Milan has two airports, and Linate is more convenient for most short trips because it’s closer to the center of the city. But if you’re flying into Milan from overseas, chances are good that you’re flying into Milan Malpensa. It’s the larger of the two airports, and unfortunately it’s further away from downtown Milan.
There are several ways to get back and forth between Malpensa Airport and central Milan, but my favorite is the Malpensa Express. The Malpensa Express is a train that runs from Malpensa Airport into the city with only a few stops en route. It leaves the airport every half-hour, and speeds your journey into the city. It’s reliable in terms of the amount of time it takes from point to point, because it doesn’t have to contend with traffic, which I like. Taking a bus from Malpensa to Milan is cheaper, but the Malpensa Express is far less expensive than a taxi ride and still what I’d call budget-friendly.
Other Milan & Malpensa Resources:
- There are other options to get between the airport and the city – the details are in this post about how to get from Milan Malpensa Airport into Milan.
- If you’re only visiting Milan for a day before a flight out of Malpensa, you might want to stay closer to the airport than the city. Here are some Milan Malpensa Airport hotels to consider.
Malpensa Express: Routes & Timetables
There are a few stops between Malpensa and central Milan, but unless you’re headed for Milano suburbia there are only two stations you’ll need to know about. Starting in late 2010, the Malpensa Express now serves two stations in central Milan – Cadorna and Centrale. This is excellent news for people like me who love the train, but because the trains don’t stop at both Cadorna and Centrale in one route, you need to know which trains go to which stations before you get on at Malpensa.
Malpensa Express trains depart from the airport starting at 05:26 and the last train each day leaves at 01:30. Trains to Cadorna are more frequent, leaving every 20-30 minutes (depending on the time of day). Trains to Centrale start just after 06:00 and run 1-2 times per hour (again, depending on the time of day) until just after 24:00.
From Malpensa-Cadorna is a trip of roughly 35-40 minutes, and from Malpensa-Centrale is roughly 50 minutes.
>> To find the most current timetable for the Malpensa Express, click on the PDF linked on this page under the heading “Scarica gli orari in vigore” that’s called “Linea Milano Cadorna/Milano Centrale – Malpensa Aeroporto.”
Malpensa Express: Ticket Prices
Ticket prices for the Malpensa Express are based on how far from the airport you’re going. Assuming you’re not stopping before central Milan in one of the suburbs, here are the stations you’re most likely to want to get to and how much tickets are for each one.
Malpensa-Cadorna or Cadorna-Malpensa
- Adult – one-way €11, round-trip €14.50
- Child – one-way €5.50, round-trip €7.50
- Carnet of 6 journeys – €55
Malpensa-Centrale or Centrale-Malpensa
- Adult – one-way €7 (no round-trip available)
- Child – one-way €5.50 (no round-trip available)
- Carnet of 6 journeys – €55
>> To find the most current ticket prices for the Malpensa Express, click on the PDF linked on this page under the heading “Tariffe” where it says “Scarica file.”
Finding the Malpensa Express Station at Malpensa
Finding the Malpensa Express inside Malpensa isn’t as straightforward as it could be, so here are some tips to get you from baggage claim to the train and on into Milan.
- After collecting your bags off the carousel, exit the baggage claim area into the main hall at Malpensa and turn right. Follow the big hallway along, and begin looking for the signs that say “Treni.”
- Eventually you’ll follow the signs that say “Treni” down some stairs (or an escalator), and you’ll turn left to go to the train station. Go through the station and down an escalator to the train platform.
- There are several places to buy a ticket between baggage claim and the train station – there’s a little automated ticket booth that says “Malpensa Express” at the top, and there’s a main ticket office which isn’t far from the train platforms. According to the official website, the ticket office is open “on working days: from 6.30 to 22.05 – during holidays from 6.35 to 22.30″ – so weekend arrivals will need to use the automated system.
- Be sure to validate your ticket before getting on the train – that’s a separate machine en route to the platform. Then hop on the next train to arrive and place your bigger bags on the luggage racks at the entrances of the train cars (so you’re not taking up extra seats during busy times).
