World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Milan Malpensa (MXP)
Tel: 02 7485 2200. Fax: 02 7485 4010.
Website: www.sea-aeroportimilano.it

Malpensa is located 48km (30 miles) northwest of Milan and is the city’s biggest airport, handling transcontinental and other international flights. Work to increase annual capacity to 30 million passengers ended when terminal one opened in 1998. In general, most European and all transcontinental flights arrive at Terminal One, while charters use Terminal Two.

Major airlines: Alitalia (tel: 02 7486 5194 or 5120 or 5190; website: www.alitalia.it), Italy’s national carrier, flies to 130 foreign and Italian cities from Malpensa (its most important hub after Rome). In addition, over 80 other airlines, including major European and US services, operate to Malpensa. Some confusion still exists after the government moved many airlines from Linate airport to Malpensa airport in 1999, so visitors should double check which airport they will be flying to at the time of booking. Other airlines currently using Milan Malpensa include Air France, British Airways, British Midlands, Continental, Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS and United.

Airport facilities: Departure facilities include banks, bureaux de change, newsagents, coffee bars and restaurants. After check-in, there are electrical goods, clothes and fashion outlets, as well as the usual duty-free shops. Tourist information, a post office and car hire operators, including Avis, Europcar, Hertz and Maggiore are available upon arrival.

Business facilities: The dedicated business centre, run by Eurochange (tel: 02 5858 1074; fax: 02 5858 9119), offers business travellers workstations, fax, photocopier, personal computer and mobile phone hire. Conference rooms, with facilities for a maximum of 14 people, should be booked in advance.

Transport to the city: The hassle-free way to travel to the city centre is by rail. The new Malpensa Express (tel: 02 27763, recorded information in English and Italian or 8447 7500; website: www.ferrovienord.it ) runs to Stazione Cadorna just north of the historic centre. Trains depart every 30 minutes 0645-2145 (journey time – 40 minutes) and stop at Milano Bovisa Politecnico and Saronno Centro. Tickets cost ¬9 (free for Alitalia and KLM passengers) at the terminal but increase to ¬11.50 if bought on the train. Non-stop buses to Cadorna FN Station depart at 0600, 2245, 2315, 0015 and 0130. During major trade fairs, trains stop at Milano Bolona for the Fiera district. Alternatively, a shuttle connects terminals with the station at Gallarate, where there is a choice of trains to Stazione Centrale or Stazione Porta Garibaldi. Fares cost ¬1.30 from Terminal 1 and ¬1.05 from Terminal 2 but note that there are more departures to Porta Garibaldi. Going to Malpensa, it is best for travellers to get the metro to Cadorna – tickets are available from the Malpensa Express office at the train station.

Coach services, operated by Air Pullman (tel: 02 5858 3185, recorded information in English and Italian; website: www.airpullman.com ), depart for Stazione Centrale, Milan Fiera, Milan Lampugnano and Piazza Castello. The shuttle to and from Stazione Centrale is the most frequent, departing every 20 minutes 0520-2100 and then every half an hour until 0015 (journey time – 1 hour); tickets cost ¬4.50. The same company operates the coach shuttle linking Malpensa with Linate (journey time – 1 hour 15 minutes), which costs ¬8.00. There are 11 services daily.

Malpensa Taxis (tel: 02 4009 9029), based at the airport, offer considerably more expensive rides to the city centre. The average price to the centre is approximately ¬70.

A shuttle bus service links Malpensa and Linate every 90 minutes at a cost of ¬8.00. The trip takes about 75 minutes and buses operate between 0430 and 0025.

Milan Linate (LIN)
Tel: 02 7485 2200. Fax: 02 7485 2010.
Website: www.sea-aeroportimilano.it

Milan Linate is located 7km (4 miles) east of the centre and provides easy access to and from the city. Enlarged in 1993, Linate appeals to Italian and European business travellers eager to get into the city. Despite the transfer of many European airlines, including British Airways, to Malpensa airport in 1998, Linate continues to handle seven million passengers a year.

