My daughter and I will be traveling to Italy for the first time. We will fly into Milan and would like to go to Venice. What is the best way to make that trip? Thanks!
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
Italy has a great train network so it's best to get from one major city to another by train. This link is a great resource and should answer most of your questions:
http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#.VsDBnRhyyu4
Posted by
Green Bay
20072 posts
Malpensa Express train from the airport to Milano Centrale station. Make sure you get on the right train and validate your ticket before boarding in the stamping machine by the platform. At Centrale get the next train to Venezia S. Lucia station. This train has all reserved seats, so no validation required.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
You can buy tickets through to Venezia SL at the airport; one or two changes of train, depending on which train you choose.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32201 posts
matson,
To elaborate a bit on previous replies, the Malpensa Express has two destinations, Milano Centrale and Milano Cadorna. Be sure that you board the correct train. Also, I'd like to emphasize the comment about validating your ticket prior to boarding. This is very important as those caught with unvalidated tickets will face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!
The Freccia (or Italo) train that you use from Milano Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia requires compulsory seat reservations, which will be provided with the ticket you buy. The ticket will specify which Car No. (Carrozza) and with Seat No.'s (Posti) you must sit.
The Malpensa Express arrives on Binario (tracks) 1 or 2, which are kind of set off from the main tracks. You'll have to check the electronic board once you get to the main track area to determine which track your Venice train will be leaving from.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Careful. Milan now has three airports - at least as far as the airlines are concerned.
The largest is Milan Malpensa (code MXP), which is where nonstop flights from the US arrive. You've already been given good advice if that is your arrival airport.
Milan Linate (code LIN) is much closer to the city of Milan than Malpensa is, but doesn't have a rail connection. Many flights from within Europe arrive there. To get from Linate to Venice, you'd take a bus or taxi to Milano Centrale station, then a train to Venice.
Bergamo Orio al Serio (code BGY) is actually Bergamo's airport. But someone realized it's almost the same distance from central Milan as Malpensa is, and budget airlines started using it as their "Milan" airport. If by some chance you're landing there, you would take a bus or taxi to Bergamo, then a train to Venice. There's no need to backtrack to Milan itself, since Bergamo is on the direct high speed Milan to Venice train line.