Getting to Milan for the football

Milan is a direct flight from most UK cities, so there is no hub-and-train detour here: fly into Malpensa, Linate or Bergamo, get into the centre by train, coach or metro, then take the M5 (purple) metro to San Siro Stadio, under a 10-minute walk from the ground. Away fans sit in the third tier at the back.

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Milan is one of the easy ones: it has direct flights from both Manchester and London, so there is no hub-and-train detour. The real choice is which of the three airports you fly into, because that decides how far and how long the run into town is. Bergamo tends to be cheapest but sits furthest out with only a coach in, Linate is the closest to the city, and Malpensa has the most flights and a fast train. Times and costs below are estimates and vary by date and how far ahead you book.

Getting into Milan: airports and main station

Which airport you land at decides how you reach the centre. Milan has three: Malpensa for long-haul and much scheduled traffic, Linate close to the city, and Bergamo for low-cost flights.

Malpensa (MXP) is the main airport. The Malpensa Express train runs into the city and serves two central terminals: Milano Cadorna (about 47 minutes) and Milano Centrale (about 58 minutes), roughly every 30 minutes from around 04:57 to 23:27. A one-way fare to either terminal is a fixed €13, single class.

Linate (LIN) is the close-in city airport, now linked by the M4 (blue) metro line straight into the centre. Linate to San Babila takes about 12 minutes on a standard €2.20 ATM ticket, and the M4 runs roughly 06:00 to 00:30. San Babila interchanges with the M1 red line and is about a 5-minute walk from the Duomo.

Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY) is the main Ryanair and low-cost airport. It has no train; coaches run to Milano Centrale roughly every 20-30 minutes, journey about 50-55 minutes. Operators include Terravision, Autostradale and Flibco, from around €5-8 one way.

Milano Centrale is the main rail hub and sits on the M2 (green) and M3 (yellow) metro lines, so you can transfer straight onto the network on arrival.

Getting out to San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

The most direct matchday route is the M5 metro. The M5 (purple/lilac) line stops right at San Siro Stadio, a few hundred metres from the ground, a walk of under 10 minutes.

From most central points you change onto the M5. From Milano Centrale take M2 to Garibaldi FS then M5; from the Duomo take M1 to Lotto then M5. Lotto is the handier M1 to M5 interchange for the stadium.

If the metro is busy, tram line 16 runs from central Milan out to the San Siro area and drops you close to the ground as an alternative, and bus line 49 also serves the stadium. The stadium address is Piazzale Angelo Moratti, 20151 Milano. Expect strict ID checks and a long, slow hold-back after full-time before the away section is let out.

Getting around the city

A single ticket covers most short hops. An ATM urban ticket costs €2.20 and is valid 90 minutes across metro, tram and bus, including transfers, anywhere in the Mi1-Mi3 urban zone. If you are moving around a lot on top of the trip to the ground, a 24-hour ATM day ticket costs €7.60 for unlimited urban travel.

Milan's metro is five colour-coded lines, M1 red, M2 green, M3 yellow, M4 blue and M5 purple, with contactless tap-in on the gates supported, so you do not strictly need a paper ticket.

Where visiting fans stay

Most away fans base themselves centrally and travel out to the ground on the M5 a couple of hours before kick-off rather than staying by the stadium.

The Duomo area is the most central and best for first-timers, but it is 30-plus minutes to San Siro by metro. Navigli is popular for nightlife and has plenty of accommodation, while Centrale, around the main station, is convenient for rail and airport transfers. If you want to be near the ground, the San Siro district itself is quiet and residential with good tram links to the centre.

Where to drink

Not everyone is here for a session, but if you want a pint before or after, the ground and the centre both have options.

