its own colour. Rumour has it that the pink line (M6) might open sometime in the future.
Metro connections cover the entire city of Milan, among those the best areas and the areas to avoid. Some of the metro stops include famous tourist attractions (read my 3-day Milan guide) and transportation hubs. Such is the Duomo (red and yellow line), Central Train Station (green and yellow line), and San Siro stadium (purple line).
Metro is also the most frequent of all during the day, with trains running every 2-4min. The metro operates between 6 am and 12.30 am.
You can purchase metro tickets at any metro station, through the ATM app, in tabacchi stores, or pay directly by card at the validation point. You must validate your ticket in order to enter the train part of the metro station.
Below is the map of metro lines in Milan from the ATM website.
Milan metro map
TRAM
Trams are definitely the most unique and panoramic public transport type in Milan. Slightly slower, but with lovely views of the city, trams are often the go-to choice for tourists. For a unique experience, make sure to take tram number 1 in the city center. This line is operated by old, historical trams (like the ones you find in Portugal or any Milan postcards).
Trams are numbered from 1 to 18 and run every day at all times, except between 2 am and 5 am. And even then you might get lucky and catch a tram!
Just like the metro tickets, you can purchase tram tickets on the ATM app or in tabacchi stores.
Note: In the case of ticket control, you must present a valid ticket to a ticket inspector upon request. Failure to do so will cost you around 30eur if paid on the spot or 60eur if you pay later.
Historical tram 1 in Milan
BUS
Buses reach the parts of the city trams or the metro can not and even connect Milan to nearby cities and airports. Two of the most important lines are lines 90 and 91 that drive around Milan in a circle, each in its own direction. For those with a need to travel by night, several night buses operate between 12 am and 6 am.
By now you can already guess where to purchase bus tickets – on ATM app and in tabbachi stores (if you prefer).
ATM Milano just recently introduced a new way to purchase bus and tram tickets – by credit card, directly on the tram/bus. No more wasting times going to tabbachi stores!
How expensive is public transport in Milan?
Public transport in Milan is fairly cheap. Public transportation tickets cover all types of public transport in a selected area so you can use the same ticket to hop on buses, trams, or metro, unlimited times!
Info on Milan’s public transport fare system:
- Single ticket: 2.20€ and valid for 90 minutes upon validation
- Daily ticket: 7,60€ (valid for 24h)
- 3-day ticket: 15.50€ (valid for 72h)
- A carnet of 10 single tickets: 19.50€
I would recommend the above options if you’re visiting Milan as a tourist. As already mentioned, you can buy these passes at metro stations, through the ATM app, and in tabacchi stores.
Local tip: The 3-day ticket only appears on the ATM machine if you set the language to Italian
If you live in Milan and use public transport regularly, I suggest you take a monthly pass (abbonamento ATM). Those come at either 22€ or 39€. The price depends on your age. The monthly pass can be upgraded into a 3 monthly pass or a yearly pass. The procedure for requesting an abbonamento is slightly different and more complicated. Find out the details about how to get your monthly pass with ATM.
Now you know
Now you know how to navigate Milan’s public transport like a local. How was your experience with public transport in Milan? Let me know in the comments.
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Hi, it's Neja
I am an expat from Slovenia,
living in Milan since 2021 and writing a travel blog for all of you who are curious about life in Italy or traveling in Europe.
Follow me on my journey and learn everything about Italy and the European destinations.