- The train will make a few stops at stations in suburban Milan before getting into the city center. As of late 2010, there are two stops in central Milan – Milano Cadorna station and now also Milano Centrale station, the city’s main train terminal. It appears that the Malpensa Express trains that go to Centrale don’t also go to Cadorna, and vice versa, so be sure you’re getting on the Express train going to the station you want to end up in. Both stations have adjoining Metro stations so you’ll be able to get anywhere else in the city you want to go, but if you’re going into Milan simply to get on a train and go to another city then chances are good you’ll want to go straight to Centrale.
>> The official site of the Malpensa Express is here – be warned that some features, including looking up timetables on specific dates, only work if you leave the site in Italian rather than switching it to English.
photo by Giovanni Dall’Orto, graphic of train route on this Wikipedia page
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{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
The fact that there are eight steps reminds me just how *not* easy it is to get from the “bad thought” airport into town!
One tiny thing: unlike the main train station, cabs are usually pretty easy to get at Cadorna, instead of going out through the main exit, turn right at the end of the Malpensa express platform…
Thanks for the tip on the cabs at Cadorna, Nicole! And I really didn’t think getting the Malpensa Express was too bad… The only thing that would have been tricky, had my husband not told me about it beforehand, was to follow the signs that said “Treni” instead of immediately looking for signs that said “Malpensa Express.” Those don’t show up until later down the corridor.
It’s not exactly user friendly, at the end of the day. I also can’t remember whether you can still buy the tix onboard (a là heathrow train) with a small surcharge or not — I’ve often found the machines out of order or the ticket booth crowded…
Looking forward to hearing more of your Milan chronicles =)
I didn’t see a ticket machine on board the train I rode in, but that doesn’t mean anything – I wasn’t looking for one because I already had my ticket. According to the official website, it doesn’t look like there are any on-board ticket machines, though.
THANK YOU FOR THIS!! You rock my non-Italian-speaking-budget-travel-world!!
You’re welcome, Annie! I hope it helps!
What is the easiest way to get from Milan Malpensa to Varenna at Lake Como? Friends are arriving earlier than we are and my husband is the driver. They would like to go to Varenna vs. waiting for our flight to arrive 5 hours later in the day?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Yes! I need to get to Como from Malpensa. Amazing how difficult that is.
Jerry
Thanks for the questions! I’ve got an answer to your question coming in the next few days, Trudy, and will then post an answer for you, Jerry. You won’t be surprised to learn that my advice is going to be pretty similar for both of you.
Trudy, here’s my answer to your question:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/italy-qa-getting-from-malpensa-airport-to-varenna.html
Jerry, here’s my post about the Malpensa bus options, one of which goes to Como:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-to-from-malpensa-airport-by-bus.html
Hi everyone
I would like ask you something important for me, in December i’ll flight to amsterdam with
a stop to milan.I’ll have 5.30 hours before the new flight, is it good idea to go milano with
malpenzaexpress. My flight arrive at 12.23 and live again at 18.05
thanks
This is a really helpful website. I am coming to Milan in January, I guess its going to be cold and rainy during that time. My apartment is going to be on via Gaudenzio, so I figured that the nearest station is St. Agostino or Porto Genova. Now I could take the Malpensa Express line till Cadorna and then take a cab/taxi as I am not sure how far the apartment would be. Could you please let me know if you have any ideas as to how much this would cost? I am a student and have a limited budget. Thanks.
Hi, Eshaa: Unfortunately, I don’t know the going rate for taxi rides in Milan. What I’d recommend you do is locate via Gaudenzio on Google maps and see where it is in relation to Cadorna, and the nearest Metro stations. Then you’ll be able to see if taking a taxi is going to be a long distance or if taking the Metro is going to get you close enough.
http://maps.google.com/maps
Incidentally, when I just put via Gaudenzio into Google maps, it gave me a result near Linate airport but nowhere near Porta Genova or St. Agostino Metro stops – so I’d recommend putting your exact apartment address in (it could be there’s more than one via Gaudenzio).
