The Italian city of Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world. [3] [4] One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad. [2] The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%). [2] Most of the visitors who come from the United States to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment. [2]
The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the Milan Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, the Teatro alla Scala, the San Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Via Montenapoleone, the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli and the Brera district. The Milan Cathedral is the city's most popular tourist destination. [2] Milan has a plethora of museums, ranging from science and industry to antiquities and art.
The city also has numerous hotels, including the ultra-luxurious Town House Galleria, which is the world's first seven-star hotel according to Société Générale de Surveillance (five-star superior luxury according to state law, however) and one of The Leading Hotels of the World. [5] The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, whilst foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average. [2] Milan is one of the key transport nodes of Italy and southern Europe. Its central railway station is Italy's second, after Rome Termini railway station, and Europe's eighth busiest. [6] [7] The Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio airports serve the Greater Milan, the largest metropolitan area in Italy.
Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world. [3] [4] One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad. [2] The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%). [2]
Most of the visitors who come from the United States to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment. [2] Results from the same study also say that 60% of tourists who visit Milan are male, while 40% are female. [2] Over 58% of visitors travel by air, [2] and 26% by car. [2]
Visitors to Milan appreciate it for different reasons; for example, 65% of visitors say that public transport is efficient, while 35% say that it is expensive and inadequate. [2] Usually, tourists find that Milan has good entertainment and cultural opportunities (i.e. shopping, cuisine, music, nightlife and the arts) and that leisure activities are organized well and to a professional level. [2]
Overall, the average tourist visiting Milan is satisfied by the city; over 63% say it was as they expected, 80% would want to return and 74% would advise a friend to go. [2] They also find that taxis are efficient and easy to find and that communication (i.e. advertising events and attractions) is good. [2] However, many say that there is not enough green space, that the city is very expensive and that the average level of English, as of 2009, is not very high. [2]
The number of international tourists has been steadily increasing, and as of 2015 there were around 3.21 million international arrivals. [8]
Founded around 590 BC [9] under the name Medhelanon [10] by a Celtic tribe belonging to the Insubres group and belonging to the Golasecca culture, it was conquered by the ancient Romans in 222 BC, who Latinized the name of the city into Mediolanum. The city's role as a major political centre dates back to the late antiquity, when it served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire. [11] During late antiquity, the Edict of Milan was promulgated, which granted freedom of worship to all Roman citizens, therefore also to Christians.
From the 12th century until the 16th century, Milan was one of the largest European cities and a major trade and commercial centre; consequently, it became the capital of the Duchy of Milan, one of the greatest political, artistic and fashion forces in the Renaissance. [12] [13] Having become one of the main centres of the Italian Enlightenment during the early modern period, the city subsequently became the industrial and financial capital of modern Italy. [14] [15] Capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, after the Restoration it was among the most active centres of the Risorgimento, until its entry into the unified Kingdom of Italy.
With the unification of the country, Milan became the dominant commercial center of northern Italy. In 1919 Benito Mussolini rallied the Blackshirts for the first time in Milan, and later they began their March on Rome from Milan. During World War II Milan was extensively damaged by Allied bombings. Upon the surrender of Italy in 1943 German forces occupied northern Italy until the end of the war in 1945. Members of the Italian resistance in Milan took control of the city and executed Mussolini, his mistress, and other leaders of his Fascist government by hanging in Piazzale Loreto, Milan.
Since the end of World War II, Italy experienced an economic boom. From 1951 until 1967 the population of Milan grew from 1.3 million to 1.7 million. The city was reconstructed, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the city suffered from a huge wave of street violence, labor strikes and political terrorism during so called Years of Lead. During the 1980s, Milan became one of the world's fashion capitals. The rise of financial services and the service economy during the late 20th century further strengthened Milan’s position as the Italian economic capital. The city’s renewal in the 21st century was marked, among others, by hosting of the World Expo 2015 or big redevelopment projects such as Porta Nuova district or CityLife district.
