How to get from the Milanese airports to the center of Milan

Milan – Malpensa Airport

Milano Malpensa Airport is the largest of the three airports that serve the city of Milan and is located 50 km (31 mi) northwest from the city center. After Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome is Malpensa Airport the busiest airport in Italy with over 22 million passengers per year. The airport has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2) and a cargo terminal. Terminal 1 is the largest terminal and has four floors. This terminal is used by all airlines except by EasyJet. Terminal 2 is exclusively used by EasyJet and is therefore a smaller terminal with only two floors. In both terminals are shops, bars and restaurants, but most of them are in T1 as it is the largest terminal. The VIP lounge and the exclusive shops from luxury brands like Gucci, Bvlgari and Hermès are only available in T1. There is a free shuttle bus service available that connects the two terminals 24-hours a day.

By bus
The bus to Milan (as well as the free shuttle bus between the terminals) can be found outside in front of the terminals. There are also several coaches that bring you directly from Malpensa Airport to Milano Centrale railway station in about 65 minutes, but it is also possible to catch a coach to other destinations like Fiera Milano City / Fiera Rho Pero and Milan Linate airport. Examples of companies that offer coach services are Terravision, Autostradale Airport Bus Express and Malpensa Shuttle. The bus or coach are the cheapest way to get to the city center of Milan, but it is also less convenient than the other options as it doesn’t bring you directly to your final destination and it takes the longest ride.

By train
With the Malpensa Express from Trenord is it possible to take the train directly from Malpensa Airport to the large railway stations of Milan like Cadorna, Milano Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi. The total journey from Milano Centrale to Malpensa Airport Terminal 1 takes about 50 minutes and an additional 5 minutes to Terminal 2. This train stops at the underground level of T1 as well as T2. More information about the Malpensa Express like prices and timetables can be found on the Malpensa Express website.

By renting a car
The several companies that offer rental cars at Malpensa Airport can be found on the ground floor of T1 and at the railway station, adjacent to T2. These companies include the well-known car rental companies like Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.

If you want to make sure that your favorite car is available at the best price it is advised to book your car well in advance via a car rental comparison website. Often does the price go up when there is a shorter period between the actual pick-up and the booking. In holiday seasons it is often the case that the most popular cars are already reserved by the many tourists that visit Milan and the regions of Lombardy and Piemonte. It is also a big time saver that you don’t have to compare all the different car rental desks at the airport and to figure out whether your favorite car is still available. You can just pick up the keys and get your car that they already have prepared for you.

By taxi
At Malpensa Airport are the taxi stands outside at exit gate 6 of T1 and at exit gate 4 of T2. There are various companies available that offer their services. Taking a taxi from Malpensa Airport to the city center of Milan takes about 50 minutes which is about as long as a journey by bus, but the taxi brings you from the airport directly to the doorstep of your hotel. On the other hand is a taxi more expensive than a bus. The legal taxis in Milan are white, metered and are allowed to take a maximum of four passengers with them. Taxis that have a sticker with the text “Taxi autorizzato per il servizio aeroportuale Lombardo” have a fixed rate for a journey between Malpensa Airport and the city center of Milan. Then you are sure that no extra charges will apply. When you book a taxi in advance you will also be sure that you drive with an official company, but it also has the advantage that you don’t have to search for an available taxi as the chauffeur will be waiting for you as soon as you arrive at the airport.

Milan – Linate Airport

The original name of Linate Airport was Airport Enrico Forlanini in honor of the engineer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer that was born in Milan. Linate Airport is the second airport of Milan and is located at only about 8 km (5 mi) southeast from the city center. The airlines at this airport offer only domestic flights and international flights within the EU. Although Linate Airport is smaller than Malpensa Airport, it still serves about 10 million passengers per year. The airport has several bars, restaurants, banks, ATMs, a pharmacy and of course retail shops where you can buy things like clothing, electronics, perfumes, souvenirs and books. In the terminal is also free WiFi is available.

By bus
The bus is a relatively cheap way to get from Linate Airport to the city center of Milan. Public bus number 73 drives multiple times per hour between Piazza San Babila in the city center of Milan and Linate Airport. The journey will take about 30 minutes. There are also busses available that depart from Linate Airport to other popular destinations like Pavia, Verona and of course Malpensa Airport. There are also several coach services available that will bring you straight to Milan Central railway station, or with less stops than public bus number 73. Also popular are the shared shuttle services that offer door-to-door services, but you share them with other travellers. All these services can be found in front of the arrival area of the terminal.

