Getting in
- Milano Malpensa Airport: Take the Malpensa Express, not a taxi: it runs direct to Milano Centrale in roughly 50–60 minutes and to Cadorna in about 37 minutes; budget about €15 one way. Choose Centrale for most hotels and onward trains, Cadorna for Brera, Castello and the west side. Airport coaches to Centrale are usually a little cheaper (around €10) but traffic makes their 50–60-minute journey less dependable. Avoid the fixed-fare taxi unless you have several people or substantial luggage: it is roughly €104–110.
- Milan Linate Airport: Use Metro M4 directly from the terminal: it crosses the city east–west, runs about every seven minutes and costs the standard urban fare (€2.20 in the evidence package). It is the best transfer for the historic centre and connects into the rest of the metro. The Centrale shuttle is useful only if your hotel or train is there: around 27 minutes, roughly €5, but road traffic applies. Ignore touts at the terminal exit; join the official taxi rank if you need a cab.
- Milan Bergamo/Orio al Serio Airport: Take an airport coach—Orio Shuttle is the sensible default—to Milano Centrale. It leaves from outside arrivals, generally runs about every 30 minutes by day, takes a little over an hour and is about €12 bought at the stop. Do not cut a departing flight fine: road traffic can be bad. A taxi is poor value at €100-plus.
- Milano Centrale railway station: This is the main long-distance rail gateway, not the city’s prettiest or most relaxing neighbourhood. Use Metro M2 (green) or M3 (yellow) downstairs, or a tram/taxi for a luggage-heavy final leg. For the Duomo, M3 is the cleanest connection; for Navigli, M2 is usually better. Use the official ticket machines or staffed desks only—unsolicited ‘helpers’ around machines and ATMs are a known scam.
- Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station: A very useful alternative for regional and high-speed services, especially if staying around Brera, Isola or Porta Nuova. It connects to M2 and M5 at Garibaldi FS and is generally less overwhelming than Centrale. It is not the right station merely because a map says ‘central’: check your train and hotel first.