Milano Centrale to Venezia S. Lucia on 10-27-15

There still Economy tickets available on the 12:35 train for 38 euro for 2. In this situation, I would just buy when I arrive, as this is not a big enough discount to take the chance. Last time, I bought them out of the kiosk at Malpensa train station, but I have a PIN & chip credit card, so it was no problem to do it that way. Lines at the ticket window at Centrale can be long.

Here is explanation of changing base fare tickets: http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Offers/The-Base-Ticket

Changing a base fare ticket is most easily done in person, in my experience, but it may involve standing in line.

I have found tickets from Milano to Venezia for 9euro, bought well in advance.

Sometimes I have found discount tickets available at the ticket window, but plan on paying base fare if you walk up.

Since the trains between Milan and Venice run almost every half-hour, I would wait and buy tickets upon arrival. You have no way of knowing whether or not your plane will be late or if there will be a long line at customs. There are easy to use automatic ticket kiosks at major stations such as Centrale, so you can don't have to wait in line for purchasing tickets. They accept U.S. credit and debit cards, although I usually recommend you know your PIN for credit card before leaving home.

The Base Fares are the full-fare tickets, the same you will pay at the station. I have exchanged full-fare tickets in the past, which involves going to a ticket window at a major station and standing in line.

Rich, I have used the ticket kiosks at Milano Centrale and there are sometimes lines there, too.

There is a Trenitalia kiosk in the Malpensa airport train station right next to the Trenord kiosk outside the tiket office. Usually not much of a line there, if any. Once you have gotten that far, you know you will be at Centrale in about an hour and can buy a Trenitalia ticket leaving from Centrale in about 1 1/2 hours.

As Zoe notes, there can be lines at the kiosks in Centrale, but I guarantee these lines are shorter than at the ticket window. I was just at Milano Centrale last month and bought a ticket from a kiosk with no wait at all. I agree with Sam that buying the Milan-Venice ticket at a kiosk in Malpensa will be less crowded than at the Centrale station and can save you time, since you will most likely be buying the Malpensa-Milan Centrale ticket at the same time.