Milan has an excellent system of public transport. Here, buses, trams and metro (underground) trains are run by a company which is confusingly named “ATM”. Ordinary tickets cost E 1 and can be obtained in Metro stations (newsagents, automatic machines, ticket offices in some stations), and from bars displaying the green and orange ATM sticker on the window. A block of 10 tickets costs EUR 9.20. Alternatively the one-day ticket, at E 3, and two-day at E 5.50, are good value. If you are living in Milan, the weekly, monthly or yearly season tickets are worth considering.
The largest ATM ticket sales and info office is the ATM Point information office in Duomo Metro station (MM1/3 Duomo), open Mon-Sat 7.45-19.00.
The ordinary ticket should be franked using the red/orange machine as soon as you get on a bus or tram, or going through the Metro turnstiles, or before getting on an FNME train. The same ticket can be used for 75 minutes from the time franked on the ticket, with any combination of buses and trams (the ticket should be franked just on the first bus/tram journey, not on the next ones), but with just the one Metro journey, or one journey on a “Passante Ferroviario” train, or on a “FNME” train (within city limits).
The one or two-day ticket lasts 24/48 hours from the first franking: from then on, don’t frank it any more, just keep it and show when asked. In the Metro, enter through the gap marked “abbonati”. The Metro system consists of 4 lines, number 1 (red), 2 (green), 3 (yellow), and the “Passante Ferroviario” (blue), as shown on the following pages. The FNME is the privately-run train service running from Stazione Nord in Piazza Cadorna. For info on FNME trains, there is an info office on the left going in, upstairs, open 7.00 to 20.00 every day, tel. 02.20222 at same times.
Metro trains run from around 6.15 until 00.14, though during the night there is a replacement bus service for lines 1 and 3. There are large interchange car parks at the stations Lampugnano, Bisceglie (MM1), Cascina Gobba, Famagosta (MM2), open 7.00-01.00 (overnight parking possible).
To get to the concert/sports venue FilaForum, Assago, buy two “biglietti cumulativi di E 1.70” (one outward, one return), take the green line to Famagosta, then bus 320. Buses run until the end of the performance: remember that the Metro itself stops at about 00.20.
To get to the artificial lake “Idroscalo”, take bus 927 (linea “ID”) from MM1 San Babila (Corso Europa). This runs from 8.00 to 20.00. For public transport info, the toll-free info number is 800.01.68.57.
By Car
Serious pollution is responsible for a rigorously enforced effort to control excessive traffic in and out of Milan. Cars lacking a special resident's permit will be stopped and ticketed. Parking in the city center is possible 7 AM-8 PM for a fee. If age or infirmity entitle you to special dispensation, ask your rental agency or hotel concierge about car permits for special cases. For car service with a driver, call Autonoleggio Pini (tel: 02/2940-0555, FAX: 02/204-7843).
Car Rentals
Renting a car in Italy is not essential if you plan to stick to city travel. Signage on country roads is usually pretty good, but be prepared for fast and impatient fellow drivers. Major car-rental companies have boxy Ford-type cars (such as Astras) and FIATs of varying sizes in good condition.
Rates begin around $48 a day and $175 a week for an economy car with unlimited mileage. This does not include tax on car rentals, which is 20%.
Avis (Piazza Diaz, tel: 02/8901-0645; Aeroporto Milano Linate, tel: 02/717214; Aeroporto Malpensa, tel: 02/5858-4811).
Hertz Aeroporto Milano Linate, tel: 02/7020-0256; Aeroporto Malpensa, tel: 02/5858-1081).
Europcar (Via Galbani 12, tel: 02/6671-0491; Aeroporto Milano Linate, tel: 02/7611-0277; Aeroporto Malpensa, tel: 02/5858-1142).
Requirements
In Italy your own driver's license is acceptable. An International Driver's Permit is a good idea; it's available from the American or Canadian automobile association, and, in the United Kingdom, from the Automobile Association or Royal Automobile Club. These international permits are universally recognized, and having one in your wallet may save you a problem with the local authorities. You must be 21 years of age to rent an economy or sub-compact car in Italy, and most companies require customers under the age of 23 to pay by credit card. To rent bigger cars (2,000 cc or more), you must often show two credit cards as a warranty. Call local agents for details. No restrictions apply to senior drivers.
Road Conditions
Autostrade are well maintained, as are most interregional highways. The condition of provincial (county) roads varies, but road maintenance at this level is generally good in Italy. Street and road signs are often challenging - a good map and patience are essential. Italians drive fast and are impatient with those who don't. Tailgaiting is the norm here - the only way to avoid it is to get out of the way.
Rules of the Road
Driving is on the right. Regulations are largely as in Britain and the United States, except that the police have the power to levy on-the-spot fines. In most Italian towns the use of the horn is forbidden in certain, if not all, areas; a large sign, "Zona di Silenzio," indicates where. Speed limits are 130 kph (80 mph) on autostrade and 110 kph (70 mph) on state and provincial roads, unless otherwise marked. Fines for driving after drinking are heavy, including the suspension of license and the additional possibility of six months' imprisonment.
By Taxi
Taxi fares in Milan seem expensive compared with those in American cities, but drivers are honest (to an extreme, compared with those in some cities). A short downtown hop averages EUR8.30. Taxis wait at stands or can be called (tel: 02/5251, 02/5353, 02/6767, 02/8585, or 02/8388).
