The Best Ways to get to Milan from Malpensa Airport (MXP)
If you’re traveling internationally into Milan, you’re most likely flying into Malpensa Airport (MXP) airport. It has an immigration office so it can accommodate inbound flights from places outside of Europe. This airport is located about one hour from the city, which might seem like a hassle, however, they have made it fairly accessible.
I generally suggest getting to and from Milan and Malpensa Airport by train. It’s convenient, affordable, and perhaps most importantly not subject to traffic on the road. This railroad system is one of the most important infrastructure features of modern Italy and will zip you all over the country. In this case it will get you from MXP airport into Milan and Central Station (aka Stazione Centrale – the main railroad station), Cadorna Station (pretty much smack dab in the city center), and Porta Garibaldi Station (another fairly central train station – close to Brera).
The price of a one-way ticket on Malpensa Express is 13€. You can get your tickets directly from the Malpensa Express website or at the kiosk/ticketing agent at the airport/train station.
In terms of time, to get to/from Malpensa Airport it takes 43 minutes from Cadorna, 48 minutes from Garibaldi Station, and 57 minutes from Central Station.
I also suggest the ItaliaRail website. First and foremost, it offers the convenience of a super simple to use platform where you can book basically all of your Italian train travel from one stop. It also lets you change your currency payment options from Euros to American (USD) dollars, Australian (AUD) dollars, Canadian (CAN) dollars, and British (GBP) pounds. (A great way to avoid paying foreign transaction fees.) Plus, the ItaliaRail platform has all sorts of other useful information about travelling around Italy and parts of Europe.
As I mentioned, I highly recommend taking the train, but it’s certainly not the only option.
TAXI: This is great because it takes you door to door. There is a fixed rate of 95€ between Malpensa Airport and any point within the city of Milan. The fixed rate is 65€ to Rho Fiera or 105€ for Linate Airport. This works out great because you have the peace of mind that your taxi driver won’t over charge you.
PRIVATE CAR: Perhaps because Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world, it’s quite common to get a noleggio con conducente (NCC) which basically translates into “car and driver rental.” With the NCC service you will be picked up in a luxury sedan by a man (or woman) wearing a suit. This service generally costs more than getting a taxi.
A note on Uber – UBER currently exists in Italy but only as UBER BLACK. So, it’s basically a digital extension of the NCC service. You will be picked up in a luxury black car by a professional driver for a higher price.
Another commonly used taxi app in Milan is FREE NOW, what used to be My Taxi.
BUSES: There are several bus companies that will take you to/from Malpensa to Milano Centrale. The main companies include: Terravision, Airport Bus Express, Malpensa Shuttle. The coaches generally costs 8€ each way. It takes about 60 - 75 minutes to get from point A to point B depending on the time of day and the traffic.
CAR RENTAL: You can rent a car from terminal one and terminal two of the airport. I generally don’t suggest that foreigners rent cars for stays in Italian cities for a number of reasons. Many other bloggers tend to agree. (It’s fine for smaller towns and villages.) But if you do, remember that if you’re visiting from outside of the European Union you will need an international driver’s license.
CAR SHARING: The main car sharing platforms in Milan have designated parking space at Malpensa airport. Those platforms include: DriveNow, and E-vai.
You certainly have options when flying into MXP to get into the city depending on your budget and comfort level with public transportation.
Sending you lots of love and wishing you safe travels,
Thea
Want to find out more insider information on Milan?
Check out my book
Discover Milan: A Local Shares What to Do and Where to Eat
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
Photo Credits:
Photo of airplane by Ken Yam from Upsplash
Photo of Malpensa Airport and the Sheraton Hotel at night by V. Srinivasan from Upslpash
Photo of Milan city street and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II by Rhianna May
