Accessible Travel in Milan

Milan for everyone: Travel guide for disabled persons

Milan is the city with thousand faces and, there is something for everyone, you can’t get bored in Milan. It allows everyone to enjoy all its wanders, also to the tourists with disabilities and specific needs.

Milan is not an entirely disabled-friendly city, but it’s not impossible for a disabled person to visit it and enjoy it. To help our guests and make their stay nice as possible, our MEININGER Garibaldi Team collected the most important information about mobility and accessibility in public transports, restaurants and bars, historical and cultural sights. Moreover, they have identified different touristic-cultural routes to give disable guests, the opportunity to explore the beauty of Milan in a best way possible. Read more about it in our Accessible Travel in Milan guide!

#1 Milano’s Chinatown

From Via Paolo Sarpi to Piazzale Cadorna

Few minutes away from our hotel in the city centre of Milan, you will find the famous Via Paolo Sarpi, also known as a “Milano’s Chinatown”. At the end of Chinatown, it is possible to cross the Parco Sempione, a green oasis in the heart of the city, located at the Triennale di Milano University. This institution is famous because of its cultural events, exhibitions, art, design, architecture, fashion and cinema conventions. Inside the gardens of the Palazzo dell’Arte, near Piazzale Cardona and the railway station, you can admire the “I bagni Misteriosi”, an installation created by painter Giorgio de Chirico in 1973.

#2 The Heart of the City

From Duomo Square to Sforzesco Castle

Caught between art and history, this is a tour to discover the most significant monuments of Milan. Starting from the Duomo, the Cathedral dedicated to Maria Nascente. To its square, the Palazzo Reale (home to international famous exhibitions), the Novecento Museum and Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery. After strolling across Piazza Mercanti, Piazza Cordusio and Via Dante, the itinerary ends at the Sforzesco Castle where, among other things, it is possible to see the “Pietà Rondanini”, the last, unfinished, masterpiece of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

#3 The Football Scala

San Siro

If you are a football fan do not leave Milan without checking out at the “Football Scala”, at the San Siro stadium, a museum that tells the story of the two Milanese football teams through unique memorabilia. Few metro M5 stops away, there’s the residential and commercial district “City Life”, the meeting point of the new Milanese generation, where you can enjoy at a beautiful park or do some shopping at the mall.

#4 Leonardo’s Milan

From Piazzale Cadorna to Sant’Ambrogio

This itinerary will make you discover the genius Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in the city from 1482 and 1500. Here in Milan, you can admire one of the most celebrated masterpieces of the master: The Last Supper, inside the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. Leonardo was also an inventor and designer. At the Science and Technology Museum, you can visit a part of the museum specially dedicated to his work. Last stop, Satn’Ambrogio basilica, dedicated to the Saint Patron of Milan.

#5 The city of the future

From Gae Aulenti Square to Brera

The starting point of this itinerary is the brand-new Gae Aulenti square, where the Unicredit Tower is, with its 231 meters high, the tallest skyscraper in Italy. From the square, you can enjoy a long stroll through Corso Como, XXV Aprile Square and Corso Garibaldi, where you can see the churches of Santa Maria Incoronata and San Simpliciano. Don’t miss visiting the Pinacoteca di Brera and the whole neighbourhood, characterized by the typical old Milan streets.

#6 High couture and theatre

From Central Station to the Scala

When arriving to the city, take some time to discover the Central Station. Cross the imponent Galleria delle Carrozze to arrive to Duca d’Aosta square and see the skyscraper Pirelli (known among the Milaneses as “Pirellone”). Take the tube up to the stop Montenapoleone and explore the “Quadrilatero della Moda”, the “Fashion Square”, with the most important Italian and international high couture shops, and visit the Poldi Pezzoli Museum on your way. The route finishes at the Scalla di Milano, one of the most famous theatres worldwide.

#7 The Shopping Street

From Piazzale Loreto to Oberdan square

Stores for every taste and age, shoes, books, perfumes and cosmetics, furnishing and toys for kids. Some estimations say there are more than 350 shops along Corso Buenos Aires, one of Europe’s longest shopping streets. Tour finishes under the bastions of Porta Venezia at the Oberdan square.

#8 Museums and gardens

From Oberdan square to Duomo square

This itinerary’s starting point is at Indro Montanelli Gardens, Milan’s oldest public park. You can visit the Ulderico Hoepli Planetarium, Natural History Museum, the Moderna Art Gallery (with masterpieces of Francesco Hayez and Antonio Canova). From here, go to San Babila square, and enjoy a stroll along Corso Vittorio Emanuele and its arcades.

#9 Milan by Tram

From Central Station to Darsena

A full rest itinerary: all you need is to get a tram ticket, get comfortable next to the window, and enjoy the view. The skyline of the brand-new neighbourhood Varesine, the bastions of Porta Venezia along the antique Spanish walls, the majestic arch of Porta Romana are just some of the sights that can be admired. The trip continues along the Vaile Vittorio Venero, between Medaglie d’Oro square and XXIV Maggio square. The tram ride finishes at the Navigli, the last artificial canal that remain from the hydric system that provided water to Milan between XII and XIX Century.

How to move around the city?

