Can anyone give me any advice on traveling from Malpensa to Finale Ligure? Suggestions on car vs. train and time for travel via both routes. We will be arriving in Malpensa on Sept 12th at 9:00 a.m. after an internaltional flight and don't want to spend all day getting to Finale Ligure. Thanks.

ttt

I have traveled this route frequently and always use public transportation, I have never rented a car in Italy because the public transit is so terrific. It only takes 3 hours to get from Milano to Finale Ligure.

(After arrival at 9:00 am, add in 1 hour to accommodate time for baggage retrieval, Customs, then shuttle to Milano's Centrale Station). The Malpensa Shuttle is located outside the terminal and baggage claim area and costs ~6 euros per person. The ride into Milano takes about 50 mins and the shuttle leaves 1x an hour. At Milano Centrale Station, buy a ticket for Finale Ligure.

There are trains leaving every hour for Finale Ligure so if you miss one, you can always hop on the next. Here is what I found for Sept 12: there is a 11:10 am train (#655) leaving Milano Centrale Station, goes through Genoa, connecting with train #11296, arriving in Finale Ligure at 2:24 pm (1st class ticket=25,34 euros/2nd class=19,01 euros).

Also, there is a 12:15 pm train (#2187) that is a non-stop and gets into Finale Ligure at 3:13 pm (1st class=15,70 euros/2nd class=10,12 euros). You can reference the www.trenitalia.com website for further details, train departure times, etc. To make it easy for you, print out the schedule you want and show it to the clerk at the ticket window, indicating 1st or 2nd class fare.

I would tell your hotel that you plan to arrive in Finale Ligure around 3:00 pm, perhaps they have a shuttle to pick you up from the train station and deliver you to your hotel. Either way, the whole process should be easy for you as the trains are direct and convenient. Perhaps other Fodorites can add their suggestions for car travel, but this is my 2-cents towards the train information. Buon Viaggio!

Oh, Huitres, thank you so much! I have been so stressed about this. Is it OK to wait and get my train tickets there or should I try to buy them here. I am worried my plane will be late for whatever reason. Also, can I just pay when I get on the shuttle or do I need to get tickets in the airport? THANKS AGAIN! WHAT A GREAT SITE!!

jam10:

The 12:15 train from Milano Centrale to Finale Ligure is NOT nonstop, but DIRECT (no change of trains in Genova or elsewhere).

It is an "Interregionale" (IR) where seat reservations are NOT possible. However, as the train originates in Milan, there should be no problem securing a seat, either in first or in second class. There is probably no air conditioning on this train. I would plan to take this train. It also costs much less than the earlier one.

The 11:10 a.m. train is a more expensive "intercity" (IC) (which has a/c), but requires a train change to a "regionale" (R) train in Genova, with a 35 minute layover. Total travel time to Finale Ligure is actually 16 minutes longer than the 12:15 train.

My suggestion to you is to purchase the train ticket from the travel agency on the arrivals level of the Malpensa airporter Terminal 1, close to the exit door. This will avoid having to stand in the long queues at Milano Centrale Train Station to buy tickets.

The travel agency will also sell you the bus ticket for the airporter bus. Note that there are actually two competing bus companies: Malpensa Express, which charges 5.50 Euros, and Malpensa Shuttle, which charges 4.50 Euros. There is no appreciable difference between the two. One bus or the other leaves every 10-15 minutes, but the tickets are NOT interchangeable. You can also purchase the bus ticket from the driver at no supplement.

You must allow at least one hour travel time to Milano Centrale, plus 10 minutes to reach the train track from the street level at a leisurely pace. I would allow 90 minutes minimum. As you're arriving on a Sunday morning, there should not be too much traffic going into Milano.

Remember to stamp the train ticket in the yellow stamping machines prior to boarding.

GAC- Thank you for the very detailed advice. I actually meant to write I will arrive on the 13th-Mon at 9 a.m. I suspect this will be a very bad traffic time. As such, should we miss the 12:15 train, should I look for the IR trains on the website to Finale? Do you always stamp train tickets in these machines regadless of which train? Do the travel agents in the office you mentioned speak english? Should I get our return train ticket at the same time? Thanks for your help!

jam10:
Regardless of when you are arriving, there are numerous trains daily going from Milano Centrale to Finale Ligure. Arriving at 9:00 am and catching the 12:15 pm train is very feasible and realistic. If you miss it, there are others (IR) throughout the day to get one. The airport shuttle is right outside the terminal door, big white bus (Malpensa Shuttle), can't miss it. And, as GAC said, you can pay for the airport shuttle on board (to save you time if you are running late). The journey is 50 minutes into the city.

I have always bought my 2nd class train tickets at the Milano centrale station and there have been maybe 6 people max in line ahead of me (I go several times a year, all seasons). However, if you feel more comfortable, purchase them ahead of time at the airport, as GAC says. After purchase, you MUST validate your ticket in those yellow machines at the train station. You will see them everywhere, and as you go towards your 'binario' (track).

Not all the train ticket office agents speak English, but they always have at least someone there that does. If I were you to avoid any problems, as I had suggested, go to the www.trenitalia website, type in Milano and Finale Ligure as your city pairs (top L corner of page) and print out the schedule for Monday, Sept 12 starting at 9:00 am. It will give you several options, including the ones that I outlined for you previously. Take that with you, with the trains you want circled and show it to the clerk, he/she will ask you 'prima' (first) or 'seconda' (2nd) class and then tell them your preference. I would wait to buy your return ticket at the Finale Ligure train station when you return. That being said, you would say "solo andata" (one-way). You don't know for sure what time you will leave, there may be delays, you may leave earlier, etc. Best to just wait and buy the return when you are returning....

I was hoping someone could give you suggestions via car travel, perhaps that still can happen. However, train travel has always seemed easiest to me.

Thanks you so much! No need for the car travel advice, anyway, as this seems easy and I have already printed out the scheduled for all day on the arrival and on the return so I will have them with me. I can't thank you all enough for the advice! I feel very comfortable with the shuttle/train plan! Grazie!

jam10: You will have a great time. This is actually an easy trip to make as Milano airport and the train station are easy to navigate....you shouldn't have any problems. Buon viaggio!

Huitres, Do you go to Finale Ligure to climb by any chance? Again, thanks so much for your help!

No, I am not the hiking sort....I have a number of friends that live up and down the Riviera area (also in Sestri Levanti and Riomaggiore) that I go visit several times a year.

Oh. Thank you very much. I am going there to climb and can't locate the guidebook any longer (out of print). I have hired a guide for the first day, though. Thanks again for all the help!