The theme of buses in Milan is extremely wide and is not limited to public transport. In addition to it, in Milan there are separate commercial routes to airports, other cities, popular outlets. Finally, sightseeing buses are very popular in the capital of Lombardy, which can even serve as an alternative to public transport. You will learn about all these nuances from this article.
Public transport buses in Milan
There are more than 80 bus routes in Milan. All buses in Milan are painted yellow-orange. Route maps can be taken for free at ATM ticket sales points at major metro stations: Duomo M1-M3, Centrale M2-M3, Cadorna M1-M2, Garibaldi M2.
The bus schedule can be found at bus stops: for the summer (estivo) and winter (invernale) periods, as well as for weekdays (feriale) and weekends (festivo), it will be different.
The city has more than 80 bus routes
It is customary to enter the bus through the front and rear doors, and exit - strictly through the middle door. Buses stop only upon request, for this, there are special red buttons in the bus compartment.
Buses start at around 6 a.m. and finish their work day at about midnight (some routes may run until 01:30 or 02:30). December 25 and May 1, the movement is carried out according to the reduced schedule: from 07:00 to 19:30.
You can buy tickets for Milan’s public transport at the box office and vending machines at the entrance to the metro or at tobacco shops.
The following fares apply for public transport in Milan:
- 1 trip (up to 90 minutes) - 1.5 euros
- 10 trips (90 minutes each) - 13.80 euros (cannot be used by several passengers at the same time)
- 1 evening (from 20:00 to 00:00) - 3 euros (the number of trips is not limited)
- 1 day - 4.50 euros
- 2 days - 8.25 euros
Children under 5 years old travel free of charge, two or more children from 6 to 10 years old accompanied by an adult and with a document confirming their age, are also entitled to free travel.
Ticket price for 1 trip (up to 90 minutes) - 1.5 euros
When you issue a special personal document at the transport bureau (Uffici abbonamenti ATM), you will receive the right to purchase Travel Card. The prices are much more pleasant:
- 1 week - 11.30 euros
- 1 month - 35 euros
- 1 year - 330 euros
By purchasing a ticket for one trip, you get the opportunity to travel on any form of public transport with unlimited transfers within 90 minutes from the time of composting.
An exception to the rule is the metro and trains, which can be used on such a ticket only once.
Composting a ticket is a compulsory procedure for Milanese passengers and city guests: the ticket-free fare is 100 euros and will be charged in spite of any attempts to pity the controllers.
Named tickets can be purchased at Uffici abbonamenti ATM
In this case, you will also have to pay the cost of the ticket. The ticket must be composted at each transfer. Composters are located at the front and rear doors of the bus.
At night, from 00:30 to 06:00, night buses run between stops at the main Milan metro stations (lines M1, M2, M3).
On the night of Friday to Saturday, from Saturday to Sunday and on the eve of holidays, the number of night routes increases significantly. You can distinguish a night bus by the letter N in front of the number.
Tickets for night buses are purchased in vending machines, you can also use a regular ticket purchased during the day, but you need to validate it after 00:30 - then the ticket is valid all night until 06:00 in the morning.
Buses from the airports of Malpensa and Bergamo
The 2 main airports through which most travelers arrive in Milan are quite far from the city - the distance to them is about 50 km.
Nevertheless, the communication between the airports and the city is very well developed, and the cheapest of the main transport options are the buses of the famous European low-cost airline Terravision.
Terravision main stop is located at Milano Centrale Station
The main Terravision bus stop in Milan is at Milano Centrale Station. One way ticket on the Milan-Malpensa route costs 8 Euros, Milan-Bergamo - 5 Euros. Buses on both routes run from early morning to late evening 7 days a week.
In 2016, before the next trip to Rome, BlogoItaliano recorded a separate video on how to buy tickets for Terravision buses. This video is also relevant for the date this article was written.
You can clarify the details of the connection between airports and the city on the Terravision website or in our articles on transport from airports:
- How to get from Malpensa Airport to the city center
- Bergamo airport and how to get to Milan
Sightseeing buses in Milan
If your hotel is located in the city center, and in Milan you are passing by, then, instead of public transport, you can resort to double-decker tourist buses.
In Milan, there are 3 routes of tourist buses that start at Sforza Castle and cover all the main attractions of the city, plying year-round (except December 25 and January 1).
In addition, they have an audio guide in Russian, which will tell you about the most interesting places along the route.
Sightseeing buses cover all major attractions
The duration of each "circle" is from 75 to 90 minutes, buses depart at intervals of half an hour / hour / one and a half hours, depending on the route.
You can get on such a sightseeing tour from about 10 am to 5 pm for 25 euros (ticket valid for 48 hours). The hop on hop off system allows you to board the bus and leave it at any of the stops on the route, using an unlimited number of times during the validity period of the ticket.
You can find out more about Milan tourist buses and purchase tickets online on this page.
| Check schedule and availability of tickets ››› |
Buses from Milan to other cities in Italy
The main means of intercity travel in Italy are trains, but buses can also be used. As a rule, in this case the trip takes longer, but cheaper.
There are many bus operators in Italy, but one of the most convenient, cheap and covering the maximum number of destinations is Flixbus.
You can find out the schedule of buses to the necessary cities in Italy, as well as purchase tickets for them via the Internet - on this page.
Tickets can be purchased at vending machines at the metro entrance
The main stations from which intercity buses depart in Milan are Lampugnano (here also the Lampugnano M1 metro station), San Donato M3 metro stations, Sesto S.G. 1 ° Maggio M1 and bus stop at Malpensa Airport.
Buses to Outlets
In the vicinity of Milan, there are 5 large outlets and the most convenient way for tourists to get to them is to use specialized shuttle buses. The only exception is the Franciacorta Outlet Village. Shuttles from Milan do not go here.
Buses from Zanni Viaggi Agency depart from 76 Foro Bonaparte Street, as well as from the MM1 Cairoli or MM2 Lanza metro stations and take you to the Serravalle Designer Outlet, FoxTown Factory Stores and Vicolungo The Style Outlets (Vicolungo).
Travel time is from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the distance, the cost of the trip is from 20 to 25 euros (round trip), a children's ticket costs 10 euros. Tickets are always sold immediately in both directions.
One-way ticket on the Milan-Malpensa route costs 8 Euros
You can get to the Fidenza Village Outlet (Fidenza Village) by Fidenza Village Express bus. It leaves from Piazza Castello, 1. The fare also costs 20 euros for both directions (and 10 euros for children).
BlogoItaliano revealed in more detail the topic of shopping and related transport in a separate article of the 5 best outlets in the vicinity of Milan: where to go better and how to get there.
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Photos by: blogoitaliano.com, Chamonix.net, Ian Fisher, GetYourGuide, Maria Bristoll, Corriere della Sera, High Contrast, Travel Through Italy.
