I will be taking a train from Florence into Milan Tuesday evening in order to fly home from Malpensa Wednesday morning. I see that there are trains that go into the Central train station, and those that go into Garibaldi.
Which station is closer? Any suggestions?
Main station - Central. And from there a train to the airport.
There are many hotels in walking distance of Milano Centrale, so that is usually the choice. The Malpensa Express train stops at both stations before going to Malpensa airport.
Thanks! I just booked a room at the Hilton, a block from Central Station. I looked at the Malpensa Express schedule....can it really take more than an hour to get to the airport by train?
No, it is about an hour because the airport is a looooooooonnnnnngggggg way from Milan. I actually stayed in that Hilton in '93. A great little stand up coffee and pastry shop at the trolly stop. Probably gone.
toby,
The Malpensa Express takes ~52 minutes from Milano Centrale. I realize you've already booked a hotel, but if you want to reduce that time, you could consider staying near Milano Nord Cadorna station as the Malpensa Express also operates from there and the travel time is as short as ~29 minutes, depending on which train you choose. The area around Cadorna station also has lots of nice hotels, and it's also closer to the Duomo, Sforza Castle etc, and there are lots of restaurants along Via Dante (Dante is a wide pedestrian walkway, and a nice place to walk around in the evenings).
You can see all the solutions on the Trenitalia website. The trains with one change require a trip via Metro (or whatever) from Cadorna to Centrale, but there are some direct trains from Cadorna.
Be SURE to validate your ticket prior to boarding the Malpensa Express on the day of travel, or you'll risk hefty fines!
Are you sure you're not looking at the Malpensa Express Bus Service? That takes a bit more than an hour due to traffic and it stops at Terminal 2 first, which adds about 15 minutes to the travel time. The trains from Milano Centrale alternate between 52 and 46 minutes due primarily to intermediate stops. The trains from Cadorna station are true express trains, at least the 29 minute one. They too run on an alternating schedule with the other one making a few stops.
