The first thing to know about Malpensa is that it is not close to Milan. From Terminal 1 to the Duomo is 53 km by road and, with clear traffic, around fifty minutes. Travellers expecting a city airport find this out late; those who know in advance choose better. Here are the real options.
1. Malpensa Express — the train
It leaves from the stations inside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and runs on two lines:
- To Milano Cadorna: two trains an hour, calling at Busto Arsizio, Saronno and Bovisa. About 40 minutes into town. Cadorna suits the Castello Sforzesco, Brera and Magenta areas, and connects with metro lines M1 and M2.
- To Milano Centrale: via Porta Garibaldi, the station for Porta Nuova and CityLife, reaching Centrale in about an hour.
It is the right choice if you travel light and your hotel is near one of these stations or a metro stop. The drawbacks: services thin out late in the evening, you carry your own case over stairs and platforms, and there is still a final leg from the station to the hotel — on foot, by metro or by taxi.
2. Coach to Milano Centrale
Several operators link both terminals with Milano Centrale, with frequent departures during the day. The journey takes from 50 minutes to over an hour, depending on traffic on the ring road. It is the cheapest option, with luggage in the hold. But it only goes to Centrale: if you are staying elsewhere, the journey does not end there.
3. Taxi — the regional fixed fare
Between Malpensa and the City of Milan, taxis charge a fixed fare set by the Lombardy Region: the same amount by day or night, whatever the traffic, to any address in the city. Fixed fares also exist to Fiera Milano Rho and to Linate. It is a genuine guarantee, and for one or two people with light luggage it is often the simplest choice. The limit is space: a standard taxi takes four people, fewer with large cases.
4. Private transfer — a van priced per vehicle
A driver meets you in arrivals with a name board, loads the luggage and takes you to the exact address. The price is fixed and per vehicle, locked in when you book, with luggage and tolls included; waiting time is guaranteed up to 60 minutes after landing, and child seats are requested when booking.
Where it really makes a difference:
- Groups and families: a van for up to seven passengers is paid once, rather than two taxis.
- Bulky luggage: pushchairs, golf bags, sample cases, a month's worth of suitcases.
- Late arrivals: when trains thin out, the car is there.
- Destinations beyond Milan: towards the lakes or another airport the taxi fixed fare does not apply, and a private transfer at an agreed price becomes the natural comparison.
Choosing in thirty seconds
- Alone, hand luggage, hotel near Cadorna or Centrale: Malpensa Express.
- One or two of you, hotel anywhere in Milan: fixed-fare taxi.
- Three or more, children, lots of luggage, or a destination beyond Milan: private transfer.
What to tell us when you book
Your flight number and arrival terminal. At Malpensa the two terminals are several kilometres apart: a driver at the wrong one is the most avoidable delay of all.