Milano Centrale (Milano / Milan / Mailand)

Step on board for one of Europe's most epic journeys by train which has four distinct phases:

1. travel through the night to south of Salerno and then,
2. wake up to stunning coastal views before,
3. riding the train in a boat across the waves, to arrive in Sicily in the early afternoon,
4. before winding up the trip with a journey along Sicily's eastern shore.

Step on board for one of Europe's most epic journeys by train, travel through the night to south of Salerno and then wake up to stunning coastal views before riding the train in a boat across the waves, to arrive in Sicily in the early afternoon.

Step on board for one of Europe's most epic journeys by train which has four distinct phases:

1. travel through the night to south of Salerno and then,
2. wake up to stunning coastal views before,
3. riding the train in a boat across the waves, to arrive in Sicily in the early afternoon,
4. before winding up the trip with a journey along Sicily's northern shore.

Arona on the shores of Lake Maggiore is close enough to Milano to be part of the city's regional train network, which is operated by Trenord and not by Treniatlia.
The only options for taking a train from Milano to Arona are therefore the Regionale (R) services operated by Trenord.

Though a complication is that most of the trains depart from Milano's secondary station, Porta Garibaldi, with fewer departures also available from the city's main rail station, Milano Centrale.
So if you will be buying tickets last minute at the station (you can't save by booking in advance) it's best to look up the train times on the Trenord website before setting off for the station
There are gaps of more than an hour between departures from both Porta Garibaldi and Centrale stations

Travelling by day has two ticks in the box over taking the overnight trains:
(1) the night trains are usually scheduled to arrive in Bari before 08:00
(2) South of Rimini, this is one of Europe's most lovely coastal rail journeys.

Travelling between Milan and north-west Switzerland by train is not only straightforward thanks to the direct rail services, it's also a lovely journey.

Connect in Basel for trains to destinations without direct services from Milan including Cologne/Koln, Mainz, Koblenz and Strasbourg.

Until recently when travelling from Milano to Bellinzona by train there was a choice of two direct services, but the Regionale trains have now been diverted so that they arrive in Locarno instead.
Therefore the only direct rail link from Milano to Bellinzona is by taking the express EC trains, which will be heading on to other destinations in Switzerland.

Though if you will be travelling with a Eurail or InterRail pass, you can avoid paying a rail pass reservation fee in excess of €10 to travel by these EC trains, by taking those Regionale trains to Lugano and connecting there for Bellinzona.

Travelling between Milan and the Swiss capital by train is not only straightforward thanks to the direct rail services, it's also a lovely journey.

Connect in Bern for trains to destinations without direct services from Milan including Biel, Neuchatel and La Chaux de Fonds

The Frecciarossa 1000 trains and most of the Frecciarossa services operated by Trenitalia on this route share Italy's fastest railway, the high-speed line between Milano and Bologna, with Italo trains.
On the high speed line, these trains have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below; and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.

However, some Frecce trains from Milano to Bologna still take the older route via Parma and Modena, so they're slower, because they don't travel at high speed and also make more station calls.
If ticket price and not speed is your key criteria, you can usually save money by taking these trains, but they are not as frequent as the high speed services.

The first stage of the high speed line between Milano and Venezia opened a few years ago, so the high speed Frecce and Italo services rush to Brescia in under 40 minutes.
However, that speed comes at a price, so if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, the Regionale trains are a cheaper, but slower option

Taking the rail journey from Milano to Brig is a delight, smart and comfortable trains take a lovely route along the shore of Lake Maggiore.

Connect in Brig for the trains on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn railway towards Zermatt or Andermatt, and the Glacier Express.

Chur is beautifully located destination which makes a great base for exploring Switzerland's most scenic railways. It's also a convenient location in which to stopover when taking daytime trains from Milano to Wien / Vienna.

The routes that will be travelled when taking the train from Milano to Chur are also stunning!

The town of Como is only 50km to the north of Milano, so it's served by trains on the city's suburban rail network, which is managed by Trenord.

The town centre in Como is served by multiple stations, with the main railway station being San Giovanni, as it's located on the main railway route on to Switzerland.
Como S. Giovanni is served by both Regionale and express trains, the latter are non-stop from Milano, but if you'll be taking a day trip from Milan, the express trains will be a much more expensive option.

For a day trip from Milan, the best option is to take trains to an alternative station, Como Lago.
It lives up to its name with a lake shore location and is also conveniently located in the town centre.

