Quick answer: The Malpensa Express train is the reliable default: about €13 and 50 minutes to Milano Centrale or Cadorna, immune to the motorway traffic that can double a road transfer. Shuttle buses (~€10) save a little; the taxi flat fare to the centre is a steep ~€110.
Your options compared
| Option | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Malpensa Express train | ~50 min | ~€13 |
| Shuttle bus (to Centrale) | 50–70 min | ~€10 |
| Taxi (flat fare) | 50–70 min | ~€110 |
| Private transfer | 50–70 min | €90–120 |
Taking the Malpensa Express, step by step
From arrivals at T1 follow the train icons one level down (T2 has a free shuttle or its own station stop). Buy at the machines, online or via the Trenord app: validate paper tickets before boarding. Trains alternate between Centrale and Cadorna: pick whichever is closer to your hotel; both run about every 15–30 minutes.
Arriving at night
Trains run from roughly 5am to half past midnight. Outside those hours, night shuttle buses still link Centrale, and the taxi rank operates around the clock at the fixed fare: agree nothing, it is set by law. Avoid unofficial drivers approaching you in the hall.
Tips & common mistakes
Triple-check WHICH Milan airport you are using: Malpensa (MXP), Linate (LIN, closest to the city) and Bergamo (BGY, an hour away) have completely different transfers. Buses are fine with heavy luggage but hostage to traffic at rush hour. The flat taxi fare applies only to licensed white taxis from the rank.
FAQ
Best way from Malpensa to Milan? The Malpensa Express train: ~50 minutes, ~€13, no traffic risk.
How much is a taxi from Malpensa? A fixed ~€110 to the city centre: set by regulation.
Centrale or Cadorna: which station? Whichever is nearer your hotel: Centrale for the north and most hotels, Cadorna for the Duomo side.
Does the train serve Terminal 2? Yes: T2 has its own stop on the same line.
What I’d actually book, by traveler type
After enough round trips, the right answer is almost never “whatever’s at the door.” Here’s how I’d choose.
- Solo or couple, daytime, staying central: Take the Malpensa Express. At €15 and 37 minutes it beats the bus on time and the taxi on price, and it never sits in motorway traffic. Pick Cadorna if your hotel is near the Duomo, Centrale if you’re connecting to a national train or staying north/east.
- Backpackers and tight budgets: The shuttle bus to Centrale at ~€5 is unbeatable on cost — just accept the extra 15–35 minutes and the risk of traffic.
- Groups of 3–4 or anyone with heavy bags: The flat-rate taxi makes real sense. Split four ways, €110 is roughly €27.50 each — near the train’s price, with door-to-door service and no dragging suitcases through stations.
- Late-night arrivals (after ~23:30): Trains have stopped, so it’s the night bus or the taxi. With the €110 flat rate guaranteed even at 3 a.m., a taxi is the stress-free pick after a long flight.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.