Let us guide you through all transportation modes in Milan, from your airport or train arrival to the city metro, buses, trams, and taxis. Transport info is included in our guide for bike rentals, rickshaws, and rentals cars.
No matter how you want to get around Milan; whether on tracks, two wheels, three wheels, or four-plus wheels, we got you covered!
Airports
There are three main airports servicing the city of Milan.
If you’re flying internationally into Italy, you’re likely to land at the largest one, Malpensa MXP. If you’re flying within Europe on a low-cost budget airline, you’re likely to land at either Bergamo BGY or Linate LIN which are outside of Milan but still within 50 km of the city center.
The Malpensa Express Train will take you from MXP to Milano Centrale, the main train station, where you can easily catch a connecting train if need be.
Trains
Milan’s main train station is called Milano Centrale. Once here, you can connect to the most popular travel destinations in Italy via high-speed train to Rome, Florence, or Venice via high-speed train.
The Malpensa Express Train and Malpensa Shuttle Bus also depart here for MXP Airport. You can further use public transportation to get you into the city center, or to bring you to LIN Airport via bus , and Bergamo BGY by bus.
Metro
The easiest way to get around the city is via the Milan Metro.
The five main lines that run through the city are the M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5. You can use these handy metro maps and our Milan metro tips to get a better idea of which systems you’ll be using during your trip.
Via Stazione Duomo on the M1 and M3 lines, you can easily visit the Duomo Cathedral, as well as the rest of the historical city center.
On the M2 line, Lanza is the nearest station to Sempione Park and Sforza Castle. Cadorna, also on the M1 line will bring you Lake Como, as well as MXP Airport via the Malpensa Express Train. Porta Genova is also the nearest station to view the lovely Navigli canal district.
The M4 line is currently under construction with plans to have it run all the way to Linate Airport by 2023. The M5 line will take you to the city outskirts. It is generally known as the football line, as it will take you to San Siro Stadium where A.C. Milan and Inter Milan play.
Buses
There are more than 80 eco-friendly bus routes in Milan that generally run on time with the only delays being traffic-related during the morning and afternoon rush hours.
The N° 94 bus line circles the city center and all popular tourist sites. The eco-version is called a trolleybus in Milan with N°90 and N°91 being the most popular routes. There are night routes as well for when the metro network is closed.
Trams
The trams in Milan have been running since 1876 and are another easy and fast ways to get around the city. The extensive network consists of 18 tram lines with numbers from 1 to 33. You can still find models, such as the 1500 series trams which date back to 1928. Models you can see only in Milan, Lisbon and San Francisco.
Taxis
The taxis in Milan are quite efficient and widely available, especially within the city center and around the main tourist attractions. They are, however, quite expensive, but still cheaper than in some European towns like London or Amsterdam.
There’s not much point in hailing a taxi in Milan though, as they will rarely stop. To catch one, simply head to the nearest taxi station. If you see a few stationary taxis, there will probably be a spot nearby with a queue.
You can also call one of the local taxis to come to you, but the wait time might be longer than an Uber depending on the time of day.
Rickshaws
In the more touristy spots like Piazza del Duomo, you’ll see a line of rickshaws waiting to take to tourists around. These little non-motorized, three-wheel vehicles allow easy access to many places in Storico Centro that are not accessible by car like small shopping streets and cathedral doorsteps.
Bike Rentals
Like in Amsterdam, the Milanese love their bikes and you’ll see cycling lanes throughout the city specifically designated for them.
With so many parks and no hills, Milan is very bike-friendly. In fact, you can even go shopping in Milan on a bike via the trail that goes from Porta Venezia all the way to Corso Buenos Aires.
You can easily rent a bike in Milan too, as you’ll find the rental stations around all the main tourist areas.
Rental Cars
The best time to rent a car in Milan is in winter. This is when you’ll find the cheapest rates to be about 20 € per day for a basic economy car. For a mid-size jeep, wagon or SUV, you’re looking around 30-35 € per day.
While Milan airport rentals are convenient, during the summer high-season you might have towards the outer suburbs if you want a better deal.
Do note that while traveling to Milan is easy, driving in Milan can be challenging! In the summer months, you really do need to plan where to find a parking spot in advance.