Many hotels, restaurants, and sights in Milan are well-equipped for visitors in wheelchairs or for those requiring assistance (care-givers accompanying disabled guests receive free admission to sights and museums upon request); however, the city still contains many old buildings with narrow corridors and closet-sized restroom facilities that have somehow resisted accessibility updating. Check the symbols below our hotel reviews, sightseeing locations, and dining destinations to determine suitability. It is also important to note that not all metro stations include elevators and escalators from ground level to platform. While all the Line 3 (yellow) and Line 5 (violet) metro stops are fully accessible by elevators, the older Line 1 (red) and Line 2 (green) have limitations. Stations currently fitted with lifts are:
Line 1: Sesto Marelli, Gorla, Loreto, Porta Venezia, Palestro, San Babila, Cordusio, Cairoli, Cadorna FN, Pagano, Amendola, Fiera, Lampugnano, Bonola, Gambara, Bande Nere, Inganni.
Line 2: Cascina Gobba, Udine, Lambrate FS, Piola, Loreto, Centrale FS, Gioia, Garibaldi FS, Cadorna FN, Sant'Ambrogio, Sant'Agostino, Porta Genova FS, Romolo.
If you require assistance, ask the guard at the entry and exit ticket turnstiles. For more information, call the free phone hotline at 800 80 81 81, or check the website www.atm.it. The Radiobus service also has lifts for wheelchairs and audio messages for the blind. In stations and airports, a texturized rubber strip along the floor of corridors is designed to help guide and orientate the blind or visually impaired.
Trenitalia is slowly introducing easy-access carriages but accessibility is still spotty. Trains fitted with wheelchair lifts are indicated with a wheelchair symbol on all timetables. Call (+39) 02 67 07 09 58 to arrange help for boarding or disembarking from trains at Centrale, Cadorna and Porta Garibaldi railway stations. It is advisable to call ahead to flag the request. For night travel (22:00 - 06:00), call 12 hours ahead. For help on international trains, make the request two days in advance.
Transport to Linate (bus 73) and Malpensa (Malpensa Express) airports is wheelchair-friendly. If you prefer a taxi, be sure to book the car well in advance, specifying when you need a car large enough to fit a wheelchair (sedia a rotelle in Italian).