If you have trouble with figuring that out, email me and I’ll see if I can help further. I’m reachable at jessica (at) bootsnall (dot) com.
We’re travelling from Malpensa airport to Genoa and want to go by train. There are 22 in our party. Any tips?
G
Wow, 22 people in your group? For starters, know that you won’t find seating all together. You don’t say when you’re traveling, but with a group that large I’d expect to be broken up into 2-3 smaller groups (at the very least) just about any time of year. So I hope you’ve got a few “leader” types in the group who know what’s going on & can coordinate the mini-groups!
You’ll need to take the Malpensa Express into the Stazione Centrale in Milan (you can also take the bus from Malpensa, whichever suits you), and then catch a train from Milan to Genoa. The train trip will take you roughly 1.5-2 hours, depending on the train you choose (it’s closer to 1.5 hours if you get a train that doesn’t require you to switch somewhere en route).
So, you can purchase tickets in advance using the Trenitalia website, or you can book them when you arrive at Milano Centrale – just remember to be patient with whoever’s at your ticket window, since you’re buying 22 tickets! Alternatively, if your group is going to be doing a lot more train travel in the country, you might want to look into getting Italy railpasses for the group – they act as tickets, and if you’re only taking trains that don’t require reservations, you can just hop on and off without purchasing anything else (though don’t forget to validate your railpass before your first journey!).
Dear Jessica
Your advice was so helpful and prompt. Thanks.
We are travelling at the end of Feb – would you advise us to pre-book and pre-pay for tickets? The students are aged from 13-18 and there are two adults accompanying the party. Is there a student or group discount?
Finally, could I ask if the tickets are tied to a specific train or bus or if they are transferable if our flight is delayed?
Thanks so much!
G
If you’re getting Eurail passes, the ones the students can buy are cheaper (they’re for under-26-year-olds). I don’t think there’s a student or group discount for regular train tickets, though.
Malpensa Express tickets are tied to a specific departure time, but you can buy those when you arrive at the airport so you won’t need to worry about that (with so many to buy, I hope you’re arriving when the ticket windows are open so you can get them from a person rather than trying to figure out the ticket machine!).
Train tickets themselves aren’t tied to a specific train, but reservations are. If you’re concerned about making a specific train, I’d wait and buy tickets when you arrive at the Milano Centrale station. Then you can just buy tickets for the next train to Genoa (and reservations if needed) without worrying about losing money on your reservations.
Dear Jessica:
Is the Malpensa Express ticket covered by an Italy railpass? If not, can one use the Italy railpass to get to Malpensa from central Milan via Gallarate?
Hi, Jeff, and thanks for your question. As far as I know, the Malpensa Express isn’t covered on the Italy railpass, nor is there a train to Malpensa that is. I’ll double-check to make sure, but I think it’s totally separate.
Okay, Jeff, I checked with a couple people and they say that the train company which runs the Malpensa Express (the only bus to/from the airport) is a completely separate one from the trains which run throughout the rest of the country – so their suspicion is that it’s not included, either.
If the 11 euro cost of a ticket is really a concern for you, there are cheaper buses which run from Centrale (instead of Cadorna, where you’d catch the Malpensa Express) to the airport, which you can read about here:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-to-from-malpensa-airport-by-bus.html
Hope that helps!
There are four of us travelling from Malpensa Airport to Cesano Maderno. Would it be easier to travel by train or taxi and what are the costs involved?
Cesano Maderno is a half-hour outside Milan by train, so I’m not sure I’d recommend taking a taxi – unless you’ve got copious amounts of money to hand over. And looking at the train schedules, there are regular trains leaving for Cesano Maderno from Milano Nord Cadorna station – which is the station the Malpensa Express arrives at, making it super easy to make the trip by train.
