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How to Get from Amsterdam to Milan (and vice versa)

· Updated · BootsnAll

Since flying directly to Italy from North America is often more expensive than flying into other European hubs, one option for saving money on your airfare is to book a flight into a different city in Europe and then fly from there into Italy. Although the city of Amsterdam may not be one of the biggest in Europe, its airport - Schiphol International - is a big enough hub that you can sometimes get lucky finding cheap flights to Amsterdam. Getting from there to Italy is a breeze.
The Amsterdam-Milan route is the one I most often fly, and it’s popular with business travelers as well - but you don’t have to be going to Italy on business to start your trip in Milan. It may not be everyone’s favorite Italian city, but it’s an excellent starting point for holidays that include the Italian Alps, food-centric Piedmont region, the Italian lakes, and any of the shopping you can imagine in central Milan.
A straight-as-an-arrow route from Amsterdam to Milan is roughly 515 miles, but of course the only way you’re getting even close to that route is by flying. The other potential transportation methods listed below are for much longer journeys. The main question you need to answer when deciding which of these methods is right for your trip is this - which do you have more of, money or time?

Flying from Amsterdam to Milan

If you’re limited at all time-wise, then flying is definitely your best bet. Flights from Amsterdam to Milan take about 1.5 hours (if they have no stops), and there are a few low-cost airlines that make the trip regularly which helps keep the cost down.
The budget option is easyJet, which flies to Malpensa. KLM and ITA Airways (the airline that replaced Alitalia in 2021) fly to Milan’s smaller and more central airport, Linate. These are the bigger airlines, so tickets are usually more expensive on these carriers.
Fares change constantly, so compare them for your dates. easyJet is cheapest when you book early and travel light, since checked bags cost extra. On the bigger airlines a round-trip often costs much less than two one-way tickets, so price both before you book.

Taking the Train from Amsterdam to Milan

Traveling by train around Europe is one of those things everyone wants to do - and there are some journeys that aren’t really ideal for train travel anymore. Amsterdam-Milan is one of them. Yes, you can do it, but it’s a long train trip, it’s usually cheaper (not to mention faster) to fly these days, and the journey is so long that even sites that allow you to book tickets in advance require you to break the trip up into segments booked separately.
Still, if the train is your top priority, here’s what you need to know.
First, you’ll take the train from Amsterdam to Paris. This part of the trip takes about 3.5 hours on the high-speed Eurostar trains (the ones that used to be called Thalys).
Once you get to Paris, the next part of the journey is to take the train from Paris to Milan. SNCF’s TGV and Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa both run direct trains through the Alps, and the trip takes about 7 hours. Fares on both legs are priced like airfares, so booking early makes a big difference. The Man in Seat 61 keeps an up-to-date guide to the Paris to Milan trains.

Taking the Bus from Amsterdam to Milan

If you thought taking the train from Amsterdam to Milan was a leisurely journey, that’s nothing compared to taking the bus - but going by bus is extremely cheap, which is a godsend to anyone traveling Europe on a serious budget.
The bus company that will get you from Amsterdam to Milan is FlixBus, which took over the Dutch Eurolines business in 2019 and now runs most of the long-distance coaches in Europe. Expect the trip to take most of a day and a night. Fares vary with demand, and the early ones can be very cheap.

Driving from Amsterdam to Milan

Should you be at the helm of a car, you might want to drive from Amsterdam all the way to Milan. With so many interesting stops along the way, I’m hard-pressed to think of a vacation situation in which this would be the best option. Sure, if you’re traveling on business and you can’t fly back and forth, then you won’t be stopping en route for photo-ops or sight-seeing - but if you’re on holiday, zipping down a highway through Germany, France, and Switzerland without planning to meander sounds like not much fun to me.
Of course, if this is the way you’re going, then I’m here to give you the information you’ll need.
Assuming you don’t run into traffic or other diversions, the drive time from Amsterdam into Milan is about 10.5 hours (not counting any stops you might need to make). The website I always consult for driving directions and helpful information, Via Michelin, will also estimate what you’ll spend on fuel and tolls. Those estimates are based on simply plugging in city names, so you’ll get the most accurate driving directions by putting in the address from which you’re leaving and the address to which you’re going. If your route goes through Switzerland, you’ll need a motorway vignette too.

Now that you’re in Milan…

photos, top to bottom, by: lukewebber, bibendum84, James Byrum, olofw, oksidor