In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A single ATM ticket is €2.20 for 90 minutes, a day ticket €7.60 and a 3-day ticket €15.50, for zones Mi1 to Mi3. Tap a contactless card in and out of the metro: the system picks the cheapest fare and charges the €7.60 day fare from the fourth journey in 24 hours. Contactless works on ATM only, not on Trenord trains or the S lines, and the Malpensa Express has its own Pay&Go totems. Under-14s travel free. The fine for no valid ticket is 100 times the single fare, much less if you pay the inspector on the spot. Strike days: 30 October, 13 November, 20 and 21 November and 4 December 2026. Or buy ahead: the YesMilano City Passad includes a transport ticket and is from €39.90 on GetYourGuide; Milan city pass: is it worth it? does the sums.
Tickets and fares, compared
ATM runs Milan’s five metro lines (M1 to M5), trams, buses and trolleybuses. Prices are adult prices for zones Mi1 to Mi3, which cover the city and the ring next to it, including the M4 to Linate.
| Ticket | Price | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Single | €2.20 | 90 minutes from first validation; any number of surface rides, plus the metro (enter, exit and re-enter through the gates) |
| Daily | €7.60 | 24 hours from first validation |
| 3-day | €15.50 | 3 consecutive days from first validation, until the end of service on the third day (03:45 the next morning) |
| 10-trip carnet | €19.50 | Ten tickets of 90 minutes each; one person at a time |
| Contactless card, phone or watch | €2.20 a journey, the day fare from the fourth journey in 24 hours | The same network, ATM services only |
- Where the ticket works: metro, tram, bus and trolleybus lines, and Trenord rail lines including the S lines, inside the zones on the ticket.
- Where to buy: machines in every metro station, authorised resellers, the ATM app (card, PayPal or Satispay), or SMS to 48444. Validate an app ticket in the app before boarding and keep the app open on the QR code at the metro gates.
- Children: under-14s travel free on ATM and Trenord within the integrated tariff area; show an ID.
- Bikes and e-scooters go free on the metro and some tram lines. Night buses replace the metro after the last train and need a Mi1–Mi3 ticket; the NM4 replaces the M4.
Paying with a bank card
A Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro or V Pay card, or a phone or watch wallet, opens the metro gates and validates on trams, buses and trolleybuses, with no fee (ATM).
- Use one card for the whole trip. One card carries one person.
- Tap out of the metro, even if the gates are open. Forgetting adds a charge (+€1.30 within Milan), and no tap-in at all costs €5 in total.
- On trams and buses in Milan you tap in only, except on routes 121, 130, 140, 165, 166 and 327, where you tap out too.
- At an interchange between M4 and the other lines, at San Babila, Sant’Ambrogio and Sforza-Policlinico, tap out and in again.
- Not accepted: Postepay prepaid cards, and any card on Trenord trains and the S lines. The one exception is the Malpensa Express’s own Pay&Go: see Malpensa, Linate and Bergamo to Milan Centre.
- The statement: charges can show up a few days later as “Cless Ticket ATM Milano”.
The rules that cost money
- Validate at the start of the journey and each time you change vehicle. On the metro you validate at both the entry and the exit gates.
- The fine is 100 times the minimum single fare under regional law 6/2012, reduced to a third, with a further 30% off, if paid to the inspector on the spot or within 5 days, plus the price of a ticket (ATM). It applies to no ticket, an unvalidated ticket, an expired ticket and a ticket validated more than once.
- Unused tickets are refunded at 90%, or 100% as credit.
- Pickpockets: the FCDO names main train and metro stations, city centres and tourist attractions, and Smartraveller names central train stations and public transport.
Metro, trams and stations
M1 is red, M2 green, M3 yellow, M4 blue and M5 lilac. The M4 runs from San Cristoforo to Linate Airport, 21 stops and 15 km, and takes about 12 minutes from the centre to the airport; it runs daily from early morning to about half past midnight, with a train every 1 to 3 minutes on weekdays in the day.
A Class 1500 Ventotto tram on Route 1 in Via Lazzaretto, Milan. Photo: Philip Mallis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Station | Lines and trains |
|---|---|
| Milano Centrale | Metro M2 and M3; Trenitalia, Italo, Trenord and the Malpensa Express |
| Milano Cadorna | Metro M1 and M2; Trenord and the Malpensa Express |
| Milano Porta Garibaldi | Metro M2 and M5; Trenitalia, Trenord and the Malpensa Express; the Frecciarossa to Turin |
| Where | How to get there |
|---|---|
| San Siro stadium | M5 to San Siro Stadio, or M1 or M5 to Lotto; ATM runs diversions on match days |
| Rho Fiera | M1 to Rho Fieramilano, or the S5, S6 or S11 to Rho Fiera; both on the €2.20 ticket |
| Linate airport | M4, about 12 minutes from the centre: airports to the city |
Trains out of Milan
Trenord runs the regional and S-line trains for the day trips: Lake Como, Bergamo, Lake Maggiore and the Bernina line. Trenitalia and Italo run the high-speed trains from Milano Centrale. The fares are Trenitalia’s lowest “from” fares for a morning departure; they rise as the train fills.
