Malpensa to Milan Centrale
 

What is the best way to get from MXP airport to Milan Centrale. I checked into a taxi-expensive and just as slow.

How much time should I give between arriving at the airport and trying to catch a train(to Venice).

Or would it be better to rent a car and drive to Venice and park in the big garage. We are only going to be in Venice for one night.

We have 7 of us traveling together. Is a van a safe way to go? I've heard the roads are skinny. We're going to be in the Riva del Garda area for a week.

Thanks!

We took a bus. It was inexpensive and comfortable, and I think they run frequently.

Byrd

Hello urbs, the easiest and least expensive way to get from the Malpensa airport to the Milan Centrale Train Station is via the Shuttle bus. Clean and comfortable. Your luggage is put underneath the bus so you do not have to deal with it while on the bus. Here is their website for your review.
http://www.malpensashuttle.it/e-default.htm

I will let someone else respond to your question about a rental van as I have never travelled in Italy with that many people. Do have a lovely time in beautiful Italy!

We had a private driver arranged for us by our travel agent. Expensive, but since it was our first time in Italy, definitely worth it for us for the convenience.

I guess for some reason you could not book flights into Venice instead of Milan.

If you are coming off an overnight flight, take the train to Venice. Driving that far (Milan to Venice) is not a good idea when you are tired and jet-lagged. The drive will take many hours, and you'll all be jammed into uncomfortable seats again after getting off of the plane.

It will take about 3 hours from the time the plane lands until you get your bags, go thru passport control and customs, and take the bus to the Central Station. You can get something to eat at the station or buy some deli stuff for lunch on the train. (You can even take wine on the train to have with your lunch.) By taking the train, everyone can stretch out, wander around, and enjoy the scenery after you get out of Milan.

If you will need a car after your night in Venice, you can still pick one up there. Don't worry about the roads and driving. But don't try it on your first day. My son-in-law (age 40) thought he could drive from Milan to Carrara (4 or 5 hours) after an overnight flight, and he almost fell asleep three times. Even with numerous espressos at stops along the autostrada. He just got more irritable and up tight.

Now I hope I am not steering in the wrong direction but I recall that we landed and caught the train to the city and then changed lines to get to The Duomo .Same principle for Centrale .But there were stairs ad with bags - one only - it was still hard ! The station in Milan has excellent food at a cafe to the left side of the main entrance and a little supermarket there as well .We bought bread rolls filled with good things etc for the train trip to Venice and juice / water , sweets etc from the supermarket .With 7 of you I expect your reserved seating will be in 2 compartments . Your luggage goes in there with you on racks above your heads so unless you are travelling light it may be a bit tight .I also recollect someone walking around selling food .

Hi John, the train does not go from the Malpensa airport to the Milan Centrale Train Station. The public transportation (besides taxis) is the shuttle bus. If you took the train from Malpensa you arrived at the other train station..oh good grief I can't remember the name of it right at the moment. Just remembered, it is Cardona. I think I spelled that station name correctly.

That is right .Sorry if I confused / misled . We were staying in Milan after arriving via Bangkok in the early morning .There was a snap taxi strke that day so we got out our map and walked a short distance to the local station and caught the underground to Duomo and did the reverse leaving as we had found it easy and cheap .Finding the right platform was a little confusing .My memory is hazy even though it was only in June '07

Hi John, I think everyone's mind is a little hazy after a long international flight. Sometimes I try to remember details including what flights were like and it all seems a big blur.

Thanks for so many responses so quick.
From what I had researched, we would have to take a bus shuttle to Milan Centrale. I preferred not to drive b/c of the long flight.
We are flying into Milan b/c we are actually staying in Riva del Garda for over a week. A bunch of USA kids are sailing in a regatta there, but we wanted to get at least one side trip in. Also, these are a bunch of Florida kids who haven't seen snow--so our off day will be spent in the mtns.
But all this information was exactly what I wanted to hear. We know it will be a short trip in Venice--but the kids will at least get a taste of it.

Urbs, with the teenagers, I think the bus to Milano Centrale and train to Venice is a great experience. It's a much better way to introduce them to life in the country, including getting food for the trip, sitting and eating on the train, watching the landscape go by in comfort and the freedom to get up and move around

By the way, there are escalators from the ground floor to the departure floor of the station. (Someone spoke of stairs. But you can ride up)

Also, the train tracks are called binari, or binario in the singular. It's a good idea to understand enough about Italian numbers to recognize announcements of track numbers. I remember once in bologna standing at binario 5 or something and half-listening to an announcement in Italian that said Firenze (Florence) something and binario due (due ay). Sure, enough, the track had changed and we had to hustle off to the other track/binario. Just made it, too, as I recall. And Venice in Italian is Venezia, so keep your ears open.

