Although Malpensa Airport is some way from the city centre its fast road links make it the ideal airport for access by hire car to the city. It’s one of the busiest airports in Europe, partly for business traffic; Milan is considered the second most powerful economic city in Italy, and partly for tourism.
In winter the airport is a great arrival point for skiers with the alpine resorts less than an hour from the airport and in summer there’s still the beauty of the alpine meadows plus the history of the city.
Milan Malpensa Airport Mini Guide
What can you Tell me About Milan?
Milan is thought of as one of Italy’s most decadent cities where life is geared to pleasure and entertainment. It doesn’t have as much historic architecture as Rome or Florence because of wartime destruction but what it does have is spectacular; a grand fortress, the world’s most famous opera house, the magnificent Duomo housing one of the world’s most famous masterpieces and an ancient shopping mall from medieval times. Outside of the history, there’s opera, football, fashion, music and dance, in fact, everything that will make a stay in Milan a memorable one.
How do I get to Milan?
Milan has two main and two subsidiary airports with Linate and Malpensa being the two main gateways to the city. Malpensa is 25 miles from Milan and is served by flights from all over the world including several from the UK with easyJet being the main budget operator at the airport. There are a number of very convenient ways to get to the city from Malpensa with a fast train journey linking the airport directly with Milan’s station. Trains can also be caught from there to Florence. Buses also operate on the route as well as the more expensive taxi option and self-drive hire cars.
What is the Airport Like?
The airport has two terminals with Terminal 2 being dedicated exclusively to easyJet for now and Terminal 1 being split into three, named; A, B and C with C currently partway through construction. Nearly 19m passengers used the airport in 2010 making it one of Europe’s busiest. It can be quite crowded at times but the imminent opening of Terminal 1C will help.
What Should I do When I Arrive at Malpensa?
All planes disembark onto a circular concourse via air bridges and enter the arrivals hall through passport control. There you’ll be on the upper level and need to descend to baggage reclaim and the arrivals hall where you’ll be told your reclaim number. The information desks are found right by the baggage reclaim and may be necessary as the airport styles itself as a small city with dozens of amenities.
There’s a first aid post and a chapel for those that need them, several banks and currency exchange offices, a post office and shops. If collecting a hire car you’ll need to visit the company’s desk in the arrivals hall before collecting your car. Public transport, including the railway station, is found on the lower level and the signs will help you locate the service you want.
What is Malpensa Like for Departing Passengers?
As you’d expect from an airport in one of the world’s top fashion cities, it’s crammed with designer boutiques trying to tempt you with last minute purchases. Almost every fashion designer you could imagine is there and you’ll be hard pressed to single out the non-fashion shops amongst them. Over a hundred stores vie for your attention and there are still plenty for partners to see whilst you fashion shop.
You know how the Italians love their food and you’ll not be disappointed at the airport where plush restaurants serving delicious multi-course meals compete with delicious take away pizza outlets and ciabatta bars. There’s no chance you’ll go hungry at Milan Malpensa! Finally, you can spend some time on the internet with free access via the airport’s Wi-Fi network.
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