Milan’s a busy metropolis, full of cars, fashionistas and industry events. Whether you arrive by sky, track or on wheels, it's easy to get right into the heart of things and begin sightseeing. Here’s a primer for getting into the city center.
Getting Into Milan
By plane
Milan has three airports: Linate, Malpensa and Orio al Serio. Linate is substantially closer to the city center, at only 7 km (roughly 4 miles) away, while Malpensa and Orio al Serio are both around 50 km (about 31 miles) from Milan’s city center .
From Linate to Milan's City Center
City bus #73 runs from Linate Airport to Milan’s Piazza San Babila. The journey takes about 30 minutes, and buses depart every 10 minutes between 6:05 a.m. and 12:41 a.m. daily. Bus #X73 is an express bus that runs the same route in 20 minutes. It departs every 20 minutes between 7:10 a.m. and 7:50 p.m. Tickets for both buses cost €1.50. Note that there is a €1.50 charge for each piece of luggage transported on the ATM network.
There is also an airport shuttle bus, which connects travelers from Linate to Stazione Centrale (Central Station) every 30 minutes from 6:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. Tickets cost €5 one-way or €9 round-trip and the journey takes about 25 minutes. For more information, visit the official site of ATM, Milan’s transit authority.
A taxi from Linate will cost you around €18. As usual, we advise against it—especially with bus options so cheap and easy.
From Malpensa to Milan's City Center
Malpensa is connected to Milan by both bus and train service.
The Malpensa Express shuttle train runs between the airport and Cadorna Station (near Castello Sforzesco) every 30 minutes between 5:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. The journey takes around 30 minutes. There is also a Malpensa Express shuttle connecting the airport to Stazione Centrale. The journey takes around 45 minutes and trains depart every hour between 5:45 a.m. and 11:20 p.m. Tickets for both trains cost €11, or €7 if you purchase from the Malpensa Web site.
A taxi from Malpensa central Milan will cost you around €90. Don’t do it. (We beg you!)
From Orio al Serio to Milan’s City Center
The Autostradale bus departs Orio al Serio about every 30 minutes between 4:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. daily and goes to Milan’s Central Station. The journey takes about an hour and tickets cost €9.90 one-way or €18.50 round-trip.
A second bus, the Orio Shuttle, also travels to Stazione Centrale, every 20-40 minutes between 4:10 a.m. and 12:15 a.m. The journey takes about 50 minutes and tickets cost €10 one-way (€7 if you purchase online.
Avoid taking a pricey taxi from the airport. It will set you back around €90.
By bus
All Milan buses arrive and depart from Piazza Castello, the square at the foot of Castello Sforzesco, a major tourist sight in the city center.
In addition, city buses and trams are available everywhere in Milan’s city center to take travelers from Piazza Castello to nearby accommodations. Look for the large "MM" signs that designate Metro stops.
By train
The wonder that is Milan's Stazione Central (Central Station), located just northeast of the Duomo, hosts the majority of train arrivals and departures. Once here, the metro lines MM2 and MM3 offer service to area hotels or sights.
For more train information visit the TrenIitalia site, and for bus and Metro information, visit the official site of ATM, Milan’s transit authority.
More information on flying into Milan
Visit our Italy budget flights section for more information on low-cost airlines flying into and out of Milan.
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