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Mobility

Moving about in a sustainable way used to be a pretty hard task in Milan until a few years ago, but this is no longer the case. Just like many other European cities, in recent years Milan has seen the rise of a cycling movement. Its bike sharing scheme (recommended) is reasonably large, and its public transport system (now h24) is deemed to be the very best in Italy. Moreover, it is the European car sharing capital (in terms of shared cars density), and the first city in the world to rock a free-float scooter sharing scheme. We are Italians after all: we like our scooters.

Cycling

Milan is as flat as it gets, and it is too big to be walked around (if you want to see more than just the very centre) but just compact enough to be biked through. The roads are wide, so it’s easy to find your place in traffic, and road users usually know how to deal with the presence of cyclists. Still, Milanese traffic can be quite aggressive, and very few streets are equipped with proper bike lanes, so prudence is always necessary. In case you are scared, avoiding the main vehicular traffic arteries will grant you a safe and relaxing cruise and can get you anywhere in town.

BikeMi is Milan’s bike sharing system. It’s the easiest and best way to visit the city throughout all seasons (unless it’s pouring). It’s cheap, it works reasonably well, and it even gives you the option to use an electric bike. BikeMi allows you to withdraw a bicycle at a bike stall and give it back at any other stall of the network. BikeMi has stalls everywhere in the area within the second ring road of Milan, and in some cases even beyond that (a map is on the website): most locations will be at reach. You need to subscribe (it’s best to do it on the website) and pay 4.50€ for a daily subscription or 9€ for a weekly subscription. You need a credit card: debit is not supposed to work, although you can give it a try as it is sometimes accepted anyway. Yearly subscriptions are also available. After the subscription you will receive some codes that you can use at the stall in order to unlock a bike. Each time you withdraw a bike you can choose between a regular bike and an electric one. Regular bikes are free for the first 30 minutes, while electric bikes come with a 25 cent fee for the first half an hour. An official App is also available for iOS.

If you don’t want to be tied to the time limits of bike sharing, there are options to rent them too. A good one (and reasonably priced) is Rossignoli, Corso Garibaldi 65/71 (metro Lanza or Moscova).

Public transport

Milan has a good public transport system that can take you virtually anywhere around town, with its four metro lines, 17 tram lines and numerous buses. A night bus network covers most of the city every night. All relevant information about public transport can be found at Atm's website, but we summarise here the basic info that you’ll need the most. The best tool to plan your trip on public transport is Google Maps (using the public transport option).

The metro runs approximately until 0:30, and night buses are available after that.

Buying a ticket

You can choose to use a single 90-minutes ticket (1,50€), a 24h ticket (4,50€) or a 48h ticket (8,25€). You can buy them at most newspaper stands in town, or at automatic machines in every metro station. Single and 24h digital tickets can also be bought with the smartphone app ATM Milano (iOS, Android or Windows Phone), so you have the option to pay with PayPal. The ticket will come with a QR code that can be used to open metro turnstiles. If you need to take a bus or tram, you’ll have to validate the ticket with the app so you’ll need an internet connection. If you have an Italian SIM card, you can also buy a single 90-minutes ticket by sending an SMS with the text ATM to number 48444. You’ll have the price accounted to your phone’s credit and the ticket will be valid starting from that moment. If you need to use this ticket on the metro you can print it at the automatic machines. If you plan on spending some time in Milan, you can also buy a “RIcaricaMI” smart card that can be topped up at automatic machines in the metro or at any parking meter in town.

Car sharing

Milan has many options for car sharing: Enjoy (offering scooter sharing as well), Car2Go, Twist and Share'nGo allow you to take a car anywhere and leave it anywhere else in town. Sharengo’s cars are electric. E-vai also lets you rent electric cars, but you’ll have to take them and give them back at designated stalls. Some foreign driving licenses are accepted, but you may need an international driving licence. Check conditions for each operator.

Carpooling

Getting to Milan and away is easy and cheap with increasingly popular carpooling services. The most popular is Blablacar.

Train

Milan is very well connected to the Italian and international rail network. You can search all national trains and most local trains on Trenitalia's website.

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1 tip from 1 local

Margherita, 18

I love cycling. Critical mass on thursday night is the event I never miss.
The meeting place is Piazza Mercanti at 10 pm every thursday.

Luca, 24

Nothing relaxes me more than the thermal baths in Porta Romana.

Luca, 25

If you really want to try the best croissant in Milan, have one at Panini Durini in Corso Magenta 33. That’s where I go for a cappuccino every Sunday morning.

Daniela, 52

Piazza Giulio Cesare is an old square next to the park surrounding the tallest skyscraper in Italy. The square is home to the “Four Seasons” fountain. That’s were I go in the early morning with my dog. He runs and I read. After that, I stop for breakfast at Pasticceria Santa Maria in Via San Siro 6, before going back home.

Pietro, 24

As a big AC Milan fan, one of the things that I enjoy most is to take a long walk to the San Siro stadium before the match.

Luca, 25 (different Luca)

The weekly food market in Via Garigliano is where I go with my girlfriend to find fresh ingredients for our weekend meals.
Via Garigliano's street market is open on Tuesday (7:30-14) and Saturday (7:30-18).

Giacomo, 24

I enjoy spending some time in picturesque neighbourhood centres such as Arci Bellezza in Via Bellezza, playing card games with pensioners.

Andrea, 25

The “Colonne di San Lorenzo” and “Arco della Pace” are my favorite spots where to share a cold beer with a friend (if you can’t bring it from home you can usually find small shops that will sell you a 66cl beer for a few euros).

Alessandro, 26

After going shopping with my girlfriend in Piazza Portello mall (Via Grosotto), I like to relax in the brand new Portello park next to it. Casa Milan (AC Milan's headquarters) is just a few steps away.

Caro, 25

Get a gelato, walk around in Brera and people-watch in one of Milan's most fashionable areas.

Jesse, 30

Grabbing a bike and some drinks and riding with friends to one of the parks in the city for a picnic in the sun.

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