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Milan Hotel for departures to both MXP and LIN

Posted by (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA) on

The more I research today the more confused I am getting! I'd appreciate any suggestions or insight. Here's the story:

-Finishing the Village Italy tour in Lake Orta and staying one extra night, so departing there on a Monday in October. I am traveling with my brother and SIL so plan to take the train to Milan Centrale.

-We all leave on Tuesday, them from MXP at 10AM and me from LIN at 645AM.

-It looks like they could take the Malpensa Express at 5:25 arriving at 6:17. Possibly the 6:25, arr at 7:17 altho theirs is an International flight (JFK) and they should probably be there 3 hours ahead of time. They could also take a taxi if needed.

-I will need to take a taxi as the bus to Linate does not look like it starts until 6 and I need to be there by 445 for my flight to AMS. (or do things not really open until 5 at this airport?)

So, I am not sure whether we should stay near Milan Centrale or the Duomo. Or if we should just split and each stay near our airports. From the Rick Steves info sheet regarding arrivals and departures, it actually looks like it would be easier to get to MXP from our hotel in Lake Orta (Hotel Bussola) rather than them coming into Milan.

-Since it is Monday, the Last Supper will not be available but the Duomo will be so I will probably want to see that, brother/SIL probably neutral on seeing it. (But the family stories say that Great Grandpa Zaffaroni walked from his village 25 miles north of Milan to attend services here in the 1870s, so really, how could you miss it?)

I suspect when I look at this again tomorrow I will see that perhaps I am making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Any advice, insight, hotel suggestions?

Thanks!

Posted by
16899 posts

If you come into Milano Centrale station and at least the other couple can later take the Malpensa train from Centrale station, I would spend the night in that neighborhood, which has quite a few cheap hotels. The Linate bus also leaves from the east side of Centrale station, but not before 5:30 a.m. There is a taxi stand on the same side of the station, at Piazza Luigi di Savoia.

Posted by
2829 posts

If that was me, I'd just part ways the night before, each one staying near their own departure airport.

Second best option is for you both to stay near Milano Centrale or Milano Cadorna (where express train also departure from), and then you take a taxi to Linate early in the morning.

Posted by
6 posts

Seeing that your flight leaves early and you need to be there 3 hours early why not just stay at the airport. We stayed at the Sheraton which is connected to MXP. Our flight was at 10:00. We were glad we did because it took longer to get through security than we thought. We were able to have a good breakfast before the long plane ride

Posted by
15514 posts

Thank you all for your input. I discussed the options and your suggestions with them at dinner tonight. I think they are going to stay at MXP the night before as the RS tour info says it is only 45 minutes via taxi from Lake Orta to MXP.

I will do some more looking regarding Linate and decide where I will stay. May have to save Great-granddaddy's memories for next time we visit Italy!

Posted by
715 posts

When I fly out of Milan i stay at the Garda Hotel. It is literally a there minute walk to Milano Centrale where you can then catch the train or bus. The Garda is nice and rather economical. The metro system in Milan is clean and efficient and also will bring you to Milano Centrale.

Posted by
15514 posts

Thanks jkc for the info regarding Hotel Garda. I had seen it in Rick's book and looked at the rather mixed reviews on Trip Advisor. I will have to take a taxi to the airport as the buses to Linate don't start early enough for me to be there when I want to be.

I spent some time last night looking at the hotel reviews around Linate and really it seems like it is just as easy to stay in Milan. It looks like it takes 15 minutes to get from some of the hotels near the airport to the airport and I've seen that it takes 20 minutes via taxi from Milan (altho I am not sure where this would be measured from).

Posted by
8 posts

I allow an hour and a half for international departures and have never had a problem going to and from Europe (including Malpensa) numerous times.

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