When heading to this beautiful town on the shore of Lake Garda travellers have a choice between taking:

1: the Regional trains, they're more frequent and generally cheaper (they will be when booking last minute at the station)
However, they're also the slowest option and seats can't be reserved; though modern, smart double-decked trains are now used on most departures.

2: the express trains, which are faster and seats assigned when booking, but the speed comes at a price because they tend to be more expensive.
Fastest of all are the Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and the rival Italo trains, as they whizz down the high speed line between Milano and Brescia.

Domodossola is located along one of the two main railway routes between Italy and Switzerland, hence the express train service from Milan being provided by international EuroCity (EC) trains.

Though if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, perhaps due to a spontaneous decision to take a ride on the beautiful Centovali Railway, then the slightly slower Regionale (RV) trains, will be money savers.

Whether you take the EC or RV trains a delightful journey along the shores of Lake Maggiore awaits you.

The Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains operated by Trenitalia share Italy's fastest railway, the high-speed line between Milano and Firenze, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below. and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.

In addition to those trains which rush down the high speed line, there are handful of InterCity trains which still travel along the older 'classic' route from Milano to Firenze.
So they're much slower and most of them also don't arrive at the main station in Florence; the fabulously located Firenze S.M. Novella, instead they call at a more distant station - Firenze Rifredi.

But if you want to save when booking tickets, particularly at the last minute, they'll be much cheaper; and Eurail and InterRail pass users can use them and avoid the rail pass reservation fees payable on the Frecce trains.

One of the most welcome additions to the European rail timetables of recent years was the re-introduction of the direct train from northern Italy to central Germany.
Though it has now been re-routed to travel via Zurich instead of Bern, which has added around 45mins to the journey time

Making the rail journey from northern Italy to western Switzerland is straightforward thanks to a direct service of comparatively comfortable trains, and it's also fantastically beautiful.
A wonderful showcase for the best of European rail travel!

In common with many of the rail routes between Italian cities, when taking the train from Milan/Milano to Genoa/Genova, there is a choice between
(1) travelling by the express trains, which if booked ahead, are a little more expensive than taking the Regionale trains.
(2) travelling by slower Regionale trains, which tend to be cheaper, with more substantial savings to be made if you book last minute at the station.

Making the rail journey from northern Italy to western Switzerland is straightforward thanks to a direct service of comparatively comfortable trains, and it's also fantastically beautiful.
A wonderful showcase for the best of European rail travel!

Despite its location over the Swiss border, beautiful Locarno is close enough to Milan to be a commuter destination for the city.
As a consequence the most frequent trains on this route are the Regional services, which have been significantly improved in recent years.

Due to the landslide which has damaged the railway used by the direct trains from Milano to Paris, ticket sales by this route have had to be inevitably suspended until further notice.

Hence the only Milan to London rail journeys which are currently on sale are the journey options which involve travelling via Switzerland and require two connections between trains.
Though when the option of taking the trains which avoid Switzerland is available to book, there can still be worth considering.
The departure / arrival times may be more convenient and the journey is more scenic too.

Despite its location over the Swiss border, beautiful Lugano is close enough to Milan to be a commuter destination for the city.
As a consequence the most frequent trains on this route are the Regional services, which have been significantly improved in recent years.
They're also generally a cheaper option, particularly if you will buying tickets at the last minute, and if you'll be traveling with an InterRail or Eurail pass, you can take these trains and avoid the comparatively expensive rail pass reservation fees on the EC trains; connecting in Lugano for the other destinations in Switzerland served by those trains.

The other rail travel option is to take the EC (EuroCity) trains, but despite being 'express' trains, they are not any faster on this route.
The plus of taking them is that seat reservations are complimentary when booking tickets, so not only are the seats more comfortable, they will also be assigned.
The Regionale trains can be busy, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening.

The easiest option for a rail journey from Milan to Luzern/Lucerne is to take the daily direct train.

Frecciarossa 1000 trains operated by Trenitalia have been recently introduced to this route, they have in effect replaced the TGV trains in this direction when travelling from Italy to France (the TGVs from Milano to Paris now pass through the Lyon area without making any station calls).
The morning departure from Milano connects in Lyon with TGV trains on to Marseille and Strasbourg.