The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the Milan Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, the Teatro alla Scala, the San Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, La Scala, the Royal Villa of Milan, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Via Montenapoleone, the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli, the Brera district, the Royal Palace of Milan, the Chiaravalle Abbey, the Porta Sempione, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio, the Bosco Verticale, the Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, CityLife district, the Colonne di San Lorenzo, Corso Buenos Aires, Palazzo Marino, Palazzo Mezzanotte, Palazzo Lombardia, Piazza Mercanti, Piazza Cordusio, Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Piccolo Teatro, Porta Nuova district, the Quadrilatero della moda, the Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Via Dante and Via Monte Napoleone. The Milan Cathedral is the city's most popular tourist destination. [2]
Milan has a plethora of museums, ranging from science and industry to antiquities and art. Below is a list of the main museums and permanent exhibitions in the city.
Like most cities in Italy, Milan has developed its own local culinary tradition, which, as it is typical for North Italian cuisines, uses more frequently rice than pasta, butter than vegetable oil and features almost no tomato or fish. Milanese traditional dishes includes cotoletta alla milanese, a breaded veal (pork and turkey can be used) cutlet pan-fried in butter (similar to Viennese Wiener Schnitzel).
Other typical dishes are cassoeula (stewed pork rib chops and sausage with Savoy cabbage), ossobuco (braised veal shank served with a condiment called gremolata), risotto alla milanese (with saffron and beef marrow), busecca (stewed tripe with beans), mondeghili ( meatballs made with leftover meat fried in butter), and brasato (stewed beef or pork with wine and potatoes).
The comune of San Colombano al Lambro, located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Milan, is home to the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wine which includes 100 hectares (250 acres) producing a single red wine. The finished wine must attain a minimum alcohol level of 11% in order to be labelled with the San Colombano DOC designation. [26]
Season-related pastries include chiacchiere (flat fritters dusted with sugar) and tortelli (fried spherical cookies) for Carnival, colomba (glazed cake shaped as a dove) for Easter, pane dei morti ("bread of the (Day of the) Dead", cookies flavoured with cinnamon) for All Souls' Day and panettone for Christmas. The salame Milano, a salami with a very fine grain, is widespread throughout Italy. Renowned Milanese cheeses are gorgonzola (from the namesake village nearby), mascarpone, used in pastry-making, taleggio and quartirolo.
The city also has numerous hotels, including luxurious such as Principe di Savoia, Grand Hotel et de Milan and the 7 star Town House Galleria. The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, while foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average. [2] Of the 75% of visitors who stay in hotels, 4-star ones are the most popular (47%), while the ones which have 5-stars, or less than 3-stars represent 11% and 15% of the charts respectively. Visitors to the city, by average, find that accommodation is good, high-quality and that service is professional, however that it is also very expensive.
In addition to a unique cuisine, Milan is well known for its world-class restaurants and cafés, characterised by innovative cuisine and design. [42] As of 2014 [update], Milan has 157 Michelin-selected places, including three 2-Michelin-starred restaurants; [43] these include Cracco, Sadler and il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia. [44] Many historical restaurants and bars are found in the historic centre, the Brera and Navigli districts. One of the city's oldest surviving cafés, Caffè Cova, was established in 1817. [45] Caffè Cova has also opened franchises in Hong Kong. [46] In total, Milan has 15 cafés, bars and restaurants registered among the Historical Places of Italy, continuously operating for at least 70 years. [47]
Most of the more refined and upper-class restaurants are found in the historic centre, while the more traditional and popular ones are mainly located in the Brera and Navigli districts. Today, there is also a Nobu Japanese restaurant in Milan, which is located in Armani World in Via Manzoni and is regarded as being one of the trendiest restaurants in the city. [48]
The Biffi Caffè and the Zucca in Galleria are also famous and historical ‘Caffès’ which are situated in Milan. Other restaurants in Milan include the Hotel Four Seasons restaurant, ‘La Briciola’, the Marino alla Scala and the Chandelier. Today, there are some new boutique-cafés, such as the Just Cavalli Café, owned by the luxury fashion goods brand Roberto Cavalli and the Armani Café in via Manzoni, owned by the homonymous fashion entrepreneur Giorgio Armani.
