Hello everyone! sorry for my lack of posting lately, I've been a bad blogger. But now I'm back with a new series of posts that will (hopefully) be useful for many of those visiting Milan for the coming Expo, starting May 1st. 
So, you've decided to come to the Expo, got your plane/train tickets, booked your accommodation (I suggest Airbnb for accommodation in Milan, hotels have super high fares for the Expo period) and got your Expo tickets (buy at the official website at this link).
Now comes the interesting part, how to get from the airport to your accommodation/point of interest?
Here are some tips:
Flying in:
You're wondering how to get from the airports to the city center, well, here are some options you can use depending on which airport you arrive at:
Milan Linate (LIN):
Linate is the airport that is closest to the city, if you're flying from Europe's main cities on commercial airlines (like AirFrance, Alitalia, etc.) there's a big chance you'll arrive to this one - but check your ticket twice because European flights also arrive to Malpensa airport.
If you arrive to Linate, the cheapest way to come to the city center is by taking public bus 73 or 73X to San Babila stop. It runs every 10/20 minutes and it takes about 20-30 minutes to get to San Babila. It costs only 1,50 euro.
At San Babila, the last stop, you'll find other bus stops and metro line 1 to continue your journey to your accommodation.
There is another minibus going from Linate to Milan's Central Station but it costs a bit more and is not as frequent as the 73/X73.
A taxi might be faster but it will cost you between 20 and 40 euros depending on the traffic, time of day or night and destination within Milan.
If you are a Car2Go user in Europe, you can also use this service from Linate. There are some assigned parking spots for Car2Go Smart cars in the airport parking areas, you can take it and drive wherever you want between city limits - for 0,29 euros per minute. Nice option but a bit unreliable since you won't know until you arrive if there are any cars available at the airport.
There might be private shuttles or other transportation services I'm not aware of, these are the ones I know of and suggest.
Milan Malpensa (MXP):
Malpensa is the biggest airport in Northern Italy. It is about 60 km. away form the city center and it's connected by train to Milan and other cities around. If you're coming with an intercontinental flight, you're definitely arriving to this one at Terminal 1, but there are also all Easyjet flights arriving to Terminal 2 and some other European flights arriving also to T1.
If you are arriving to T1 and wat a fast transportation to the city center then you should consider the Malpensa Express, the 'fast' train that takes you to Milan in 30/40 minutes. A single ticket costs 12 euro and it goes either to Milan Central Station and Garibaldi Station or to Cadorna Station (all three connecting with other railways and metro lines), trains every 20/40 minutes.
There's also a bus service between Malpensa's two terminals and Milan Central Station, Malpensa Shuttle, with buses departing every 20 minutes from T1 and T2, tickets cost 10 euro one way or 16 euro round trip. The company has recently added other destinations in Milan and even a connection between both airports Malpensa and Linate, check their website for more info.
Taxi fares are fixed at 90 euros to/from Malpensa to/from everywhere in the city. (Be aware of taxi drivers trying to overcharge 5 or even 10 euros more "because tolls are not included" - not true, the 90 euros fee includes tolls).
Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY):
This airport is about the same distance from Milan as Malpensa is, but it is located just outside the beautiful city of Bergamo. There are some commercial airlines like Alitalia servicing it, but also many Ryanair and Wizzair flights get here from all over Europe. The airport has been rebuilt lately and it's actually not bad (much better than the horrible T2 in Malpensa). No trains connecting it though, so you must take the bus - Orio Shuttle at 5 euros per single ticket (4 if you buy online), it takes 50 minutes to get to Milan Central Station.
Arriving by train:
If you arrive from another Italian city or from abroad, the two main train stations are Milano Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi. I like Centrale because it is a beautiful station, but it can be chaotic, while Garibaldi is just next to the new Porta Nuova Quarter and other areas I like. Tickets to get in and out of Milan by train can be found at Trenitalia's website.
Arriving by road (cars/bus/bikes):
Well, not being a driver myself, I rarely arrive to the city by car so, I'm sure you'll find better info on this in other websites, sorry!
Hope this info is helpful for you!
Now lets only hope they finish the pavilions on time so we can enjoy what looks like a fun Expo!
Benvenuti!
In the next posts we'll explore the different public transportation options, tickets, museums and sights and other useful info to make the best out of your time in Milan.
No comments:
Post a Comment