Destination guides > Europe > Italy > Lombardy (Lombardia) > Milan (Milano)
Milan (Milano)
Milan is overlooked by most visitors to Italy. Although this big northern Italian city may not bask in the historic splendor reminiscent of Rome, Florence or Venice, there is still plenty to see and do including the world's third largest church - the Duomo - as well as the Santa Maria delle Grazie church which is home to Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper.
Practical information
Milan Tourist Information Centre
Via Marconi 1, Milan
Tel (02) 7252 4301
Website www.visitamilano.it
Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-8pm, Sat 9am-1pm & 2pm-7pm, Sun 9am-1pm & 2pm-5pm
Coming & going
AIR
Milan has three airports. Linate and Malpensa are the two main airports, but Orio al Serio Airport near Bergamo is becoming more popular because of the low-cost airlines that fly there.
Linate Airport
Linate Airport is only 10km from the city centre and is used mostly for domestic and short-haul European flights. The cheapest way to get to Linate Airport is ATM bus 73, which departs from Piazza S Babila every 10 minutes. A faster, but more expensive, alternative is the Starfly (tel (02) 5858 7237) bus that leaves from Stazione Centrale.
Malpensa Airport
Malpensa, 45km from the city centre, is Milan's largest airport. It is a major hub for easyJet, which has its own terminal here. The easiest way to travel between Malpensa and central Milan is by the Malpensa Express train that runs every half hour between the airport and Milan's Cadorna station.
Orio al Serio (Bergamo) Airport
Orio al Serio Airport is 45km from Milan and just 4km from Bergamo. This airport is used mainly by low-cost airlines and is now Italy's fourth-busiest airport. It is a major hub for Ryanair. Autostradale and Terravision run direct bus services from the airport to Milan's central station, which cost €8.90; but it is also possible to take a local bus €1.70 to Bergamo's train station and get a connecting train to Milan from there.
BUS & COACH
Most coaches terminate at Piazza Castello.
TRAIN
Stazione Centrale is the main train station which is 2km from the centre.
Local transport
Milan has an excellent public transport system comprised of buses, trams, a metro and a suburban rail network. Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) run buses, trams and the metro; Milan's suburban rail network is run by Ferrovie Nord Milano and Ferrovie dello Stato.
Single bus, tram and metro tickets cost €1, a 10-ride ticket is €9.20, a one-day pass is €3 and a two day ticket costs €5.50.
BUS
Milan's bus network is made up of 79 lines. It is a good system, but it is not used by many travellers who tend to find the metro easier to navigate. Single bus tickets cost €1, a 10-ride ticket is €9.20, a one-day pass is €3 and a two day ticket costs €5.50.
TRAM
Milan has one of Europe's most extensive tram network's, which is comprised of 19 lines. Single tram tickets cost €1, a 10-ride ticket is €9.20, a one-day pass is €3 and a two day ticket costs €5.50.
METRO
For many travellers, the metro is the easiest way to get around the city. It consists of three lines with a fourth line under construction. Single tickets cost €1, a 10-ride ticket is €9.20, a one-day pass is €3 and a two day ticket costs €5.50.
SUBURBAN & REGIONAL TRAINS
Milan's metro is supplemented by an extensive sububan and regional train network that runs a metro-like service through a tunnel under the city. One of the more useful routes is the service to Malpensa Airport.
BIKEMI
BikeMi is Milan's public bicycle system, which consists around 5000 bicycles and 250 stations. It works in a similar manner to other bike sharing systems where registered users can pick up a bike from a station and ride it, dropping it off at a different station elsewhere in the city.
It costs €2.50 for one day, €6 for a week or €36 per year to become a registered user. The first 30 minutes of each use is free, then it is €0.50 per 30 minutes (up to two hours) and €2 per 30 minutes if you use it longer than two hours.
Hostel accommodation
Il Postello
Via della Pergola 5, Milano
Metro Garibaldi
Tel 333 175 2272
Medusa Hostel
Via Carlo Goldoni 84, 20129 Milano
Tram 5 (stop: Ferravilla) Bus 90 (stop: Romagna-Susa)
Misterbeem Hostel
Via Carlo Goldoni 84, Milano
Bus 91 (stop: Piazzale Susa)
Ostello Piero Rotta
Via Martino Bassi 2, 20148 Milan
Bus 90, 91 Metro QT8
Tel (02) 39267095
Ostellolinda
Via Ippocrate 45, 20161 Milano
Bus 40, 41, 52, 70, 82 Train Affori
Tel (02) 64445219
Pop House Milano
via Menabrea 13, Milan 20159
Metro Maciachini, Zara Tram 3, 4 (stop: Stelvio Farini) Bus 90, 91, 92 (stop: Stelvio Farini)
Tel 335 805 6883
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