Milan is one of the key transport nodes of Italy and southern Europe. Its central railway station is Italy's second, after Rome Termini railway station, and Europe's eighth busiest. [6] [49] The Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio airports serve the Greater Milan, the largest metropolitan area in Italy.
Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) is the Milanese municipal transport company; it operates 5 metro lines, 18 tram lines, 131 bus lines, 4 trolleybus lines, and 1 people mover line, carrying about 776 million passengers in 2018. [50] Overall the network covers nearly 1,500 km (932 mi) reaching 46 municipalities. [51] Besides public transport, ATM manages the interchange parking lots and other transport services including bike sharing and carsharing systems. [52]
The Milan Metro is the rapid transit system serving the city and surrounding municipalities. The network consists of 5 lines ( M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5), with a total network length of 104 kilometres (65 mi), and a total of 121 stations, mostly underground. [53] It has a daily ridership of 1.15 million, [54] the largest in Italy as well as one of the largest in Europe.
As of May 2023 [update], the Milan suburban railway service, operated by Trenord, comprises 11 S lines connecting the metropolitan area with the city centre, with possible transfers to all the metro lines. Most S lines run through the Milan Passerby railway, commonly referred to as "il Passante" and served by double-decker trains every 4/8 minutes in the central underground section. [55]
Milan Central station, with 110 million passengers per year, is the largest and eighth busiest railway station in Europe and the second busiest in Italy after Roma Termini. [6] Milano Centrale railway station is the largest railway station in Europe by volume. [56] Milano Cadorna and Milano Porta Garibaldi stations are respectively the seventh and the eleventh busiest stations in Italy. [6] Since the end of 2009, two high-speed train lines link Milan to Rome, Naples and Turin, considerably shortening travel times with other major cities in Italy. Further high-speed lines are under construction towards Genoa and Verona. Milan is served by direct international trains to Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, Lugano, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich and Frankfurt, and by overnight sleeper services to Munich and Vienna (ÖBB). [57] Overnight services to Paris were suspended in 2020 following the COVID lockdown and subsequently discontinued. [58] [59]
Milan is also the core of Lombardy's regional train network. Regional trains were operated on two different systems by LeNord (departing from Milano Cadorna) and Trenitalia (departing from Milan Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi). Since 2011, a new company, Trenord, has operated both Trenitalia and LeNord regional trains in Lombardy, carrying over 750,000 passengers on more than 50 routes every day. [60] [61]
The city tram network consists of approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) of track and 18 lines, and is Europe's most advanced light rail system. [62] Bus lines cover over 1,070 km (665 mi). Milan has also taxi services operated by private companies and licensed by the City Council of Milan. The city is also a key node for the national road network, being served by all the major highways of Northern Italy. Numerous long-distance bus lines link Milan with many other cities and towns in Lombardy and throughout Italy. [63]
In the surroundings of Milan there are three airports dedicated to normal civilian traffic (Milan Malpensa Airport and Milan Linate Airport, managed by SEA, and Milan Bergamo Airport by SACBO).
Overall, the Milan airport system handles traffic of over 51.4 million passengers and around 700,000 tons of goods every year and is the first in Italy in terms of passenger volume and cargo volume (the second Italian airport system is Rome with 44.4 million passengers in 2023). [64] The Milan Malpensa airport, with over 700 thousand tons, confirms the national leadership, processing 70% of the country's air cargo. [65]
Lastly, Bresso Airfield is a general aviation airport, operated by Aero Club Milano. [74] Since 1960 the airport mostly serves as a general aviation airfield for flying club activity, touristic flights and air taxi. [75] It also hosts a base of the state helicopter emergency service Elisoccorso. [76]
The bicycle is becoming an increasingly important mode of transportation in Milan. Since 2008, the implementation of a city-wide network of bike paths has been initiated, to fight congestion and air pollution. During the COVID pandemic in 2019, 35 km of bike lanes were realized on short notice, to relieve pressure on the subway occupation. [77]
The bike sharing system BikeMi has been deployed in almost all the city and enjoys increasing popularity. Stationless commercial bike and scooter sharing systems are widely available.
