--- title: "Train stations in Milan: which station to use and why" date: 2026-06-20 author: "Johan E. Johansson" featured_image: "https://everyrail.com/wp-content/uploads/milan-train-stations-high-speed-platform.jpg" categories: - name: "Destinations" url: "/destinations.md" --- # Train stations in Milan: which station to use and why Milan has five train stations that visitors use, and the right one depends entirely on who operates your train. Book the wrong station and you could be waiting at Centrale while your Italo train leaves from Porta Garibaldi, two stations in different parts of the city, connected by a 5-minute metro ride that still costs you the connection. Most long-distance trains use Milano Centrale. But Italo, TGV trains from Paris, some Frecciarossa services, and the Nightjet sleeper from Austria and Germany use Porta Garibaldi or Rogoredo instead. Cadorna is the Malpensa airport express terminal, not a mainline station. Check your departure station before you confirm any booking. Many booking pages show only “Milan” or “Milano” without naming the station. Open the train details and look for the full station name before paying. ## Which station should you use? This table gives you the first answer. Then confirm the exact departure station on your own ticket. StationUse it when…Milano CentraleMost Trenitalia trains: all Frecciarossa, FrecciaArgento, Frecciabianca, InterCity; most international trains; Malpensa ExpressMilano Porta GaribaldiTGV from Paris; many Italo services on the Rome, Naples, Florence routes; some Frecciarossa; suburban and regional trainsMilano RogoredoYour ticket says Rogoredo; Nightjet sleeper from Munich, Salzburg, or Vienna; some Italo and Frecciarossa on the southern corridorMilano LambrateYour ticket says Lambrate (regional trains, some InterCity)Milano CadornaMalpensa Express only, no Trenitalia or Italo trainsBooking pages often show only the city name. Open the train details and look for the full station name. The station code is usually there too: Centrale, Porta Garibaldi, or Rogoredo. Do not pay until you know which station you need. ## Milano Centrale For most visitors, Centrale is the right station. It handles the majority of long-distance and international trains, all of Trenitalia’s Frecce services, and the Malpensa Express. ### What trains use Centrale All of Trenitalia’s Frecce trains, Frecciarossa, FrecciaArgento, and Frecciabianca, use Centrale. InterCity trains do too. Most international services, including trains to Zurich and Geneva, depart from here. Some Italo services also call at Centrale, particularly on the Turin-Milan-Venice corridor. But many Italo departures to Rome, Naples, and Florence use Porta Garibaldi or Rogoredo instead. Your Italo ticket will say which station. Do not assume Centrale. The Malpensa Express airport train also starts from Centrale, stopping at Porta Garibaldi along the way. ### Getting around from Centrale Centrale is on Metro Line M2, the green line. The metro entrance is in the colonnade inside the main entrance. Two stops south brings you to Porta Garibaldi (shown as Garibaldi FS on the metro map), taking about 5 minutes for around €2. Taxis wait at two ranks. For a taxi to Porta Garibaldi, use the western rank on the platform 4 side, taxis from the eastern rank have to loop around the main square first. The station has 24 platforms. Frecciarossa trains typically use platforms 14-17 in the centre of the main trainshed. The departure board confirms the platform, usually 20-30 minutes before the train leaves. You can also check the planned platform earlier on viaggiatreno.it, it does not always match, but it gives you a head start. Centrale has left luggage (deposito bagagli) run by KiPoint, on the lower level beneath the main concourse near the platform 21 end. ## Milano Porta Garibaldi Garibaldi is Milan’s second-busiest station, about 1.7 km west of Centrale. Use it for Italo trains to Rome or Naples, for TGVs from Paris, and for some Frecciarossa departures. ### What trains use Garibaldi TGV trains from Paris arrive at and depart from Garibaldi’s terminus platforms, platforms 1-12 at street level. If you are travelling the Paris-Lyon-Turin-Milan route, Garibaldi is your station. Many Italo services on the Rome, Naples, and Florence routes use Garibaldi as well. This is the most common booking mistake for visitors: if you have an Italo ticket to Rome and go to Centrale, you will miss the train. Check which Milan station is named on your Italo booking. Some Frecciarossa departures also stop at Garibaldi. Your ticket will tell you. ### Getting to Centrale from Garibaldi The M2 metro runs between Garibaldi FS and Centrale FS in about 5 minutes, two stops, for around €2. The metro entrance is on the lower level of Garibaldi, following the M signs. A taxi takes about 8 minutes and costs around €8.50. Half-hourly Trenord regional trains link Garibaldi (platform 20) and Centrale in about 11 minutes for around €2. The Trenord service does not accept Interrail or Eurail Passes, take the metro instead. Garibaldi has no left luggage. Use Centrale’s facility if you need to store bags. ## Milano Rogoredo Rogoredo is a through station 5 km southeast of the city centre. Most visitors will not need it unless their ticket specifically says “Milano Rogoredo.” ### What trains use Rogoredo Some Frecciarossa and Italo services on the Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome corridor stop at Rogoredo. These are not the same departures as those from Centrale or Garibaldi. Check the station on your ticket. Since December 2022, the Nightjet sleeper from Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna serves Rogoredo rather than Centrale or Garibaldi. Arriving overnight on the Nightjet means arriving at Rogoredo, not Centrale. Some EuroCity trains between Genoa and Switzerland also stop here, bypassing Centrale. ### Getting to the city