• Old Tenconi Pub is a short walk from the San Siro metro, the classic pre-match bar, with several tap beers and outside benches in view of the stadium. Busy on matchday, budget around €6-7 a pint.
• Shatar Pub is roughly a 20-minute walk from San Siro, more spacious than it looks, and does food as well as beer, including sandwiches and fish and chips. Handy if you want to eat and drink in one stop.
• The Football Pub at Via Valpetrosa 5 near the Duomo is a traditional English-style football bar with big screens showing Serie A, the Premier League and the Champions League. Central, so good for meeting up before you head out to the ground.
• Bibendum Baladin is a relaxed central spot for wine or craft beer with food and match screenings, a gentler option than a screens-and-lager sports bar.
• Over in Navigli, Fiyero is a lively sports bar with plenty of screens and a broad craft-beer list, and La Belle Alliance is a cosy beer house with a strong Italian and international tap selection. Navigli is the main nightlife strip, so it fills up in the evening.

Milan does not have a hostile away-fan culture in the way some cities do, but travelling colours near the ground draw attention, so keep a low profile around rival ultras and steer clear of the streets right by Inter's Curva around kick-off and full-time. Inside the ground you will only find alcohol-free beer, so do your drinking before the turnstiles.

Money and safety

Italy uses the euro. A pint in a Milan bar typically runs around €5-7, with neighbourhood pubs near the €7 mark and cheaper spots from about €3-4. Cards and contactless are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops, but carry some cash, as small standing bars and market stalls are often cash-only for low-value buys. The contactless cap is €50.

On safety, Milan is broadly as safe as any big European city but has a real pickpocketing problem in crowds, with the worst spots being Piazza del Duomo, the Galleria and Milano Centrale. Watch tram line 1 between Centrale and the Duomo, a known target for organised pickpocket teams, keep phones and wallets secure, and beware distraction scams like "friendship bracelets" and fake petitions. Inside the ground, only alcohol-free beer is sold, so do your drinking before you go through the turnstiles.

Where to eat

Milan's two signature dishes are risotto alla milanese, the saffron-yellow risotto, and cotoletta alla milanese, the bone-in breaded veal cutlet. Both are worth ordering at least once. Other local plates to look for are mondeghili (Milanese meatballs), cassoeula (pork and cabbage stew) and, if it is on, ossobuco.

• Luini near the Duomo is the cheap-and-fast Milan institution for panzerotti, fried or baked dough parcels of tomato and mozzarella, eaten standing in the street for a couple of euros.
• Da Martino is a straightforward, affordable trattoria doing a proper cotoletta alla milanese without the tourist mark-up.
• Il Ronchettino is a typical Milanese tavern serving home-style cooking: mondeghili, cassoeula, tripe, risotto and cotoletta, at mid-range prices.
• Antica Trattoria della Pesa is a classic, old-Milan dining room for a proper sit-down meal, popular so it has crept up in price, but the real thing.
• For a quick daytime bite, Princi bakeries across the city do good pizza al taglio, focaccia and pastries to grab on the move between the ground and the sights.

What to do

If you are making a day or two of it, Milan rewards it. Most of the headline sights sit within walking distance of the Duomo, so you can cover a lot on foot.

• Duomo di Milano, the vast Gothic cathedral on Piazza del Duomo, and the rooftop terraces, where you can walk among the spires with views to the Alps on a clear day.
• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the glass-domed 19th-century arcade next to the Duomo, grand architecture and mosaics rather than just shops.
• The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci's mural in Santa Maria delle Grazie, about 20 minutes' walk from the Duomo. Numbers are strictly limited, so book well ahead.
• Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco), the red-brick fortress housing several museums, opening onto the green sprawl of Parco Sempione.
• Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan's leading art gallery in the arty Brera quarter, worth an hour or two for the paintings and the streets around it.
• The Navigli canals, the old waterways lined with bars and restaurants, best in the early evening and an easy place to pass the pre-match hours.
• La Scala, the world-famous opera house near the Galleria, with a small museum if you cannot get to a performance.

Common questions

How do I get from the airport to the stadium?

