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Malpensa and Linate (MXP & LIN - MILAN AIRPORTS)
Seeing as this is often a question that pops up (which Milan airport is better etc etc.) I thought I'd point out a couple of "new" points having just done a MXP - LHR (BA now alone in plying the route) for the first time in a while
Nearly always use Linate but...
-> Parking in MXP is now much much cheaper. P1 which is a 5 minute WALK from the terminal (1) is 45€ a week. P2 in Linate is way more expensive and you avoid using two lifts
-> Security in MXP with fast track was a beeze - much preferred it to Linate. Normal security seems a lot quicker as well
-> BA lounge in MXP is packed at around 11 am as there is a CX flight that leaves. Prefer LIN lounge but at least MXP has natural light
-> unlikely to use a bus to access plane in MXP -not something to overlook in winter
-> lots of flights ex MXP to Middle East - CAI and AMM aren't daily but AUH and DOH are (and QR connections might become interesting). EK now fly MXP 3 x daily...
-> BA have a very late 2100 flight ex MXP. Unfortunately no early morning flight which is annoying for connecting to say US
Overall if you have a car I believe that MXP has become more attractive. The access from the A 4 motorway is now fine and leaving the airport (by car) is much easier from MXP than from LIN where you are next to a packed tangenziale.. So if you want to hire a car I'd think carefully before picking LIN
Want to take a taxi? well Linate is a no brainer..
One more point that is valid for both airports. Duty free has become very expensive.. I kid you not in saying that my local supermarket had a bottle of Spumante (won't name the brand - but popoular Italian stuff) at 9,99€.. OK great deal.. The same bottle at MXP was 29€!!!!!! Crazy..
Saw that price of Salami - Prosciutto - Cheese etc. were way over Italian average
London Aiports have improved a lot on the duty free side
You pay for wi-fi at both airports btw - something that I wish would change. NCE now offer free wi fi throughout the airport which is excellent and NCE remains an option for some people in NW Italy
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Thanks for that. I must admit hiring a car in Italy is way down on my list of fun exercises, given the dreadful driving standards there. However MXP has a great fast train service into the centre of Milan and the Passante, and (by changing) to Lake Como too. Linate has a bus service, which is cheap but a bit tedious. Late at night the MXP coach services are quite fast too and cheap. MXP seems to have been abandoned by Alitalia, so it's quite congenial now!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Thanks for that. I must admit hiring a car in Italy is way down on my list of fun exercises, given the dreadful driving standards there. However MXP has a great fast train service into the centre of Milan and the Passante, and (by changing) to Lake Como too. Linate has a bus service, which is cheap but a bit tedious. Late at night the MXP coach services are quite fast too and cheap. MXP seems to have been abandoned by Alitalia, so it's quite congenial now!
AZ have very very little. A bit of domestic and longhaul only JFK (with a A330) and NRT (with a 777). They "had" MIA but the service is stopping and will only be ex FCO
Thanks for that. I must admit hiring a car in Italy is way down on my list of fun exercises, given the dreadful driving standards there.
Chicken!
OT: Many years ago, not long after Mrs Shorthauldad passed her driving test, we drove together in Italy. She drove for a bit, but kept getting hooted at. Eventually she asked me why this was happening ... my response: "probably because you're (the only one) sticking to the speed limit"
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I too tend to use LIN, but have nothing against MXP - it really depends where I am going. I have added some comments to supplement the OPs post, quoting and commenting on the OPs comments where approrpriate.
MXP is handier for Ticino in Switzerland and a new rail line linking MXP to Mendrisio and Lugano opens at the end of next year. LIN on the other hand should be getting a metro connection to central Milan via the new Line 4 (it will be one terminus of that line) due to open in 2014.
-> Security in MXP with fast track was a beeze - much preferred it to Linate. Normal security seems a lot quicker as well
LIN offers similar fastrack to BA customers in F and J (I am not sure whether status passengers in Y qualify). The entrance is right by the BA checkin desks. At MXP it is a bit of a walk. Both are fast and efficient.
-> BA lounge in MXP is packed at around 11 am as there is a CX flight that leaves. Prefer LIN lounge but at least MXP has natural light
MXP is also in old terraces style and not refunished since it was halved in size about three years ago. It is normally adequate, but as OP observes can get full at times. LIN has been refurbished in Galleries stlye.
