Looking how to get from Milan Airport to Milan City Center, I discovered that my plane (KLM from Amsterdam) does not fly into Malpensa as I thought. Didn't realize there were 3 airports!
I guess that's a good thing, because Linate appears to be a lot closer. So, on the Air Travel comment side, I guess it's wise to not assume there's just one airport when traveling!

The question, then, is, what's the most convenient way to get from the airport to a hotel in zone 1, central Milan with luggage? I'm thinking a taxi since the distance is a lot shorter than from Malpensa. If a taxi, do they have mandated set prices?

Second question, within Milan: is there a 24 hour or day pass on transport? This is a very quick trip through Milan with a full day stop over before we take a night train to Palermo. We arrive at 3 p.m. and leave at 8 p.m. the next day. If there is a 24 hour pass, is it actually 24 hours, or does it change at midnight? And where do you get the passes.

I'm not entirely sure we'll need it, as I think it's walkable from our hotel to the Cenacolo (just scored the tickets!), and from our hotel to Milano Centrale, but just in case . . . !


Thanks!

Where exactly in Zone 1? Zone 1 encompasses all of tourist-central Milan.

Disclaimer: My limit for dragging luggage is 1 km., and that's only in cities I know and can navigate confidently.

I would take a taxi from Linate to the hotel, and then a taxi from the hotel to the Centrale station. Assuming this is your first visit to Milan, I would want to make good use of every minute of a short stay, not wait for a bus/tram, find the hotel, etc. Depending on where your hotel is located, I don't think the transport pass would be necessary or particularly useful. Unless you're staying on the outer edge of the zone, everything you would likely want to see is within walking distance... Duomo, Galleria VE, La Scala, Castello, Last Supper, etc. If your sightseeing list is altogether different or your hotel is barely inside Zone 1, then you should study the bus/tram/metro maps to see if/how the transport system might help...

Milan is flat and very walkable, The metro and buses are easy to take. You can get a pass or buy individual tickets. I would map out where you are staying and where you want to go and decide if you think you will need a pass.
https://www.introducingmilan.com/tic...d-travel-cards

Is zone 1 the Duomo? Airport bus might be your best option https://www.airport-linate.com/bus.php

Flew into Linate in December. Very small, easy to navigate airport. As soon as you stroll thru customs you will enter an area directly out front with taxi stands and parked buses. The buses run I believe every 30 minutes to Milan Central Station. Most of the bus drivers were standing in front of their buses smoking. We approached, they spoke decent English and for about 4 Euro we were at the Central Station in about 35 min.

Thanks for the information so far. Yes, the Duomo is zone 1. Our hotel Grand Duca di York is on Via Moneta, about a 5 minute walk to the Duomo. If we should get the pass, from where?

I met an Italian woman last night from Milan at the Neil Young concert, and she warned me "wear your backpack in front of you, never on the back!" LOL, that was her sole comment about Milan! There must have been a personal story behind that warning!

I tired to find a link and the bus says it’s suspended due to COVID since Jun 2020 so that doesn’t make sense. The link I posted should have said something. No one was even wearing a mask in Milan when I was there in March.

Maybe taxi would be your best bet. As for pickpockets, just always use caution with your wallet. My friend didn’t put her wallet in her jacket pocket, kept taking it out, took the jacket off to go get napkins while I was waiting at the food counter, came back to just a jacket and no wallet. Passport was in the other pocket and still there however she never should have left her jacket unattended.

A similar backpack comment was offered to me in Sicily by a Siciliani.

Vespas are everywhere, but Milan is not Palermo

Unless you have an unusual sightseeing list, I stlll don't see the need for a transport pass. By the time you walk from your hotel to the nearest bus/tram/metro stop, you've nearly reached each of the main sights... and walking is almost always faster overall.

I guess we went further afield but we used the metro or trams a few times.

The OP's second question was about the usefulness of a day pass for public transport.

A single ticket is 2,20 euros and is good for multiple rides over 90 minutes. A one-day pass is 14,00 euros and includes some discounts that may or may not help with the OP's plans. The one-day MilanoCard is effective for 24 hours from the time of first use and can be purchased online. The OP would have to decide whether to activate the card immediately on arrival or wait a few hours in order to cover the entire second day... or buy a two-day pass for 19,00 euros.

To know whether a pass would be useful, only the OP can wade through the discounts, check the transport routes against the sightseeing plans, compare walking distances, yada yada yada. There is a combo of a one-day pass + Linate shuttle (20,00 euros), but you'd still have to get to your hotel from the Centrale train station (which doesn't sound like a deal to me).

https://www.milanpublictransport.com/milano-card/

Thanks everyone and in particular, Jean, for the helpful comments. I checked the walk time from our hotel to the Last Supper and that's walkable, as are most places. It's clear, however, I'm going to need a taxi from the hotel to the train station, it being over 4 km and too much of a schlep. Will probably get a taxi from the airport . . . but again, anyone know if it's a flat fee, or if it requires a negotiation. I'm worried that there might be one of those scam artists I've seen at Paris train stations that aren't in the queue. . . had that happen before, but got kicked out of the taxi when I started quizzing the guy in French (he thought I was an undercover police officer!).

Ask your hotel. On its Booking.com page (Q&A section), the hotel can arrange a taxi pick-up at Linate and also mention the #73 bus from Linate to Piazza Diaz (450 m., 6-7 minutes' walk to the hotel... right past Peck!).

I was just in Milan and took a taxi from my hotel in the city to Linate airport. It was less than 20 minutes and about 18 euros. That would be my recommendation. It was not a flat fee, the driver had his meter on

Thanks, cruiseluv. Do you need to pay cash or can you use a credit card?

I paid cash, dont know if taxis routinely accept credit cards

The metro should also be an option for getting from hotel to the train station.

,,, and info on airport transfers:
https://www.milanpublictransport.com...ort-transfert/

Just wanted to mention what our taxi driver told us -- Cadorna train station is closer to lots of place in the downtown. We went to Centrale and turns out we could have almost walked to Cadorna. Be sure to check it out.

Last time I was in Milan I stayed a bit north of La Scala, towards but not in the midst of Brera, and walked almost everywhere, including to Cadorna where I caught the train to MXP for my departure. I agree with yestravel's taxi driver--Cadorna station is very convenient!