Milan eSIM
In Milan you connect to Vodafone or TIM, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 88 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Vodafone and TIM
- Typical speed in Italy
- 88 Mbps typical, 24 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Milan
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $5.89 | $5.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $2.63 | $7.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $1.98 | $9.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.49 | $14.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.19 | $23.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $0.94 | $46.89 |
How Italy compares across Europe
- Regional typical speed
- 71 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Vodafone, TIM
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Denmark, 88 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Liechtenstein, 88 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 5: Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples
Landing at Milan Malpensa Airport "Silvio Berlusconi" (MXP)
- Airport
- MXP / LIMC
- Distance
- 49 km from the centre of Milan
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalOperator advertises MALPENSA FREE WI-FI as free high-speed internet access for everyone.
- Also serves
- Milan Linate Airport "Enrico Forlanini" (LIN), Il Caravaggio International Airport (Milan Bergamo, Orio al Serio) (BGY)
Getting into Milan
- Malpensa Express to Milano Cadorna (MXP), about 43 minutes
- Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale (MXP), about 57 minutes
- Milan Metro Line M4 (LIN), about 15 minutes. Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
Underground and on the metro
Milan Metro runs 5 lines. It opened in 1964. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Milan
- Milan is served by three airports Malpensa about 49 km northwest, Linate about 7 km east, and Bergamo about 45 km northeast so the ground journey differs enormously depending on which one you land at.
- Linate has had a direct metro link since 12 October 2024, when Line M4 reached Linate Aeroporto; the driverless line takes about 15 minutes to the city centre.
- The Malpensa Express runs to two different Milan termini: about 43 minutes to Cadorna and about 57 minutes to Centrale.
- Milan also has one of the world's largest tram networks, with 17 urban lines running at street level.
- Metro Line M4 has had 4G and 5G along all 15 km since 12 October 2024, covering every tunnel and all 21 stations. It was the first metro line in Italy with full 5G, served by iliad, TIM, Vodafone and WINDTRE.
- The Linate to San Babila stretch of M4 has had dedicated 4G and 5G antennas since 2023, so the ride in from Linate Airport stays connected underground the whole way.
- Milan's municipal free Wi-Fi works indoors at city venues for as long as they are open to the public, and at a growing number of outdoor hotspots. You sign in with an email address, a social account or SPID.
- ATM takes contactless Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Maestro and V Pay cards, plus phones and watches, on all five metro lines and every ATM tram, bus and trolleybus, charging only the fare. Visa-issued Postepay cards and PagoBancomat-only cards do not work.
- In the metro, tap the same card or device again to exit. On buses and trams within Milan one tap on boarding is enough, but outside the city and on some lines you tap before getting off. Contactless fares do not cover S lines or trains.
- Area C, the paid traffic zone in central Milan, runs all year from Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 19:30, with electronic gates reading number plates. Taxis with plates registered for limited traffic zones and reserved lanes enter without paying the ticket.
- Malpensa's Terminal 2 station is underground and joined to arrivals by an outdoor walkway. The last Malpensa Express from Terminal 2 to Cadorna leaves at 00:20, and hopping between Terminals 1 and 2 on the train costs 2 euro for adults.
- Malpensa Express trains for Milano Centrale also stop at Porta Garibaldi and leave Centrale at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour. Cadorna departures run at 27 and 57 past, with the first at 04:27.
- Drivers pay for Area C by buying a ticket and activating it online against the car's number plate, which needs no MyAreaC registration. Anyone who drove in and forgot to pay can still buy a deferred ticket afterwards.