Need a reality check on Milan Linate to Vernazza
 

Hi all! My Mom and I are planning a 2 week trip to Italy in October, beginning with a few days in Cinque Terre. (We're considering 3 nights at La Mala in Vernazza to kick the trip off). I'm eyeing a flight that gets us into Milan Linate at 14:20 - realistically, how long do you think it would take to get out of the airport and to Milano Centrale? I'd love for us to land, get on a train and get to CT asap, check into the hotel, have dinner and then get a good nights sleep. But I'm starting to think this might be a pipe dream. Looking at the Trenitalia web-site, it seems the best train would be pulling out at 16:05 - am I correct in thinking that there is no way we could get on that train, or is getting out of the airport, on a bus and to the train station a lot easier/faster than I'm imagining? Thanks for any info/reality checks that you can pass along! ;)

I've never flown into Linate, only into Malpansa, but it seems like Linate is pretty close to the center of town so it wouldn't take long to get to Milano Centrale. It might not even cost much to take a taxi, something I normally wouldn't do myself but sometimes it makes sense

Still, the real question is: do you buy your train tickets ahead of time and try to hope you make a certain train? Or just buy train tickets for the next train as soon as you arrive at Milano Centrale? If you do the latter, what's the worst that could happen? You arrive two hours late and take a train two hours later? If you still get into Vernazza before midnight, what's the big deal? If things are on time you'd get in much earlier.

(I would love to go back to Vernazza - envious!)

rosecity: hears a thread that might help:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-stations.cfm

There is a different options I have looked at for an itinerary like this, but I have never taken it myself. Others might be able to give a better assessment.

If you look at trains leaving Milano Centrale heading to CT, they always seem to stop by at Milano Rogoredo station on the way. That station always looked interesting as it is much closer to the Linate airport and it would not involve going through the Milan traffic. Combining its proximity to the airport plus ability to catch the same train later than Milano Centrale seem to worth looking at.

When we flew into Linate a few years ago it was obvious that it is nothing like Malpensa and I suspect Malpensa probably replaced it at some point in the past.

The airport was used by several so-called "budget" carriers and there seemed to be a lot less air traffic and the terminal baggage claim was practically deserted. The one ATM I saw was out of commission. Getting a taxi to Centrale was a piece of cake.

I fly into Linate all the time and it is a breeze. Very small airport. The bus outside the terminal takes 30 minutes to Milano Centrale and they leave very frequently. Buy your ticket from the driver. I wouldn't take a taxi unless you just missed a bus and there wouldn't be another for 30 minutes.

So if you pre-purchase your train tickets and are not carrying unmanageable amounts of luggage you should be able to make that train with time to spare.

But even if you miss it, there is another train an hour later from Milano Centrale (no advantage to going to Rogeredo) which will get you into Vernazza by the dinner hour. Ask your hotel to make you a 9pm reservation. If you show up earlier, the restaurant won't mind.

I don't know anything about the hotel where you are staying, but arriving in October after 7pm, I would want a hotel that wasn't difficult to reach in the dark or in the rain carrying luggage.

Thanks so much! This is really helpful - appreciate all the good advice!