The beautiful Cinque Terre coastal villages have become one of the most popular Italian tourist destinations and they can be accessed from Milan/Milano by direct train.
South of Genova the journey along the coast by train is also wonderful!

Monterosso is the village with station served by the express trains, and if you will be heading to the other four villages further to the south; Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, you can connect in Monterosso into local trains

The only direct train from Milan to München / Munich is the nightly Nigthtjet sleeper train.

However, due to construction works in Austria, the direct night train service will be suspended from November 18th to July 27th.

There are typically three ticks in the box for taking the combination of daytime trains.
1 - the routes travelled are among the most scenic European rail journeys
2 - the journey is faster
3 - you can set off from the city's main station, Milano Centrale.

A sequence of three connected high speed railways enables high speed trains to rush from Milano to Napoli.
This high speed route is shared by 'Frecce' services operated by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, and competing Italo services.

For those who favor cheapest price over journey time, there is also the opportunity to save money by taking the much slower Intercity trains which still snake their way along the older 'classic' railway lines.

There's also an overnight service available.

Now that the first stage of the Milano to Venezia high speed line has opened to Brescia, the rail service between Milan/Milano and Padua/Padova is provided by

1. high speed 'Frecce' trains operated by the national rail company, Trenitalia
2. high speed Italo trains
3. EuroCity (EC) trains which have travelled from Switzerland (these trains don't use the high speed line).

The route taken by these direct trains has been closed until at least summer 2024, due to damage caused by a landslide.
Replacement bus services have now made available for international journeys along the closed section of the route, from a train which departs Milano Porta Garibaldi station at 14:10.
The alternative route, involves travelling via Switzerland, with a journey time of more than 8 hours.

So the info below is not relevant until further notice!

Trenitalia has introduced its ultra smart Frecciarossa 1000 trains to this route.
So along with the existing and continuing TGV services, an unprecedented five daily trains are now available from the Milan to the French capital.

Though when looking up this journey on the ticket agents, you'll also likely see other daytime options with connections between trains in Basel, Geneva, Lausanne or Zurich.
If you'll be happy to change trains and the connections are easily timed (more than 30 mins ideally) and the price is competitive then these other options are definitely worth considering.
The journey from Milan to any of those Swiss cities will also be more scenic than this route.

The overnight train service from Milano to Paris has been withdrawn.

There is a choice of three train services on the Milano to Parma route:

1. Fastest of all are the Frecce trains, they don't use the high speed line, but on these route they make fewer station calls.
2. There are Intercity (IC) trains
3. The slowest option are the Regionale Veloce (RGV) trains, they'll be the cheapest option when booking tickets at the station; you'll need to book in advance to save money when taking the Frecce and IC trains.
   Seat reservations are complimentary when booking tickets for the Frecce and IC trains, but seat reservations aren't available on the RGV trains.

Departure and arrival times and the comparative comfort of the trains will play a part in which type of train you choose to travel by, but the ticket prices and options will also be a factor; see the 'Ticketing Information' below.

The only direct train from Milano to Perugia is the daily Intercity train, but it doesn't arrive in Perugia until around 23:15.

If you want to take a direct train from Milano to Pisa there is a choice between taking the daily Frecciabianca train, or the more frequent, slower and usually cheaper Intercity trains.

Though when looking up this journey, most of the journey options will involve taking a high speed train from Milano to Firenze and then connecting there for a train on to Pisa.

Though another tick in the box for taking these direct trains, is that south of Genoa, they travel along one of Europe's most beautiful coastal railways.

When travelling from Milano to Rimini by train, travellers have a choice of three different train services:
1: the fastest and typically most expensive option is to take the Frecciarossa trains which spend most of the journey rushing down the high speed line from Milano to Bologna.
2: Other 'Frecce' trains, which are slower because they don't take the high speed line.
3. The Intercity trains which also take the non high-speed 'classic route', but are slowest of all, because they make more station calls.

Italo trains don't operate on this route.

A sequence of two high speed railways enables high speed trains to rush from Milano to Rome/Roma.
This high speed route is shared by 'Frecce' services operated by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, and competing Italo services.

For those who favor cheapest price over journey time, there is also the opportunity to save money by taking the much slower Intercity trains which still snake their way along the older 'classic' railway lines.

The railway which follows the coast of the Italian Riviera has been improved in recent years, but it's remote from the Italian high speed network, hence it being served by fewer trains than you might expect.

