So I just came back from Milan, the industrial/financial capital of Italy and, some would have you think, the fashion capital of the world. Some would dispute that title, but first of all let’s tackle the airports. Rarely, do people get the chance to use all 3, in 3 days! (Unless you are me of course!)

Yes, in the space of 72 hours I managed to visit all 3 of Milan’s airports and thus be able to give a quick guide on how they all are. Why you ask would I use all 3? Well I arrived into Milan Linate, picked up/dropped off some friends from Milan Bergamo and then departed from Milan Malpensa.

Tiring… Yes, that would be correct, however, when taking into consideration public transport and the fact that we were 5 people, a rent a car was hard to resist. So, here goes:

ARRIVAL into Milan Linate: Of all 3 airports this is in fact the closest to the centre of Milan and thus (in good traffic conditions) the shortest time away from the centre. Approx 30 mins by car/taxi/bus only or 35 mins by bus + train combination depending on connection. The airport itself, a little like Berlin Tegel, is really not all that and looks very tired and small for the “closest” most convenient airport to the centre of Milan. Having said that, it was smooth and quick to travel through on arrival and I assume so on Departure. With really low ceilings and an old décor, not a great airport for those geeks reading this, but serving its purpose as the closer of the 3.

PICK UP/DROP OFF: Milan Bergamo. Ok, can we please just admit, THIS IS NOT IN MILAN!!!! It’s actually about 55 minutes’ drive away from zone 2 let alone the centre (and that’s assuming that there isn’t traffic on the motorway). If you are using public transport there’s a bus that runs every 15 minutes to Bergamo station (5-10 mins) then a fast train to the centre, so depending on connection time, approximately the same as drive time. This means that you will definitely have to factor that in on a short trip. Aside from that the airport is a lot nicer than the other two and feels more spacey than Linate, meaning a more ‘comfortable’ airport experience.

DEPARTURE: Milan Malpensa. WHY DO YOU CALL IT MILAN! This reminds me of Gatwick or Stansted in London. Miles away. Malpensa really is in the countryside. Approx 50 mins by train from the centre of Milan and then some for a car/bus if you get caught in traffic. Although it is a big airport, the cheaper airlines use a very old terminal with minimal facilities. God forbid you have a delay late at night the shops will close, even though there are a few hundred passengers around, so beware.

So, to sum up all 3 I think that for those literally doing a short weekend trip to see Milan or on a business trip, I would recommend paying a little extra to arrive/depart from Linate – to save the agro of long public transport to/from the city. The Ryanair/Easyjet’s of this world may give you a cheaper ticket price, but really all you are saving in money is costing you big in TIME.

Sign up to our Monthly Newsletter for cool stories and updates on new posts and videos!

Simply enter your name and email address below to subscribe