Milano Malpensa Airport

I arrived at Terminal 2 of Malpensa Airport and immediately noticed how exceptionally clean it was. There’s a long moving walkway that takes you toward the exit, followed by stairs or an elevator to reach outside. The connection to Milano Centrale is very easy, the buses are parked right outside the terminal. Overall, it’s a beautiful airport, though I found the departure area less functional. While waiting for your gate to be announced, you sit outside the duty-free zone to avoid walking too far from your gate. This creates a crowd near the entrance without enough seating, which limits shopping time. Still, I was generally pleased with my experience.

This newly renovated airport is huge. However there are not many seats for waiting to check in the flight if you come early. There are also not many charging stations. In terms of cleanliness, it is quite clean and acceptable. My only suggestion is that perhaps the airport can have a special section/room for multi religious praying area. This would be very helpful for visitors from different religious backgrounds to perform their prayers when necessary, while waiting for their respective flights.

The Malpensa Airport was quite okay, just like any other international airport. I arrived at Terminal 1, and it was straightforward (follow the sign) to get to the train station at the basement level. I couldn’t download the Trenitalia app in my home country, so I used the website to purchase my train tickets in advance (to other parts of Italy). Alternatively, you can also purchase your train ticket at the airport when you are ready to leave. One way is €13 to get to Milano Centrale, 55mins. However, on my arrival day, I travelled to Lugano in Switzerland instead. I bought my train ticket via Swiss SBB app.

We recently traveled through Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) and overall, the experience was quite positive, with a few areas that could be even better. Location & access: Malpensa is located about 50 km from central Milan. It’s well connected by train (Malpensa Express), which takes around 40–50 minutes to reach Milano Centrale or Cadorna station. Taxis and airport shuttles are also available, but travel time can be longer during peak hours. Terminals & layout: The airport has two main terminals: Terminal 1 (for most international and Schengen flights) and Terminal 2 (used mainly by low-cost carriers). Terminal 1 feels modern and spacious, with clear signage and a relatively straightforward layout. The design combines glass and steel, giving it a clean, contemporary look. Facilities: • Plenty of shops, duty-free, and restaurants with a good variety of Italian and international options. • Free Wi-Fi, which worked quite well during our stay. • Seating areas are generally comfortable, though power outlets can be limited in some gates. • Security and passport control were reasonably quick, but lines could get long during peak hours. Service: Staff were professional and helpful, especially at information desks. Announcements were clear and provided in multiple languages. Areas to improve: • Better seating at some gates, especially for early morning or late-night flights. • Signage could be more intuitive for first-time visitors when connecting between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Overall impression: Milan Malpensa Airport is a large, well-organized international hub that offers a smooth travel experience most of the time. While not the newest in Europe, it strikes a good balance between efficiency and comfort, with enough shops and services to keep you occupied before your flight. We’d definitely fly through MXP again on future trips to Milan or northern Italy.

There are hundreds of people going through customs and only three windows are open. Actually NOW ONLY TWO WINDOWS ARE OPEN. In most countries families traveling with a minor are directed into an expedited line. Here families with children in strollers are made to wait for 45+ minutes. For such a family-friendly country this makes no sense. What is the rational??? Follow up review: now we’re trying to go through customs after getting off a flight in Milan. It’s a month later, and we are experiencing the same problem but in a different area of the airport. Passport control for families is out of control. There are 100 to 200 people waiting in line. We’ve been waiting 30 minutes and we are still not through. See second, third and fourth photos. It appears this line is not only for families but also for other nationals. Please consider splitting up these groups to instead HAVE A LINE SPECIFICALLY FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

• Spacious & Clean: “Love the openness of the airport, the selection of high fashion stores and the allure of Milan” • Reasonable Security Times: “Everything was smooth, the waiting at security check maybe 15 min … boarding at gates was ok”

Immigration is quick for a tourist visa. The airport is clean. The bus that is going to the city centre is just near the exit. Well organised, and so far, i had a good experience at this airport.

