How to Get to Milan

Are you planning a trip to Italy and want to visit Milan, but don’t know how to get there? Stay tuned, because today we’ll tell you everything you need to know about getting to Milan.

Flying

Milan has two main airports: Milano Linate and Milano Malpensa.

Milano Linate is located about 7.5 km (4.5 miles) from the city center. It’s the central hub for domestic and European flights, and it’s hectic. If you’re connecting from another European city, Linate is probably your best option. To reach the city center from Linate, you can take a taxi, which takes about 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic. By metro, you can take Line 4 to the “San Babila” station just a few steps away from Piazza Duomo. Another option is Bus 73, which runs to the city center, though you’ll need to purchase your ticket in advance at a newsstand or from the automatic ticket machines. Lastly, if you’re planning a road trip, Linate is a convenient place to start as it offers car rental services from all major companies.

Milano Malpensa is located about 55 km (34 miles) northwest of the city center. It serves many international and low-cost flights, so if you’re flying in from New York, Atlanta, Beijing, Cairo, or Tel Aviv, this is most likely where you will land. To get into the city, you can take a taxi with a fixed fare of €104, which takes about 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. Another great option is the Malpensa Express train, which runs every 30 minutes from both Terminals 1 and 2 to Milano Centrale. The ride takes approximately 55 minutes and costs €13 at the time of recording. Tickets can be purchased online or at the airport. There is also a shuttle bus that connects Malpensa with Milano Centrale in about 55 minutes, running every 30 minutes for around €10. Car rentals are also available if you’d like to start your Italian adventure with a drive.

There is also a third airport near Milan called Bergamo Orio al Serio, located about 50 km (31 miles) from the city. This airport is primarily used by low-cost airlines, including EasyJet and Ryanair. To reach Milan from Orio al Serio, you can take a bus from the airport to Bergamo train station and then continue by train to Milan. Alternatively, there are direct bus lines connecting the airport with Milan, and we’ve left a link in the description below with options.

By Train

If you are already in Rome, Venice, Florence, or anywhere else in Italy, the train is without a doubt your best option. Milan is one of the country’s most important railway hubs and is well-connected to almost every major Italian city. The central station is Milano Centrale, located right in the heart of the town and easily accessible by subway.

The high-speed train from Venice Santa Lucia to Milano Centrale takes about 2 hours and 27 minutes. From Florence Santa Maria Novella, it takes 1 hour and 55 minutes. From Rome’s Termini station, the journey takes between 3 hours and 5 minutes and 3 hours and 40 minutes, depending on the number of stops. From Naples Central, it is about 4 hours and 30 minutes. If you are visiting the Lake Como area, you can take the train from Como San Giovanni station to Milano Centrale in about 41 minutes. From La Spezia, near the Cinque Terre, the trip takes approximately 3.5 hours.

As you can see, the train is fast, reliable, and probably the best way to get to Milan from any major Italian tourist destination. This also works in the opposite direction. If you arrive in Milan by plane, the train is the easiest way to visit Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples, the Cinque Terre, and many other destinations.

By Car

If you’re planning a road trip, Milan is well-connected by Italy’s major highways. If you’re arriving from Naples, Rome, Florence, or Bologna, you will take the A1 Autostrada, which runs north to south connecting Milan with Reggio Calabria. From Venice, you will use the A4 to reach the city. Driving from Rome to Milan generally takes around 6 hours, depending on traffic, while from Venice’s Piazzale Roma it takes about 3 hours. Milan is also easily accessible from Switzerland via Como and the A9 highway.

Driving in Milan’s city center, however, can be pretty challenging due to heavy traffic and restricted driving zones known as ZTL. For this reason, we strongly recommend driving only as far as your hotel, parking the car, and then using public transit to explore the city.

By Bus

You can also reach Milan by bus from Rome, Florence, Venice, or Bologna; however, in our opinion, this option is not as convenient as taking the train. For example, the bus ride from Rome to Milan takes approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes and costs around €69, while the train takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes, with fares starting as low as €37.90, depending on the level of service and the time of booking. For this reason, unless you are traveling on an organized tour, the bus is generally not recommended.

Well, folks, this concludes our video on how to get to Milan. We hope you enjoyed it and learned something valuable. As always, if you have any questions, please leave a comment below. We love to hear from you and answer them.

Ciao!