Getting around Milan by public transport is very simple, fast, and intuitive. You can choose from various options ranging from the underground, the “metro”, to Uber and car sharing services.
The main means of public transport in Milan are the metro, trams, and buses.
The metro has six lines and provides access to most parts of the city and the entire centre. Here is the downloadable map:
https://giromilano.atm.it/assets/images/schema_rete_metro.jpg
The metro can take you to all touristic locations, and you can easily explore the city centre by foot.
Many tourists enjoy a tram ride in Milan as an interesting experience, especially if you take one of the smaller, historical trams.
You should consider buses only if you want to reach outlying areas where the metro does not arrive. Always use Google Maps to identify the best way.
The smart tip: pay by card
Paying for public transport in Milan is particularly easy. As in many European cities, instead of buying tickets you can use your contactless payment card. Or a smartphone wallet such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, with NFC functionality.
You just need to tap your card against the POS symbol found at the metro turnstiles, or on trams and buses. In the case of the metro, you must also tap the same card at the end of your journey, exiting the turnstiles.
Please note: you cannot use your debit or credit card on Trenitalia and Trenord trains, with the exception of the Malpensa Express.
Every 24 hours, the ticket management system calculates how many rides you have made and, based on those, finds the cheapest ticket for you and charges you for the amount needed.
If you have taken two underground rides, for example, you will probably pay for two simple single rides. If, on the other hand, you have taken the metro several times in the course of the day, you will pay for one day’s ticket – quite a saving compared to paying for many single rides!
Taxis in Milan
Milan has an extensive taxi network that covers every part of the city. In the centre, at airports and main stations, they are already parked and ready for rides, but can also be booked by phone or with an app.
The main Taxi Apps
- itTaxi
- Taxi App
- ShareNow
- Uber
Useful tip: these apps do not only work in Milan, but also in other Italian (and European, in the case of Share Now) cities. If you live in Italy, or travel there often, it can be useful to download them, register and add your payment card
These apps allow you to pay with the credit or debit card you have saved on your phone. Remember to tell the taxi driver that you ‘want to pay with the app’ at the beginning of the ride.
Most taxis in Milan accept credit card payments. You can also use Alipay scanning QR Codes provided by Tinaba, a local partner of Alipay in Italy.
If you do not want to download another app on your phone, these are the main telephone numbers to call a taxi. All operators speak some English:
- Yellow Taxi 026969
- Blue Taxi 024040
- Radio Taxi 028585
Car Sharing and Bike Sharing
Car sharing, scooter sharing and bike sharing services are convenient: vehicles can be rented easily, even if only for a few minutes.
Lime or Dott offer bicycle and e-bike sharing, these services are also present in many other cities around the world. Remember to park these bicycles within specific zones, clearly identified on the in-app map by the ‘P’ symbol in a blue circle.
There is a municipal Bike Sharing service, BikeMi, which provides parking at fixed stations in the area and requires a special registration. If you’re staying for a short time, you can just rely on Lime and Dott.
As far as scooter sharing is concerned, however, at the moment the only international service that is still active is entrusted to Dott. The same rules apply as for bicycles. You have to park correctly, without disturbing traffic or pedestrians, and in the areas shown on the map with the ‘p’ symbol.
If you want to drive a car, ShareNow and Zity are two car sharing international services, also available in other cities around Europe. We also have an Italian company, Enjoy.
Car sharing cars can be parked on blue and yellow lines for free. With these vehicles, it is also possible to enter Area C without paying. The respective apps show any areas where vehicles are not allowed to park.