The Italian city of Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world. [3] [4] One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad. [2] The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%). [2] Most of the visitors who come from the United States to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment. [2]
The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the Milan Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, the Teatro alla Scala, the San Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Via Montenapoleone, the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli and the Brera district. The Milan Cathedral is the city's most popular tourist destination. [2] Milan has a plethora of museums, ranging from science and industry to antiquities and art.
The city also has numerous hotels, including the ultra-luxurious Town House Galleria, which is the world's first seven-star hotel according to Société Générale de Surveillance (five-star superior luxury according to state law, however) and one of The Leading Hotels of the World. [5] The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, whilst foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average. [2] Milan is one of the key transport nodes of Italy and southern Europe. Its central railway station is Italy's second, after Rome Termini railway station, and Europe's eighth busiest. [6] [7] The Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio airports serve the Greater Milan, the largest metropolitan area in Italy.
Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world. [3] [4] One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad. [2] The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%). [2]
Most of the visitors who come from the United States to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment. [2] Results from the same study also say that 60% of tourists who visit Milan are male, while 40% are female. [2] Over 58% of visitors travel by air, [2] and 26% by car. [2]
Visitors to Milan appreciate it for different reasons; for example, 65% of visitors say that public transport is efficient, while 35% say that it is expensive and inadequate. [2] Usually, tourists find that Milan has good entertainment and cultural opportunities (i.e. shopping, cuisine, music, nightlife and the arts) and that leisure activities are organized well and to a professional level. [2]
Overall, the average tourist visiting Milan is satisfied by the city; over 63% say it was as they expected, 80% would want to return and 74% would advise a friend to go. [2] They also find that taxis are efficient and easy to find and that communication (i.e. advertising events and attractions) is good. [2] However, many say that there is not enough green space, that the city is very expensive and that the average level of English, as of 2009, is not very high. [2]
The number of international tourists has been steadily increasing, and as of 2015 there were around 3.21 million international arrivals. [8]
Founded around 590 BC [9] under the name Medhelanon [10] by a Celtic tribe belonging to the Insubres group and belonging to the Golasecca culture, it was conquered by the ancient Romans in 222 BC, who Latinized the name of the city into Mediolanum. The city's role as a major political centre dates back to the late antiquity, when it served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire. [11] During late antiquity, the Edict of Milan was promulgated, which granted freedom of worship to all Roman citizens, therefore also to Christians.
From the 12th century until the 16th century, Milan was one of the largest European cities and a major trade and commercial centre; consequently, it became the capital of the Duchy of Milan, one of the greatest political, artistic and fashion forces in the Renaissance. [12] [13] Having become one of the main centres of the Italian Enlightenment during the early modern period, the city subsequently became the industrial and financial capital of modern Italy. [14] [15] Capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, after the Restoration it was among the most active centres of the Risorgimento, until its entry into the unified Kingdom of Italy.
With the unification of the country, Milan became the dominant commercial center of northern Italy. In 1919 Benito Mussolini rallied the Blackshirts for the first time in Milan, and later they began their March on Rome from Milan. During World War II Milan was extensively damaged by Allied bombings. Upon the surrender of Italy in 1943 German forces occupied northern Italy until the end of the war in 1945. Members of the Italian resistance in Milan took control of the city and executed Mussolini, his mistress, and other leaders of his Fascist government by hanging in Piazzale Loreto, Milan.
Since the end of World War II, Italy experienced an economic boom. From 1951 until 1967 the population of Milan grew from 1.3 million to 1.7 million. The city was reconstructed, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the city suffered from a huge wave of street violence, labor strikes and political terrorism during so called Years of Lead. During the 1980s, Milan became one of the world's fashion capitals. The rise of financial services and the service economy during the late 20th century further strengthened Milan’s position as the Italian economic capital. The city’s renewal in the 21st century was marked, among others, by hosting of the World Expo 2015 or big redevelopment projects such as Porta Nuova district or CityLife district.