Thanks to the extraordinary network of busses, trains, metro and railway moving around the city of Milan, is really easy. Urban bus lines are all equipped with vehicles with low floors, accessible to people in wheelchairs; some tram lines are entirely equipped with low floors, while others only partially; trolleybuses lines are in part equipped with low floor automobiles. Public transportations which can transport wheelchair users have a blue sign on the outside. In some vehicles it is possible to find visible and acoustic signs of indications such as destinations and stops. However, only some of the platforms and buss, tram and trolleybus stops are accessible for disabled people.

Milan metro network consist of four lines: M1 (red), M2 (green), M3 (yellow), M5 (violet). Lines M3 and M5 feature accessible lifts that connect streets with the turnstiles floor and platforms floors. Some of the stations at M1 and M2 lines, are not accessible via lifts, stairlifts or escalators.

Railways stations are accessible via lifts, they have luminous signs and acoustic information that inform about train schedules and destinations.

For more information regarding the surface and underground networks, visit the dedicated ATM Milano website, where you can consult specifics about mobile, visual and acoustic disabilities.

To request assistance to get in and out trains of the railways network, disabled passengers have to communicate their needs at least two days before departure date through Trenord Green Line: 800.210.995, or email disabili@trenord.it

> Airplanes

All Milan airports (Linate, Malpensa and Orio al Serio) are completely accessible to disable people and are equipped with lifts and fitted toilets. In all three airports the assistance to disable or reduced mobility passengers is carried out by the “Sala Amica” (Friendly Room). Linate and Malpensa terminals have tactile paths, Braille telephone keyboards, and lifts with both speech synthesis and Braille buttons.

> Trains

As per European legislation, passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility are entitled to receive free assistance to get in and off the trains in stations. Milan has three main railway stations: Milano Centrale, Milano Garibaldi and Milano Cadorna. All stations are equipped with large lifts, acoustic and visible signs, embossed and Braille buttons, and in Central Station and Garibaldi Station there are tactile paths and maps. The Central Station Milano Centrale is equipped with treadmills and lifts (large dimensions, acoustic and visible signs, embossed and Braille buttons) that connect the ground floor, where the ticket offices are, with the first floor and the platforms, where it’s possible to find the accessible toilets and the “Sala Blu” (Blue Room), dedicated to assist disable people who booked the service in advanced.

> Motor vehicles

For parking motor vehicles, Milan has marked different parking limitation areas, which are easily identifiable thanks to the coloured lines on the floors. The yellow ones are reserved to residents, holders of a label provided by the Municipality, while the blue ones are for payment only. For disable people, the Municipality issues to the resident a special parking label, “Pass disabili”, or an unified label coloured light blue, valid in all countries of the European Union. In Milan, the “Pass disabili” allows to park in the areas reserved for disable people on the yellow lines (residents area), and on the blue lines free of charge. Inside the restricted traffic zones (ZTL) and in the public transport reserved lanes, people with Pass Disabili can travel freely, and can access the congestive charge active areas (Area C), with previous registration of the license plate.

> Taxi

In Milan, there are taxis equipped to transport passengers with manual or electric chairs.

The service can be booked at:

Radio: taxi tel.+39 02 6969 – it is suggested to book the car in advance

Autoradio: Taxi tel. +39 02 8585 – cannot be booked in advanced, the availability is checked in the moment

Taxi Blu: tel.+39 02 4040 – cannot be booked in advanced, the availability is checked in the moment

Etaxi: tel. +39 02 5353 – cannot be booked in advanced, the availability is checked in the moment

Taxi Sordi: Deaf people can use “Taxi Sordi” (Deaf Taxi), an app that identifies the location of the passenger and sends it directly to the operations centre, and communicates the client the taxi information and waiting time through an SMS.

> Rent-a-car

Companies that have cars adapted for a transport of disabled clients:

Hertz

Centro Prenotazioni: 199 112211

Web: www.hertz.

Hertz offers vehicles with manual commands. The service is available at the agencies of Milano Linate and Malpensa. To book it, it is necessary to do it thought the phone at least 72 hours before the arrival. At the moment of the withdrawal, the valid certificate of disability is requested among with the driver’s license.

Handytechrent

Strada Patro, 3 Moncalvo (AT)

Web: www.handytech.it

Handytechrent provides multi-adapted cars with automatic gearbox and conditioners with driving help. This adapted car must be withdrawn and released at:

tel: 0331 324384;

e-mail: allestimentidisabili@flashcar.it

Blue Rental

Tel. 347 2779881

email: info@bluerental.it

Web: www.bluerental.it

Driverless rental of five-sitter cars with automatic gearbox, adapted to disable people. They provide cars equipped for companions with special need and six-sitter minivans with slots equipped for people with wheelchairs too.

> Car sharing

Car sharing is a new and innovative rent-a-car service that allows to use vehicle for short period of times. To use it you need to register on the platform with each company. With car sharing vehicles it’s possible to enter free of charge to the Area C and cars can be parked freely everywhere, also within the yellow and blue lines.

Milanese car sharing company, GuidaMi, provides cars adapted to disable people or equipped to support people on wheelchairs.

GuidaMi – GirACI

Tel. 800.604.171

Cars are withdrawn and released in the specific parking slots available around the city, the variety of vehicles go from Smart cars to nine-sitter trucks. GuidaMi provides Fiat Doblo Combi with a lifting platform for wheelchairs too.