Milan

By | 16th January 2018
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Should you rent a car in Milan?

Do you need a car in Milan > Should you rent a car in Milan Italy > Milan ( MXP )

Do you need a car in Milan? Introduction

Why? Why not? Ratings Comments

Why should you rent a car in Milan?

What are the main reasons for hiring a car here? Do you just want to drive locally? Do you want to go further afield, or should you even look at taking a road trip? In terms of factors like the cost of the hire itself, fuel costs, road tolls and parking charges, is it worth hiring a car in Milan?

Milan Car hire summary

Overall drive rating

Based on a weighted score across all cost and quality factors. [Full notes - drive rating]

80%
 

Cheapest rate for one week

Based on cheapest economy car hire deal with no added extras. [full notes - basic costs]

€30

 #9/300
 

How much should I expect to pay in the peak season?

Based on cheapest deal during the summer holiday season. (Unless otherwise noted) [full notes - seasonal variations]

 €110

# 49/300
 

Free parking score

Total 1424 - of which 232 have free parking. [full notes - parking]

16%

#261/300
 
  • Europe’s Great Lakes District – especially Lake Garda, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, are all within an easy drive. If you rent a car in Milan (or at any one of the three airports), you have the flexibility to travel at your own pace, rather than being constrained by train timetables.
  • Great northern cities – when you rent a car in Milan, you have the flexibility to explore at your own pace, and northern Italy has many great cities within a short drive of each other. Milan is the natural base from which to explore Turin and Genoa to the west, or Venice and Verona to the east, together with numerous smaller towns and cities that aren’t so easy to explore by train.
  • Driving standards – as a general rule, standards of driving in Northern Italy are much more careful than their southern Italian counterparts, although as with anywhere, the usual precautions should still be taken, especially when driving in and out of airports.
  • Alps – Milan is a great gateway to the southern Alps, both in summer and winter, but train services to many Swiss resorts are much better when approaching from Zurich to the north. This is why a car might well make more sense.

Driving v transit

  • Public transport is disjointed. However good some train routes may be (see below), the rail system in and around Milan is still not well connected.
    Whereas Rome and most other major cities in Italy have one central terminus, Milan has several. Although Centrale is by far and away the biggest, especially for long distance services, the Malpensa Airport shuttle is split between here and Cadorna, and other regional services may also terminate at Garibaldi.
    Meanwhile, suburban trains in Milan are usually routed through the Passante rail tunnel, which avoids Centrale Station completely. To change between the two systems, you will need to take the Milan metro via Repubblica.
  • Slow speed Rail – High speed rail links direct from the Malpensa airport terminal look tempting – for example, services reach Florence is just over 2 1/2 hours. Except that this service only runs twice each day. So the chances are that you will have to change twice in Milan to reach other destinations. Also, if you fly into Terminal 1 with easyJet, you will also have to wait for a transfer shuttle to get to the Malpensa Airport railway station – this is the Italian plod!
 

Why not? Visiting Milan without a car

 
Why? Why not? Ratings Comments

Milan public transport quick facts

Train score

 

80%

Water travel score

90%

Overall public transport score

70%
 

Walking and Cycling Overview

Active travel score

This overall rating considers walking and cycling in and around Milan. 

60%

In and around Milan

  • Transport Hub – it might not quite be as efficient as those you will find just above in Switzerland, but public transport in northern Italy is still good by European standards, and the main focus is still on the hugely impressive Milan Centale station, on which Washington D.C.’s Union Station was modelled.
  • Orange Trams – maybe not quite as famous as those in San Francisco, Milan still has a network of famous orange trams, supplemented by one of Europe’s most extensive metro systems outside a capital city.
  • Milan city – of course, the city of Milan itself needs no introduction, and needless to say, there is no need to get a hire car for travelling around within the Milan area.

Other cities

  • Turin by train – why not hop on the fast train to Turin, and you can be there in just over an hour.
  • Other great Italian cities – various options are available, either for extended day trips (Florence is around 2 hours by high speed train), or for multi city touring, with Venice also being within easy reach. Or why not experience Italy’s two largest cities in the same trip – fly into Milan, take the train down to Florence, and then continue down to Rome?

Lakes & Mountains

  • Northern hub – in many respects, Milan is Italy’s most important city anyway, not least because it is a huge centre of fashion and of commerce in general. This is reflected in the high quality of public transport links in and around the city.
  • Lakes by train – many of the scenic areas mentioned above can be visited by train, or better still by a combination of train and ferry. Having a car with you can add greatly to the cost of any ferry journey. On the other hand, going by train can be a much more enjoyable way to appreciate the scenery, and to stroll around the many towns along the way.
  • Ticino – Milan sits right below the two trunk railway routes into Switzerland, and this is where you will find the Italian speaking canton of Ticino. The “Cento Valli” (A Hundred Valleys) route from Locarno is a personal favourite. These lines can easily be enjoyed in a day trip from Milan.

Ratings

Car rental in - Milan Need v worth & should!

Do you need a car in Milan?

  • Based on comparison with transit and walking/cycling?
 

Is it worth hiring a car in Milan?

  • Based on value for money?
 

Should you rent a car in Milan?

Weighing up the above questions, if you are here for the first time AND asking about hiring a car, is it a good idea?
 

Who is travelling?

Is it worth renting a car in Milan if I am a solo / budget traveller?

What about for 2 people travelling together?

What about for families?
 

Where are you staying?

Do you need a car in Milan if we are staying in the city centre / main resort area?

What if we are staying on the edge of the urban area?

What if we are staying in a rural area?
 

What is your attitude towards driving?

Should I hire a car in Milan if I prefer not to drive?

What if we are easy either way?

What if I prefer to drive?
 

Verdict

What is our final score for Milan on the Carornocar scale?

5
Go back up to:
Why? Why not? Ratings Comments
 

Conclusion – Should you rent a car in Milan? A car is great for visiting the scenic lakes to the north and east of Milan, but I think that it is even better to enjoy these by train and ferry. For many of the cities in northern Italy, a hire car can be as much of a hindrance as it is a help, especially as public transport in and around Milan is far superior to what you will find in Rome, or anywhere else in Italy for that matter,even if it is disjointed.

If you rent a car in Milan, it will give you some flexibility to access one or two places that are out of reach of the trains, but it may also be more trouble that it is worth in many more places. Public transport in and around Milan is far from perfect, but there is certainly plenty of it, whether you want to visit great cities, lakes or mountains.

Verdict – no

Would you hire a car in Milan?

Have you driven in Milan? Do you agree with our advice on whether or not it's worth hiring a car in Milan?
Tell us what you think using the comments section below:
 

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