Lombardy Milano:
Getting in

Milano Getting in by plane - Malpensa airport

The main international airport is Malpensa (Milano Malpensa, code MXP). It's a two runway airport, well connected to the center of the city by public transportation.

• SEA Aeroporti di Milano - official site of SEA, the firm operating Malpensa and Linate airports.
• Malpensa Express trains leave every 30 minutes from the Airport and arrive at Stazione Cadorna after 40 minutes. It should be a fast link, but due to line congestion it has become like an ordinary commuter train, very crowded at rush hours, particularly going to Malpensa. Ticket: single trip 11 euro (13.50 if bought on train), round trip (single day) 14 euro (17 if bought on train). Ticket must be validated in the station before boarding.
• Buses leave every 20 minutes for Centrale Station and Linate airport, costing about 5 euros. Travel can take from 30 minutes (weekends) to 1 hour or more (during weekday mornings)

  Malpensa Express - Photo © Al Coda
  

• Using a taxi to get from Malpensa to the city center is expensive: 60-75 euros.

• You can reach Milano by Trenitalia trains departing from Gallarate. A bus service is available from the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Malpensa to Gallarate Railway Station.

Milano Getting in by plane - Linate airport

Some European or national flights arrive at Linate Airport (code LIN). This small, one-runway airport is closer to the city center than Malpensa, but less well connected by public transport.

• There is a public transport bus stop for the 73 line outside the terminal building. This goes to San Babila Square, in the city center, which is served by metro line MM1. The bus runs every ten minutes and costs €1. This bus service is managed by ATM, the public transport society of Milano. You can buy the ticket from the newsagent or the ATM vending machines. With the same ticket, you can transfer to one or more buses, trams or subways in a 75 minute period. You can also directly use a comprehensive ticket to many places in the suburbs. For more detail see Getting around. You can obtain information and a timetable from the ATM web site. The "Direction SAN BABILA M1" lists the stops from outside Milano (from Segrate San Felicino) passing trough Linate Airport and going to the city center of Milano (end of line in San Babila Square). The "Direction S.FELICINO" lists the stops from the city center (San Babila Square) to the town of Segrate San Felicino passing through Linate Airport. Buses leave approximately every 10-20 minutes.

Linate airport

• A bus service, operated by Malpensa Shuttle connects Malpensa airport to Linate airport (timetables, fares and ticket booking on website). The trip takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic conditions.

• Taxis from Linate to the city center cost 12-18 euros.

Milano Getting in by plane - Orio al Serio airport

Some budget airlines fly into Orio al Serio Airport (BGY), about 45km north-east of Milano near the city of Bergamo. Ryanair refers to this as Milano Bergamo Airport. Public transport into Milano is slightly less convenient than Malpensa or Linate:

• Orio al Serio Airport - official site of Milano Bergamo airport.
• Trains to Milano leave from Bergamo station, which you can get to by shuttle bus or taxi, but is quite far from the airport. Buses to Bergamo are run by ZANI and take 10 minutes, at a cost of around €1.50. Trains from Bergamo to Milano run every 30-60 minutes and take around 1 hour. Adult one way fare approx €4.

  Orio al Serio airport - Photo © vespeter

• Bus: the bus leaves for Milano from immediately outside the arrivals section of the airport, and from v. Ferrante Aporti on the east side of Central Station in Milano for all the companies below.

• Autostradale run a direct bus from Orio Airport to Milano Centrale station, which is probably the best choice. Departure times may vary but buses generally run every half hour during the day, less often at night, and take about 1 hour or more. Beware cutting things too fine, however, because the highway to Milano is very crowded during weekdays. Adult one way fare €6.70. Tickets are sold in Orio Al Serio Airport in Bergamo and at the Central Train Station in Milano. Be at the Milano Bus stop at least 15 minutes before nominal departure time or you may get left behind.

• Zani Viaggi also run a bus service from Bergamo Airport to Milano Centrale station with a stop at the Cascina Gobba MM3 station on the North Eastern outskirts of Milano. Adult fare €6.70 one way, tickets sold at an office in the airport or online.

• Terravision has a bus service from from Orio Airport to Milano.

• Taxis will set you back maybe €100 from Orio to Milano.