-> unlikely to use a bus to access plane in MXP -not something to overlook in winter
Absolutely agree with this. However, I did note that a week ago the staff on the steps at LIN were very clear that the first bus was for Club passengers only and indeed it did only take Club passengers. I am not sure if this is now the norm at LIN - not seen it before but not been through LIN since September.
-> Want to take a taxi? well Linate is a no brainer..
I tend to use public transport and avoid taxis so I'll add some comments on this. From LIN you can get a regular city bus for 1.5 Euro that goes straight into the city centre. MXP has Malpensa Express trains to Centrale or Cadorna stations or the shuttle bus service. Price of the latter seems to have rocketed from 5 Euros five years ago to 10 Euros today!
-> You pay for wi-fi at both airports btw - something that I wish would change. NCE now offer free wi fi throughout the airport which is excellent and NCE remains an option for some people in NW Italy
But in the BA lounges Internet is free. In both cases you need to ask for a voucher at the reception desk. The old Italian law that required passport details to be logged has now been repealed so that bit of hassle has gone.
Thanks to the OP for a very perceptive post. I hope my additional comments are of some use.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrancisA
I too tend to use LIN, but have nothing against MXP - it really depends where I am going. I have added some comments to supplement the OPs post, quoting and commenting on the OPs comments where approrpriate.
MXP is handier for Ticino in Switzerland and a new rail line linking MXP to Mendrisio and Lugano opens at the end of next year. LIN on the other hand should be getting a metro connection to central Milan via the new Line 4 (it will be one terminus of that line) due to open in 2014.
Thanks FrancisA
I rarely use public transport so I'm not too well versed on rail links but the one time I used the Malpensa express I thought it was OK
Obviously Linate with a metro link would be truely amazing
As for your point about boarding at LIN, I've never seen "separate" buses but I should point out that if you are travelling J, LIN can be very busy. I was once on a full A321 with 17 rows of J.. 68 people apparantly isn't a record on a EURO flight but close to it
Suffice it to say that my meal was served (ex LIN) over Paris!!!
I do like the A321 - they seem to rotate quite a bit on LIN. MXP is 2 x 319 and 1 x 320 as the norm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrancisA
-> You pay for wi-fi at both airports btw - something that I wish would change. NCE now offer free wi fi throughout the airport which is excellent and NCE remains an option for some people in NW Italy
But in the BA lounges Internet is free. In both cases you need to ask for a voucher at the reception desk.
Yes but first of all some people reading this thread may not have lounge access, and second, you can only access the BA lounge upon departure. The NCE free wifi initiative (actually, they have offered it for several years, but they changed the provision system a few months ago and now it works much better) means that you can check your emails or train times or whatever while you await your luggage, your bus or anything else upon arrival. I agree with terminalfive that it is a great initiative and for many people in NW Italy including much of Liguria and Piedmont, NCE is undoubtedly an excellent choice with also good connections to the Middle East (TLV, DXB, DOH - in fact the same flight as MXP but not every day), JFK, etc and coaches to much of the Ligurian coast all the way to Genova.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by orbitmic
Yes but first of all some people reading this thread may not have lounge access, and second, you can only access the BA lounge upon departure. The NCE free wifi initiative (actually, they have offered it for several years, but they changed the provision system a few months ago and now it works much better) means that you can check your emails or train times or whatever while you await your luggage, your bus or anything else upon arrival. I agree with terminalfive that it is a great initiative and for many people in NW Italy including much of Liguria and Piedmont, NCE is undoubtedly an excellent choice with also good connections to the Middle East (TLV, DXB, DOH - in fact the same flight as MXP but not every day), JFK, etc and coaches to much of the Ligurian coast all the way to Genova.
NCE really have upped their game
T1 has improved (they've "renovated" the lounge BA uses) - they don't charge for using trolleys and they've got good eating facilities land side
The coach service orbitmic rightly mentions works well and ironically doesn't exist from where I live (Liguria) to go to MXP. Just to go to NCE.. I live exactly halfway between MXP and NCE but travelling to MXP by public transport would be a very very long trek by train
But I nearly always travel by car and the only huge advantage MXP has over NCE is the price of parking
Recently parked in terminal 1 NCE for 8 days (long term parking P4) and it cost almost double the Cost of P1 @ MXP
NCE obviously have loads of BA flights not only to LHR but also LGW and LCY
As orbitmic points out connections @ NCE are very good - not quite as vast as MXP but pretty good
NCE not affected by Weather (fog - snow) in winter. Not to be overlooked
