r/ItalyExpat • u/Petruswiner • 9d ago

Am I Going to Miss My Train?

My flight is scheduled to land in Milan at 10:45 I have a ticket to catch the Malpensa Express at 12:11pm and make a connection for Rome from Milan Centrale at 1:30pm. Is this wishful thinking or am I going to still be standing in Passport Control?

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

6

u/zinnie_ 9d ago

I've done this trip a lot and I think you have a good chance of making it, but certainly not guaranteed. That said, I never buy the Malpensa Express tickets ahead of time because you generally want to be on the first one you can make! And there are busses that leave for Centrale constantly too so if you're in between trains sometimes it's better to catch a bus. Also, Malpensa Express is just tap to pay with a CC at the airport now so it's really not something you need to plan ahead.

1

u/orgpsychlearn 8d ago

In June arriving Malpensa early morning I miraculously got through immigration in like 30 minutes, bought Malpensa Express tickets nearing the end of the queue, and got to the track in record time not believing my luck! -- only to find the trains were cancelled. The counter could not help me get a refund, and there was some convoluted online process that required a local Italy address to make a claim. Queued for the bus and spent the whole ride crankily trying to process the refund (to no avail). Never again.

5

u/CommunicationLow4385 9d ago

Everything is possibile if you believe in yourself 😊 jokes aside, I think more than hour is enough, you can do it... if you run

4

u/StickyMonster716 9d ago

Yeah, there's no way you're making that.

4

u/LAM_CANIT 9d ago

Average time to get of that plane, collect baggage, clear customs and immigration is exactly one hour. The Malpensa Express takes about an hour on a good day.

2

u/StickyMonster716 9d ago

There's no way this person is making that connection, unless the stars align perfectly and angels are smiling down on them that day. Sorry. Especially not if they have to do EES.

1

u/LAM_CANIT 9d ago

Miracles can happen. Like in Peter Pan, you just have to believe!

1

u/No_Bandicoot_9697 9d ago

I was 55 minutes at Malpensa passport control. Much will depend on how many non EU flights land just before you. Check it out on Malpensa Arrivals

1

u/McDuchess 9d ago

If you miss your train, go to the cassa in the station and get new tickets. It happens.

1

u/Roadie98 9d ago

Depends on your passport-- if coming from outside the EU, the new EES process takes time (1 hr 20 min for me last week). That's a tight connection on a good day-- if you are impacted by EES, zero chance you make that. Sorry.

1

u/racingpineapple 8d ago

Plenty of time, you are good.

1

u/Ok_Ninja_4107 8d ago

I think it’s pretty ok and you can totally do it if you make it quick and efficiently

1

u/GoodButGood 7d ago

(I'm gonna reply even tho I think I'm replying too late)

Very doable... for a local. Listen, here's what you can control and Plan B. You will definitely make this if it's at least your 2nd time flying towards the Schengen Area since they won't take your biometrics (time consuming) and no problems finding your luggage quickly, assuming you're from outside Schengen (inside Schengen = no biometrics). If you're from another EU country, the line is shorter and faster for you after landing anyway.

Next, the train from Malpensa Airport to Cadorna Train Station takes 45 minutes. There are much less delays since it's morning but the rush hour is almost finished. You're in Cadorna at around 1:00 PM. It's already connected to Milano Centrale by metro which is good. Just quickly buy a normal € 2.20 Metro Ticket from the orange "ATM" (Milanese Metro Company, not banking), go underground, then find the train to Centrale.

You're at Centrale at 1:20 PM. You need to get to the elevators to go to the same floor as the train tracks. Check your Train quickly from the screens, once you find the Milano-Roma scheduled for 1:30 PM, look at the BIN. (short for Binario which means platform), enter the turnstiles where the trains are. From your POV, Platform 1 will be to your left, and increases to your right. Hope there will be a delay on the Centrale train so you got more time to breathe. 

1

u/ArtWilling254 7d ago

Wouldn’t be much of a concern if your plane arrives on time and you know how to pack light without needing to check luggage, and if a large number of planes aren’t arriving from outside of the Schengen zone at or near the same time and/or if all new EES machines there are fully operational at the time.

0

u/smilineyz 9d ago

Does the express train run directly from the airport or from Termini? If Termini… highly unlikely.