Comparing to Rome airport. This one much much better. Tax refund was so easy and people helped a lot. The problem of the process in custom and check in was very poor and slow. It took us 2 hours to move to final terminal.

Huge airport which was a bit unexpected. Still, staff helped us out with our toddler and made the experience much better and smoother. Pretty easy to figure out where to go as well even with the ton of people here. A bit outdated, but still a pretty good airport overall. It also depends on what airline you take. If you're taking Wizz Air, good luck.

Malpensa is a decent sized airport with several lounges. Ask to be dropped off by door 17 if you need VAT refund processing through Global Blue (the Global Blue kiosks and desk are right by check in area 12 near door 17). If you are on United Premium Economy or Polaris Business Class, you have Premier Access and can use the Fast Track accelerated security line, as well as for checked luggage drop off. The check in area for my flight was not near the security check or gates so there was a little bit of a trek involved. There are a number of stores for last minute shopping. The large DuFry store between A and B sections is better than the others past passport check (better deals and larger selection) and most stores are before passport check

Nice clean airport terminal. Lots of shops and restaurants. Bathrooms are clean. While you are waiting for your flight, pick up a last minute gift for yourself or someone special. Or indulge in your last gelato before flying back home. Calories don't count on vacation, right??

That was the quickest I've ever gotten through an airport! No checked baggage, just a carry on. Got off the flight, walked straight to the trains, purchased at the counter, walked right downstairs and got on the next train leaving in 2min. 20 min from landing to sitting on the train. No passport stamp, no check out/in through customs. Not sure if its due to the 8pm arrival or if this is normal procedure.

Arrived at this airport last night. Went through the arrival process and it was fairly simple. UK and US had a separate line for coming in and getting your passport scanned. It was a 5 minute process overall. We spent more time trying to figure out where to go for uber/ taxi pickups than we did going through passport scanners. I will say, the airport didn't have much going on. Seemed pretty basic overall.

We came through on a Wednesday at 9 am. Fairly crowded. It still took less than 5 minutes to go through the general TSA line. I would have been very disappointed if we would have paid the extra to go through the fast track line. Which is 9€ each, for anyone who wants it. Lots of stores for shopping and restaurants available. Plenty of seating options. I didn't see a lot of charging options.

At Gate B79. Not enough seats and no air conditioning. Long long walk to a terrible area. Don't go there until boarding is called. Food court bins aren't emptied and tables left dirty. Worst international airport by far. What a shame to end lovely Italian holiday. Maybe Terminal 2 is better.

Affordable and easy to navigate if you will be traveling city to city. Staff is nice and explains things in details.

Mostly likely you'll need to take shuttle bus from the arrival gate to the exit of Milano airport. Once you exit the terminal, there's currency exchange, taxi and bus shuttle service to the metro area.

This is one of the smoothest airports I've ever been in!!!! The employees are helpful and kind and made check in and security so easy! Thank you for making a long travel day relatively easy!!!!

Before check in the airport is stunning. Once you check in it was filthy! The bathrooms weren't cleaned and the garbage was overflowing.

