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Malpensa Express - Photo © Al Coda
Milan Getting in and around
Milan Getting in by plane - Malpensa airport
The main international airport is Malpensa (Milan Malpensa, code MXP).
It's a two runway airport, well connected to the center of the city by public
transportation.
-
- Malpensa Express train leaves every 30 minutes from Terminal 1 at the minutes .26 and .56 and
takes 35 minutes, 29 minutes for the non-stop runs. It runs from 5.26 to 23:56 (with two additional bus courses at 0:23 and 1:30) to arrive downton stopping at two places into Milan (except the non-stop runs that only stop at Milano Cadorna). To go back to Mlpensa from downtown the Malpensa Express train leaves the Milano Cadorna station on the hour and on the half hour from 4:30 to 23:00 (with an aditional bus leaving at 23:27) and takes about 35 minutes. Several courses take 29 minutes and are non-stop from Cadorna to Malpensa. Consult the schedule at the Malpens Express site for up-to-date info.
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.
- Regional trains of the suburban line S10 - these trains run once every hour from 9:08 to 16:08 (from Milano Rogoredo station) stop in all the stops of the "Passante": Milano Rogoredo, Porta Vittoria, Dateo, Repubblica, Porta Garibaldi, Lancetti, Bovisa(at the minute .40) and with several other stops on the way reach the Malpensa airport at the minute .18 of the following hour. In addition to the number of stations that are all across the city of Milan, this train in cheaper than the Malpensa Express. In the direction from Malpensa to Milano these S10 trains run every hour from 10:42 to 17:42 and arrive at the station of Milano Rogoredo at the minute .52. Consult the "Le Nord" site for the up-to-date schedule. Download the " Servizi aeroportuali (aggiornato)" PDF file, it's in Italian, but it's easy to understand, as it is a train schedule with station names and times.
- Buses leave every 20 minutes for Centrale Station and Linate
airport, costing about 7 euros. Travel can take from 30 minutes (weekends)
to 1 hour or more (during weekday mornings).
- Using a taxi to get from Malpensa to the city centre is
expensive: 60-75 euros.
- You can reach Milan, or the other destinations on the train lines north of Malpensa, such as Varese, Stresa or Domodossola (the entrance on the Italian side of the Sempione tunnel) by a shuttle train connecting the Malpensa train station to the Trenitalia trains departing from Gallarate. This service runs once per hour from 7:10 to 20:10 in the direction Malpensa to Gallarate, and at the minutes .39 from 7:39 to 20:39 from Gallarate to Malpensa. Check the Trenitalia site for connections at the Gallarate station for your final destination. A bus
service is also available from the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Malpensa to
Gallarate Railway Station.
Linate airport
Milan 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 centre 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 centre, 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 Milan. 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 Milan (from Segrate San Felicino)
passing trough Linate Airport and going to the city center of Milan (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.
- 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 centre cost 12-18 euros.
Orio al Serio airport - Photo © vespeter
Milan Getting in by plane - Orio al Serio airport
Some budget airlines fly into Orio al Serio Airport (BGY), about 45km
north-east of Milan near the city of Bergamo. Ryanair
refers to this as Milan Bergamo Airport. Public transport into Milan is
slightly less convenient than Malpensa or Linate:
- Trains to Milan 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 Milan run every 30-60 minutes and
take around 1 hour. Adult one way fare approx €4.
- The bus leaves for Milan from immediately outside the arrivals section
of the airport, and from v. Ferrante Aporti on the east side of Central
Station in Milan 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 ti Milan 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 Milan.
Be at the Milan 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 Milan. 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 Milan.
- Taxis will set you back maybe €100 from Orio to Milan.
Stazione Centrale - Photo © JMichaelSullivan
Milan 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 (see "Sleep" below) and some
business-oriented international brand hotel. 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 Milan Exhibition Centre - 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.
Milan Getting in by car
The main highways linking Milan to the rest of Italy are:
- A1, the Autostrada del Sole (Highway of the Sun), linking Milan
to Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples;
- A4, linking Milan to Turin, Brescia, Bergamo, Verona and Venice;
- A8, the Autostrada dei Laghi (Highway of the Lakes), linking
Milan to Como Lake, Maggiore Lake and Switzerland.
- A7, linking Milan to
Genoa.
The main highway operating company is Societa' Autostrade.
Because of heavy traffic, it is strongly recommended not to drive in Milan
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 Milan 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 Milan
during weekdays, then make sure you have an up-to-date map showing the one-way system.