The platforms of Milano Centrale under the train shed. Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
| To | Fastest train | Time | Fare from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rome Termini | Frecciarossa | About 3 hours 10 minutes | €74.90 |
| Florence Santa Maria Novella | Frecciarossa | 1 hour 54 minutes | €49.90 |
| Venice Santa Lucia | Frecciarossa | 2 hours 29 minutes | €37.90 |
| Bologna Centrale | Frecciarossa | 1 hour 4 minutes | €47.90 |
| Naples Centrale | Frecciarossa | 4 hours 45 minutes | €79.90 |
| Turin Porta Nuova | Frecciarossa from Porta Garibaldi | 1 hour 8 minutes | €27.90 |
| Verona Porta Nuova | Frecciarossa | 1 hour 13 minutes | €25.90 |
| Genoa Piazza Principe | Intercity | 1 hour 39 minutes | €18.90 |
Italo runs Milan to Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice and Turin as well. Venice’s day trips and Florence’s day trips cover the cities from the other end.
Bikes, cars and Area C
- BikeMi is the city bike scheme, run with ATM: every day of the year from 06:00 to 02:00, by app. A visitor subscription is €4.50 for 24 hours or €9.00 for 7 days and covers traditional bikes for 30 minutes a ride. A ride may not exceed 2 hours; overruns cost €2 an hour on a traditional bike and €4 on an e-bike. E-bikes and rides over 30 minutes carry user fees (BikeMi).
- Area C is the central congestion-charge zone: Monday to Friday 07:30 to 19:30, excluding holidays, all year. Gates read plates, and a hire-car driver buys a one-day ticket and activates it by PIN against the plate. A garage ticket is €4.50 with more than an hour in an affiliated garage (Comune di Milano). A visitor without a car needs nothing.
Strike days
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s strike list shows these days, and it changes as new strikes are proclaimed.
| Date | What the list shows |
|---|---|
| Friday 30 October 2026 | National general strike: rail from 21:00 on 29 October to 20:59 on 30 October, air and taxis all day, local transport set locally |
| Friday 13 November | ATM Milan, 24 hours, various modes |
| 20 to 21 November | Rail from 21:00 on 20 November to 20:00 on 21 November; CGIL general strike on 20 November |
| 3 to 4 December | General strike: rail from 21:00 on 3 December to 21:00 on 4 December; local transport by territory |
Air strikes are on the airports page. The FCDO says transport strikes are often called at short notice.
Which to use
- A short stay or a few journeys: a contactless bank card, with no ticket to buy.
- No contactless card: a €2.20 single in the ATM app or from a machine.
- Three days of constant use: the €15.50 3-day ticket.
- Trains to the lakes, Bergamo or Malpensa: a Trenord ticket, or the Malpensa Express.
- Sightseeing with commentary: the hop-on hop-off bus, from €22.50 on GetYourGuide.
- Sights and a transport ticket together: the city passes, with the sums.
- A walking day: Milan walking tours need no ticket at all. The Milan historic centre walk runs from Duomo to Cadorna, and the Navigli and Ticinese walk from Missori to Porta Genova.
Where to stay in Milan compares the areas by how you reach them, and what to book before you go to Milan lists the closed days for the sights above. 3 days in Milan plans the days round them.
Common questions
How do I pay for the metro in Milan?
Tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch on the gate when you enter, and tap out when you leave. The system charges the cheapest fare, and from the fourth journey in 24 hours it charges the €7.60 day ticket. Use the same card for the whole trip. Postepay prepaid cards are not accepted.
How much is a metro ticket in Milan?
A single ticket is €2.20 for 90 minutes, a day ticket €7.60 for 24 hours, a 3-day ticket €15.50 and a 10-trip carnet €19.50, for zones Mi1 to Mi3. They are valid on the metro, trams, buses, trolleybuses and Trenord's S lines inside those zones.
Does contactless work on trains in Milan?
Not on Trenord trains or the S lines: ATM's contactless payment is for ATM services only. The Malpensa Express has its own Pay&Go system at marked totems. Buy a ticket for Trenord trains.
What is the fine for travelling without a validated ticket in Milan?
ATM's rule is 100 times the minimum single fare under regional law, reduced to a third, with a further 30% off, if paid to the inspector on the spot or within 5 days, plus the price of a ticket. It applies to no ticket, an unvalidated, expired or reused ticket.
Do children travel free on Milan's public transport?
Under-14s travel free on ATM and Trenord within the integrated tariff area. Show the staff an ID.
Which Milan station do the fast trains leave from?
Most leave from Milano Centrale. The Frecciarossa to Turin leaves from Milano Porta Garibaldi, not Centrale. Cadorna is the Trenord station for Lake Como and Malpensa.