The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the Milan Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, the Teatro alla Scala, the San Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, La Scala, the Royal Villa of Milan, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Via Montenapoleone, the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli, the Brera district, the Royal Palace of Milan, the Chiaravalle Abbey, the Porta Sempione, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio, the Bosco Verticale, the Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, CityLife district, the Colonne di San Lorenzo, Corso Buenos Aires, Palazzo Marino, Palazzo Mezzanotte, Palazzo Lombardia, Piazza Mercanti, Piazza Cordusio, Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Piccolo Teatro, Porta Nuova district, the Quadrilatero della moda, the Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Via Dante and Via Monte Napoleone. The Milan Cathedral is the city's most popular tourist destination. [2]
Milan has a plethora of museums, ranging from science and industry to antiquities and art. Below is a list of the main museums and permanent exhibitions in the city.
Like most cities in Italy, Milan has developed its own local culinary tradition, which, as it is typical for North Italian cuisines, uses more frequently rice than pasta, butter than vegetable oil and features almost no tomato or fish. Milanese traditional dishes includes cotoletta alla milanese, a breaded veal (pork and turkey can be used) cutlet pan-fried in butter (similar to Viennese Wiener Schnitzel).
Other typical dishes are cassoeula (stewed pork rib chops and sausage with Savoy cabbage), ossobuco (braised veal shank served with a condiment called gremolata), risotto alla milanese (with saffron and beef marrow), busecca (stewed tripe with beans), mondeghili ( meatballs made with leftover meat fried in butter), and brasato (stewed beef or pork with wine and potatoes).
The comune of San Colombano al Lambro, located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Milan, is home to the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wine which includes 100 hectares (250 acres) producing a single red wine. The finished wine must attain a minimum alcohol level of 11% in order to be labelled with the San Colombano DOC designation. [26]
Season-related pastries include chiacchiere (flat fritters dusted with sugar) and tortelli (fried spherical cookies) for Carnival, colomba (glazed cake shaped as a dove) for Easter, pane dei morti ("bread of the (Day of the) Dead", cookies flavoured with cinnamon) for All Souls' Day and panettone for Christmas. The salame Milano, a salami with a very fine grain, is widespread throughout Italy. Renowned Milanese cheeses are gorgonzola (from the namesake village nearby), mascarpone, used in pastry-making, taleggio and quartirolo.
The city also has numerous hotels, including luxurious such as Principe di Savoia, Grand Hotel et de Milan and the 7 star Town House Galleria. The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, while foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average. [2] Of the 75% of visitors who stay in hotels, 4-star ones are the most popular (47%), while the ones which have 5-stars, or less than 3-stars represent 11% and 15% of the charts respectively. Visitors to the city, by average, find that accommodation is good, high-quality and that service is professional, however that it is also very expensive.
In addition to a unique cuisine, Milan is well known for its world-class restaurants and cafés, characterised by innovative cuisine and design. [42] As of 2014 [update], Milan has 157 Michelin-selected places, including three 2-Michelin-starred restaurants; [43] these include Cracco, Sadler and il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia. [44] Many historical restaurants and bars are found in the historic centre, the Brera and Navigli districts. One of the city's oldest surviving cafés, Caffè Cova, was established in 1817. [45] Caffè Cova has also opened franchises in Hong Kong. [46] In total, Milan has 15 cafés, bars and restaurants registered among the Historical Places of Italy, continuously operating for at least 70 years. [47]
Most of the more refined and upper-class restaurants are found in the historic centre, while the more traditional and popular ones are mainly located in the Brera and Navigli districts. Today, there is also a Nobu Japanese restaurant in Milan, which is located in Armani World in Via Manzoni and is regarded as being one of the trendiest restaurants in the city. [48]
The Biffi Caffè and the Zucca in Galleria are also famous and historical ‘Caffès’ which are situated in Milan. Other restaurants in Milan include the Hotel Four Seasons restaurant, ‘La Briciola’, the Marino alla Scala and the Chandelier. Today, there are some new boutique-cafés, such as the Just Cavalli Café, owned by the luxury fashion goods brand Roberto Cavalli and the Armani Café in via Manzoni, owned by the homonymous fashion entrepreneur Giorgio Armani.