Flying in and out of Milan this airport did the job, was fairly modern and facilities were in decent shape, though it didn't particularly stand out in terms of amenities and services. Service feels like it could be hit or miss. Arrivals - this is a no frills experience. After my flight taxied to the gate, it's a straight shot down several walkways to customs and the exit. The line for customs was pretty long for EU and associated countries, seems like they had any countries not needing a visa all in the same line, it took about 20-25 min to get thru. Once thru, it's directly to luggage pickup and out to the transportation area, minimal shops and services. Departures - it seems like this terminal handles most international departures to non-Schengen countries, there about 25 check-in counters and you need to check the departures listings to identify which check in counter and terminal wing A or B your flight is assigned. Once thru check-in and/or luggage drop off, follow signs to the gates. If you want get food/drinks there's a couple spots on the ground (1st for non-Europeans) floor check-in level and then prior to security there's a small food court on the upper floor. In general there's not a whole lot of dining options maybe a handful of places in each terminal wing after customs. I had a kinda meh experience going thru security because my boarding pass wouldn't scan. I used my phone and the physical paper print out and neither worked. When I asked an airport associate that I saw helping other customers with the same issue go thru, he directed me to his colleagues at the help desk, who said my boarding pass showed I'd already entered security, which made no sense bc I was clearly there at the checkpoint and not thru yet. He asked me a few times (like 3) if I had status on the flight which I happened to have though tbh I'm not sure what relevance this had since I imagine type of situation must happen to other passengers as well. He then scanned my boarding pass at his computer and said it was fine and motioned for me to scan it directly at the checkpoint scanner again, which I did a few more times to no avail. I had to get the attention of the same associates again and they told me a couple more times it should work while I scanned in futility for them to finally come over and notice that it wasn't letting me thru. Something must've kicked in bc after they tried again at their computer and gave it back to me to try again it finally worked. I just found the situation strange bc when another passenger (white/male) had the same issue prior to me they just popped the side door open and let him thru. Security line itself went pretty quickly, once thru there's a main duty free shopping area which was sizable, though looked to be the single DF spot in this terminal. After this area go right for A gates and left for B gates. After this is customs, which took about 10-15 min to get thru the line. Then there are more high end retail stores, some food/drink options as well as a handful of lounges if you follow the signs. Good thing I got there about 2.5-3hrs hours in advance of departure bc the whole process prob took around 45-50 minutes which was longer than I'd anticipated. To be fair I also thought it'd be much faster so I took my time in the beginning.

Love the openness of the airport, the selection of high fashion stores and the allure of Milan. The airport is fairly clean and draws the fashionista in you. It is interesting to see all the high end brands outside the duty free zone AND people still shopping and buying from them.

Large International airport, fairly easy to find check in area and customs then your boarding gate. Check in area ran v-e-r-y painfully slowly very early this morning despite a minimal line of people at the time. Patience is a virtue! Surprisingly very few chairs in our Delta boarding area... twenty of fewer seats all filled. Overall a huge airport with plenty of options for food and drink and duty free last minute shopping.

Upon arrival, I wasn't too sure this was the right check-in on Yelp. Upon departure, I learned that it was because Terminal 2 has been getting renovated for over a year now. Thanks goes out to the best taxi driver ever, Ricardo! Anyhow, this isn't my first rodeo with this airport. I first flew in and out of this airport back in 2010. I had no complaints then and now in 2023 I continue to feel the same. For an international airport, it is massive, but it is well organized despite the herds of cattle known as people. If for whatever reason you can't find something, the employees are so ridiculously warm and friendly. Honestly for an airport of this size, it's a legit breeze. I also like the variety of restaurants and shops they have inside. Definitely a good place to get some duty-free shopping done if that's your sort of thing. If you're renting a car, beware in the winter months. Sometimes they forgot to place chains, and if they do, check the size. We had to return ours to wind up in another car. That said, it was an easy fix. Ditto with arriving to this airport. I was going to take the train, but with the sprained ankle, I took a taxi instead and it was heavenly. I got dropped out right in front and had no stress. I do have to say coming 3+ hours early helped. This isn't an airport to rush in. There are so many flights and they even have a section solely for American flights. I kind of wish I flew from Milan to the US, but alas, my ticket was from Milan to Paris to Miami, which made everything complicated because I nearly missed my connecting flight, but that's not the airport's fault. That is EasyJet's fault... meh.

Great airport, plenty of shops and food establishments. Expect to walk ! Friendly staff . Car rental convenient to terminal.

