Travel by: [ Road ] [ Rail ] [ Air ]
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Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrade - designated A roads), the main north-south link being the Autostrada del Sole (or A1), which links Milan with Reggio Calabria, in the toe of Italy. Speed limits on motorways are 130kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more, and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars. All motorways are tolled. The Autostrade information centre in Rome provides advice on tolls and traffic (tel: 840 042 121; website: www.autostrade.it). Those on a budget may prefer the strade statali (SS), which are often fast, have multi-lane carriageways and are toll free.
By law, both driver and passenger must wear their seat belts or face an on-the-spot fine. Random breath tests can be imposed, and the penalties for drink driving are severe - the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%. Speeding fines follow EU standards, dependent on the speed. Car lights must be switched on at any time on autostrade and strade statali. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. All those without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit. EU nationals taking their own car will need an International Insurance Certificate, also known as a Green Card (Carta Verde).
Automobile Club Italiana (ACI) (tel: (06) 491 115; website: www.aci.it) can provide further information.
Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club Italiana: (tel: 803 116).
Routes to the city: Milan is a major crossroads for traffic heading north, south, east and west. The busiest roads are the A1 and A4. Italy’s central artery, the A1 (Autostrada del Sole), travels due south from Milan to Reggio Calabria via Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. The A4 (Turin-Milan-Bergamo-Brescia-Verona-Venice-Trieste) forms the ring road skirting the north of the city. Named Autostrada Serenissima after Venice’s nickname, this is the trouble spot where north-south and east-west traffic meet and drivers often feel anything but serene. Traffic from Varese and Lake Maggiore on the A8 and from Switzerland and Como on the A9 can also get tied up here. Genoa, to the southwest of Milan, is reached by the quieter A7.
Approximate driving times to Milan: From Turin - 1 hour; Bologna - 2 hours; Florence - 3 hours; Venice - 3 hours; Rome - 6 hours.
Coach services: Milan has no coach station. Coaches for the airports run from the Air Terminal at the Stazione Central (see Getting There By Rail), while the principal intercity and international coaches depart from Piazza Castello, next to Castello Sforzesco. The coach company Autostradale (tel: 02 7200 1363; website: www.autostradale.com) provides information on connections to the rest of Italy. The Azienda Transporti Milanesi (tel: 800 808 181; website: www.atm-mi.it) office in Stazione Centrale also offers advice.
The international departures, operated by Eurolines (tel: 899 325 264; website: www.eurolines.it) from Piazza Castello, connect with services to most European cities. Direct services from Milan include Warsaw, Prague, Vienna and Istanbul. |
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The main station in Milan is the Stazione Centrale, Piazza Duca d’Aosta (tel: 848 888 088 or 1478 88088, in Italy only), which has high-speed links to other major cities in Italy including Bologna, Venice, Genoa, Turin, Florence and Rome. The vast neo-Babylonian facade dates from the 1930s, dwarfing the ticket offices below from where escalators rise to the platforms and shops. Facilities include a tourist information office (tel: 02 7740 4318), post office, bank and self-service restaurant. Full business facilities are available from Eurostar Club (tel: 02 6698 1013), which even offers four conference rooms (16 to 200 people).
Milan has 10 other stations mostly feeding commuter routes. Porta Garibaldi has useful services to Varese, Bergamo and Cremona. Trains from Cadorna station (downtown Milan), run by Ferrovie Nord Milano - FNM (tel: 02 8511 4382; website: www.ferrovienord.it), include the Malpensa Express. The Italian state railway, Trenitalia (tel: 892 021, in Italy only; website: www.trenitaliaplus.com), runs the rest. Trains are reliable and reasonably priced, although hefty supplements can be added depending on the type of train (Diretto, Inter-Regionale, InterCity or Eurostar). By law, all train tickets must be validated by stamping them in the yellow machines on the platform before boarding.
Rail services: The direct Rome-Milan service between Italy’s most important business centres is fast and reliable. Services include the InterCity, with services to destinations such as Rome, and the luxurious Treno Eurostar, which also links Milan to Rome via Bologna and Florence - each service requires supplements. For ports, there are regular trains to Venice and Genoa. The EuroCity train services link Milan to more than 40 other European destinations. |
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Milan Malpensa (MXP)
Tel: 02 7485 2200.
Website: www.sea-aeroportimilano.it
Malpensa is located 48km (30 miles) northwest of Milan and is the city’s biggest airport, handling transcontinental and other international flights. In general, most European and all transcontinental flights arrive at Terminal One, while charters use Terminal Two.
Airport facilities: Departure facilities include banks, bureaux de change, newsagents, coffee bars and restaurants. After check-in, there are electrical goods, clothes and fashion outlets, as well as the usual duty-free shops. Tourist information, a post office and car hire operators, including Avis, Europcar and Hertz, are available upon arrival.
Transport to the city: The hassle-free way to travel to the city centre is by rail. The Malpensa Express (tel: 02 8511 4382; website: www.ferrovienord.it) runs from Terminal One to Stazione Cadorna just north of the historic centre. Trains stop at Milano Bovisa Politecnico and Saronno Centro. During major trade fairs, trains stop at Milano Bolona for the Fiera district. Alternatively, a shuttle connects terminals with the station at Gallarate, where there is a choice of trains to Stazione Centrale or Stazione Porta Garibaldi. Going to Malpensa, it is best for travellers to get the metro to Cadorna - tickets are available from the Malpensa Express office at the train station.
Coach services, operated by Air Pullman (tel: 02 5858 3185; website: www.airpullman.com), depart for Stazione Centrale, Milan Fiera, Milan Lampugnano and Piazza Castello. The same company operates the coach shuttle linking Malpensa with Linate.
Taxis are available at both terminals. The trip into town costs around €70.
A shuttle bus service links Malpensa and Linate. The trip takes about 75 minutes.
Milan Linate (LIN)
Tel: 02 7485 2200.
Website: www.sea-aeroportimilano.it
Milan Linate is located 7km (4 miles) east of Milan’s city centre and provides the easiest access to and from the city.
Airport facilities: Tourist information, banking and exchange facilities are available during office hours and there is an on-site restaurant and snack bar. Avis, Europcar and Hertz provide car hire facilities.
Transport to the city: A coach and local bus service operate from the airport to the city centre. The Starfly shuttle service operated by STAM (tel: 02 5858 7237) runs to Stazione Centrale. The cheaper alternative, the local or ATM (tel: 800 808 181; website: www.atm-mi.it) bus 73, runs to Piazza San Babila. A shuttle bus service also links Malpensa and Linate.
Taxis are available to the city centre from outside the terminal. The fare from the airport into the city centre costs approximately €15.
Approximate flight times to Milan: From London is 2 hours; from New York is 8 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 11 hours 30 minutes; from Toronto is 9 hours 15 minutes and from Sydney is 23 hours 30 minutes. |
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