Milan is one of the key transport nodes of Italy and southern Europe. Its central railway station is Italy's second, after Rome Termini railway station, and Europe's eighth busiest. [6] [49] The Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio airports serve the Greater Milan, the largest metropolitan area in Italy.
Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) is the Milanese municipal transport company; it operates 5 metro lines, 18 tram lines, 131 bus lines, 4 trolleybus lines, and 1 people mover line, carrying about 776 million passengers in 2018. [50] Overall the network covers nearly 1,500 km (932 mi) reaching 46 municipalities. [51] Besides public transport, ATM manages the interchange parking lots and other transport services including bike sharing and carsharing systems. [52]
The Milan Metro is the rapid transit system serving the city and surrounding municipalities. The network consists of 5 lines ( M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5), with a total network length of 104 kilometres (65 mi), and a total of 121 stations, mostly underground. [53] It has a daily ridership of 1.15 million, [54] the largest in Italy as well as one of the largest in Europe.
As of May 2023 [update], the Milan suburban railway service, operated by Trenord, comprises 11 S lines connecting the metropolitan area with the city centre, with possible transfers to all the metro lines. Most S lines run through the Milan Passerby railway, commonly referred to as "il Passante" and served by double-decker trains every 4/8 minutes in the central underground section. [55]
Milan Central station, with 110 million passengers per year, is the largest and eighth busiest railway station in Europe and the second busiest in Italy after Roma Termini. [6] Milano Centrale railway station is the largest railway station in Europe by volume. [56] Milano Cadorna and Milano Porta Garibaldi stations are respectively the seventh and the eleventh busiest stations in Italy. [6] Since the end of 2009, two high-speed train lines link Milan to Rome, Naples and Turin, considerably shortening travel times with other major cities in Italy. Further high-speed lines are under construction towards Genoa and Verona. Milan is served by direct international trains to Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, Lugano, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich and Frankfurt, and by overnight sleeper services to Munich and Vienna (ÖBB). [57] Overnight services to Paris were suspended in 2020 following the COVID lockdown and subsequently discontinued. [58] [59]
Milan is also the core of Lombardy's regional train network. Regional trains were operated on two different systems by LeNord (departing from Milano Cadorna) and Trenitalia (departing from Milan Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi). Since 2011, a new company, Trenord, has operated both Trenitalia and LeNord regional trains in Lombardy, carrying over 750,000 passengers on more than 50 routes every day. [60] [61]
The city tram network consists of approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) of track and 18 lines, and is Europe's most advanced light rail system. [62] Bus lines cover over 1,070 km (665 mi). Milan has also taxi services operated by private companies and licensed by the City Council of Milan. The city is also a key node for the national road network, being served by all the major highways of Northern Italy. Numerous long-distance bus lines link Milan with many other cities and towns in Lombardy and throughout Italy. [63]
In the surroundings of Milan there are three airports dedicated to normal civilian traffic (Milan Malpensa Airport and Milan Linate Airport, managed by SEA, and Milan Bergamo Airport by SACBO).
Overall, the Milan airport system handles traffic of over 51.4 million passengers and around 700,000 tons of goods every year and is the first in Italy in terms of passenger volume and cargo volume (the second Italian airport system is Rome with 44.4 million passengers in 2023). [64] The Milan Malpensa airport, with over 700 thousand tons, confirms the national leadership, processing 70% of the country's air cargo. [65]
Lastly, Bresso Airfield is a general aviation airport, operated by Aero Club Milano. [74] Since 1960 the airport mostly serves as a general aviation airfield for flying club activity, touristic flights and air taxi. [75] It also hosts a base of the state helicopter emergency service Elisoccorso. [76]
The bicycle is becoming an increasingly important mode of transportation in Milan. Since 2008, the implementation of a city-wide network of bike paths has been initiated, to fight congestion and air pollution. During the COVID pandemic in 2019, 35 km of bike lanes were realized on short notice, to relieve pressure on the subway occupation. [77]
The bike sharing system BikeMi has been deployed in almost all the city and enjoys increasing popularity. Stationless commercial bike and scooter sharing systems are widely available.