OMG... this airport is a nightmare... the lines are insane... and Delta is hidden behind another line behind all the airlines in the front. Then your gate is at the opposite end of the airport. Like seriously. Worse part is... if you need to do your tax with the custom officers... OMFG. Lines out the door. And there's no rhyme or reasons as to which goes first. No one helps you... like no one. MXP is about 50mins away from city center of Milan... so be sure to give yourself 3 hours here! Here's my tip for my fellow shoppers: have a friend stand in the Custom line. Divide and Conquer. You head to the Global Blue or Planet counters... get the receipt to say you need custom stamp. Then trade places with your friend; this way you're not at the back (waaayyy back at the end). I don't know why you need the Global Blue machine receipt just to say you need a custom stamp... any who... This is the most efficient way for you to NOT lose time, and sanity. This airport gives me nightmare still... it's the most inefficient, unfriendly airport... I've ever been to. Glad I checked it off my travel list... and not looking to go back, unless I'm invited to some fashion week. lol

The airport itself is overall pretty clean and there are some shops and food options available. They have Starbucks as well. Here are a couple things to be aware of: 1. Tax return: if you purchase some items and need to get your tax return, the process doesn't take long but it depends on the item you purchased. Some items allow you to just use the machine but some require you to go line up at the window. The lines can be long and can take a while so definitely add time to allow for this! 2. The wait times to get your luggage checked in can take a VERY Long time. Sometimes there are only 1 to 2 people checking people in so keep that in mind. 3. Going through the security: So I've had a couple different experiences going through security. There has been time when the lines take A VERY long time and other times where it's been a quick 15 min wait. It will also depend on if you are flying out of the EU or within the EU. Side note: the shopping at this airport is very minimal so make sure to do your shopping before hand!

Although it's a small choice of selection, it's to the point! Had to take all liquid in a clear bag, also my iPad out. All in all -- it was easy and simple. Went through security fine and then waited by the gate. Well it doesn't get announced until closer. It can be kinda confusing but once you get to the airport it's terminal 1 in the beginning. :)

This terminal experience was a bit of a frustrating mess - first, it is massive with no clear reason why/no obvious layout logic. Like another reviewer mentions, when flying United to US you are only allowed to check-in and drop bags 3 hours in advance so there was a large line of people waiting and being turned away at their check-in counter, causing a bit of chaos. Once checked in, you go to customs and security separately, so factor that timing in. Recommend eating at one of the cafe options at the beginning of the terminal as there are not many options near the gates. They do have a very nice duty free store for any last minute shopping needs.

Super long lines at customs but they made sure to keep the lines moving. They could definitely have more staff but processing went along way quicker than I would've expected.

No issues with our arriving flight. Customs was a 5 minute wait which was amazing. Plenty of dining and shopping options.

Be prepared for lots of walking when coming here. Arriving from the US was ok, customs line was long, which is to be expected. For departures, we flew via United and they only allowed us to check in for the flight about 3 hours before departure time. They required us to check in to the United departure check-in counter, regardless if we were doing carry on only. After checking in, we still had to walk to the other side of terminal 1 to go through security with our bags. So definitely allocate plenty of time before your flight if you are traveling internationally. Restrooms are fairly sparse and minimal, which was annoying. The only reason why I gave this airport 3 stars is because the shopping was great here! And it was tax free for us so get your last minute luxury shopping in, if you get a chance! Overall, come early and be prepared for a wait and lots of walking.

Like everyone else from the USA, I visited Italy this summer. My only reason for writing this review is warn others of the EXTREMELY long lines in Immigration and Passport Control. We waited over three hours, missing our transportation and being directed multiple times to the wrong lines (they moved us). My only advice is to visit Milan pregnant because you can skip the lines!

