San Siro Stadium: Cathedral of Football in Milan, Italy

One day I decided to go to an AC Milan match. Being located in California meant I had to make some arrangements but before I knew it I was stepping off the plane and into Malpensa Airport in Milan. It was September and I was looking forward to seeing the likes of Pippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta, and the legendary Paulo Maldini take the pitch at The Cathedral, Stadio San Siro, home of Italian football giants AC Milan and Inter Milan.

The experience of visiting San Siro, or Stadio Guiseppe Meazza as it is known to Inter fans, is a truly great one for any football fan. So if you are planning a visit for the upcoming Serie A season, here are a few observations and tips that I learned on my trip that you might find useful.

Because it was my first time to Italy alone, I wanted to tie up as many loose ends as I could before I went. This included purchasing a ticket online from a "reputed" ticket broker in The Netherlands. The site indicated that it was wise to book a ticket in advance and that it would conveniently arrive at my hotel a day or two before the match. I felt it reasonable to proceed, and a little over fifty dollars later, I had confirmation of my ticket for the AC Milan match against Catania. But there was a problem. The ticket I received at my hotel less than 24 hours before the match was not mine. It belonged to someone named Phoebe Kennedy. There was nothing I could do to solve this problem before the match.

I was reeling that I might miss seeing the squad I came all the way to Italy for. Obviously I could not let that happen, so I the day of the match I walked over to the ticket kiosks that are set up outside the stadium. I stood in a brief line and bought a ticket in the annello rosso due, or second red ring, for about 20€. I felt even more dense than before as I realized that the cheap ticket I just bought was in a better area than the one I bought online.

Needless to say, I do not recommend using an online ticket broker unless you are going to a huge game. A moderate early season match against a team like Catania does not warrant any kind of special arrangements. Buy your tickets at the stadium the day of the match.

The best affordable seats are in either annello rosso 1 or 2. These seats are great and don't worry, the spirited fans who love to chant, stomp and throw the occasional smoke bomb are sequestered to an area all their own but are close enough to catch some of their vibe. You will more likely be surrounded by, most of the time, mellow local Milan fans and a few drunk Australian or British people ( I kid). Hardly a rowdy affair, rather, a wonderful way to watch one of the best teams in Europe win, or in my case, lose to Catania that day in September.

When I was in Milan, I admit I was intimidated at first by the public transport. I took a cab to the stadium which put me back about 20€. While cabs are a comfortable way to travel, I learned later from a local Milanese friend that the trams are a breeze to use. In fact (and at risk of crossing President Berlusconi), skipping the purchase of a ticket is entirely do-able. I used the tram to go a few blocks here and there, and never once bought a ticket. Likewise with the tram to San Siro, a ticket is, um, optional as the cars are packed with tifosi.

To get to the San Siro from downtown on the tram take Line 16 from the Piazza del Duomo. If taking the Metro you'll want to take the MM1 line which goes from the Lotto-Fiera 2 station. However, the Metro drops you off pretty far from the stadium, so you mustn't mind walking. If you'd like to purchase a ticket for either the metro or tram they're only 1€ and sold at tobacconists and newsstands which are readily available around il centro di Milano. For more information, the best place I have found is here at the official site of AC Milan.

If you stay near in the San Siro area, it is easy to walk. I explored the area quite a bit and found it very pedestrian friendly and pleasant. It is mostly residential but you'll also be able to see parts of the interesting old horse racing track near the Stadium and pass quite a few good places to have a piece of pizza and a beer.

Beer and alcohol are not sold inside the stadium (but I did think I heard someone was selling grappa, so not 100% about that all the time), but pre-event vendors set up outside the stadium provide libation, food, and trinkets. The atmosphere is festival-like so it is great to get there early to enjoy yourself, have a Moretti or two, and buy a scarf or something to represent your team. The stadium schematics are well organized and there are plenty of porters to help you with finding your seat or, in my case, how to insert my ticket properly into the automated ticket taker in order to get through the gates. Once inside you will behold a sight that all football fans, in my opinion, should see once before they die, especially if you support AC Milan or Inter.

A lush green grass pitch, a sunny blue sky, and great calcio... Sit back, breath in the northern air, and smile: The beautiful game is before you in all its glory!

AC Milan Official Site, How to reach the stadium
Wikipedia, San Siro
Google Maps, Milano