Late arrival and early departure from Malpanesa- Hotel?

Probably not a good idea to take the train to Venice that night. Jet lag on a flight from LAX to Malpensa will probably be noticeable for all concerned, not just the kids.
Your best 2 choices are:
Go to a Milan hotel the night of your arrival. But you will have to research transportation choices between the airport and Milan for that late at night.
Or stay at a hotel near the airport that first night. And then the next day deal with getting to Venice.

The train from Milan to Venice takes about 2.5 hours (www.bahn.com). Additionally it takes about an hour to get from the airport into the city, then also factor in time to get from the Venice station to your hotel. At best you are looking at about 3.5-4 hours traveling from the time you land to the time you get to Venice, so you probably wouldn't get into Venice any earlier than midnight. I would recommend staying in Milan when you arrive. Whether you decide to stay at the airport or the city will be up to you. If you can make it into the city, you'd at least be close to the train station if you decide to do an earlier train out the next day. Take a look at Rick's Italy guidebook for hotel suggestions near the central train station. I hope this helps some.

I would stay in Milan city center. The time it takes by train to downtown is not long and that way you are already close to the station the next day.

You don't have the time to go to Venice. The last train departs from Milan at 8:35pm.

There are several nice hotels within 5 min walking distance from the train station in Milano.
We just stayed at the Best Western Atlantic...on that same street is Hotel Berna - one of my favorites.
That said, remember that the Expo is going on in Milan, so plan ahead and make your reservation if you are traveling this summer/fall.

I booked on Booking.com...you can also check with venere.com searching by location.

It's nice to stay close to the train station, easy to access the next morning, much better than staying out by the airport.

I'd suggest the train, it leaves from Term 2 at the airport, or take the bus, (10E adult fare) that's about the same amount of time at 9:30PM (less traffic on the road) and the bus will leave you just on the right side of the train station (as you look at it from the front)

Don't try to get to Venice that night...it's too long a trip, and everyone will be exhausted. Plus, getting to your hotel in Venice that late at night might not be an option.

Remember that some smaller or family run lodging in Italy don't have a 24 hour reception, so you need to check that and avoid getting to a hotel/pension/whatever and you're locked out and standing on the street with all your luggage and kids.

Hotel Garda and Hotel Berna are near the station (5-minute walk), get good reviews. Hotel prices are up because of Expo.

lisa,

To begin with, one point to clarify.....

"I'd suggest the train, it leaves from Term 2 at the airport"

There is *NO train station at MXP Terminal 2.* The only transportation method there is the Malpensa Shuttle (Bus). If you're arriving from LAX, you'll be arriving at Terminal 1 and there is a rail station there. You can buy your tickets there, either from a staffed ticket office or from a Kiosk. NOTE that you MUST validate your tickets prior to boarding the train or risk hefty fines, which will be collected on the spot!

I agree with the others that it would be prudent to sleep in Milan and then get a fresh start in the morning, at a more relaxed pace. You'll enjoy the trip to Venice far more in the daytime. I stayed at Hotel Garda last October, and once you know the way it's only a five minute walk from Milano Centrale. There are several other hotels on the same street, so you should be able to find something that fits your criteria. Be sure to tell them that you'll be a late arrival.

I'd suggest planning to arrive in Venice in mid-afternoon, as it's more likely that your hotel room will have been serviced, and therefore ready for immediate check-in.

I would follow Ken's suggestions above and add the following for the morning in Milan.

As an 8 or 10 year old, I would have loved to spend part of a morning burning off some energy at the top of the duomo in Milan prior to the train to Venice.