Travelling To Milan

Milan is a major northern Italian city and transportation hub boasting two airports and an excellent train service. The main airport, Malpensa, lies to the northwest of Milan and receives air traffic from all over the world and has good transport options to the city, while Milan’s second airport, Linate Airport, is the domestic hub for the city.

Travelling to Milan by train is the next best option, with international services and services from all over Italy arriving at Stazione Central in the city centre. In addition, several motorways approach Milan from all directions including from France and Switzerland, making driving here straightforward, while bus travel can be relatively expensive and arduous.

By car

Motorways converge on Milan from every direction, making it very accessible from the rest of Italy as well as from Switzerland and France. Major access roads include the A1, which links Milan with Florence and Rome; the A4, which connects Verona and Venice (east) and Turin (west); while the A7 comes in from Genoa to the southwest and the A8 arrives from the Swiss border to the northwest. Driving in Milan can be tough due to many pedestrian thoroughfares, parking difficulties and congestion.

By rail

There are three main stations in Milan: Stazione Centrale (Piazza Duca d'Aosta), Stazione Nord and Stazione Porta Garibaldi. Stazione Centrale is the main station, with services arriving from all over Italy including daily trains from Venice (3 hours, 30 minutes); Florence (3 hours, 30 minutes); Turin and Genoa (90 minutes); Rome (6 hours); and Naples (8 hours). International trains also arrive here from Switzerland and France, while the other two stations receive important regional services including from the likes of Como.

By bus

Buses take longer than trains and can be more expensive within Italy, with the excellent rail connections with neighbouring France and Switzerland negating the need for cross-border bus travel.

However, Eurolines buses run to Milan from destinations throughout Europe and arrive at Autostradale in front of the Castello Sforzesco near Cairoli metro station. Intercity buses also run to and from this station, with daily services arriving from all over Italy.

By air

Milan is served by two airports, Milan Malpensa Airport and Milan Linate Airport. Malpensa is the main airport, receiving the bulk of the traffic and international flights, while Linate Airport is the main hub for domestic flights. From Malpensa Airport, trains run to the city centre every 40 minutes, while shuttle buses including an express service and expensive taxis also provide access. Local buses, shuttles and taxis provide city access to the city centre from Linate Airport.

Milan airports

Milan Malpensa Airport is located to the northwest of the city and is the main airport in Milan for receiving international flights. Although domestic flights also land here, if you are flying to Milan from within Italy, you will invariably land at Linate Airport, which is just to the southeast of the city centre. Malpensa Airport has two terminals that handle over 20 million passengers annually and most major airlines. Terminal 1 is the main terminal, with Terminal 2 mainly handling charter flights; a shuttle bus connects the two.

Although Malpensa Airport has had bad press over the years, due to its seemingly chaotic handling of passengers and the difficult transfer options to the city prior to the arrival of the airport railway station, it does have good facilities. There are several banks and currency exchange booths here as well as cash machines and several quality shops, cafés and restaurants.

Milan airport transportation

Getting to the city centre has been made easier by the arrival of the express train, which heads into town every 30 minutes and takes 40 minutes to arrive. The only problem is that the train only runs to Cadorna train station, which is a metro ride away from the main Stazione Centrale in the city centre.

Shuttle buses also run to the city from the airport, with the Malpensa Shuttle bus and the more expensive Malpensa Express both running to Stazione Centrale. Taxis make the trip in better time, although they are fairly expensive. Drivers should take the A8 southeast into Milan.

From Milan's Linate Airport, STAM buses run to Piazza Luigi di Savoia, near Stazione Centrale, while local ATM buses run to Piazza San Babila. Taxis from Linate Airport are much more affordable than from Malpensa.