Scheduled to arrive in Milan Malpensa airport at 8:30AM on Friday 5/24. Would like to spend some time in Milan before leaving for Varenna on the 14:20 regional train. Would like to maximize our time in Milan. After getting through customs, at that hour of the day, is there an advantage time-wise of train vs bus to the central train station? I assume the bus is closer to get to outside the airport,(but city traffic), vs however long it takes to walk to the train station and waiting for the next train (only 2 per hour.) Anyone have a recommendation?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
Ron, I assume your flight is arriving at MXP Terminal 1? If that's the case, you can use either the Malpensa Express (train) or the Malpensa Shutte (Bus) to reach Milano Centrale. Travel time and costs are comparable between the two. One point to mention regarding the Malpensa Express, is that it has service to both Milano Centrale and Milano Cadorna. Be sure you board the correct one! I doubt that you'll arrive at Milano Centrale much before 11:00, so that may not allow much time to look around. If you want to see the Duomo or whatever, you'll have to allow enough time to get back to the station and collect your luggage in time to connect with the train to Varenna. That train is a Regionale, so DON'T FORGET to validate your tickets! Be ready to disembark promptly in Varenna, as the train only stops for about a minute. Happy travels!
Posted by
OP
Alma, AR, USA
92 posts
Ken, Thanks for the quick response.
I understand the travel time is about the same for the train or bus. I was curious if it is quicker to catch the bus and possibly be 30 min down the road toward the Central train station, when we might be waiting for the next train which only runs at 00:22 and 00:43 after the hour? Or is it just as quick to get to the train station as the bus and avoid the chance of traffic congestion? We would like to catch the Metro to the Duomo and back from Milano Centrale. Any extra time for bag storage and pick-up would be helpful. It may well be that the difference in time would be minimal
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
Ron, I tend to use the Bus more, as I'm often travelling from Terminal 2 (there's no rail station there). I haven't found the traffic to be too much of an issue when taking the Bus, although it does sometimes "slow down" a bit as it gets closer to the station. That doesn't seem to cause much difference in time though. I never use the Deposito Bagagli so I have no information on how long that might take. Based on other comments that I've seen here, I believe there can be queues at times, so it would probably be a good idea to leave lots of time. Hopefully one of the others can provide more information.