From Malpensa, take the Malpensa Express to Cadorna or Centrale, then the metro out to San Siro Stadio on the M5. From Linate, ride the M4 metro to San Babila and change across to the M5. From Bergamo, take the coach to Milano Centrale then the metro. Allow a good hour or more from any airport.

Which airport should I fly into for an Inter Milan away game?

There is no hub detour needed: Milan is a direct flight from Manchester and London. Malpensa has the most flights and a fast train in, Linate is closest to the centre and best for a short trip, and Bergamo is the low-cost option but a coach ride from the city. Any of the three works; pick on price and timing.

Where do away fans sit at San Siro?

Away supporters are put in the third tier at the very back of the stadium, opposite Inter's Curva Nord. When Inter are the home side, visiting fans are typically placed in the Curva Sud, blocks 301-318. It is a long climb up and a fair distance from the pitch, with netting that can obscure the view.

How big is the away allocation?

For UEFA competition games the visiting allocation is normally the standard 5% of capacity, which at San Siro is roughly 3,000 to 3,800 depending on the fixture and any segregation buffer. Domestic Serie A allocations vary by match. Buy through your own club's official channel rather than resale to guarantee you are in the away section.

What time should I get to the ground?

Give yourself plenty of time. There are strict ID checks and a long walk up to the top-tier away section, and the M5 gets very busy close to kick-off. Aim to leave the centre around two hours before, get to San Siro Stadio 60 to 90 minutes early, and be ready for a slow hold-back after the final whistle before away fans are released.

Can you drink alcohol inside the stadium?

Only alcohol-free beer is sold inside San Siro on matchday, and Milan applies alcohol restrictions around the ground for higher-risk games. If you want a proper pint, do it in the city or at a bar near the metro before you head in, not once you are through the turnstiles.

How much is a beer in Milan?

A pint in a Milan bar is typically around €5-7, with a neighbourhood pub nearer €7 and cheaper bars from roughly €3-4. Bars around the Duomo and tourist spots sit at the top of that range. Inside the ground you will only find alcohol-free beer, so budget for the city instead.

Is Milan safe for away fans?

Yes, broadly. Milan is about as safe as any large European city and does not have an especially hostile football culture, but pickpocketing is a genuine problem in crowds, especially around the Duomo, the Galleria and Milano Centrale. Keep valuables secure, watch tram line 1, and be sensible about wearing colours near rival ultras.

Which pubs and areas are good for away fans?

Old Tenconi Pub near the San Siro metro is the classic pre-match spot, with outdoor benches in view of the ground. In the centre, The Football Pub near the Duomo is an English-style football bar, and Navigli is the main nightlife strip. Keep it low-key in colours near the stadium, and stick to busier, well-lit areas after dark.

Does the match ticket include free public transport?

No. Unlike some European cities, a San Siro match ticket does not give free travel on the Milan network. You need a €2.20 ATM ticket for each 90-minute journey, or you can tap in with a contactless card. If you are hopping around all day, the €7.60 day ticket is better value.

How far is San Siro from the city centre?

San Siro sits in the north-west of the city, roughly 6km from the Duomo. On the metro it is about 30-plus minutes door to door from the centre, changing onto the M5 at Lotto (from M1) or Garibaldi (from M2). The M5 stop, San Siro Stadio, leaves under a 10-minute walk to the turnstiles.

Where should away fans stay?

Most base themselves centrally and travel out on the M5 rather than staying by the stadium. The Duomo area suits first-timers but is 30-plus minutes from the ground, Navigli is best for nightlife, and Centrale is handy if you are catching an early flight or train. Staying by San Siro itself is quieter and residential.

How long and how much is the trip from the UK?

Reckon on roughly six hours door to ground from Manchester and a little over five from London, based on a direct flight of about two hours plus airport transfers and the metro. Return flights are commonly in the £50-170 range depending on dates and airport. These are estimates; book early and fly midweek for the cheaper fares.