Cheapest Public Transportation from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to Milano

Buses are the cheapest public transportation from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to downtown Milano but the Malpensa Express trains to Cadorna and Centrale stations are very convenient too.

The cheapest transportation to Milan Malpensa Airport from central Milano is by bus or coach. Airport shuttle buses run several times per hour between Milano Centrale station and both airport terminals and may be booked online for around €10 one-way. The Airport Express train is hardly more expensive and a comfortable alternative, especially if traveling to Cadorna Station, which is closer to downtown and often more practical for foreign visitors. Prebooked private airport transfers are pricy but convenient at odd hours or when traveling with luggage.

Cheapest Public Transportation from Milan Malpensa Airport

Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) is the largest and most important of the three airports serving Milano in Italy. Most flights to Milan, including all intercontinental flights, arrive here.

Unfortunately, Malpensa is a good 50 km (30 miles) or at least 40 minutes drive from central Milan. Taxis charge a fixed rate of just less than €100 while it may be worth splurging on a prebooked transfer service for a better car and English-speaking driver if preferred.

The cheapest public transportation service from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to downtown is by bus but many may find the train service more convenient. Both trains and buses are very frequent.

Malpensa has two terminals: Terminal 1 is used by most airlines and all intercontinental flights while Terminal 2 is used by low-cost European airlines. Terminal 2 is currently closed but when open, public transportation is available from there too. If at the wrong terminal, use the free transfer bus — walking is not an option and the train is not free.

Cheap Buses to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)

The cheapest transportation to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) is by bus or coach, which also has the advantage that suitcases are easier to load at street level than at the more distant stations. Currently, four companies compete on the Milan-Malpensa route but prices, routes, and conditions are basically all the same. The one-way ticket is €10 while returns are usually available for €16. Buy bus tickets online, at ticket offices at the airport, at a kiosk at the station departure area, or for correct cash from the driver. Tickets are not interchangeable between the four companies but are valid for later departures if flights are late.

From Malpensa Airport, all buses depart from Terminal 1 (and also stop at Terminal 2 around ten minutes later if the terminal is operational) with Milano Centrale main train station as the final destination. (Some buses also stop en route at Piazzale Lorenzo Lotto, which has access to Metro lines 1 and 5 but most visitors unfamiliar with Milan would probably prefer to continue to Centrale.)

In downtown Milan, all the airport coaches depart from / arrive at the bus stops at Via Sammartini to the west of Milano Centrale station (exit at the Mercato Centrale side or follow the signs in the station pointing to Piazza Quattro IV Novembre).

Traveling time for the coach between Malpensa Airport and Milan Centrale is between 50 and 70 minutes. Terravision buses are often slightly faster as they don’t stop at Lotto but traffic conditions are the main determining factor.

Buses run mostly two to three times per hour per company. Check timetables at: Terravision, Airport Bus Express / Autostradale, Caronte, and Malpensa Shuttle / Air Pullman Spa.

During trade shows, buses are also available directly to Fiera Milano.

Cheap Airport Express Trains to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)

The most comfortable way to travel on public transportation between Milano and Malpensa Airport is on the Malpensa Express train. The train is a comfortable option, especially when traveling light, and at €13 only slightly more expensive than the bus. As the express train stop rather frequently, it is hardly faster than the bus though.

Trenord’s Malpensa Express trains depart from Malpensa Aeroporto Terminal 2 (if open) — follow the covered walkway outside the terminal building — and a few minutes later from the basement of Terminal 1 before continuing on two routes to downtown Milan:

Trains to Cadorna / Downtown — for many travelers the train to Cardona station is the most convenient. It is the most frequent and fastest service with Cardona station (metro lines 1 and 2) next to the Sforza castle, close to Leonardo’s Last Supper, and within easy reach of the Duomo area. Traveling time is around 40 minutes.
Trains to Milano Centrale — the second route terminates at Milano Centrale station, which is handy for onward rail travel and metro lines 2 and 3, but also for hotels in the area. All trains on this route also stop at Porta Garibaldi Station. Traveling times is around 55 minutes.

On both routes, the express trains stop at several further stations, especially trains on the Centrale route. These stations are usually of lesser interest to foreign travelers.

The Malpensa Airport Express trains operate from around 5 am to midnight with mostly two departures per hour on each route.

Tickets are available online or from stations.