>I've heard the roads are skinny.

There are a lot of adjectives that one needs to describe the highway from Milano to Venice, but "skinny" is not one of them.

>Is a van a safe way to go?

As long as you keep to the right lane...

I'm also flying into Milan and then taking a train to Rome. We are going to take the shuttle since it drops you off across from the Central train station and just seems more convenient with luggage and jet lag than switching between metro stops etc.

Question -- are you pre-booking your train tickets or waiting until you arrive to buy them? I'm worried that if we prebook and our flight gets delayed, we will miss the train. What happens if we miss the train??

I am booking my train tickets but gave myself a 5 hr. window between when I arrive and when the train leaves.

We did the exact same as posters above on our honeymoon in 2003. Arrived at Malpensa airport, caught the shuttle bus to Centrale. Once we arrived at Centrale we booked 2nd class Eurostar train tickets.

DH and I did not prebook and we arrived on September 3rd. We had no problems purchasing tickets as trains go fairly regularly between Milan and Venice. Check the trenitalia website - I just printed out the schedule for the day in question and bought tickets for the next train. While waiting, we grabbed a snack and relaxed.

Just to put my 2-cents in-- urbs-- we also are flying to Malpensa then train from Milan to Venice, as our American Airlines DOES NOT fly into Venice. We will take shuttle from airport to Milan' Centrale Stazione.

I would also like to pre-book the train (~ 2 months before our August trip) to Venice as we MUST get on or we lose a precious day in Venice! My only concern is delays- customs, shuttle bus, traffic etc. so can anyone advise if this train sells out? We'll be taking it on Aug. 9, '08

Most folks on this board have suggested this, a few thought it crazy and said we should rest one day in Milan before heading to Venice. Again, we'd lose one Venetian day and we can eat/rest on train!

Any thoughts on buying Milano-Venice train fare when at train station, say 1 hour before?

urbs, have a wonderful trip!!

Hi ciaodeb, here is a website which indicates that you can buy your train tickets at the Malpensa Airport in either Terminal 1 or Termianl 2.
http://www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en...to=servizi_sea

Hi Loveltaly-- that is some site, thank you. I am not sure I found right area to buy a ticket for train to Venice from Milan's Centrale Stazione. I saw trains leaving from Milan's Gallarate Railroad Station for Venice. I know Milan has two, but you mentioned other is Cardona. Did I pick right area of site?

I see what you mentioned about bus service from Terminal 1 and 2. How would I know to go to Terminal 1 or 2? Are they far apart? (I am thinking of our JFK airport here in NY and that'd be a far walk!)

Thank you for your advice. I have never been to this airport, usually fly into Rome.

Here is the area I went to. Did I go to right area?

TRENITALIA

You can reach Milan by Trenitalia trains departing from Gallarate. A bus service is available from the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Malpensa to Gallarate Railway Station. For information on the bus service: SA.CO. +39.0331.258411

Ciaodeb, don't consider Gallarate in your planning. You just want to take the Malpensa Shuttle BUS from Malpensa to Milano Centrale. Then take the first train to Venezia s.l. (s.l. is for Santa Lucia if your hotel is actually "in" Venice).

This is the train route you can search at trenitalia.com/en/index/html. (FYI, the Malpensa Shuttle Train is not a national train and therefore can't be found on the Trenitalia website.) There's generally one train Milan-Venice near the top of every hour throughout the main part of the day.

Almost all but charter flights arrival in Terminal 1. The Shuttle Bus ticket office is easy to find. There's also a travel agency in Terminal 1 if you're nervous about buying the tickets to Venice, but, really, it's not necessary.

Hi ciaodeb, I don't understand your questions, sorry. Let's try this, part of the website which tells you that you can buy the trenitalia train tickets at Malpensa. You will no doubt be arriving at Terminal 1 as Terminal 2 is for charter flights. Read this website (part of the previous website I posted for you) regarding buying the train tickets for travel from the Milan Centrale to Venice (Venezia..Santa Lucia Station). http://www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en...=nel_frattempo