Home / Milan /Linate / Airport Bus Express coach vs ATM bus 973

LIN → Milan · head to head

Airport Bus Express coachorATM bus 973?

The short answer

These do not go to the same place, so price is not the comparison. The Airport Bus Express coach reaches San Babila and the Duomo, where the M4 arrives; Milano Centrale is one change away; the ATM bus 973 does not. It ends at Piazza Cinque Giornate, east of the center, not San Babila or the Duomo, and takes longer than the metro takes to get further. Good only for Porta Vittoria, Corso XXII Marzo and the Tribunale, or if you would rather not go underground.

The ATM bus 973 is quicker: 20 min against 25 min.

Airport Bus Express coach: 09:00–21:30. ATM bus 973: 06:34–23:59.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in EUR. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersAirport Bus Express coachATM bus 973Difference
1from €5€2.20up to €2.80
2from €10€4.40up to €5.60
3from €15€6.60up to €8.40
4from €20€8.80up to €11.20
5from €25€11up to €14
6from €30€13.20up to €16.80
7from €35€15.40up to €19.60
8from €40€17.60up to €22.40

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
shuttle · AutostradaleAirport Bus Express coach
From
Stop 1 in front of the terminal
To
Milano Centrale, Piazza Luigi di Savoia 1, via Lambrate
Luggage
One hold bag and one small bag included; more if there is room.
Runs
09:00–21:30
Journey
25 min

EUR 5 is the online price. The operator says the promotion does not apply at the stop and does not publish what does, so buy before you walk out.

It runs hourly and the metro runs every few minutes; the M4 plus one change reaches the same station in about the same time for EUR 2.20. This coach is for someone who wants to sit with the bags and not change trains.

Which of the two timetables is running depends on the week: 09:00-21:00 with a 22:30, or 08:30-21:30. The operator's page collapses both into "08:30 - 22:30".

Arrive 15 minutes before departure with an online ticket; the operator asks for it.

Airport Bus Express coach: price for every party size →

Check times and fares with Autostradale
bus · ATMATM bus 973
From
The bus stop at Arrivals, Gate 8 of the terminal
To
Stazione Forlanini M4, Viale Corsica, Corso XXII Marzo and Piazza Cinque Giornate
Luggage
A city bus under ATM's ordinary rules: carried free, nothing over 90 cm on a side.
Runs
06:34–23:59
Journey
14–23 min

This is what is left of bus 73. The 73 ran to San Babila and the Duomo until the M4 reached San Babila in July 2023; the 973 was extended from Linate to Cinque Giornate at the end of 2025.

It shares the M4's stop at Stazione Forlanini, so it is also the way to the S lines without going into the metro.

The other direction runs out to San Felicino in Peschiera Borromeo; check the destination on the front before boarding.

ATM bus 973: price for every party size →

See ATM's tickets

This compares two of 5 options. See all of them ranked for your party size →

The other comparisons at Linate