Hi, I'm sure it's a lovely airport full of lovely hard working people but beware of the local taxi driver that thinks it's fun to drop you off at a nearby hotel pretending it's the hotel you asked to be taken to, He insists on cash, demanding payment just before you arrive and then speeds off leaving you all but stranded with another taxi to arrange and pay for. A cowardly act by a common thief. It happened to me tonight unfortunately and the local police said there was nothing they could do....looking back I can see it all going wrong but it happens so fast,,,,,beware

i like that the train station is basically integrated here. we stayed nearby this airport overnight after a long flight from the states. the next morning we were back here to take the train to lake como. so easy! the global blue kiosks here are pretty clutch. was able to get my tax refund from shopping pretty easily here too. in terms of food here, its pretty meh. not much outside the gates (mcdonalds and an italian restaurant) BUT! there's an airport lounge at this terminal that does serve a decent variety of sandwiches, pastries and desserts + beverages. pretty spacious too.

We flew into and out of Milan Malpensa, which is close to Lake Como (45 minutes to an hour away). WiFi is supposedly free here, but they want too much personal info and the right to share (sell) your data. They had limited food options, and poorly marked restrooms to add to the austere environment. In general, we were disappointed with both the Milan airport and Milan Centrale train station facilities and food options. Memo to Milan Airport and Central Train Station: Hey, you're in Italy for crying out loud, and are supposed to have some of the best food in the world! Add some decent dining options!

Luxury Shopping Experience at Malpensa! The jewel in the airport's crown, this new shopping gallery, is located in the departures area of Terminal 1. The most notable international luxury brands include Bulgari, Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Etro, Gucci, Hermès, Montblanc, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, Tod's, Moncler, Damiani, Hugo Boss, Furla, Moreschi, Pinko, Piquadro, Swatch and many others. The area also houses some great restaurants, bars and a well stock duty free area with a great elections of Italian specialties for last minute gift ideas. Safe travels!

When they say you should arrive at least 3 hours before an international flight, they were thinking of Milan Malpensa - Terminal 1. Milan Malpensa - Terminal 1 is located 50+ kilometers from Milan central train station. 90 euro ($108) fixed taxi fare. And no direct express train, which goes to Cadorna, instead. I knew we were in trouble from the start, as online self check in to print boarding passes not allowed. And no self check in kiosks to print boarding passes either. All passengers must stand in one of two dozen check in lines, by airline, to get a boarding pass. Even if you have no luggage to check in. You have to wait behind all the passengers with luggage to check in. Preliminary passport check by airline personnel. Fortunately at least half a dozen different desks to check in for Delta, with personnel fluent in English. Good thing I wasn't in the China airlines check in line for Shanghai, or Beijing. They had lines that would dwarf Disneyland's longest lines, probably due to the shortage of airport personnel fluent in Mandarin. Free wifi says the sign, but you are required to register, answering all these questions online, and then getting the access code through your e-mail. But I can't get through to my e-mail, and get rerouted to register! Our Delta airlines flight was delayed 1 hour 40 minutes, due to mechanical issues. Thought we would have time to eat at lots of restaurants such as McDonalds, which sell big macs for 8.3 euros, or $10! We were wrong. Wife said we can't go on, as our gate is not announced on the electronic overhead screens. Eventually the gate was announced, two hours before the flight takes off. We get in the single long line for security, the Italian version of TSA. No pre TSA line here. At least a half dozen entries, with red/green control buttons. Don't have to take off my sandals, but have to put my laptop and all electronic equipment, including cell phones and tablets, along with watches, belts, and metal bracelets in bins, going through screening machines. Take out my transparent quart bags of liquids, but apparently they don't check them. Long walk to passport control. Expedited line for EU country passport holders. All others are SOL and must stand in very long lines. Today is my lucky day, as I walk by, they open up an expedited line for USA citizens. Go right to head of the line. Electronic screening of my passport, facial recognition photo, and then a passport stamping. 19 minute walk, or one mile, to our gates, B-01 says the overhead screen. Good thing my gate was not say B-55, which is like 20 gates farther behind B-01, or I'd still be walking! They need an internal airport train, like at Seattle, Zurich or Atlanta, to the individual gates in this huge airport. Once we reach our gate, women's line out the door for the bathrooms. No seating at our gate B-01. B-02 next door has about 40 seats, all taken by 140 passengers on the flight at that gate. So all 248 passengers on our Boeing 767-400ER have to stand, waiting for boarding. I try one of the electrical outlets, using my EU adopter, to charge my phone. DOA. 9 hour flight to Atlanta, where we have to get through passport control, and catch our connecting flight to San Jose. At least they have AC running, with outside temperatures approaching 100!