If the timings of these direct trains don't suit, then an option is to take Regionale trains and make a connection in Genoa/Genova.

Though if you make the journey by daylight, your efforts will be rewarded by one of Europe's most lovely coastal rail journeys.

A day trip to St Moritz from Milan by train is both fabulous and easily done.

Stresa is located along one of the two main railway routes between Italy and Switzerland, hence the express train service from Milan being provided by international EuroCity (EC) trains.

Though if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, perhaps due to a spontaneous decision to make a day trip to Lake Maggiore, then the slightly slower Regionale (RV) trains, will be money savers.

Whether you take the EC or RV trains a delightful journey along the shores of Lake Maggiore awaits you.

Tirano is where an easy transfer is available to the trains of the Rhaetian Railway, which take the most spectacular of all Swiss railway journeys through the Bernina Pass.

If you have time available, a day trip from Milan to St Moritz via Tirano is a must!
And the route to Tirano along the eastern shore of Lake Como is one of Italy's most spectacular railway journeys.

Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed line between Milano and Torino/Turin, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below. and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.

In addition to those trains which rush down the high speed line, there are Regionale (RV) trains which still travel along the older 'classic' route
So they're much slower, but if you want to save when booking tickets, particularly at the last minute, they'll be much cheaper
Eurail and InterRail pass users can also use them and avoid the rail pass reservation fees payable on the 'Frecce' trains.

Now that the first stage of the Milano to Venezia high speed line has opened to Brescia, the rail service between Milan/Milano and Venice/Venezia is provided by

1. high speed 'Frecce' trains operated by the national rail company, Trenitalia
2. high speed Italo trains
3. EuroCity (EC) trains which have travelled from Switzerland (these trains don't use the high speed line).

When heading to beautiful Verona from Milan by train, there is a choice between:

1: the Regional trains, they're more frequent and generally cheaper (they will be when booking last minute at the station)
However, they're also the slowest option and seats can't be reserved - though modern, smart double-decked trains are now used on most departures.

2: the express trains, which are faster and seats assigned when booking, but the speed comes at a price because they tend to be more expensive.
Fastest of all are the Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and the rival Italo trains, as they whizz down the high speed line between Milano and Brescia.

Now that the first stage of the Milano to Venezia high speed line has opened to Brescia, the rail service between Milan/Milano and Vicenza is provided by

1. high speed 'Frecce' trains operated by the national rail company, Trenitalia
2. high speed Italo trains
3. EuroCity (EC) trains which have travelled from Switzerland (these trains don't use the high speed line).

The fastest journeys by train from Milano to Zurich exploit both the new trains which have been introduced to the route and the recently opened Ceneri Base Tunnel, which has enabled the quickest ever journey time between the two cities.

This route taken by the direct trains, which also includes travelling through Europe's longest rail tunnel - the Gotthard Base Tunnel, remains a journey which showcases the best of European rail travel.
The smart new trains have restaurant cars, the engineering achievements to enable the journey time are phenomenal and despite the epic, recently opened rail tunnels, most of the journey is still fantastically beautiful!

Though the Gotthard Base Tunnel does take the trains away from the most scenic section of the older Gotthard Route, and making the most of those scenic highlights is still easily done - with only one connection between trains required.

However, for those who have time on their side, it's also possible to ride what is arguably Europe's most scenic rail route between two cities!

These direct international trains from Basel to northern Italy take two glorious routes across Switzerland.
The trains which travel via Brig and Domodossola are faster and more frequent, but the slower route via Luzern can be cheaper.

Two of the longest railway tunnels in Europe enable travellers to speed through the Alps on a thrilling journey to northern Italy

Most of the trains from Bologna to Milano race down Italy's fastest high speed line, which has been constructed between the two cities.

Though some trains still take the older 'classic' route through Parma and Piacenza, but because they are slower, they are also typically cheaper.

Connections are available in Milano Centrale station for locations with no direct trains from Bologna including towns in northern Italy such as Arona and Stresa; and for Swiss destinations including Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Luzern.

The Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed route between Firenze and Milano, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below; and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.

However, the Intercity trains from Firenze to Milano still take the older 'classic' route, so they're slower, because they don't travel at high speed and also make more station calls
If ticket price and not speed is your key criteria, you can usually save money by taking these trains and they're a cheaper option for rail pass users; but they are not as frequent as the high speed services.

