AC Milan Playbook: Your Unrivalled Experience Watching the Rossoneri

As well as being the fashion and business powerhouse of Italy, Milan sits high on the bucket lists of most football tourists.

From how to get tickets to where to eat and drink, this guide has got you covered ahead of a trip to watch AC Milan.

Where To Stay

Picture Milan as a series of circles – like the house of a curling rink used at the Winter Olympics in the city. It is easy to travel from the outside to the centre, or right across the city, and doesn’t take too long. So don’t be tied down to looking for a place near San Siro.

If you do want to be fairly close by, however, CityLife, Milan’s business and commercial district, is one option. There are apartment rentals and Airbnbs while some hotel rooms at the Melia Milano have a view of the stadium, with San Siro just a 30-minute stroll away. And if that sounds like too much in the late summer heat – or winter frost – the metro goes from Tre Torri, Lotto and Amendola.

The CityLife Shopping District is a huge mall with stores on one floor and restaurants on another. In the warmer months they extend outside and this is a nice place to spend time before a late kick-off. With plenty of green space, expect to see families enjoying picnics or kicking a ball around before heading to the game.

Another hotel, slightly further away, is the Nhow Milano on Via Tortona. It’s just under three miles from the stadium but door to door takes less than 45 minutes, which includes a 15-minute a walk to Porta Genova Metro. From there head to Garibaldi on line 2 then switch to line 5 for the San Siro. Outside high season, a large twin room is just under £150 per night but prices rise in the warmer weather, when the infinity pool on the roof opens (normally April). Navigli, with all its bars and restaurants, is just around the corner.

Where To Eat

AC Milan followers may not be too keen to take a recommendation from an Inter legend but a couple of things are worth noting. Firstly, Christian Vieiri did have a brief spell in the red and black. But more importantly, when someone raves about the ‘best pasta in Italy’ it’s worth checking out. Osteria del Corso is his favourite restaurant, while the former Italy striker also pointed us in the direction of the schiacciata at All’Antico Vinaio.

For something a bit quicker and cheaper I Segreti di Pulcinella is on Via Carlo D’Adda, not far from the Nhow Hotel. The pizzas are €7-€8 and up there with the best we’ve tried (the campagnola was a particular favourite). This is another place you will have to put Milan loyalty to one side and just embrace the calcio royalty. It’s wall to wall Maradona and Napoli, while the chef is known to watch the match on his ipad while he’s cooking.

Slap bang in the city, on Via Santa Radegonda just a few minutes’ walk from the famous Duomo di Milano, is Luini. The bakery is famed for its panzerotti – tomato sauce and oozing mozzarella fried in dough. Just be prepared to join queues that can stretch back to the piazza. Piz Milano is also near the Duomo and they do only three pizzas – margherita, delicata bianca and marinara – but they do them so well, and for €8-€12.

Where To Drink

Take your pick from any of the places in Navigli. One of the city’s most picturesque locations, the canal system to the south of the centre buzzes day and night. 

Lined with bars and restaurants on both sides, you will find the away fans soaking up the atmosphere before European evenings, with its aperitivo options tough to beat. With bars usually open until 2am, Navigli is a good option after a late kick-off, too. But, be warned – in the warmer months mosquitoes love Milan, so repellent is a must.

If you’ve got a bit of time, it’s also a great place to spend a couple of hours and grab a bite on a Sunday morning.

Expect The Blues Canal to have Serie A on the TV but with the sound down so punters can watch the match and listen to the live band at the same time. And there’s football shirts all over the wall.

It is always worth getting to San Siro early for the pre-match buzz. Food stalls and merchandise trucks line the roads all the way up to the stadium – which is still one of the most iconic sights in football. The famous old ground will not be there much longer so take the opportunity to admire it from up close with a birra and panino, among thousands with the same idea.

The Old Tenconi Pub is a traditional bar close to the San Siro and a popular choice among AC Milan fans while Il Baretto is even closer, right by the ground. All Beer on Via Capecelatro is also in the neighbourhood and one for the craft beer enthusiasts.

For something a bit more stylish, try Ceresio 7. This rooftop bar has a pool and is one of the chicest places in Milan for aperitivo at sunset.

Don’t Forget

Tickets – Can be bought through the club website once you register. You can also buy tickets at Casa Milan, the club headquarters in the Portello district in the north-west of the city. Milan also have a partnership with P1travel.com although tickets will cost a bit more. Our guide has all the key information.

Kick-off times will be moved for television, so bear that in mind when arranging a trip far in advance.

Merchandise – You can buy online before you go at store.acmilan.com. Stores can be found in the city centre, on Via Dante and Galleria S. Carlo, and also at the San Siro.

Museum – Located at Casa Milan, the Mondo Milan Museum is open every day from 10am until 7pm. A standard adult ticket is €20. There is also a club shop, ticket office, restaurant and bistro and the Puma Cage where you can book a game of 2v2 or 3v3.

Stadium Tours – Can be booked on non-matchdays.

Did You Know?

In November 2025 Milan and Inter confirmed plans to demolish the San Siro and replace it with a new 71,500-capacity stadium.

Getting There

Three airports serve Mian with Linate the closest to the city centre – 15 minutes away by train and costing less than €3 for a ticket. 

Milan Malpensa is the biggest and busiest of the three, 45 minutes from Milan Centrale on the Malpensa Express. A ticket costs €13-€15 and there is also a shuttle bus, slightly cheaper and similar in journey time.

Bergamo Airport serves mainly budget airlines and the easiest route into Milan is taking the bus for around €10. Journey time is under an hour.

San Siro is the only stadium in Italy that has a direct stop on the subway. Take line M5 (linea Lilla), to stop San Siro Stadio, or line M1 (linea Rossa) to stop Piazzale Lotto, then walk along Viale Caprilli Street until you see the stadium.

Need Another Football Fix?  

Take your pick. Teams at every level of the calcio pyramid can be easily reached from Milan.

Monza is just over 10 minutes away on the train. It’s a lovely city but the the U-Power Stadium is open to the elements so not as much fun in the wind and rain. Another option is Reggio-Emilia – 35 minutes away on the fast train and home to Sassuolo and Reggiana, who share the Mapei Stadium. If it’s a Reggiana game you fancy, make sure you call the ground by its old name, the Citta del Tricolore. Reggiana are effectively tenants in a stadium they owned before it was bought by Sassuolo owners Mapei, and fans do not recognise the new name. 

A similar distance away by train, heading west, Novara has one of the biggest stadiums in Serie C, the Stadio Silvio Piola. Further down the pyramid, Pavia are in Serie D and around 20 minutes south of the city centre by train.