Arriving in Milan is exciting right up until the moment you step into the airport arrivals hall and realize you still have to get into the city.
Malpensa is Milan’s main international airport, but it sits well outside the centre. After a long flight, most travellers want the same thing: a transfer that is straightforward, predictable and does not require negotiating traffic with luggage in tow.
For many visitors, taking the Malpensa Airport to Milan by train is one of the simplest options. The Malpensa Express connects the airport with several Milan stations, including Milano Centrale, making it particularly convenient if your hotel is near the main station or if you are continuing to another Italian city.
Know Which Milan Station You Actually Need
One detail catches first-time visitors out: the Malpensa Express does not have just one Milan destination.
Services run toward Milano Centrale as well as Milano Cadorna, with other stops depending on the service. That matters because Milan is large enough that choosing the wrong station can add another metro or taxi ride after you arrive.
Milano Centrale usually makes sense if you are:
- staying near the central station;
- connecting to a high-speed train;
- continuing to Florence, Rome, Venice or another Italian city;
- using the station as a transport hub.
Cadorna may be more convenient for parts of the historic centre and areas around the western side of central Milan.
Check your hotel location before automatically choosing Centrale.
Train or Taxi?
A taxi has obvious advantages. It takes you directly to your accommodation, and if several people are travelling together the cost may feel more reasonable.
The downside is traffic.
The train gives you a much more predictable journey time. The direct trip from Malpensa Terminal 1 to Milano Centrale takes about 51 minutes, according to the operator.
For solo travellers, couples and anyone continuing by rail, that predictability is often more useful than door-to-door convenience.
Do Not Schedule a Tight Connection
This is probably the most useful advice for anyone landing at Malpensa and continuing elsewhere in Italy.
Do not assume that because your flight lands at 11:00, you will be standing on the airport train platform at 11:20.
Passport control, baggage collection and simply finding your way through an unfamiliar airport can all take longer than expected.
If you have a separate long-distance train ticket departing from Milano Centrale, leave a comfortable buffer.
Missing an expensive high-speed train because immigration took longer than expected is not a good start to a holiday.
Milan Can Also Be the Start of a Rail Trip
One reason the airport train is useful is that Milano Centrale is not simply a city arrival point. It is also one of Italy’s major railway hubs.
From here, travellers can continue towards Venice, Florence, Rome, Bologna, Turin and destinations beyond Italy.
If Milan is just the first stop of a longer itinerary, it helps to understand how the different stations, operators and routes fit together. A broader European train travel guide can be useful when the trip involves several cities rather than a single airport transfer.
A Few Things to Check Before You Land
Save the following information on your phone before the flight:
- the full name of your Milan hotel;
- the nearest metro or railway station;
- whether Centrale or Cadorna is more convenient;
- your onward train details, if applicable;
- your flight terminal.
It is a five-minute job that makes arriving considerably less stressful.
Milan is a remarkably easy city from which to begin travelling around northern Italy. The trick is simply getting the first transfer right.
Once you are sitting on the train with the airport behind you, the complicated part is usually over.
