Key Takeaways
- Take the Malpensa Express for a direct ride from Malpensa Airport to Milan.
- Use contactless payments on ATM, metro, buses, and trams for an easier ticketing process.
- Use the Milan Metro and Google Maps to get around the city quickly and easily.
- Use trams, buses, or BikeMi when you want an easy way to explore Milan.
- Stay near Milano Centrale to explore Milan and take day trips around northern Italy.
- Stay careful around busy stations and stops, and always check that your ticket or payment has gone through.
Imagine I’m there with you. You’ve just landed at Malpensa after a long flight, and you’re slightly dazed. Someone outside arrivals is already hovering near you with that look, the one that makes you think a taxi is your only option. Don’t do it. Come with me instead. I’ll show you how to confidently get around Milan, and I promise it’s easier than it looks.
Start Here: Getting from Malpensa into the City
YYour first move is the Malpensa Express, a train that runs directly from the airport into the heart of Milan. It costs €15 one way and takes about 40 to 50 minutes. There are two distinct routes: one goes directly to Milano Cadorna, and the other goes to Milano Centrale with a stop at Milano Porta Garibaldi along the way.
Centrale is one of those stations that makes you stop and look up. It’s enormous, dramatic, slightly overwhelming. Once you know it, it becomes your anchor point for everything. If you’re staying near Centrale, which, if you’re in one of our apartments, you are, you’ll step off that train and already be home. Make sure you board the right one.
Forget Paper Tickets — Here's How It Works Now
Milan’s public transport ticketing has become much more contactless and digital. You can tap your bank card or phone, or use a rechargeable RicaricaMi ticket. It’s either a relief or a small tragedy, depending on how you feel about losing things.
Here’s what you use instead:
Option 1: Tap your credit or debit card directly. On the metro, tap your card, phone, or watch on the reader to get through the turnstile. Then tap the same card or device again when you exit. On buses and trams, just tap once when you board. No ticket to buy, no machine to figure out. It’s genuinely one of the smoothest systems I’ve seen in any European city.
Option 2: Get a RicaricaMi card. This is ATM’s rechargeable travel card, available at metro ticket machines, newsstands and authorised retailers. You load it with credit and tap it the same way. Useful if you’re staying longer or prefer not to use your bank card constantly.
Current prices (updated 2026):
- Single ride: €2.20, valid for 90 minutes with unlimited transfers across metro, bus, tram, and the Passante Ferroviario suburban rail
- Day pass: €7.60
- Weekly pass: €18.50
- Monthly pass: €39
- Carnet of 10 rides: €19.50, worth it if you’re here for a week or more.
One important distinction: if you tap your credit card at the metro gate, that covers ATM transport only (metro, tram, and bus). For the Passante Ferroviario (Trenord’s S-lines through the city), you’ll need a RicaricaMi card or an integrated ticket bought at a machine. A standard ATM ticket loaded on RicaricaMi, however, is valid on both.
The Metro: Five Lines, One Map, No Stress
When you see the red and white M on a lamppost outside, that’s your metro entrance. Milan has five metro lines, each with a colour:
- M1 (red): runs east to west, connecting to the Duomo, Cadorna, and out toward the fair grounds at Rho Fiera.
- M2 (green): passes through Centrale, Cadorna, Loreto, and Porta Garibaldi.
- M3 (yellow): also through Centrale and the Duomo, running north to south.
- M4 (blue): the newest line, connecting Linate Airport through San Babila and across the city to San Cristoforo. Linate to San Babila takes around 12 minutes.
- M5 (lilac): runs across the north-west of the city and is particularly useful for San Siro and the Portello/Milano City area.
From Centrale you can pick up the M2 and M3 directly. Between those two lines, you can reach almost anywhere in the centre without thinking too hard about it.
Metro trains generally run from around 6 am until around midnight. After that, night buses cover the main metro routes, so you’re never really stranded, just slightly inconvenienced.
If you’re still deciding where to stay, our guide to Accommodation Near Milano Centrale explains why this area makes such a practical base for exploring Milan.
Your Secret Weapon: Google Maps
I know this sounds almost insultingly obvious. But I’m saying it clearly and without apology: open Google Maps before you go anywhere. It’s generally very reliable for Milan’s public transport. It’ll tell you which metro line, which bus, how long to walk, and when the next tram is coming. It will save you from standing on a street corner squinting at a map like someone who definitely didn’t plan this trip properly.
Tap “Transit” when you search for directions and let it build you a route. Walking directions in Milan are also excellent. The city centre is more walkable than it seems. Sometimes, the nicest way to get somewhere is simply on foot. You might stumble onto a courtyard or a tiny bar you’d never have found otherwise.