Milano Getting in by train

The main railway station is Central Station, which is served by Trenitalia, the State Railways. Regular trains serve all Italian cities (Turin, Venice, Rome, Naples, Florence and many others), and some European cities (Barcelona, Zurich, Geneva, Munich, Paris, Stuttgart, Zagreb, Vienna)

Note that the station is not in a great part of town, though in the area there are a number of decent budget hotels and some business-oriented international brand hotel.

Stazione Centrale - Photo © JMichaelSullivan  

In general the area south of the station is a business and local government center, pretty much active during working hours but almost deserted at night.

Should you need a few supplies for your trip, there is a small supermarket in the western side of the station at ground level, as well as cafes and other small shops. As of June 2006, the station was undergoing extensive renovation. At night, parts of Central Station become a sleeping area for vagrants.

Central Station is served by MM2 and MM3 metro lines and is an interesting place to see, since it's very big and built in fascist style. Taxis stops directly in front of the station, the ATM buses on the West side (IV November Square) and buses to Malpensa on the East side (Luigi di Savoia square).

Another important railway station is Cadorna, served by Ferrovie Nord (North Railways), where the Malpensa Express stops and which is also a stop for MM1 and MM2.

Garibaldi station, is the terminus for most commuter railway lines, and is served by the state railways. It is also a stop for the MM2 and for the Passante (see Getting_Around).

Other main train station are Lambrate, Greco-Pirelli, Rogoredo and Porta Genova for the FS Trenitalia railway and Bovisa and Domodossola for the Ferrovie Nord. The Domodossola station is very close to the city section of the Milano Exhibition center - fieramilanocity.

Note that Ferrovie Nord (FNM) and Trenitalia (FS) are two different railway networks, with different stations, different trains and different tickets. For example: if you need to go to Malpensa and you are in FS Greco Pirelli, you need to go first to Garibaldi station, then take MM2 to Cadorna and then Malpensa Shuttle to the airport. In same cases from Garibaldi station, you can take the passante to Bovisa FNM (these trains leave from the underground station below Garibaldi station and next to the city underground station. Be sure that the train you take stops at Bovisa) From Bovisa you can get on the Malpensa shuttle train.

Milano Getting in by car

The main highways linking Milano to the rest of Italy are:

• A1, the Autostrada del Sole (Highway of the Sun), linking Milano to Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples;

• A4, linking Milano to Turin, Brescia, Bergamo, Verona and Venice;

• A8, the Autostrada dei Laghi (Highway of the Lakes), linking Milano to Como Lake, Maggiore Lake and Switzerland.

• A7, linking Milano to Genoa.

The main highway operating company is Societa' Autostrade.

Because of heavy traffic, it is strongly recommended not to drive in Milano during working days. Driving is much better during weekends. Perhaps you should leave your car in one of the well-marked car parks near the highway ring: they're managed by ATM and are easily connected with Milano undergroud lines but they close at around midnight. They're near highway exits in Cascina Gobba (East), Lampugnano (West) and San Donato (SouthEast). If you must drive in Milano during weekdays, then make sure you have an up-to-date map showing the one-way system.

Milano Getting in by bus

FS Garibaldi Train Station is also Milano Bus terminal. International and long distance buses arrive and depart mainly from new bus station, located in front of Porta Garibaldi train station (metro line 2 station GARIBALDI or SBahn station GARIBALDI PASSANTE).

Attention: former "station" located in Piazza Castello, in front of the Castello Sforzesco, doesn't exist anymore since some years, but often on guides it is still quoted.

The main national bus lines are operated by Autostradale but there are many other small companies offering even international travel.

Based on work by Max, Jonathan Fain, Simone Bravo, Peter Smith, Tufariello Alessandro, Luca Camellini, , TuscanyGuy, David Mills, Ernesto Valels, Ricardo, Daniel Cowan, Colin Jensen, Evan Prodromou, Gio, Rory, Yann Forget and Michele Ann Jenkins, Wikitravel user(s) Travelbubble, Ypsilon, Episteme, AnyFile, Paul123, W66LinkBott, Jonboy, Nzpcmad, Wikibob, Infrogmation, Nils, Huttite, RedBit, PierreAbbat and LucaLiz and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
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