from Rogoredo Metro Line M3 (yellow) runs from Rogoredo FS directly to Duomo (for the cathedral) and Centrale FS. The journey to Centrale takes about 20 minutes and costs around €2. Trains run every 2-4 minutes. Trenord local trains link Rogoredo and Centrale 2-3 times per hour, taking 10-13 minutes for around €2. Interrail and Eurail pass holders should check whether their pass is valid on the specific Trenord service, use the Interrail or Eurail booking tool to confirm before travelling. Rogoredo has no left luggage. The station is manageable but not walkable to the city centre. Use M3. ## Milano Lambrate and smaller stations Lambrate is the third-largest station in Milan by platform count and sits on Metro M2. It handles regional trains and some InterCity services. Most visitors will never need it. If your ticket says Lambrate, that is where you go. ## Milano Cadorna, Malpensa Express only Do not go to Cadorna for a mainline train. No Trenitalia or Italo services run here. Cadorna is the dedicated terminal for the Malpensa Express, the Trenord airport service to Malpensa. Trains depart approximately every 30 minutes, roughly at :27 and :57 past each hour, and reach Terminal 1 in about 38 minutes. Terminal 2 (mainly used by low-cost carriers including Ryanair) is a separate stop on the same line. As of June 2026, a one-way Malpensa Express fare was €15 and a return was €25. Check trenord.it or malpensaexpress.it for current fares before you travel, as prices can change. The Malpensa Express also runs from Centrale, calling at Porta Garibaldi on the way. If you are already at Centrale, you can join it there without going to Cadorna. The journey from Centrale takes slightly longer than from Cadorna. Cadorna is on Metro Lines M1 (red) and M2 (green), close to Parco Sempione and the Castello Sforzesco area. ## Getting to the airports from Milan ### Malpensa Airport (MXP) The Malpensa Express is the standard way to reach Malpensa. It runs from both Cadorna and Centrale (via Porta Garibaldi) to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, roughly every 30 minutes. From Cadorna, the journey to Terminal 1 takes about 38 minutes. From Centrale, the journey is slightly longer, check the timetable for your specific departure. Buy tickets at the station ticket machines or online at trenord.it or malpensaexpress.it. As of June 2026, a one-way fare was €15 and a return was €25. The Malpensa Express does not accept Interrail or Eurail Passes. ### Linate Airport (LIN) There is no mainline train to Linate. Take Metro Line M4 (blue). From Linate Airport, M4 reaches San Babila station in central Milan in about 12 minutes. Trains run every 4-6 minutes from around 06:00 to 00:30 daily. The standard ATM fare was €2.20 as of June 2026, check the ATM website (atm.it) for current prices. From San Babila, you can connect to M1 (red) and reach M2 (green) with one change, then continue to Centrale FS or Garibaldi FS. The M4 line opened fully in October 2024. ### Orio al Serio Airport / Bergamo (BGY) There is no train to Orio al Serio. Bus services from the Milan Centrale area (Autostradale and other operators) take roughly 60 minutes, depending on traffic. Check current timetables before you travel, services change, and departure points can vary. ## Transferring between Milan’s stations The most common transfer is Centrale to Garibaldi. Five minutes by metro sounds quick, but door to door, including walking to the metro, waiting for the train, and reaching the right platform at the other end, plan for at least 20-25 minutes and allow 30 minutes if you have bags. TransferMethodApprox. timeApprox. fareCentrale ↔ Porta GaribaldiM2 metro (2 stops)~5 min~€2Centrale ↔ Porta GaribaldiTaxi~8 min~€8.50Centrale ↔ Porta GaribaldiTrenord local train (NOT valid for Interrail/Eurail)~9-11 min~€2Rogoredo ↔ CentraleM3 metro~20 min~€2Rogoredo ↔ CentraleTrenord local train10-13 min~€2For a Rogoredo connection, allow 40 minutes or more. If a booking site shows a transfer of under 60 minutes between two different Milan stations, check carefully whether that works with any expected delay on the first train. If you miss a connection because of a Trenitalia delay and both trains are Trenitalia services, you are entitled to onward travel at no extra charge as long as the booked connection was over 15 minutes. This does not apply if you are connecting from Trenitalia to Italo. ## Rail passes and reservations ### Frecciarossa and the other Frecce trains All Trenitalia Frecce trains require a mandatory seat reservation. This applies whether you hold an Interrail Pass, a Eurail Pass, or a standard ticket. The pass covers the journey; the reservation is a separate step with a separate fee. Book the reservation before arriving at the station, do not assume you can reserve on the day at a machine. Pass-holder reservation fees on Frecce trains vary by route, date, class, and booking channel. Check the Interrail or Eurail booking tool for current fees on your specific train. ### Italo trains Italo does not accept Interrail or Eurail Passes. A pass holder who wants to travel on Italo needs to buy a full Italo ticket. For pass holders travelling between Milan and Rome or Naples, Trenitalia is the pass-valid alternative. Both operators run on similar corridors at similar speeds, but their stations differ, Trenitalia uses Centrale more consistently, while Italo uses Garibaldi or Rogoredo for many southern departures. Compare timetables on both operators before choosing. ### Regional trains Some Trenitalia regional services are covered by Interrail and Eurail Passes without a reservation fee, including certain trains between Rogoredo and Centrale. Verify the specific service on the Interrail or Eurail booking tool before travelling. Trenord suburban trains, including the Malpensa Express and the train between Garibaldi and Centrale, are not covered by Interrail or Eurail Passes.