I don’t know when your flight gets in, but it looks like there are trains from Cadorna to Cesano Maderno just about every hour, so if you miss one you won’t have to wait hours for the next one. You’ll just need to buy a ticket at Cadorna station after you’ve arrived on the Malpensa Express. Times and costs of the Malpensa Express are listed in the post above, and I can’t find ticket price information for the Cadorna-Cesano Maderno journey online.
Thank you for this information – I’m sure it will be really helpful when my friend and I go to Milan end of April.
I am having trouble with figuring out when trains and buses go places. For example, after Milan we are going to Brescia – then taking a bus to our hotel by the lake. These are the directions I got from the hotel: We don’t know the number but it is a blue bus and you must take from Brescia station direction Sirmione – Verona. During the day there is one every hour.The stop bus near the hotel is called Colombare cimitero.
The web site is: http://www.trasportibrescia.it
When I go to the website I think it is line26 that we want – but there are so many comments about festival days and holydays – I’m just hoping the hotel remembered that we are arriving on Sunday April 26th and the bus runs that day. If anyone can figure this out for me I’d appreciate it…
TIA
June
Hi, June:
You’ve still got time before you arrive in Brescia, so I’d suggest you email your hotel again to find out for sure whether the bus will be running on Sunday, April 26th. There are, as you say, a crazy number of festivals/holidays in Italy, and they vary by region so it’s nearly impossible to keep track of them all. So while I can probably hunt down information for you, if you’re already in touch with the hotel it’s probably best to check with them directly as they’ll be more aware of whether April 26th is some kind of festival day this year.
Generally speaking, on Sundays bus schedules tend to be lighter, meaning buses will run less frequently than during the week, but they still run. So while the weekday schedule might be one bus per hour, Sundays may be slightly less frequent. And again, the hotel should be able to confirm this for you.
Have a great trip!
Ciao,
Jessica
Hi,
I have been trying to find out if there is a place to store luggase at the Cadorna airport after getting off Malpensa Express?
Thanks,
Reeli
I meant the Cadorna train station
After reading this article, my wife will think I’m a genius when we get to Milan and I know exactly where to go. Thanks.
I’m all about making people look like geniuses, Raimond.
Have a great trip!
This post was absolutely brilliant and oh so helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was even better to find out that as of December trains also go to Milan’s Centrale. We went from the Continental Terminal to the Hilton Hotel on Via Luigi Galvani (1.5 blocks from the station) in about an hour. It cost us 28 euros for a family of 4. No reservation needed. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
Thanks, Annie – and I’ve now updated it with the new information about the trains going to Centrale, too!
Hi Jessica,
May I know how I can take the Malpensa Express to Milano Central Station to Biella? I am a Singaporean and am going to Biella Summer School for exchange. Thanks for your time and effort dear, cuz I am rather confused with the details here. = D
Yours Sincerely,
Agnes
You can’t take the Malpensa Express all the way to Biella. At Centrale station in Milan you’ll have to get a different train to Biella – you can look up schedules & fares from Milano-Biella on this page: http://www.italylogue.com/train
Hi Jessica
Thanks for the awesome info. We will be going to Milan and need to go to Ata Fiera hotel. They told us to take the NordTrain from Cadorna. We have no idea what to do. Could we get the train tickets from the airport or at the Cadorna station?
Thanks so much for your help
I’d never heard of the NordTrain, but when I just looked it up on Google it seems that’s another name for the Malpensa Express. The Malpensa Express will get you to Cadorna, then you need to find out from the hotel what the nearest Metro stop is to the hotel – or just take a taxi from Cadorna station to the hotel.
Hello, I am travelling twice to Milan, both times to Malpensa and need to get to Cadorna. First time is April 30th, return May 1st, second time is May 14th, return 15th. The prices on the site say 11 euros each way, but this is being booked in advance. Will it still be 11 euros each way or is there a return price that is cheaper? (Don’t know exactly what time we’d be returning on either trip). Thanks in advance, John Sanderson
The round-trip fares quoted above are, I believe, not date or time specific – so you should be able to just buy a round-trip ticket when you first arrive and use the other half whenever you like. Double-check this with the ticket seller, but I believe that since you have to validate the ticket before boarding the train, they’re not tied to a specific date or time until you actually validate them.