Major airlines: Alitalia (tel: 02 24991; website: www.alitalia.it ) links the city with the south of Italy, including Rome, Bari, Catania, Naples and Palermo. Air France, EasyJet, KLM, Meridiana, SAS and Virgin all provide regular services to major European cities.

Airport facilities: Tourist information, banking and exchange facilities are available during office hours and there is an on-site restaurant and snack bar. Hertz and Maggiore can provide car hire facilities.

Business facilities: The airport group SEA manage Linate and provide three Club Lounges (Piermarini, Piranesi and Bramante) located in the international and domestic departures as well as the arrivals hall. There is no dedicated business centre.

Transport to the city: A coach and local bus service operate from the airport to the city centre. The Starfly shuttle service run by STAM (tel: 02 717 106) departs every 20 minutes (0540-2135) for Stazione Centrale and takes 15-30 minutes depending on the traffic. Tickets cost ¬2.60 and can be bought on board. The cheaper alternative, the local or ATM (tel: 02 7252 4360; website: www.atm-mi.it) bus 73, runs to Piazza San Babila every 15 minutes (0535-0035). Tickets cost ¬1 and can be bought at the airport bar in the departures terminal.

Taxis (tel: 02 6767 or 8585) to the city centre cost about ¬18-25 and take up to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

A shuttle bus service links Malpensa and Linate every 90 minutes at a cost of ¬8.00. The trip takes about 75 minutes and buses operate between 0430 and 0025.

Approximate flight times to Milan: From London is 2 hours; from New York is 8 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 11 hours and 30 minutes; from Toronto is 9 hours and 15 minutes and from Sydney is 23 hours and 30 minutes.

Arrival/departure tax: ¬10.50.

Orio al Serio (Milan-Bergamo, BGA)
Tel: (035) 326 323. Fax: (035) 326 339.
Website: www.orioaeroporto.it

Orio al Serio is located 48km (28 miles) northwest of Milan and 5km (3 miles) from Bergamo. This third airport is now Ryanair’s Southern Europe hub and is increasingly used by smaller budget and charter airlines flying to Milan. Oria al Serio is also used by airlines when Milan is fogbound; should this happen the airlines will provide buses to Milan.

Major airlines: Airlines using Orio al Serio include Air-Berlin, Air France, Air Italica, bmibaby, flybe.com, Lufthansa and Ryanair. A number of charter airlines also use this terminal.

Airport facilities: Departure facilities include a bank, chemist, post office and tourist information. After check-in, there is a duty-free shop and café. Car hire from Avis, Hertz and Sixt is available on arrival.

Business facilities: Only a VIP lounge is currently available.

Transport to the city: Autostrade (tel: 02 637901; website: www.autostradale.com ) provide 25 buses daily between 0830 and 2230 to Milan Stazione Centrale at a cost of ¬6.70. The journey takes about an hour. ZANI (tel: (035) 678 611) provide 13 buses to Milan Lambrate, Piazza Bottini, at a cost of ¬6 between 0900-0000. ZANI also provide regular buses to Bergamo from 0620-0020 Monday to Saturday (36 buses), and 0730-2230 (18 buses) on Sunday; the cost is ¬1.05 (¬1.50 on the bus). Buses to Bergamo arrive at Station Autolinee, Piazzale G Marconi, just north of the train station. The bus service to Bergamo (tel: (035) 244 354) arrives at platform 12 and takes 10 minutes.

Regular train service from Bergamo to Milan Lambrate (50 minutes) and Porta Garibaldi (1 hour) is between 0515 and 2230; there is one train per hour, second class coaches only. Telephone train information is available on 0848 888 088.

Taxis take about 45 minutes from Milan city centre and will cost about ¬55. Taxis to Bergamo cost about ¬15.

Cars with driver are available from Airport Car Service (tel: (035) 452 2123 and Viaggiare (035) 322 565).

STAB offer one bus daily at 16.00 to Linate airport but it is far easier to go into Milan by bus and back out to Linate. Local taxi service (tel: (035) 451 9090) from the airport is the only way to get from Orio al Serio to Malpensa airport. Taxis cost about ¬150.