nvl325

We'll be arriving Malpensa at 9am, and will be then traveling to Florence. I believe we will need to take the Malpensa Express train to Milan Centrale, then change for Florence. I'd like to buy the train tickets ahead- last minute is 50eu, way ahead is 19 or 29eu.

How much time should we allow after our arrival at the airport, to our departure from Centrale? (Would like to move leisurely, not in a big hurry!)

Also, separate but related question. Later in the trip, we'll meet up with our daughters and be departing Malpensa after staying in Milan. With 4 of us taking the express, and first a taxi to get to Centrale from the hotel, I thought some other mode of transport might make sense. Is there some sort of car service, like Carmel in New York, or justairports in London, that would be better for 4 people? (Looks like a taxi would be around 100eu)

Jean

I'd rather pay the higher fare after arriving. There are so many opportunities for delay, starting with a late flight and checked luggage that doesn't appear right away or at all. One time, as we were taking the shuttle bus from the plane to the terminal, a woman fainted and this triggered an efficient but comprehensive response. We had to all get off the bus, stand some distance away and wait for another bus to appear. We were probably delayed 10-15 minutes.

But I understand the attraction of a good bargain. I myself wouldn't buy tickets for a Milan-Florence train that departs before 1:00 p.m.

Your Milan hotel can recommend a car service to Malpensa. Is your hotel not near a metro stop? FYI, there are trains to Malpensa from the Centrale, Nord Cadorna and Porta Garibaldi stations.

asps

Quite difficult to give a reply. Say you arrive at 9am. Train at 9.43am from MXP looks possible if you are lucky, you know your way, there is no queue at immigration - in other words, barely possible. 10.43am - that means 12.10pm from Milan Centrale to Florence - looks possible and you have a minimum safety time - not too much if there is fog and airplanes are delayed on arrival or simply your plane has not departed on time. 11.43am - that means 1.10pm from Centrale - looks safe but if everything goes well you will have to spend a lot of time at Centrale. Just be sure you understand what kind of ticket you are buying. Some cheap tickets are not refundable, and in any case any ticket for the leg Milan-Florence is valid only for a given train; if you have to take an earlier or later train, provided that your tickets allows for a change, the ticket has to be exhanged for another one at the ticket office or (usually faster) a ticket machine. A couple of codes printed on the ticket are necessary.

As for the the return: a taxi Milan-Malpensa costs eur 90. It is a fairly long trip. Almost all taxis can house four adults (five including the driver) but maybe four large pieces of luggage may be too many for an average trunk - if you reserve a taxi be sure to tell this. A Malpensa Express ticket is 10 or 11 euros, it depends on which station you are leaving. Travelling with metro at peak time with large bags may be somewhat inconvenient.

neckervd

Jean is so right! Do you want to loose the whole day for a bargain of a few euros?
If everything goes like planned (if you arrrive in time at Terminal 1), you can have lunch in Florence.
If you leave Milan after 1 pm, the afternoon has more or less gone

nvl325

After reading the above replies, I was resigned to not buying the Milan to Florence ticlets ahead of time, and just pay the last-minute price since I wouldn't know exactly when we would be ready to go. However, what if we show up to buy our tickets and none are available??

I just read on another board about how someone talked about that happening to them- when they went to buy the tickets, the next several trains were sold out!

So now I don't know the best approach...is that very likely?

Jean

I can't imagine that happening unless you arrive on a holiday or there's a strike.

Was the someone posting on the other board talking specifically about the Milan-Florence route?

Viajero2

50 Euros train Milan-Florence? I have done that route and bought the ticket 15 minutes prior and have never paid that much! I go second-class which is safe, clean, and comfortable; to pay more for anything else is foolish excess and one less capuccino by the piazza

Milan-Florence is actually a frequent train connection; I would definitely wait to actual circumstances. On a couple of ocassions I experienced train delays due to thunderstorms and Italian rail stopping flat until it clears. That right there would cause your XX Euros to be thrown out a window....

MmePerdu

My approach to this sort of dilemma is to buy the advance tickets, not for the first possible train but the second. That way you have some wiggle room for the routine delays, even a fainter on the airline bus. It's a simple alternative, relieves anxiety and usually the worst that can happen (almost always) is you arrive on time and must wait a bit for your train.

asps

Well, I have just checked the price for a Florence-Milan tomorrow morning and the base fare is 50 euro...

nvl325

Jean- yes, it was Milan to Florence. They didn't mention anything out of the ordinary about the day.

Via- yes, as asps also saw, the regular fare really is 50eu.

So I guess I'll go for 1 pm?

Viajero2

I believe you guys...50 Euros....but I SWEAR I have taken this route Milan- Florence several times as recent as May 2011 and NEVER once I paid 50 Euros-- I would had remember that amount. That said, 50 Euros it is...

kybourbon

Italo Rail shows a lot of discount tickets (a lot of 20€ tickets) and departure times, but it departs from Milan Garibaldi, not Centrale.

http://www.italotreno.it/en/Pages/default.aspx