Thanks for all the info about taking the train !
We were going to take a cab from the airport, but after reading this, the train seems not so scary anymore.
I have one question, does the train ( to Cardona ) stop at The Milan Nord Domodossola ?
I have tried to find out the stations along the Malpensa Express but with no luck,
Hope anyone knows the answer.
Thanks again.
Johanna
I’m glad this has been helpful, Johanna – the route for the Malpensa Express is actually in the post above, it’s the graphic where it says “Routes & Timetables.” Domodossola isn’t on the route.
First, great info – best I’ve found anywhere. Second, do the automated ticket machines take US credit cards? A lot of places in Europe supposedly don’t take US credit cards anymore because they don’t have the security chips in them. Thanks!
Yes, I’ve heard that’s an increasing problem, too, Denise – but I’ve never had an issue with my credit cards (which don’t have the smart chips) in the Malpensa Express machines. Of course, if you arrive during work hours, the booths will be open and you can buy tickets from a person (my cards have worked in that case, too).
Back from Milan and we took the train both ways – arriving – departure.
We landed at Terminal 2, got our bags and as soon as we came out to the big hallway there were big signs marked at the floor, “Treni”
No problem at all, we did buy tickets at the ticketoffice, by VISA. Cost : 11 EUR.
Took the train to Codorna and took the tram to the hotel.
On the way back to Malpensa the train did´t stop at any other station, a non stop journey – so it took only 30 minutes.
Thanks for the help.
Great info! We’ve been trying to get more information on catching Malpensa express to Milan and you explained them all in one placee. Thank you!
We are thinking of heading to Como for a couple of days towards the end of our trip and hoping can go straight from Como to Malpensa. What would you recommend the best way to do it? So far the only info we could find is that we have 2 options, bus or train but having difficulty of finding the time table, etc. Thank you so much for your help
The information I’ve seen about a bus from Como to Malpensa is included here:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-to-from-malpensa-airport-by-bus.html
It’s listed under “SPT to Como,” and there’s information about the departures from Malpensa plus a link to the company website for further details.
Awesome advice you have given to loads of travellers through the years – I am amazed! I am a single-lady-traveller heading to Milan in a week’s time for business – This is my first trip to Italy and I am from Asia. I initially planned to take a shuttle bus to Centrale Metro Station but my research has shown that the train station is known to be “dangerous”. I will be staying at Hotel Mediolanum, and the hotel staff has informed me that Centrale Metro Station is a five minute walk to the hotel. Do you think that it is better to take Malpensa Express from MXP to Cadorna and then hail a cab to Hotel Mediolanum, considering the fact that I will be having two pieces of luggage (personal belongings and a laptop bag)? I do not wish to end up losing any of my valuables, especially in Centrale Metro Station where I have read about so many unfortunate thefts
Appreciate your kind advice
Most train stations are in odd parts of town, Lynn, but the area around Milano Centrale is mostly fine. I wouldn’t worry about it at all – take the bus (I have several times, including by myself), and you can either walk to the hotel or get a taxi to drive you with your luggage. If it’s a short trip, it won’t cost too much and will save you the trouble of finding the hotel. Just be aware of your surroundings and be careful like you would in any unfamiliar situation.
i will reach melpansa airport and want to go to hotel Raefaello single for single
if i take the malpensa express train then in which station should i get down, from where it will be easy and nearby to reach the hotel Raffaello – Single For Single, Viale Certosa, 108 20156 Milano.
hope to receive an immediate reply as i have to leave for italy in a couple of days from now.
thanking in advance.
amit.
I would suggest you contact the hotel directly and find out from them the best way to reach the hotel. Otherwise, you can put the address into a Google map and then, when you zoom in, you can look for the icon for Metro stations to see which is closest. It’s usually easiest to ask the hotel directly, however. They may have a special transportation tip.
