Train From Milan Malpensa to Milan Centrale

There is no way to be sure how long it will take. Depends on how many flights are coming in, whether you have to collect luggage, how many agents are working. If your flight is late, you could miss your train connection. It is a schlep to the train platform (make sure you go to the correct track, there are two).

I only have carry on, it has never taken more than an hour, but my flights have been pretty close to on time.

i have to catch a train that goes from centrale to florence at 1120 am.

Do you already have a ticket for this train? There is a train to Florence at 20 past the hour, every hour. so if you don't have a ticket already, just buy it at the airport Trenitalia ticket machine at the airport train station when you also buy your ticket to Milano Centrale (separate ticket machines).

If you already have a ticket, there is a good chance to make it if your flight is on time.

also, lets say my train from the airport arrives at centrale at 1105 am. is that enough time to hop off that train and hop on the high speed train at the same train station to get to florence?

Yes, that is enough time. Just check the train board when you arrive and go to the platform indicated.

First, when you get the train at Milan Malpensa, make sure you get the correct one. Trains go to both Milano Centrale and Milano Cadorna.

Second, while Milano Centrale is huge and on several floors, the trains themselves are all on one level, so changing is easy. You simply go to the front of your train, find a departures board or monitor (make sure you're not looking at an arrivals monitor), and go to your next platform. Unless you have a mobility impairment, it won't take more than 5-10 minutes go get from one train to another, even if they're at opposite ends of the station.

Video of Milano Centrale. This covers the entire station so you get a sense of how big it it, but the part with the actual train tracks starts at about the 8 minute mark.

Milano Centrale

thank you so much everyone - it seems the consensus that i should be able to switch trains quickly assuming my train arrives at Centrale on time (1105 AM).

I did not buy the tickets to get from the airport to Centrale yet.

I did make the mistake a month ago of buying my train ticket from Centrale to Florence...so those are bought already. I was dumb and should have waited: i jumped into it because I was able to get a discounted fare that is no longer available/wouldn't have been if I had waited.

But i think/hope this will go well. How much of a pain is it to get from incoming international flights (flying American Airlines from JFK) to where the train from the airport to Centrale is? Am I safe waiting until I arrive at airport to buy the tickets to Centrale (in other words, do they sometimes sell out of seats if you wait until day of)?

The Malpensa Express never sells out - the seats are not reserved. So if everybody gets on the train just before you (the airport is the first/last stop) you may have to stand.

If you get on the Malpensa Express at the front (if you can) that will be the part of the train nearest the exit from the platform when you get to Milano Centrale which will give you a great big advantage in making the train to fabulous Florence. Everybody else will now be behind you which means you can see the departure screens and board before everybody else, and calmly walk to your next train.

You will know from your Florence ticket which car you need to get to, they are sequential and written on the outside near the door.

If you get to the train ticket window at Malpensa, it may not be staffed, but there are ticket kiosks you can use.

In ideal situations you can make that connection. But if your plane is late or delayed or you miss the train from MXP to Milano Centrale or you get stuck in imigration line with 4 other planes landing at the same thing you could miss that connection. It's always best to buy your train ticket at the station after you land in case you are delayed. Just put aside a couple extra dollars for the extra train cost vs buying ahead of time for a little savings in price.

robert, good advice, i'll remember that from now on. not worth it to save some extra money when it equals extra stress of having a set time you have to make it to the train by.

anyone have any feedback about my earlier question in my previous post (distance hassle of getting from terminal where AA flies into typically and the terminal where the malpensa express is located to get to Centrale train station)?

You land in Terminal 1, where the train to Milan departs from. Here's a map (but after customs, just follow signs to the train): http://www.airportmalpensa.com/terminal-map.php