Florence to Milan Airport (Malpensa)

Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 09:07 AM
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Florence to Milan Airport (Malpensa)

Hi All,

I am hoping to get some input on our departure plan. We are trying to decide if we are going to spend an extra night in Florence or take a train to Milan the afternoon before we head back to the US and spend the night. Then take a train from Milan to Malpensa the next day. Our flight leaves at 1.

The alternative, which is what I am hoping to get some input on:
Take an 8AM Frecciarossa from Firenze S.M. Novella to Milano Centrale. It will arrive in Milan at 9:43.
Then there are two Malpensa Express trains leaving Milano Centrale. One at 9:55 (will be tight on time) and one at 10:25. They arrive to Terminal 1 of Malpensa at 10:46 and 11:16, respectively.

If option 2 is on the table, is 2 hours enough time at Malpensa before our flight departs? And do Italian trains typically run true to schedule? Is the 9:55 train to Malpense out of the question?

Thank you all so much!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 09:33 AM
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2 hours for a long-haul flight back to the USA would not do it for me. I'd be in Milan the night before.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 09:43 AM
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StCirq, can you provide a little more detail as to why you would choose to spend the night there beforehand?

Thank you,
Jeremy
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 10:20 AM
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The Milano Express is more likely to run late than the Frecciarossa. However, the Frecciarossa would have to be just a few minutes late to make you miss the connection at 9:52.

There is "extra security" for flights to the US. I always allow three hours at the airport for flights to the US, and neither of those trains give you that. There are two Frecciarossa trains to Milan that leave Florence earlier than 8 AM. Why would you take the last train that could possibly get you to your plane on time?

And do Italian trains typically run true to schedule?

Typically, yes. But if you happen to be on one that runs 30 minutes late, what have you got to lose? To get an idea, go to your airline's web site and see what a new one-way ticket would cost for travel tomorrow. I would be willing to take a risk if it were a train, where a new ticket wouldn't cost me more than €50.

I myself would probably spend the night in Milan, or even at one of the airport hotels. However, getting the 6:53 Frecciarossa from Florence would be a safe enough alternative, I suppose, if all goes well. It gets you to Malpensa 3 hours and 10 minutes before your flight. Any train later than that would be too risky for me.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 10:21 AM
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Why not leave Firenze earlier than 8.00?

There are Trenitalia Frecciarossa trains leaving Firenze SMN at 06.53 and 07.30.

There is also an Italo train leaving at 07.25.

These will allow you to catch an earlier Malpensa Express train.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 10:37 AM
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Am I seriously being that dense that I didn't see an earlier train? We are leaving on 10/22, where did you guys see earlier trains?

Jeremy
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 10:44 AM
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Check www.bahn.de/en for easy to get train schedules- book discounted train tickets at www.trenitalia.com or www.italotreno.com which I suppose you know but if not cheaper by far than full fare tickets but can sell out weeks in advance.

Yes either take earlier trains or go night before - go day before perhaps to see Milan's neat historic center and amazing Duomo, etc.

Italian train strikes do occur so keep posted on those. For lots on Italian trains check also www.seat61.com - adroit info on discounted train fares bookings; general info www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

I strongly recommend being in your departure city the night before - trains can always encounter problems - rare but always possible that unforeseen things pop up.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 10:47 AM
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The assumption was that if we had to deal with a bunch of travel anyway (getting to Milan the day before, and then to the airport the day of departure) why not try to give us an extra night in Florence.

If we were to stay near Milano Centrale the night before, is there much to do in that area - I had previously read that it was not a great area to stay in...

Thanks again everyone.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 11:10 AM
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I've stayed near Milano Centrale a number of times. There's nothing wrong with the area. The station is a ten-minute walk from the Corso Buenos Aires, which is a major mid-market shopping street. It's an easy metro ride from the Duomo, a marvel of Gothic architecture, which is rare in Italy.

I don't know what your interests are, but Milan is one of my favorite cities. It has great museums, restaurants and some beautiful old churches.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 11:17 AM
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I would feel happy with the 06.53 but if you wish to arrive in Milan the day before consider transferring from Milano Centrale to close to the Milano Cadorna station which also has the Malpensa Express.

