Malpensa airport to Vernazza

The quickest way is probably renting a car and driving or (at some expense) hiring a private transfer. I personally wouldn't want to drive a car in the Cinque Terre though, nor would I want to pay for a private transfer.

The most practical way is probably taking the Malpansa Express train to Milano Centrale, then trains from there on to Vernazza. Check http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en or www.trainline.eu for connection times and prices. The cost will be cheaper somewhat the earlier you book, but with the uncertainty of flight arrival, many would prefer to not book in advance and just buy the train tickets at the last minute when you get there.

The easiest and simplest way is to travel by train. It would help to know if you've travelled by train in Italy before? Also, what time does your flight arrive?

As mentioned in the previous reply, you'll first have to take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale, where you'll transfer to the train(s) to Vernazza. There are a few things to be aware of with the Malpensa Express. Here's a description.....

The quickest and easiest way to get from MXP Terminal 1 into Milan is to use the Malpensa Express (train). There are several departures each hour and the trip takes 52 minutes. You can buy tickets at the airport station either from a Kiosk or staffed ticket office, and the cost is currently €13 PP. There are a few important points to note. First, the M.E. has two routes, one to Milano Centrale and one to Milano N. Cadorna, so be sure to board the correct train! Next, it's necessary to validate (time & date stamp) your tickets prior to boarding the train, or you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! You'll arrive at Milano Centrale on Track (Binario) 1 or 2, and will then have to walk into the main hall to either connect with another train or exit the station. If you're arriving on a budget flight at Malpensa Terminal 2, you can use either the Malpensa Shuttle (Bus) or the Malpensa Express (train). Travel time for the bus is about an hour (depending on traffic), and the Bus also terminates at Milano Centrale. Travel time for the train is a bit longer than from Terminal 1. You can buy bus tickets from the driver or at ticket machines inside the terminal. The Malpensa Shuttle also serves MXP Terminal 1, so if you'd prefer to travel by Bus that's also an option.

The trains from Milano Centrale to Vernazza range from about 3 to 4 hours, with at least one change. Which train you'll be able to connect with will depend on your arrival time in Milan. All the solutions can be found on the link mentioned in the previous reply.

Thanks for that - very informative
We will be landing at 2.20pm in the afternoon and I assume that we will need around and hour and a half to get our back and clear customs - so maybe out of the airport by 4pm (fingers crossed)

If you will have a working smart phone in Italy, install the Trenit app, so you can check schedules on the fly or even buy tickets with it. (You can't register most likely so you'll have to type in your name and address etc. each time you buy a ticket, which can be a pain.) I used my US Paypal account to pay for tickets with Trenit, but a US credit card may work as well. Obviously, having a working phone when you land will help greatly, but maybe Malpensa has WiFi - haven't been there in a while.

Otherwise, familiarize yourself with the schedules ahead of time - if you don't have a phone with you, print out the schedules and be prepared to know which trains get you in when. Then if you get to the Malpensa Express platform at say 15:30 you'll know which train you can catch at Milano Centrale, etc. and know what time you'll get into Vernazza.

Any advance-purchase discount offered from Milan to Vernazza will be pretty minimal. Full fare is only €30 in 2nd class, or €40 if the connection includes a Frecciabianca train instead of an InterCity.

Thanks for the information on your flight arrival. It would also help to know when this trip is taking place? I was using an arbitrary date to check schedules and these can vary slightly on weekends.

With a flight arrival at 14:20, if all goes well you may be able to get through Passport control and collect your checked luggage by about 15:00. A lot will depend on whether you're at the front of the line in deplaning, how many other flights arrive at that time and how many officers they have on duty at Passport control.

Here are the departures from Milano Centrale that you may be able to connect with.....

• 16:05 - this is one of the quickest and easiest as it's only 3H:10M with one change in Levanto
• 16:25 - this may be the most likely possibility. Travel time is 3H:58M with two changes at Genova Brignole and Sestri Levante. This solution involves three Regionale trains so DON'T forget to validate your tickets prior to boarding each train.
• 17:05 - Travel time is 3H:28M with two changes at Genova Piazza Principe and La Spezia Centrale. With this solution you'll actually go past Vernazza, and then have to backtrack (only a short 18 minute trip from La Spezia). This solution involves an Intercity, a Frecciabianca and a Regionale train. The first two will have compulsory seat reservations and only the ticket for the last segment on the Regionale will have to be validated.

I've found that in Italy, trains don't always follow the schedules precisely. You'll just have to "play it by ear" but I doubt you'll have any major problems.

I have flown to Malpensa three time in the last couple of years and I don't think it has taken me mormthe 45 minutes to get through passport control and customs. These were all early afternoon arrivals. Two direct flights from the US, one from Germany. Of course that was my experience. Most of the time was spent waiting to catch the Malpensa express and waiting to catch the train from Milano Centrale to Vernazza, or wherever else I was going.

Malpensa was expanded and remodeled greatly in the late 1990s to be inaugurated as Alitalia's superhub in 2000. The hype didn't last long. With the subsequent Alitalia's financial woes, the hub was gradually abandoned by Alitalia and pretty much most traditional European airlines which have moved continental operations to Linate for the most part. Linate is closer to Milan city center so it is preferred by the lucrative business travelers. So Malpensa now is now a hub for Easyjet (a low cost hub) and it is used by others for the intercontinental flights since wide bodies cannot use Linate (short 8000ft runway). But overall Malpensa was scaled down a lot. It was designed to handle over 40,000,000 passengers a year, now it just gets less than half that. So I can guarantee you that arrival procedures won't last long and you will feel like you landed in a very modern ghost airport. The place is usually so empty and quiet that you will feel the echo of your voice when you talk.