I've been to many airports in the past. I can't think of anything original to say about Malpensa. There's the usual wait in line to clear customs, getting your luggage and finding your driver to get to your ultimate destination. We did have a luggage screw-up but that was due to the airlines not Malpensa. It's a smaller venue from what I could see. Meh!

Malpensa is Milan's largest airport and the one furthest away from downtown Milan. Transport to Centrale station (and too many stations in between) is available on the Malpensa Express and that makes it easy. I was here for a departure on Delta direct from Malpensa (code MXP) to New York. Good signage helped me find the Delta counter, the security gates, the "fast pass" queue and the gates. Free wifi worked okay and the plane boarded with a jetbridge, which are two things that Americans tend to take for granted. Not every European airport has wifi and even the biggest airports like AMS and CDG don't have jetbridges for every aircraft. Decent food options and tons of shopping available. The gate area was a bit crowded. More seating and power outlets would have been good. Overall, an A-OK airport. I think I'll be back at some point, as there are some reasonable connections through MXP to other cities in Europe. [Review 10733 overall, 501 of 2019.]

What a hassle at this airport. Walking from the domestic Air Italy to the international Air Italy gate to Miami took 20 minutes of walking, and waiting over an hour at passport control. Everyone was worried they would miss their flight. They need to add more passport control officers so the lines move much quicker. Even after the passport control, I had to go to another security desk near my gate to be drilled with all kinds of questions on my purpose of trip, how long I stayed, etc--what a hassle. If you go through this airport, make sure you have at least 2 hours between flights so that you can handle all this nonsense.

The check-in for USA and Israel travel is farther away then the other check-ins. After checking in you have to walk back towards the entrance you came in to get to the gates. There are many stores to shop at duty free to be sure to give yourself enough time to shop if you plan on it. I honestly am not a fan of the set up of the airport, be prepared to walk a lot

Rude personnel. Non working automatic gates. The employee manni g the gate made fun of passengers and refused to shoe her name tag. June 26, 2023, about 9 a.m. it was a middle aged short statue female. Should be disciplined or fired. Does not belong in customer service at all.

This airport is so hugely annoying. I swear it was a 10-minute walk from entering the airport to getting to the Alitalia terminal. The staff that I encountered were friendly and helpful. The line for tax-free took a while so if you do see one in the city go there. Save yourself the time.

Compared to most European airports this one is pretty small and very inconvenient from many perspectives. Right off the bat the airport doesn't have enough staffing and there are long queues at check in and security control and passport control. Add to this the 50 minute train or one hour car ride from the city center and the airport becomes very inconvenient for travelers. If this was any other city besides Milan this airport would be forced to closed down but a city like Milan with its attraction and buzz the airport is usually the only entry point for many travelers. We got to MXP via Air Italy from Miami which thankfully was a direct flight and on the way in they loaded us on buses to get to Terminal 1. We were lucky as we didn't get a long line at passport control but that all changed on the outbound journey as we had one of the worse experiences regarding customer service and logistics. Lots of work required to improve this airport or maybe a new airport closer to the city. The Malpensa express is the only thing that helps travelers as it costs €13 to get to Milano Centrale.

