UA-NYC

2 parties of 4, including grandparents + kids, so while going solo I have done & would do the Express again, with this many people + bags thinking car.

bostontraveler

ah, gotcha. Well European Limousine.it is at the airport but if you Google transfer Malpensa Milano there are some other sites as well to compare prices.

richarddd

I'd look at a car service app too see pricing and timing, then compare to MXP express. At the moment, FreeNow is showing €100 and 50 minutes from MXP. If all arrive at the same time, I'd look into a vehicle that can fit 8 people.

How mobile are the grandparents and kids?

UA-NYC

will be going at two different times from Milan to MXP so two parties of 4

plenty mobile but if already in a car to Centrale would rather just go all the way to MXP

Kacee

If you haven't already, I'd check with the hotel - often in Europe the price will be as good as booking directly.

Or just do taxis. I don't know about MXP, but at many European airports the private car services are less convenient because you have to walk to the parking garage as opposed to just climbing in right outside arrivals.

bostontraveler

Not a big deal at MXP.

The hotels in Italy aren't great for transportation options.. they mark up already expensive service.

Whatever you do, don't take Uber in Milan... it's outrageous... completely flopped in Italy.

FreeNow is better.

Kacee

Inaccurate overgeneralization. We got an E Class from FCO for 98 euro through StR Rome last fall. Better than any option I've ever been offered by a US property.

bostontraveler

Not inaccurate and not an overgeneralization. Of course there can be exceptions.

As an Italian myself having spent the past 30+ years traveling all over Italy the hotel options are consistently overpriced in my experience.

€98 is in the overpriced range in my book when a standard taxi is 1/2 that price. But to each his own.

Point being- check with the hotel for sure, but check transfer services and avoid Uber at all costs.

richarddd

FreeNow lists €50 FCO to StR at the moment. It can be misleading to compare different days and different times, but that's consistent with bostontraveler's experience and suggests 98 was a large mark-up.

platbrownguy

I guess "large" is relative, but I would rather use the hotel's service for 98 euro than an on demand ride for 50. The hotel-arranged car will be there with a sign waiting, and odds of a seamless early check in increase substantially IME. I don't think 2x is a particularly large markup. I see $180-250 at lots of US properties where a black car would be $40-60 on Uber. That's what I would consider a large markup.

bostontraveler

Except it isn't always 2x. Usually the delta is higher than that in Italy... and elsewhere.

Look, do as you please but remember that hotels are a middleman. If money is not a concern than by all means choose what you want.

But objectively you will pay more. Because the hotel isn't offering the service- they are reselling someone else's service.

The US is a bit of an outlier in many ways these days... with huge pent-up local demand and no controlled prices so I would caution against US- Europe comparisons.... very, very different realities.

Kacee

That's for a taxi. 98 euro was for a Mercedes E Class.

While some people may not consider it worth it to pay up for either (i) a Mercedes or (ii) a private transfer, it is not accurate to say they are the same thing.
It's not the same service. You're not just paying for the transport, you're paying for confirmed private transfer in a particular type of vehicle. Also, 5* hotels tend to book higher quality cars and drivers than you will get simply by booking through an app or at random at the taxi stand. Many on this forum are sophisticated consumers of travel services, who understand that cheapest is not always best. Please keep in mind that this thread is for the PH Milan, not the Ibis.

And for the record, I also recommended UA-NYC consider just taking a taxi. But it's simply not accurate to say that booking a private transfer through a luxury hotel is the same as taking a taxi.

bostontraveler

Kacee... You are obfuscating...

I have traveled to 130+ countries and stayed at thousands of hotels. Including the PH Milan MANY times. I fully understand the differences.

My point was it's not necessary. A little research can get you the same product without being fleeced.

If you want to pay hotel prices for transport, all good... go for it

m0hamed

You are also more likely to be upgraded or upgraded further booking a hotel car.

I generally use the hotel car on arrival and Blacklane on departure.

demue

I'm staying out of the good value discussion, but just for reference for the OP I checked Sixt Ride (quite a premium service like Blacklane) and they quote ~180€ for MXP to Park Hyatt in a Mercedes Van (Vito) or a VW Multivan which I'd consider with 4 people plus luggage as even an Mercedes E or S Class can struggle with the luggage space if everyone has a suitcase and such.