Milan

Currency

Euro. Milan is a card city — you can go a full week without touching cash. Avoid the exchange desks in Duomo metro station.

ATMs & cards

Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit ATMs are everywhere and fee-free on their side. Decline dynamic currency conversion every time.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Safe overall. Central Station and the metro at rush hour are where pickpockets operate. The area immediately north of Centrale is best avoided late at night.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment. Pharmacies handle a lot of minor problems directly and are the fastest route to advice.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Aperitivo is the local institution: buy a drink between 18:00 and 21:00 and the buffet comes free. Navigli and Porta Venezia do it best.

Getting around

• Metro — 4 clean, fast lines, €2.20 covers 90 minutes across all transport
• Tram — the old orange trams are slow but scenic, especially line 1
• Walking — Duomo to Brera to Navigli is an easy afternoon
• Bike and scooter share — BikeMi and several e-scooter apps
• Airport: Malpensa Express to Cadorna or Centrale (50 min, €13)

Must-see

Things to do

• Go up on the Duomo roof
• Book ahead for The Last Supper
• Do aperitivo in Navigli
• Shop or window-shop the Quadrilatero della Moda
• Visit the Fondazione Prada
• Watch a match at San Siro

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Italian

• HelloBuongiornobwon-JOR-no
• PleasePer favoreper fa-VO-reh
• Thank youGrazieGRAT-tsyeh
• Yes / NoSì / Nosee / no
• Excuse meScusiSKOO-zee
• How much is it?Quanto costa?KWAN-to KOS-ta
• The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KON-to
• Cheers!Salute! / Cin cin!sa-LOO-teh / chin chin

Ciao is for people you know. With shopkeepers and waiters, buongiorno until evening, then buonasera.

Religion

Catholic

The Vatican is a sovereign state inside Rome. Dress codes are enforced at St Peter’s and most major churches: shoulders and knees covered, and they will turn you away.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say buongiorno rather than ciao to anyone you do not know
• Drink cappuccino only before about 11:00; after a meal it is an espresso
• Cover shoulders and knees to enter churches, including the major basilicas
• Validate regional train tickets before boarding or risk a fine

Don't

• Do not ask for parmesan on seafood pasta — it is a genuine culinary offence here
• Do not sit on monument steps in Rome or Florence; both cities fine it
• Do not order a coffee "to go" and expect it to be normal
• Do not tip beyond rounding up; coperto already covers the cover charge