Pretty airports are nice but it's frustrating when they don't have the basics down pat like check in flow and clean bathrooms. I'll start with the check in process- it literally took 55 minutes to wait in line just to receive a boarding pass before making it to the security gates. This was without any luggage to check. This airport could really use touch screen self check in options for the number of travelers flowing through. Then once you're inside, they don't announce your gate until 30 minutes before it takes flight so everyone frantically huddled around the screens to run to their gate. As for the bathrooms, they smelled terrible. Like really really bad and had this odd type of sensor system that wouldn't stop flushing large amounts of water. Yes, this airport has beautiful shops and trendy eateries but by the time you roll into where you need to be, there's no time to enjoy it. Ha, I thought to myself, with one more hour, I could have driven to Munich in the same amount of time this process took (50 minute train ride at 6:55 am to airport). I will say the airport is prettier/regressed from what I remember nine years ago.

Arrival: -Arriving from another country be prepared to wait on line (30-45 minute wait at least) to present your documents. -After the wait Departure: -There is an area to dispose of bottles and trash for multiple patrons, I liked that -The VAT Refund Office is located just after you check your baggage.

Still has a lot of work to do to improve. This is not what an international airport should be like. No one at the information desks. The entire airport has gross floors. Only the bathrooms are maintained but anywhere outside in the terminals is chaos. I stopped one airport staff to ask For the gates and she told me she wasn't information. So yeah welcome to Italy

The inner city greyhound station of all airports . Seriously gross . You can actually see streaks of dirt , dried food , etc very on the ground of every terminal but especially terminal one . The hooks are broken off in the stalls of every bathroom Stall I went it ...meaning I had to actually put my bag on the floor . One bathroom smelled like strong urine . Customer service of employees at the airport was average at best . Seats at the gates were falling a part . The arrangement of gates and process is also confusing . I see why it was especially cheaper for me to fly into Italy here compared to other airports . 95 percent of the automatic walkways were not working and or under construction and look no where near being finished . Use another airport . Learn from my mistakes.

Like many airports Malpensa has pros and cons. Some good attributes are Malpensa has a huge amount of restaurants, shops for clothing, gifts, just about anything you would even think of buying. There are numerous restrooms and my wife reported that the VAT refund procedure was straight forward and painless. Now to the not so good. The airport is huge and no matter what airline you will get all your daily exercise getting to your plane. For us this was not a problem but we observed several people struggling with luggage, kids and the long walk. The other problem is the looooog immigration lines. Now I know this is a problem at many airports but every time I have been to Malpensa the line to pass through immigration has been a disaster. No matter day or night it's always a nightmare.

This airport is crap for many reasons. No direct train, to get to Milan is a 120€ fare. The airport is a mess; hard to navigate not clear directions not much food options. If you're flying a US flagged carrier, good luck. Opposite end of terminal to check in and they are always 25-35 minutes late opening. You'd think they would have done something to this airport before the Turin Olympics; they didn't.

Understaffed, disorganized. Everyone was late. Good shopping if you like that kind of thing. Bad lounge.

Reviewing an arriving airport is different than a restaurant for example in that you want to spend the least amount of time as possible there. Such was the case here but it didn't work out that way. The plane was a bit late and we needed to meet our driver at a designated spot only to have our luggage missing. Not the fault of Malpensa, United was the culprit. We found the lost items counter, filled our the requisite forms, and eventually met our driver who was about to leave. Other than that Malpensa seemed ordinary as airports go.

This is the main international airport in Milan. It's about 45 minutes via taxi/Uber from the city and 30 minutes through the train from Milano Centrale. I would recommend taking the train if possible because it's more cost efficient, time saving (we ran into traffic when we took an Uber) and it takes you directly to the airport. We had a swift experience at the tax refund station and the line wasn't as long as I would assume it would be. Security was a breeze and they were also friendly. Everybody spoke good English and we didn't have any issues when asking questions. There are a variety of shops (including duty free goodies) and restaurants to eat while you're inside the airport. The bathrooms are clean and the WiFi was spotty. Overall, the terminal is fairly easy to navigate compared to other airports that I've been to.

