Linate ⇄ Milan:
M4 metro, taxi or private driver?
Since 2024 the M4 metro links Linate to San Babila in 12 minutes for 2.20 € — if you travel alone and light it is unbeatable, and we say that as a transfer company. Taxis run on the meter (there is no fixed fare for Linate) and a pre-booked car makes sense in specific windows: before 6 am, after half past midnight, in a group or with luggage. Verified timetables and tariffs, both directions.
Data: ATM service and tickets (verified August 2026) · Comune di Milano taxi tariffs · NexaRide published operating policies. No provider rankings.
The route in 4 numbers
Tariffs and timetables verified on official sources, valid in both directions.
| Metric | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| M4 San Babila ⇄ Linate | 12 minutes, train every 2-3 | The fastest option on the route during service hours (~6:00 am-00:30 am) |
| ATM ticket | 2.20 € (90 minutes) | Since 1/1/2026 contactless or app only: paper tickets are no longer accepted |
| Taxi Linate ⇄ centre | meter, no fixed fare | Flag drop 4.10 € weekdays / 6.60 € holidays / 7.90 € nights (Comune di Milano): the total depends on traffic |
| Pre-booked chauffeur (NCC) | quote agreed in advance | Price locked when you book, identical at any hour — there is no meter |
The M4 changed this route (and it deserves saying)
Since October 2024 the blue line runs complete from Linate to San Cristoforo: the airport is genuinely on the metro.
From San Babila (M1 interchange) it takes 12 minutes; you can also change at Sant'Ambrogio for the M2 and at Dateo and Forlanini FS for the suburban rail lines. Trains are driverless and run every ~2 minutes at peak: no timetable needed.
Two things to know in 2026: paper tickets are no longer accepted (enter with a contactless card or the ATM app) and, if you pay by card, the check-out at the exit gates is mandatory — skip it and the system charges the maximum fare. Bus 73 from San Babila still runs (~35 minutes, same ticket): it only makes sense when the M4 is not running.
The honest answer from a transfer operator: if you travel alone, light and within service hours, take the M4. The rest of this page is for everyone who is not in that case.
Taxis: there is no fixed fare for Linate
The most common mistake of people who know Malpensa.
Malpensa–Milan has a fixed municipal fare (114 €), and so does Orio al Serio (128 €). Linate does not: to the city centre you pay what the meter shows — flag drop 4.10 € weekday daytime, 6.60 € holidays, 7.90 € at night from 22:00 to 6:00 (Comune di Milano tariffs) — and the total depends on traffic and time of day. At rush hour, the queue around Linate runs with the meter on.
The only fixed fares touching Linate are inter-route: Linate–Fiera Milano Rho 68 € and Linate–Malpensa 128 €. You take a taxi at the rank outside arrivals, or book one by app or phone; for the full cost breakdown see our page on taxi costs from Linate.
When a pre-booked car is the right tool
An NCC does not compete with the M4 on a solo passenger's price — it competes on the windows and cases where the metro is not enough:
- 🕔 Before 6 am and after 00:30. The first M4 leaves around 6:00 am: for a 7:00-7:30 flight, with check-in and bags, that is a gamble. Same for arrivals after half past midnight: the no-metro window is road-only.
- 🧳 Groups, families, luggage. With 3-4 people and suitcases, the per-person cost of door-to-door gets close to the metro's, with no stairs or changes — and a van seating 5+ booked with certainty.
- 💶 Price locked when you book. No meter running in traffic and no surprises: the quote agreed on WhatsApp is what you pay, with a receipt. On arrival, monitored flight and first hour of waiting included.
Timings, vehicles and a quick quote on the Linate transfer page.
The 3 Linate-route mistakes
Small ones, but they cost.
- 🚕 Expecting the fixed taxi fare. It exists for Malpensa and Orio, not for Linate: here it is the meter, and in rush-hour traffic the total is anyone's guess.
- 🚇 Relying on the M4 for a 7:00 am flight. First train around 6:00 am: it works on paper, but between the ride, check-in and security the margin is zero. Very early departures belong on the road.
- 🕔 Deciding at the last minute. Standing at arrivals with your bags is where the worst options get chosen: taxi-rank queues or long waits. The hard cases (extreme hours, groups, luggage) are solved by booking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the M4 metro from Milan to Linate, and how long does it take?+
How much is a taxi from Linate to Milan city centre?+
What time do the first and last M4 trains run?+
Is the metro worth it with luggage?+
How much does a private transfer (NCC) to Linate cost?+
If my flight into Linate lands late, does the transfer wait?+
Methodology and sources
This article is part of the NexaRide research series on transport and mobility in Milan.
Public sources: ATM service, timetables and tickets for the M4 and bus 73 (verified in August 2026 - the official timetable of the day always prevails); taxi tariffs set by the Comune di Milano.
Internal data: NexaRide's published operating policies (quote agreed in advance, flight monitoring, first hour of waiting included from landing).
NexaRide is a Milan NCC (chauffeur) operator: we publish this data as research, stating our point of view, and we do not publish provider rankings. The data may be quoted with attribution to NexaRide (nexaride.it).
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