By train
There is no train station at Linate Airport, so if you want to catch a train to another destination in Italy or Europe you first need to take a bus or taxi that brings you to one of the train stations in Milan.

By renting a car
Travellers who desire more convenience by planning their own route and agenda can hire their preferred car. In the terminal of Linate Airport are several counters of car rental companies present and include some of the well-known brands like Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt and Thrifty. Booking in advance via a comparison website for rental cars will save you time as your preferred car, with enough room for your luggage and travel companions, will be ready for you on your arrival. It is also often cheaper to compare and book your rental car well in advance than when you rent a car at an airport desk.

By taxi
Just outside the arrival section is a taxi stand. Taxis can bring you in about 20 minutes from Linate Airport to your destination in the city center of Milan. It is always advised to ask a taxi driver the costs of the journey before you set off. The costs should be approximately 30 euros (2018) when you take a taxi ride to the city center of Milan. Note that the drivers of official airport taxis do not search for customers in the arrival hall unless you have booked them in advance so that they are known with your arrival. The advantage of booking in advance is that you don’t have to search for a taxi after your flight, but that the chauffeur is waiting for you to bring you directly to your final destination.

Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio)

Bergamo Airport is also known as Orio al Serio International Airport, but not many people know that its official name is Il Caravaggio International Airport. This airport is located next to the city of Bergamo and at about 45 km (28 mi) north-east of Milan. Note that this is about the same as the distance between Malpensa Airport and the city of Milan. This short distance is an important reason why Bergamo Airport also attracts many travellers that want to go to, or come from, Milan. Another reason is that it can be cheaper to fly via Bergamo Airport as it is served by several low budget airlines that advertise Bergamo Airport as being Milan. The airport has one terminal with some shops (mainly Italian fashion), a vip lounge, several spots where you can eat and drink, banks and free WiFi. This airport serves about 11 million passengers per year, so a great network of transportation has been developed that will get you from Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio) to Milan and Bergamo. Below we will cover the different transfer options that are available for you.

By bus
The public transport company of Bergamo is called ATB (Azienda Trasporti Bergamo). If you want to travel from Bergamo Airport to the railway station near the city center of Bergamo you can take their bus line 1. You will find the bus stop in front of the arrival hall. This bus departs three times per hour, and on Sundays and public holidays two times per hour. From the Bergamo railway station you can take the train to Milan. But there are also several coach services that will get you from Bergamo Airport straight to Milan by bus. The travel time to get from Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio) to the city center of Milan by coach will take about one hour. Examples of the available coach service companies are Autostradale, Orioshuttle and Terravision.

By train
At Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio) is unfortunately no railway station. So if you prefer to travel by train to Milan, or another destination in Italy, you should first take a 15 minute bus ride to the Bergamo railway station. At the website of Trenitalia you will find more information about the timetables and prices.

By renting a car
If you love to drive by yourself and want to be free to explore the region according to your own agenda then it is an interesting option to rent a car at Bergamo Airport. In the arrival hall are desks of several car rental companies like Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. Booking your rental in advance has some advantages compared to renting at a service desk at the airport.

Using a website such as rentalcars.com allows you to compare offers from different car rental companies, so you don’t have to do it when you arrive and at different airport desks. In this way you will be easily able to check which company has your favorite car available at your preferred date and which one offers the best prices. When you book your rental car online and well in advance the prices will probably be lower and the availability of different cars will be higher than when you book your car upon arrival at an airport desk. While getting a rental car after you have arrived at destination only allows you to choose between the cars that are left over. Especially during the holiday seasons it can be the case that only a relatively small selection of cars is still available to choose from.

By taxi
Getting a taxi is probably the easiest, but surely not the cheapest, way to get from Bergamo Airport to the doorstep of your final destination. There are several taxi stands outside in front of the arrival hall, but with peak hours and holiday seasons it is possible that queues are formed for the limited available taxis. If you want to be sure that a professional and authorized chauffeur is waiting for you in the arrival hall when you arrive at the airport, then it is advised to book a taxi in advance.