Practical information for visitors to Milan

Police, fire brigade and ambulance

When traveling abroad it’s always useful to know who to contact in case of an emergency. In Italy the standard emergency number is 112. This is the same as in the rest of Europe. It’s likely a telephonist of the police (or carabinieri) will pick up, but you can call this number for any kind of emergency, as they can forward your call to the fire brigade and ambulance.

Officially they should be able to speak English on the other side of the line. But especially in regional parts of Italy it can be a bit of a struggle. If you intend to spend a lot of time on water and are in need of the coast guard you can call 1530. You can also call 113 to directly contact the police, 115 for the fire department, 116 for roadside assistance, and 118 for an ambulance. But it’s easier to remember just to call 112 when you need assistance.

Holidays and festivities

Milan is a popular shopping destination. So for many travelers it’s important to know when the national holidays are. We made a list of the national holidays you might encounter in Milan. Most services and shops are likely closed on these days.

In 2024 the holidays fall on the following dates:
1 January – New Year’s Day.
6 January – Epiphany (or Three Kings’ Day).
31 March and 1 April – Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
25 April – Liberation day.
1 May – Labour day.
2 June – Day of the Republic. The national holiday of Italy, where they celebrate the day where they decided to become a republic through a referendum in 1946.
15 August – Assumption of Mary.
1 November – All Saints’ Day.
7 December – Saint Ambrose’s Day. This is a celebration specific to Milan, as Saint Ambrose is the patron saint of the city.
8 December – Immaculate Conception Day.
25 December – First Christmas Day.
26 December – Second Christmas Day.
31 December – New Year’s Eve.

Opening hours in Milan

The opening hours of shops in Italy can vary greatly. The hours in which a shop is open is less regulated than in north europe. So expect some flexibility in the opening hours of touristic attractions, restaurants and shops. It is common for shops to open around 09:00 and close around 19:00 to 20:00 hours, also some shops close at 17:00.

Keep in mind Italians like to have dinner around 20:00 to 21:30 hours, so the kitchens in the restaurants also tend to open quite late.

In the afternoon some churches, museums, shops and restaurants can also close due to riposo, which is the Italian afternoon break. As Milan is a very northern and touristic city people are less likely to hold an afternoon break than in South Italy, but it still happens on occasion. You can expect shops to close in Italy due to riposo between 12:30 / 13:30 for two hours until 14:30 / 15:30, while you will find most things stay open in the touristic areas.

It is very common for museums to be closed on monday. Shops are likely to be closed on sunday. And churches tend to have services for locals on sunday, while being open for tourists on other days. Banks can also be closed in the weekends.

As you can see the opening hours in Milan aren’t set in stone. But these guidelines will help you understand when to shop and which times to take into consideration. If you go to a village surrounding Milan after noon then it can be a good idea to for example take a bottle of water with you in case the cafes happen to be closed.

Weather and climate of Milan

Italy is a large country with several climates. So if you go to the beach you might experience a different climate than in the city of Milan. Milan has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). This means the summers can be quite warm, especially in the sun.

Milan has a long summer and the weather stays warm at least from May to September. In May you have an average temperature of 22,3 degrees celsius (72.1 degrees fahrenheit). In June you have an average temperature of 26,2 degrees celsius (79.2 degrees fahrenheit). And in July you have an average temperature of 29,1 degrees celsius (84.6 degrees fahrenheit). And in August you have an average temperature of 28.5 degrees celsius (83.3 degrees fahrenheit). And in September the weather still remain 24.4 degrees celsius (75.9 degrees fahrenheit) on average. As you can see the summers can be incredibly warm, so be sure to bring some nice comfortable shirts.

The winters are an entirely different story. In november you can expect the temperature to be an average of 10.7 degrees celsius (51.3 fahrenheit). In december it drop to an average of 6.4 degrees celsius (43.5 fahrenheit). In January it will be 5.9 degrees celsius (42.6 fahrenheit). And february 9.0 degrees celsius (48.2 fahrenheit). So the average temperature stays well above the freezing point. When it does freeze you can expect some snow. It’s normal for it to snow about 7 days a year.

Milan usually has a calm breeze and usually no strong winds. April and May tend to be the rainiest months and the winter months have the least rain, but as the Alps protect Milan from bad weather so the city has actually quite a low amount of rainfall compared to other European cities.

So in short, during most days you can wear your t-shirt and sunglasses.

Passport and visa

Italy is a EU country which is part of the Schengen area, so European tourists can enjoy the privileges that come with their EU passport and just travel to Italy without a visa.

Americans can stay in Italy without a visa for 90 days. For non-Europeans it’s important to note that when you travel to Italy your passport should be valid for at least another six months. And as you enter the Schengen zone (so when you land in Italy) be sure to get a stamp in your passport as you arrive.

Other countries might require a VISA. A good website to check out if you require a VISA when you travel to Italy and how to acquire it is VisaHQ.

Languages spoken in Italy

As you might know people in Italy speak Italian. Between the very north and south of Italy there are pretty large differences in dialect, so if you speak Italian you might find south italians harder to understand. Italy also has a lot of regional languages, such as Sicilian and German, but this is no problem for tourists as everyone tends to speak Italian.

In general Italians do understand basic English and you can make your intentions known by speaking English. Especially in the touristic areas you will have no problem getting around with English. As the English mastery of Italians widely differs you will encounter plenty of people who are fluent, but it will also frequently happen that, despite the person understanding you, they might not be able to respond to you in English. On our travels this has never been an issue as Italians are very expressive and can usually easily be understood.

Tipping culture in Milan

In general you have no obligation to tip in Italy. In restaurants you will also often find that tipping money is already included in the price, which is called ‘coperto’ on the bill. Sometimes they will also charge you for servizio, which is pretty much the same thing.

Theoretically coperto is a fee paid for the usage of certain goods while servizio is charged for certain services, but in practise both fees are interchangeable. It is unlikely you will find both fees on your bill at the same time.

Tourists may get surprised to find this service charge on the bill, but it is normal in Italy. Coperto not only covers the hidden charges of your meal, such as the served bread and usage of cutlery, but it also ensures nobody has to worry about what kind of tip is appropriate.

The height of the coperto usually ranges between the 1 to 5 euros. More touristic areas tend to have a higher fees. It is mandatory for restaurants to make the height of the coperto known (for example on their menu card) before charging it. In most of Italy, including Milan, you will find coperto on the bill. The only exception is Rome and the Lazio region, as they have banned coperto in that region.

The same goes for taxi drivers. There is no need to tip a taxi driver and you will find most Italians don’t tip them.

Of course a tip is always appreciated. In Italy a tip is truly considered a bonus for a job well done. So if you appreciate the service and you feel good you can always give a small tip by rounding the bill up. If you prefer more solid numbers you can give a tip of 10% or perhaps leave 1 or 2 euros. But it is absolutely not a requirement. The majority of Italians do not tip.

Paying and currency

The currency of Italy is the euro. Paying in cash is very common in Italy. And taxi drivers usually only accept cash. So when you travel to Italy it’s useful to have some cash at hand. You can for example take some cash with you from home or go into a bank or ATM to withdraw some cash.

Dedicated money exchanges can ask for very high fees, so it is not always recommended to use them. And if you do, then do discuss the fees up front and compare them with other exchanges.

Debit cards are the default in Italy. So for ease of use it can be useful to have a Maestro debit card at hand. But most stores, especially in touristic areas, also accept credit cards, especially from Visa and MasterCard.

Before you go on vacation it is also a good idea to check your bank limits for paying abroad. Some banks block a card if someone suddenly goes on a spending spree abroad, so it’s best to inform them about it upfront.