Jessica, thank you writing such a detailed blog, I wondered if you could help me with a couple of things.
I am coming to Milan on Saturday with my sister and returning to England on the Tuesday. We are using Malpensa airport, so I am looking into traveling on the Malpensa Express train service to get to Milan Centrale (located near to our hotel). During our stay we will probably be walking most of the time, but maybe take the odd trip on the Metro, and will have a day trip to Stresa on Monday.
Through my research I have come across many variation in tickets that are available, but I am a bit muddled as to which modes of transport are included on some of them and wondered if you offer me some clarity on this and guidance as to the best option. Is the Malpensa Express travel included on either the 10 trip carnet ticket or the 2-day/week ATM ticket?? Also do you know if a week ATM ticket still exists as it isn’t listed on their website?
Two final questions, Do you know which forms of transport are included on the MilanoCard – most importantly the Malpensa Express? and finally, if you book to travel on the Malpensa Express online prior to travel, do you have to travel on a set train?!
Sorry for all the questions, but every website I read paints a different picture. Many thanks Zoe
The Malpensa Express is run by a different company than the one running the city’s public transit and the national trains, so as far as I know there isn’t a combo ticket of any kind that includes the Malpensa Express. I also wouldn’t worry about booking the Malpensa Express in advance – it’s easy to do when you get to the airport (or at Cadorna or Centrale station, for the return trip), and then you don’t have to worry about missing a particular train.
As for public transit in Milan, this article may help:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-get-around-in-milan-milan-public-transportation-101.html
The only multi-day cards I see listed on the ATM site are 1-day and 2-day cards, so my guess is that there isn’t a 1-week card. It appears the MilanoCard covers public transport in the city, and if you’re willing to take the bus instead of the Malpensa Express, you’ll get a discount on the trip to/from Malpensa on the bus if you have the card:
http://www.milanocard.it/indexen.html
Hi Jessica,
I am flying to Malpansa and going on to Desenzano del Garda. I am thinking of taking the Malpansa Express to Milano Centrale and changing there for the train to Desenzano. My questions are: 1) is this the best option in your opinion. 2) Can I buy one ticket to Desenzano or do I need to buy a 2nd ticket at Centrale station. 3) I am taking the same route on return. I know the dates when I am returning but not the exact times. Can one buy a return ticket if it is cheaper? 4) Do they abbreviate the station names on the train timetables? I want to be sure that there is only one town called Desenzano del Garda so that I do not take the wrong train.
Thanks in advance.
Chuhi
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, the train is probably your best option, if you’re not driving.
2. The Malpensa Express isn’t part of the national train network, so it’s a separate ticket. You’ll buy a ticket at the airport to take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale (make sure it’s to Centrale), and then at Centrale you’ll buy a ticket to go to Desenzano. You can buy the Milano-Desenzano ticket online in advance if you wish: http://www.italylogue.com/train
3. There’s no round-trip ticket on these trains, so you’ll just buy each ticket separately.
4. Sometimes they abbreviate the station/town names, but I don’t know what the abbreviation for Desenzano would be. On the ticket booking site, the abbreviation is listed as “Desenzano G.-Sirm” for Desenzano Garda-Sirmione, but you can double-check when you get to Milano Centrale.
hi,
I have to catch a 5:25 malpensa express train from central to malpensa airport. Will i get tickets at that time or do i have to buy it online?
Thanks in advance.
Do you mean 5:25am? At Malpensa, the ticket office isn’t open that early, so that may be the case at the train station, too. If the ticket office isn’t open then, you can buy a ticket at the automated machine or just visit the station on another day to buy your ticket when it is open.
I would like to know what the price is for a round-trip with the malpensa express (Malpensa – Cardorna station), but not on the same day.
We arrive on saturday and leave on sunday.
Is that 14,50 euro? a round trip with no date I read somewhere. And than validate your ticket before getting on the train.
Or do we have to buy to single tickets?
Thanx!