Which airport is closest to Milan- Malpensa or Linate? We are spending several days at Lake Como in Varenna and then flying from Milan to Paris.I wanted to choose the airport that is closest to Milan since time is short.

Sally if you are using it to get to the lakes then Malpensa is best although I believe there are moves afoot to almalgemate them.

Hi Sally: It depends on how you plan to get to Varenna from the Airport(s). Malpensa is closer to Varenna if you're renting a car. Linate is closer to Milan, but if you're taking a train you'd have to go into Milano Centrale Station from either Airport. Last Fall we went from Malpensa into Milan via a very convenient bus for about $8US P/P. The buses run every hour and they take you directly to the Centrale Station. I don't want to confuse the issue, but I think it also depends on where you're coming from. I believe International flights from the US fly only into Malpensa and local (European) flights fly only into Linate. Our personal experience using the bus/train combination was fast and convenient.Enjoy your stay on Lake Como.....Paul J <BR>

Actually we are going by train from Venice to Milan and then to Varenna, then we will go by train back to Milan and fly to Paris. I am trying to coordinate train- plane schedules. We will go from Varenna, Lake Como, to the Milan train station and then go to the airport to fly to Paris. If the Linate airport is closer to Milan, I thought it would be quicker than going to Malpensa which is , I think, 45 minutes away.How far is Linate airport from Milan?

Sally, Linate is 10K and Malpensa 46K from Milan. From Milan, buses run every 20 min. to Linate, every 30 min. to Malpensa, fare 5000 and 13000 lire respectively. Go to itwg.com for the Italian tourist board site. I think flight frequency is more important than airport distance.

I have just returned from Milan. We flew into Malpensa and out of Linate. Linate is much closer to Milan than Malpensa. I agree with the above post that availability of flights is more important than location of the airport. My understanding is that Malpensa is more of an international airport and Linate is more regional. Given the choice, I'd take Linate. <BR>