The Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) and the services they operate are the core of Milan's public transport system. It is fairly safe, even at night, and reliably on time. The urban network is made up of four underground metro lines, the Line 1 (red), Line 2 (green), Line 3 (yellow) and Line 5 (violet). Stations are marked with a red 'M,' and an additional service connecting the city with outlying suburban areas, the passante ferroviario urban railway, is indicated in blue on maps and shown with the letter 'R' above ground.
Metro trains run daily from 06:00 - 00:30 every 4-7 minutes, and more frequently during rush hour. After 21:00, services run every 10-12 minutes and maintenance work at night can cause additional delays. After 00:30, night buses replace the metro lines until about 02:00 on week nights, and throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays. All ATM bus and tram services (except the specific nocturnal lines) run daily between 06:00 and midnight. Each bus stop shows all the stops made along the route, as well as a timetable.
ATM's request-only bus service, Radiobus (13:00 - 02:00 daily, (+39) 02 48 03 48 03) will pick you up upon request made at least three days in advance. It is rarely used; tickets are €1.50 at sale points and €3 on the bus.
Before boarding, you must buy an ATM ticket, which can be purchased at ATM points, from ticket machines inside the metro station for as long as metro service is running, and at tobacconists, bars, and most newsstands. If you are caught without a ticket, you will be fined €36 and up without mercy. Swipe your ticket in the electronic machines on buses and trams; enter it into the turnstile at metro stations. The same tickets are valid on all ATM bus, tram and metro lines within the inner city; travel beyond city zones cost more.
A single urban ticket costs €1.50 and is valid for 90 minutes from when it is stamped; it can be used on unlimited ATM trams and buses on the inner-city network, plus one trip on the metro or the passante. A biglietto serale, (€3) is valid from 20:00 until the end of service. A biglietto giornaliero (€4.50) is valid for unlimited use for 24 hours from time of purchase. A biglietto bigiornaliero (€8.25) is valid for unlimited use for 48 hours from time of purchase. The settimanale 2x6 ticket (€10) can be used for two trips of up to 90 minutes per day, Monday - Saturday. If one day is missed, you can use it on Sunday. The carnet (€13.80) is a ticket worth ten trips, not to be used by more than one person.
Upon request at an ATM point (located in the metro stations at Duomo, Cadorna FN, Loreto, Centrale FS and Romolo), you can submit a passport-sized photo to purchase a €10 magnetic pass that is rechargeable. With this card, the abbonamento settimanale (€11.30) is valid for a week's worth of unlimited use of urban transport. The abbonamento mensile (€35) provides one month of unlimited use of urban transport. Students and under-26 pay just €22.
Additional information on routes, tickets, changes, and pre-announced strikes can be found at ATM Points (if you want to brave the queues), on the ATM website, or by calling freephone, also in English. A comprehensive city transport map can be purchased at ATM Points and most newsstands for €5.