Milan Getting in by bus
FS Garibaldi Train Station is also Milan 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 is still quoted.
The main national bus lines are operated by Autostradale but there are many other small companies offering even international
travel.
Getting around
ATM operates a public transport network which is pretty efficient
(especially the underground lines and the streetcars). Single tickets cost 1
euro and are available from newsstands, bars and automatic ticket machines in
metro stations. Daily and two-day tickets are available in several newsstands
(including subway newsstands) and the tourist information office.
Single tickets
are valid for 75 minutes, during which you can use them on as many trams and
buses as you like and for one metro ride and for one ride on the urban part of
the suburban train. Your time starts once you validate it by inserting it into a
box which prints the date and time on it. These are found inside trams and buses
and at the turnstiles at the metro.
If you've first used a single ticket on a
bus or tram you must also validate it when you enter the metro or before taking
the urban part of the suburban train.. A new ticketing system is being
introduced during 2006. If you have a new magnetic type ticket, you should
validate it every time you board on a new bus or tram, as well.
- The Metro (short for Metropolitana, the logo is a big white M on a red background) has three lines, each commonly identified by a color as
shown below, and is the best way to get around if you're near a station. The
lines are: MM1, red (rossa); MM2, green (verde); MM3, yellow (gialla).
The last trains run at around midnight (2 a.m. on Saturday nights). A fourth line is under construction, and a fifth line will start construction in the next year.
- The Suburban Railway System (the logo is a big green S on
a blue background) includes a special line known as Passante, usually
considered the fourth subway line, and has eight more lines, each identified
by a number (1 to 10, lines 7 and 8 are not yet operating). Note that
suburban trains run less often than Metro trains (depending on the line,
they range from 1 to 4 per hour) but, as some lines share the tracks and the
stations, you can expect as many as 10 trains per hour in central Milan
between Lancetti and Porta Vittoria stations. These lines are usually marked
with a large blue line on maps. In addition to providing an urban service inside Milan, the major service of the S lines is to connect the suburbs, in a range of 30-50 kilometers from Milano, with frequent stops.
- Trams run above-ground on rail lines running through the streets.
Being above ground means you get a view of what you're passing, so if you
don't need to go far they're convenient and fun.
- Buses should probably be your third public transport option. Less
comfortable than the metro and trams, but more routes to choose from.
ATM Tram and Buses service stops around 2 am. Please note, however, that some
lines end their service earlier and some do not have a night service at all. In
any case check your route and timetable in advance if you want to travel at late
night. From 8 pm to 2 am a special shuttle service is operated by ATM, called Radiobus, an on-call bus accessible only by pre-booking.
- Taxis are pretty expensive, the best ways to catch a taxi is from taxi stands or by phone
booking. The main taxi companies answer to phone numbers 02.40.40 and
02.69.69. A special phone number 848.814.781 allow you to be automatically
to the nearest taxi stand. It is charged at local phone charge, but it is
only available from wired landlines (both private and public phone), but not
from cellular or mobile phone. If you book a taxi by phone you'll start
paying from the moment the driver accepts the call and comes to pick you up.
- Cars are definitely not a good idea to get into the city centre.
Like most major cities traffic is a considerable problem, not to mention the
hassle of parking. During working hours traffic is often blocked, inside the
city as well as on the highway ring surrounding it. It is much better at
night, but you'll probably have problems finding a place to leave the car
near enough to nightlife attractions.
- Several buses connect suburban cities and towns surrounding Milan. Some
are managed by ATM. You can travel on most of them with an inter-urban
ticket (biglietto interurbano) which are sold in two forms: including travel
in Milan or without. In the without form you can only go to the end of the
line, while with the cumulative version you can transfer to any ATM line.
There are several rules and distance limits which apply - check on them.
- Walking is definitely a possibility, and although Milan is a
large city this is an excellent way of imbibing the culture of the place. No
matter how hot the day, one will see elegantly dressed people of both sexes
in cutting or perhaps timeless fashion with not a drop of sweat. There are
many places to sit, apart from the ubiquitous cafes, especially in the
parks. Get a decent map of the city before setting out though, as the roads
do not always maintain a straight line, and the various piazza can be
confusing to the newcomer. In the many parks, there are dog only areas, but
one should always be careful when walking as the two things one will see on
the ground in the streets are cigarette ends and dog feces.
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. revised and updated by Enrico Tangoitalia.com
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