Flyingto Malpensa - Catching train from airport - question on turnaround time at the airport

The UK is not part of the Schengen area, so you would have to go through immigration in Milan, unfortunately. ("Customs" is a 10 second formality mostly where you just walk by unless you have something to declare.)

This kind of question about landing-to-train timing is a frequently-asked question where travelers have different opinions. Most lean on the side of caution and urge you not to buy your tickets until you land in Milan and just pay the high last-minute fee so you won't lose your whole ticket if you buy ahead and miss your train.

I do think you have a reasonable chance of making the 14:43 but everything would have to go perfectly: flight on time, no big delays at immigration, luggage on time...but it's going to be very tight if you make it.

Bring a smart phone, and you can buy tickets on your phone as you are on the train from the airport to save time waiting in line at the train station at Milano Centrale. I use the Trenit app on my Android phone for Trenitalia tickets, but I understand the app isn't available directly for iPhone users.

dgame,

A few thoughts on your questions.....

Which of the five Cinque Terre towns are you staying in?

You'll arrive at Malpensa Terminal 2 and since that's your first entry to the Schengen area you'll have to go through Passport control, where your Passports will be stamped with the entry date. I don't remember whether checked luggage is retrieved before or after Passport control, but the time will be about the same. I assume you'll have nothing to declare at Customs, so that will be a walk-through. The time at Passport control will depend on how many agents they have on duty and how many flights arrive at the same time, but it shouldn't be excessively long (of course in Italy, one can never tell).

You'll then make your way to the station for the the Malpensa Express (train) from there to Milano Centrale, which will take 58 minutes. You can buy your ticket at the airport but be sure to validate the ticket prior to boarding the train, or you'll risk hefty fines! The time and specifics for the train to the Cinque Terre will depend on which train you connect with. Using an arbitrary date of 8 June and Monterosso as the destination station, the 14:37 will be the quickest and easiest as it's an Intercity direct. I suppose there's a slight possibility you could connect with that one, but I wouldn't recommend buying an advance ticket as if you miss the train, the ticket is worthless and you'd have to buy another at full (Base) fare.

If you decide to buy tickets online, I find that www.trainline.eu is a very easy site to use. Registration is required along with payment details but once that's done, the process is very easy. They also have an App. They sell tickets for not only Trenitalia but also Italo and other networks in Europe, so that provides "one stop shopping".

Thanks for the replies. Realized our flight arrives in T2, not T1 as I originally was thinking. Changes the departure time to 1437. Headed to Manarola.

Is my best option to pay a bit of a premium to buy a flexible ticket? That way, if we are being pushed to make the 1437, we won't have to wait through the ticket line. If we miss it, sounds like we have 3 hour windows on the 1st leg and a 1 hour window on the Milan Centrale to Levanto leg.

Alternatively, if I wait to buy a ticket until we land, will we be paying the flexible rate anyway?

Another question, do these trains tend to sell out on a weekday mid-afternoon departure?

It is rare for any train to sell out. Second, there is no flexible ticket in Italy. Three levels - Super Economy, Economy, and Basic. The first two are basically no change, no refund. And the Basic ticket is even dead if you are more than an hour and half late. (or something close to that). The Basic ticket is the walk up fare. The price is the same whether you buy it on line or at the station. The SE, and E tickets are limited in quantity so you may have missed those anyway. So buy it when you get there.

You luggage should be available after you clear immigration. Customs is a walk through the Green Door - Nothing to Declare

Immigration is always an uncontrollable variable. I have taken over two hours to clear immigration in Italy and I have done it as quick as thirty. It just depends. It is nearly impossible to meet your schedule since the train from the airport takes an hour and probably another hour on top of that finding the trains, buying tickets, etc. It could easily take close to three hours to get to the Centrale station. So the earliest train could be around 1600.

1.5 hours from arrival time to train departure from T2 is reasonable, but not guaranteed.
I wouldn’t buy anything ahead. As long as you make it to the Malpensa Station by 17:37 you will make it to Manarola by 22:30. No chance of sold out trains. I would buy on the spot at Malpensa.