Milan, a city of over 2 million people renowned for fashion and shopping and the economic heart of Italy, is served by a network of four metro lines.

Although the tourist attractions in the city centre can be reached on foot or via the extensive tram network, the metro will always be the most straightforward and fastest way to travel longer distances, for example from any of Milan’s railway stations to the city centre.

The 10 best hotels in Milan

You can find information on other types of transport in the Transport section.

Not sure which part of Milan to stay in? Take a look at our overview of the best neighbourhoods and hotels.

Metro lines

The Milan metro has 5 lines. They are numbered and each has its own colour. The metro trains are modern, spacious and clean; the metro is definitely the most reliable form of transport in Milan.

• Line M1 (red)– runs across the city centre from west to east, connecting it with Cadorna railway station or Lampugnano coach station. It also passes beneath the entire Quadrilatero della Modafashion district
  • Sights and attractions – the Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, Parco Sempione,the Palazzo Reale, and the Museo del Novecento
• Line M2 (green)– runs along the western edge of the city centre and connects all the major railway stations in the city: Centrale, Porta Garibaldi, Cadorna and Porta Genova. This is the longest route, extending eastwards well beyond the city limits of Milan
  • Sights and attractions – Navigli,Castello Sforzesco, Parco Sempione, Brera, Piazza Gae Aulenti, Corso Como, Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
• Line M3 (yellow)– connects the city centre from north to south with Centrale and Rogoredo stations
  • Sights and attractions –the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala,Palazzo Reale, Museo del Novecento,Quadrilatero della Moda
• Line M4 (blue)– connects Linate Airportwith the city centre and continues south-westwards
  • Sights and attractions – Colonne di San Lorenzo,Quadrilatero della Moda,Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
• Line M5 (purple)– the line least used by tourists, running from the north and west to Porta Garibaldi station, as well as to the San Siro football stadium
  • Sights and attractions –Cimitero Monumentale,Piazza Gae Aulenti

Metro tickets and fares

The Milan metro is operated by the transport company ATM, and tickets are therefore also valid on trams, buses and trolleybuses. There are three main types of ticket available:

• 2,20 eur – 90 minutes
• 7,60 eur – 24 hours (valid for a full 24 hours from the first validation)
• 15,50 eur – 3 days (valid for three calendar days, not 72 hours)

A 90-minute ticket can be used for an unlimited number of transfers within the underground network, provided you do not leave the paid zone. When transferring, you do not leave the zone and do not pass through the ticket barriers. However, if you use the metro first during your journey, the ticket can no longer be used on surface transport.

Where can I buy tickets?

In Milan, there are three ways to buy tickets.

• Using your own contactless card(NFC technology is also supported, so you can use your mobile phone or smartwatch)
  • the simplest way
  • the fare is deducted every 24 hours, with a maximum charge of 7,60 eur
  • If you’d like to use a 72-hour ticket, it’s better value to buy a paper ticket or via the mobile app
  • Official information:atm.it//contactless_cards
• Paper tickets
  • can be purchased from ticket machines at all metro stations and selected bus and tram stops (payment can be made by card or cash), as well as at all tobacconists (“Tabacchi”)
• ATM mobile app (Google Play / App Store)
  • To buy tickets, you must first register and log in
  • You must validate each ticket before boarding, which will display a QR code. You hold this up to the QR code reader when entering the underground (all turnstiles are equipped with these), whilst on trams or buses you do not need to hold it up anywhere; you only need to show it to the ticket inspector during a ticket check

How do you use tickets on the metro?

You pass through the turnstiles when entering and exiting a metro station.

There are two different types of turnstiles at each station – one is for paper tickets only, and the other is for contactless card or mobile app payments.

Contactless payment

Hold your card, watch or mobile phone up to the reader on the turnstile when entering and exiting the station.

Paper ticket

Insert your ticket into the turnstile, wait about a second for the turnstile to open, and the ticket will be returned to you. Don’t forget to take your ticket and keep it safe, as you’ll need it again when you exit.

You must insert it into the turnstile again; the problem with the 90-minute ticket is that, although the turnstile will open for you, the ticket will not be returned, even if you have not yet used up the full 90 minutes. Therefore, this ticket cannot be used again.

This problem does not apply to tickets with a longer validity period; the ticket will always be returned to you when you exit the underground.

Mobile app

If you’re using tickets on your mobile via the ATM app, simply hold your mobile up to the reader at the turnstiles with a valid ticket displaying a QR code.

Map of the Milan Metro

You can find the official, up-to-date maps of the Milan metro on the transport operator’s website, atm.it. The official route map below also shows the S train lines, which can be used without any problems with the tickets mentioned above for journeys around Milan.

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The tickets described above are valid in the white and pink zones (Mi1 and Mi3); for other zones, you will need to pay a special suburban fare.

We have also created a detailed metro map to give you a better idea of where the individual lines actually run.

Links

• Transport company website: atm.it
• Route search: giromilano.at.it
• Transport to Bergamo BGY, Malpensa MXP and Linate LIN airports