Malpensa to Milan Central timeline

It is too risky. If your plane is 10 min late you may have missed it. Once the train moves, and you are not on it, it is a dead ticket. Customs is a walk through but immigration can be anything but a walk through. (This assumes your are coming from the US and have not gone through immigrations for the Schengen zone) There is no way to accurately predict immigrations (passport control). It could take 30 minutes or an hour and 30 minutes depending on the number of planes arriving and number of immigration officers on duty. You need at least 15 mins from the ME to change trains in Milan.

Thanks for your response Frank. I will be coming form JFK so I will have to go through immigration. Maybe on an off chance my flight will get in early :). I will wait to by my tickets there, and just go with the flow.

You can buy your Monterosso ticket at the airport when you buy the M Express ticket. They should also be able to tell your the track number at the same time. It has been awhile so I don't know how far apart the two tracks are. I still think 5 mins is too short. I have done 5 min trains in small station where it is mostly a matter of moving from one set of tracks to another. Milano Central is huge so 5 min is not enough.

There is also a direct train at 14:05 which will be safer. Since the walk-up price is 27.50 euro 2nd class, I'd only be tempted to gamble if I could get a 9 euro Super Economy ticket. The 19 euro Economy ticket is not enough savings to make me want to take the chance. The Malpensa Express train will cost 12 euro no matter what.

Kelley,

With a flight arriving at 10:40, I suspect you won't get to the airport rail station until at least 11:30 (if not later), even with just carry on. You'll need to buy your tickets there for both legs of your trip and there will probably be a queue at both the ticket office and Kiosks at that time of day, so allow a few minutes for that as well. If you can connect with the 11:43 train, you'll be lucky.

A couple of important points to mention. There are two routes for the Malpensa Express, one to Milano Centrale and one to Milano Cadorna. Be sure you board the correct train! Also, that train is a Regionale, so you MUST validate your ticket prior to boarding the train or you'll face a hefty fine which will be collected on the spot! Going to Cadorna is only a minor problem, as you can still get to Centrale via the Metro (but not always the most enjoyable when hauling luggage).

As I recall, the Malpensa Express arrives at Milano Centrale on Track (Binario) 2, which is on the far side and a bit "offset" from the remainder of the tracks. Therefore it's a good idea to allow at least 10 minutes to get to the area where the Monterosso train departs, as you'll need time to check the electronic board to determine which track it's on. Milano Centrale is a busy station and you'll be jet lagged, which may slow you down a bit.

The 14:05 direct departure to Monterosso will be the easiest one, as no changes are involved. I find that changing trains when jet lagged always requires a bit more effort and concentration. That will get you to Monterosso just after 17:00. You could possibly connect with an earlier train that has one change at Genova Piazza Principe - your choice. Use the Trenitalia website to check the details. If you use the train with the connection in Genova, the last leg to Monterosso will likely be Regionale, so again you MUST validate!

When is this trip taking place and which hotel are you staying in? I may be able to provide directions from the station.

I wouldn't bother trying to get the ME ticket in advance, anyway, just buy it (and the ticket to Monterosso) when you clear the airport lines. Once out the exit doors, directions to the train ticket office and platforms are clearly marked.

Milano Centrale has trains on one level and it's a terminus, so ten minutes should be more than enough to get to your train connection. You exit the ME and walk to the railhead, then find the binario number for your connecting train. No stairs to navigate.

Thank for all your responses. This was really helpful.