Our party (4) arrives at Milan MXP at 8:25 a.m. on July 28. We need to transfer to Orio Al Serio (BGY) for a flight that departs (for Athens) at 11:25 a.m. Can anyone suggest the best manner to make this connection work, given the distance between the two airports? I should add that we will not have any checked baggage and should be able to depart MXP immediately upon landing. Thanks for any assistance!
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
I think the timing is going to be tight. http://www.viamichelin.com/ says by road it is 89 Km and takes 1h04 from 'Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa' to 'Aeroporto di Orio al Serio' (AKA Bergamo airport).
Allow 20-30 minutes to de-plane and get out of the airport if arriving from somewhere else in the Schengen Area. If you are arriving from outside Europe you will need to go through passport control so allow 1 hour. Plus 1 hour (at least) check-in at Orio Al Serio, leaves you only 1 hour to get between the airports.
The obvious route is train from Malpensa into Milan, train to Bergamo and then taxi to the airport. But I don't think you have enough time for that. That leaves an expensive taxi all the way as the only option.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Trains from Malpensa airport to Milano Centrale train station take 50 minutes with only 1 - 2 departures per hour. Buses departing from the east side of Milano Centrale, at Piazza Luigi de Savoia, run more frequently but also take an hour to get to Bergamo airport. Again, taxi sounds like the only possible option.
Ryan Air is especially strict about their restrictions, so missing the mandated check-in time leaves you buying a new ticket on the later departure. Easy Jet and Aegean/Olympic both have direct flights to Athens from Malpensa, around 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., for a reasonable price.