It is a much nicer area close to the Castello Sforzesco and a short walk to Via Dante which is the way to get to the Duomo and the Galleria.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 11:19 AM
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If Milan were not in the same country as Rome, Venice and Florence it would be a star attraction everyone would go to!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2017, 03:35 PM
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Jeremy, if you're dense, then I'm dense. I don't see those earlier trains on Oct. 22nd either. Apparently, they're not operating on Sundays because they do appear on the timetables for the day before and the day after the 22nd.

I like Milan, and I'd go there the day before the flight and stay near the Cadorna station. But if you truly have no interest in Milan, there's a 9:00p train from Florence to Milan on the 21st. I would be at Malpensa 3 hours before the flight. There's an 8:57a train from the Cadorna station that arrives Malpensa at 9:40a.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2017, 03:48 AM
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The Milan bound trains leaving Florence at 6.53, 7.25 and 7.30 don't run on Sundays.
Leave Florence Saturday evening (last train at 9pm), sleep at Milano Centrale (for example Hotel Michelangelo)and you will be fine.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2017, 06:04 AM
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Yes, if you can't get an early train, you really have to get to Milan the night before.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2017, 06:22 AM
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Jeremy, because I have learned the hard way not to be traveling from City A to City B pretty much anywhere in Europe and assuming I will get to an airport in time for a departure on the same day. The last time we flew from Malpensa to Toulouse it took more than 2 hours after arrival at the airport to get on board, and that was for an intra-Europe flight, not an overseas one. The lines were absolutely horrendous. I think we made it onboard about 2 minutes before they closed the doors. We kept going from hall to hall expecting to have to wait in line one time in each, but then got shunted to another hall, where there was yet another long wait.

We have stayed near Milano Centrale station twice in the past year, as in a 5- to 10-minute walk, and didn't find it to be a horrible area at all. Perhaps not as romantic as other parts of Milano, for sure, but nothing unpleasant as long as you watched your back right outside the train station and inside - some unsavory characters there for sure, but we didn't lack for interesting cafés and restaurants, good shops, an interesting bookstore, some small ethnic grocery stores, and a generally pleasant and diverse area. The buffet-style café with every kind of food station imaginable (hardly haute cuisine but some really good and cheap offerings) on the 2nd floor of the station, BTW, is a treat.
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Old Oct 4th, 2017, 04:52 PM
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Hello All, we decided to head the advice of the ground and booked a hotel near the Cadorna station. We figure this gives us the wiggle room to catch an early train and enjoy Milan or spend more time in Flornece and use the hotel for travel purposes only.
Thank you all. We feel we would have made a big mistake if we headed the advice of our Flornece hotel and not sought unbiased opinions.
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Old Oct 4th, 2017, 06:37 PM
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Unsavory characters IN Milano Centrale????? Were they the ones with or without a mountain of luggage? Say it isn't so. I mean the pigeons dumping on people are one thing but THIS? (LOL)
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Old Jan 15th, 2018, 12:34 PM
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As an update: We headed the advice of this group and arrived in Milan the day before our flight. Maybe it was a combination of exhaustion and crummy weather, we but didn’t enjoy Milan at all. I think we expected something less crowded. Usually we feel we can escape the tourists in most cities, but just couldn’t no matter how far out of the city center we walked. The Cathedral was absolutely incredible, however the line was so long that our patience did not permit entrance. I know all locations aren’t for everyone, but I don’t think we will be back.
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Old Jan 16th, 2018, 07:03 AM
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OP basically asked for travel connections and not what to do in Milan. Their bad.

Milan is basically the business capital of Italy - not Venice, not Florence and not Rome.

It has its attractions but needs a somewhat different focus to really appreciate it.

Unfortunately the OP didn't.
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Old Jan 17th, 2018, 01:33 AM
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Nochblad, why "my bad?" Do you think I didn't do separate research? Just because a question wasn't asked in this specific thread doesn't mean homework wasn't done.

Milan was unpleasant in my opinion. Not everyone will love every place. If I wanted to shop for excessively expensive clothing while smothered by tourists, I would have had a great time.

Last edited by WorminRome; Jan 17th, 2018 at 01:36 AM. Reason: Edit
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