I initially thought this airport was a hot mess bc 1) the airport looks rather old, 2) the VAT refund line was ridiculous, and 3) the security line was completely out of control. Then I realized the VAT refund was moving the way that it did bc of the PEOPLE waiting in line. They are completely CLUELESS!!! Only the person getting the refund needs to be on the friggin line. Not their entire family of 5-10 ppl, along with all of their luggage. Once you get up to the window, the refund should take approx ~1m. Now, the security line, or what appears to be one, isn't really a security line but rather an initial checkpoint to get into departures. Once you get past that, everything else is pretty much smooth sailing. You have a ton of duty-free shops, lounges, restaurants, gelato shops (VENCHI anyone!?!?), etc. Then you go through security, and then there are more shops, restaurants, gelato, etc.

The main international airport in Milan. Far from city and no train access. I hear they will build a train route soon, but I wont count on it. They have a fast track security which is super quick, but the real wait is in passport control. Lots of walking to get through terminal. Passport control (Non EU) can have pretty long lines so leave enough time to get to your gate.

This airport has seen better days, better years, and better decades. It is old, disorganized and has no WiFi. I had the displeasure once of hanging out for 12 hours, when my plane was delayed by some inconvenient volcano that decided to erupt and spew ash across southern Europe. Each hour, they said I'd get to leave soon so I never gave up. Well that and the fact I had to be in Warsaw the next day. No excuses. On the positive side, there are far fewer guards with machine guns than in previous years.

If you wondered how Italians particularly Milanese stay thin even after all the pizza and pasta, look no further than Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa! Hint: It's because there's so much damn walking. I knew MXP is Italy's 2nd biggest, but I did not expect it to be this big! The arrival was fine, because I only had to walk across a medium-sized arrival hall after customs and the taxi rank was just outside while the train station was an escalator down. The departure to my US-bound flight was a whole new odyssey though. From the airport train station after getting off Malpensa Express, I had to cross to the other side of the gigantic departure hall to check-in my luggage, and that took about 15 minutes to reach. Then after checking in, I had to cross back to the side where I came to enter and then through an insanely long empty corridor and then through a shopping mall before the security check. The trek was so long that the airport helpfully placed ETA markers to ensure you that you were going to the right direction but still had a way to go - More than 30 minutes of walking from what I recall! What's frustrating is that most of the walking was through empty space that could easily be bypassed with an airport bus or tram...The moral is that you should truly take the 3-hour-before-departure rule seriously in MXP especially if you are a slow walker! That's the bad part. In a classic Milan style, the best part of the airport is the departure mall before you exit for your last-minute shopping! Although they are all unfortunately before customs and security, the many shops will certainly keep you entertained. Maybe grab yourself a nice Venchi chocolate gelato before you leave! The staff is super nice as well! Unlike American airport staff, everyone in MXP was kind and courteous, and the security was incredibly efficient and painless. If it weren't for the insane amount for walking involved, I would rank this as a top airport in my mind! While more Italy-bound flights go in and out of Roma Fiumicino in the south, this airport is northern Italy's largest and thus your best bet for destinations like Lake Como and Venezia. Milano Malpensa is a premier airport that gets its job done, but expect a lot of walking! --- AIRPORT TRANSPORT Taxi is readily available. However, Milan taxis are known to be expensive, so expect to pay more than €100 on meter to city center. Uber is about the same fare. Be advised that Milan traffic can be notorious, so you can be snared in a jam as well. The best and cheapest way is the airport train, Malpensa Express (https://www.yelp.com/biz/malpensa-express-milano?hrid=BoG9WpVRH93-zvb9cs5qEg)! For €13 (as of Feb 2017) one-way, you can reach city-center in as little as 37 minutes. Malpensa Express also goes to Milano Centrale, the city's high-speed rail station where you can transfer to other destinations. See my review for more details. Another public transport method is Malpensa Shuttle, which is slightly cheaper than the train but is also slightly slower - if the traffic is smooth. --- tl;dr version: 1) Lots of walking in departure - Arrive early! 2) Nice shopping mall before customs 3) Friendly staff and painless security 4) Best bet for northern Italian destinations