Malpensa to Milan city centre: train, bus, taxi

Milan Malpensa (MXP) is Milan's largest airport, but it is far out: about 45 km north-west of the city, near Varese. That makes the choice of transport more important than at most airports. The short answer: take the Malpensa Express train – to Milano Cadorna if your hotel is near the Castello Sforzesco, the Duomo or Brera, and to Milano Centrale if you are staying near the central station or Porta Garibaldi. Take a coach if you are going to Centrale and want a seat for your luggage, and a taxi only as a group or late at night.

Malpensa to Milan city centre: the options

Times from Terminal 1: Malpensa Express according to the operator Trenord, coach according to YesMilano, the city's tourism portal, taxi as pure driving time to the Piazza del Duomo based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Around Milan, allow considerably more for the road at rush hour.

Malpensa Express: the train into town

The Malpensa Express is run by Trenord and leaves from the station inside Terminal 1; it also starts at Terminal 2, a few minutes earlier. There are two lines:

• To Milano Cadorna: according to Trenord about 37 minutes from Terminal 1 (about 44 from Terminal 2), with stops in Busto Arsizio, Saronno and Milano Bovisa. Cadorna lies next to the Castello Sforzesco, with metro lines M1 and M2; the Duomo is two metro stops away.
• To Milano Centrale: according to Trenord about 51 minutes from Terminal 1 (about an hour from Terminal 2). The train stops at Milano Porta Garibaldi (about 41 minutes; metro M2 and M5) before Centrale (metro M2 and M3).

According to YesMilano, each line runs every 30 minutes. Trenord gives the first train from Terminal 1 to Milan at 5:26 and the last at 0:26.

Tickets for the Malpensa Express

According to Trenord, a single ticket between Malpensa and Milano Cadorna or Milano Centrale costs €15 in second class (as of October 2026); there are reduced tickets for children. You can buy tickets at the machines and the Trenord ticket offices at the airport, online and in the Trenord app. A normal Milan metro ticket is not valid for the trip from Malpensa.

If you travel as a couple or family, compare the train with a taxi: for three or four people with luggage, the difference shrinks.

Coaches to Milano Centrale

Several companies run coaches from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to Milano Centrale. According to YesMilano, the trip takes about 50 minutes, depending on traffic. On a coach your luggage goes in the hold and you get off right at the central station, but on the motorway into Milan coaches can be held up at rush hour. Each company sells its own tickets.

Between the terminals

The two terminals are not in the same building. According to YesMilano, a free shuttle bus connects them about every 20 minutes. The Malpensa Express also stops at Terminal 2, according to Trenord about six minutes before it reaches Terminal 1, so if you land at Terminal 2 you can board there directly.

Taxi and transfer

Taxis wait outside the arrivals halls of both terminals. Without traffic, the drive to the Piazza del Duomo is about 52 km and takes about 50 minutes; at rush hour on the motorway it often takes over an hour. Taxis from Malpensa to Milan charge a fixed fare; confirm the price with the driver before you set off.

A pre-booked transfer is worth it for families who need child seats, for groups or for a late landing after the last train. Airport transfers in Milan^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel near the Castello, the Duomo, Brera or the Navigli: the Malpensa Express to Cadorna.
• Hotel near the central station, Porta Garibaldi or Porta Nuova: the Malpensa Express to Centrale.
• Heavy luggage, hotel near Centrale: a coach.
• Arrival after the last train: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.
• Small children, group: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

If you come from outside the EU, for example from the UK, set up mobile data before you land so you can buy the ticket in the app straight away – a travel eSIM for Italy^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

The Malpensa Express runs to the airport from Cadorna, Centrale and Porta Garibaldi; make sure you board a train to the right terminal. Because of the distance, plan the 37 to 51 minutes of the train plus a good buffer, and check the Trenord website for strikes, which in Italy are announced in advance and can affect the train. If you have already checked out and fly in the evening, you can use luggage storage in the centre^* (Radical Storage).

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in Milan.

Milan trip planDay by day, with map and tips

How YesTrip helps you plan

In YesTrip you add your flight and hotel to your trip and plan each day around them, with a map of your places in Milan and the weather for your travel days. The ready-made plans for Milan can be copied into your trip with one tap. With the offline package you have the map without a connection, also on the train from the airport. YesTrip is free.

If you have time after arriving, our day trips from Milan will help you plan.

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