Milan Introduction

General Information

Location: Lombardy, northwest Italy.
Population: 1,181,700 (official estimate for 2002).
Ethnic mix: 96.5% Italian, 1% Asian, 1% African, 1% European, 0.5% American.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin or three-pin plugs are standard

Telephone area codes

The international direct dialling code (IDD) for Italy is +39, followed by area code:

Bologna 051 Pisa 050

Capri 081 Rome 06

Florence 055 Trieste 040

Genoa 010 Turin 011

Milan 02 Venice 041 Naples 081 Verona 045

Useful telephone numbers

Police, fire and ambulance: 113

Tourist offices

APT, Via Marconi 1 (Piazza Duomo, MM1/3 Duomo). Tel. 02.72.52.43.00, fax 02.72.52.43.50. Open Mon-Fri 8.45-13.00, 14.00-18.00, Sat and Sun 9.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00. This office provides free information on what to see and do in the city, with leaflets, maps etc.

APT Central Station (MM1/3 Centrale F.S.). Tel. 02.72.52.43.60, 02.72.52.43.70. Open Mon-Sat 9.00-18.30, Sun 9.00-12.30, 13.30-17.00. Located on the first floor “departures gallery”. Information, leaflets, maps, and also hotel availability.

Milan Urban Center (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 11/12, adjacent to Piazza Scala, MM1/3 Duomo). Open Mon-Fri 9.00-17.00, Sat and Sun closed. Information on events organized by the Municipality of Milan. Phone 02.8845.6370, 02.8845.6554/5.

Population

Italy: 57.68 million (as of Dec. 1999/Instituto Nazionale di Statistica)
Milan: 1.27 million

Time Zone

GMT + 1 (called Central Europe Time, or CET)
GMT + 2 from March 26 to October 29 (Summer Time, or Daylight Saving Time 2000)

Weather

Average January temp: 1°C (34°F).
Average July temp: 22°C (72°F).
Annual rainfall: 1,012mm (39.8 inches).

Transport

To get to the stadium before the match, MM1 Lotto then free shuttle bus, or tram 24 from MM1 De Angeli. Seats are numbered, and so in theory you can get there any time: however it’s best to get to the stadium a bit early just to savour the pre-match entertainment. After the game, there are no shuttle buses, and so you can either walk to MM1 Lotto (15-20 minutes) or to Piazzale Axum to take tram 24 back to MM1 De Angeli or into the centre (MM1 Cordusio).

Tipping

In restaurants, a tip of 5-10% is customary (unless “servizio” has been specified on the bill), though many Italians just leave a few euros on the table without worrying about calculating the percentage. All service personnel, such as hotel staff, taxi drivers and garage mechanics (car repairs), will appreciate a tip.

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