Milan's street-plan resembles a spider's web, with roads
radiating out from the central Piazza Duomo. The bulk of the city
is encircled by three concentric ring roads, although the suburbs
and industrial estates are now spilling out towards a fourth ring,
the Tangenzianale, which links the main autostradas . The
city centre is, however, fairly compact, and most of what you'll
want to see is within the first or second rings, each of them
marking ancient city boundaries.
In spite of this, the streets can be smoggy and packed, and at
some point you'll want to make use of the public transport
system - an efficient network of trams, buses and metro. The
metro is easiest to master (and the fastest and most
useful). It's made up of four lines, the red MM1, green MM2, yellow
MM3, and blue passante ferroviario , meeting at the four
main hubs of Stazione Centrale, Duomo, Cadorna and Loreto
. The system is not comprehensive, but it's adequate for
sightseeing. However, you may need to use a tram or
bus to get to your hotel: the system is well organized and
integrated with the metro. Buses, trams and the metro run from
around 6am to midnight, after which nightbuses take over,
following the metro routes until 1am.
For all public transport enquiries the information office
at the Duomo or Stazione Centrale metro stations are helpful, and
have free route maps. Tickets , valid for 75 minutes, cost
L1500/€0.78 and can be used for one metro trip and as many bus and
tram rides as you want. They are on sale at tobacconists, bars and
at the metro station newsagents; most outlets close at 8pm so it's
best to buy a few tickets in advance, or a carnet of ten for
L14,000/€7.23. Some stations have automatic ticket machines,
although only the newer ones give change. You can also buy a
one-day (L5000/€2.58) or two-day ticket (L9000/€4.65) from the
Stazione Centrale or Duomo metro stations.
Taxis don't cruise the streets, so don't bother trying
to flag one down. Either head for a taxi rank - on Piazza Duomo,
Largo Cairoli, Piazza San Babile, Stazione Centrale, etc - or phone
one of the following numbers: tel 02.6767, 02.5353 or 02.8585.
Apart from taxis, driving in the city is best avoided: the
streets are congested and parking close on impossible. Parking in
prohibited zones is not worth it; you'll be fined if caught and
have your car impounded by the police
.