Trams: Slow, Charming, and Completely Worth It
Milan’s trams are one of those things that make the city feel like itself. Some of them have been running since the 1920s, orange, slightly rattling, making noises that suggest they have opinions. They are not fast. Do not take a tram if you have somewhere to be in 20 minutes.
But take one on a slow afternoon, with no particular agenda, and you’ll see the city from a completely different angle. The most useful lines for the centre include 2, 4, 14, and 16, depending on where you’re headed. Trams run past midnight, which makes them a lovely option for evenings out in the Navigli or Brera.
Same rule as always: tap your card when you board.
Buses: More Lines Than You'll Ever Need (But One You Should Know)
Milan has over 80 bus routes. You won’t need to know most of them. Google Maps will sort you out. But if you’re wandering the centre without a fixed plan, bus 94 is worth knowing. It loops around the main tourist areas and is a good way to get your bearings.
Night buses run along the metro routes after 1am, which means late nights out are perfectly manageable. The city has thought of you.
That said, if you’re out late on your own, especially as a woman, I’d lean toward a cab or rideshare for the journey home. It’s better than waiting at a deserted bus stop at 2 am. Trust your instincts. Milan is quite a safe city, but not at every hour in every situation. It’s a metropolis after all.
Planning to stay in Milan for longer? Our mid-term apartments give you a comfortable home base just a short walk from Milano Centrale and Repubblica metro station.
BikeMi: For When the Sun Comes Out
On a beautiful day, Milan’s bike-sharing service BikeMi is genuinely lovely. There are over 325 docking stations across the city. Register online or at any ATM Point.
Current pricing:
- Daily subscription: €4.50
- Weekly subscription: €9
- Annual subscription: €36 (or €24 with an ATM card, €12 if you’re under 27, because occasionally the system rewards youth).
Usage fees apply on top: the first 30 minutes on a standard bike are free, then a small charge per half hour. Electric bikes are available too, at slightly higher rates. Just remember to check in every two hours. The penalty fees for forgetting are the kind of thing that puts a small but specific dent in your afternoon.
Still deciding which part of Milan is right for you? Our guide on where to stay in Milan breaks down the city’s main neighborhoods and what each one is best for.
Day Trips: Milan as Your Base
One of the things I love most about being in Milan is how much you can reach from it by train. From Stazione Centrale or Porta Garibaldi, you can reach some of the most beautiful places in northern Italy by train. Trenord operates many regional services, while other destinations are served by different rail operators.
- Lake Como: About an hour away, and everything you imagine it to be. Go on a weekday if you can, or very early on a weekend morning before it fills up with everyone else who also read that it was beautiful.
- Lake Maggiore: Similar distance, quieter feel. A bit more local, a bit less photographed.
- Bergamo: Less than an hour away, and one of the most beautiful hilltop old towns in Italy. Most people fly in and out of Bergamo airport without ever going up to the città alta. Don’t be most people!
- Pavia, Cremona, Turin, Venice: All within reach for a longer day out. For Trenord services, buy your ticket at the station machine or through the Trenord app. Your bank card tap at the metro gate won’t cover these journeys.
Planning a day trip from Milan? We’ve put together a guide to the best day trips from Milano Centrale by train, including Turin, Lake Como, Verona, Venice, and more.
Watch Your Pockets (Yes, Really. You are Welcome!)
Milan’s public transport is safe, and I don’t want to make you paranoid. But like any busy city network, it attracts pickpockets, especially in crowded metro carriages and at busy stops like Centrale and Duomo. They are quick, they are practiced, and they will absolutely ruin your afternoon.
Keep your phone in a front pocket or a bag you can see. Don’t flash valuables when you board. Be particularly alert when a group of people crowds around you unexpectedly near the doors. A crossbody bag worn in front is your best friend here.
Looking for a longer stay in a well-connected part of Milan? Apartment Sara is within walking distance of Milano Centrale and Repubblica Metro. It makes getting around by metro, train, tram, or bus easy.
The Only Rule You Really Need to Remember
Always make sure you’ve tapped correctly. Whether you’re using a bank card, your phone, or a RicaricaMi ticket, make sure the system has registered your journey before you move. Ticket inspectors in Milan may be in plain clothes or uniform, and they check constantly. They are not forgiving, and “I didn’t know” is not a recognised defence.
Other than that: trust Google Maps, take a tram at least once, and do not get in that taxi from the airport.
Milan is easier than it looks. Once you know how to move through it, it starts to feel like yours.
Staying near Centrale? Our Town Homes Milano apartments put you within easy reach of the city, the metro, and the trains that take you beyond Milan.