Connections are available in Milano Centrale station for locations with no direct trains from Firenze/Florence including towns in northern Italy such as Como and Stresa; and for Swiss destinations including Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Luzern and Zurich.

This fascinating journey on the only direct train from central Germany to Italy includes rushing down a German high-speed line, a passage across Switzerland with views over five lakes and a travelling through the world's longest railway tunnel.

Taking the train from Cologne/Köln to Milano is typically a fabulous experience, with only one easy transfer required between two of Europe's smartest trains.
When looking up this journey you will see other options which require additional conditions, but there is no need to make more than one transfer.

Travelling overnight is a tad more awkward, despite a sleeper train now being available for the first part of the journey between Koln and Basel.
However, it is typically due to arrive in Basel SBB station only 8mins prior to the departure of an EC express train on to Milano; so a better option is to remain on the train to Zurich and make the connection on to Milano there.
There aren't any overnight trains available from Switzerland to Milano

It is entirely feasible to make a journey by train during the day from London to Milan.

Though the route taken by the Paris to Milano trains has been closed until summer 2024, due to damage caused by a landslide.
Replacement bus services have now made available for international journeys along the closed section of the route, from a train which departs Paris daily at 14:48 - departing London at 09:31 allows two hours to cross Paris and make the connection.

The alternative routes, which are currently the only options, involve travelling via Switzerland and Milano, with at least two connections and a journey time of more than 12 hours.

The timings allow plenty of time to cross Paris, so you won't be rushing from the onward connection against the clock..

What isn't now an option is taking the Eurostar to Paris and then the overnight train to Milano, as the night train between Paris and Italy was withdrawn a few years ago.

Taking the train from Lyon to Milano has been transformed by the better thanks to the launch of a new service of the ultra-smart Italian Frecciariossa 1000 trains, the top-tier trains operated by Trenitalia.

If you want to travel direct from München/Munich to Milano/Milan/Mailand by train you will need to travel overnight by Nightjet.
However to construction works in Austria, the direct night train service will be suspended from November 18th to July 27th.

By day a connection between trains is required in Verona Porta Nuova station, but the end-to-end journey will be faster; and it's also a stunning train ride.

Until Summer 2024:

The route taken by the Paris to Milano trains has been closed until summer 2024, due to damage caused by a landslide.
Replacement bus services have now made available for international journeys along the closed section of the route, from a train which departs Paris daily at 14:48 - the onward train arrives into Milano Porta Garibaldi station.
The alternative route, which is currently the only option, involves travelling via Switzerland and journey time of more than 8 hours!

After Summer 2024:

The overnight train service between Paris and Milano was sadly withdrawn a few years ago, so travelling by the day on a through the Alps is now the only option for a direct Paris to Milan rail journey.

However, some positive news for this route is that Italy's national rail company, Trenitalia has introduced its ultra smart Frecciarossa 1000 trains to this route.
So along with the existing and continuing TGV services, an unprecedented five daily trains are now available from the French capital to northern Italy

Though when looking up this journey on the ticket agents, you'll also likely see other daytime options with connections between trains in Basel, Geneva, Lausanne or Zurich.
If you'll be happy to change trains and the connections are easily timed (more than 30 mins ideally) and the price is competitive then these other options are definitely worth considering.

The journey from any of those Swiss cities to Milan will also be more scenic than the direct route.

A sequence of two high speed railways enables high speed trains to rush from Rome/Roma to Milan/Milano
This high speed route is shared by 'Frecce' services operated by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, and competing Italo services.

For those who favor cheapest price over journey time, there is also the opportunity to save money by taking the much slower Intercity trains which still snake their way along the older 'classic' railway line.

Connections are available in Milano Centrale station for locations with no direct trains from Roma including towns in northern Italy such as Como and Stresa; and for Swiss destinations including Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Luzern and Zurich.

Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed line between Torino/Turin and Milano, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below. and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.

In addition to those trains which rush down the high speed line, there area also Regionale (RV) trains which still travel along the older 'classic' route
So they're much slower, but if you want to save when booking tickets, particularly at the last minute, they'll be much cheaper
Eurail and InterRail pass users can also use them to avoid the rail pass reservation fees payable on the 'Frecce' trains.

Now that the first stage of the Venezia to Milano high speed line has opened west of Brescia, the rail service between Venice/Venezia and Milan/Milano is provided by

1. high speed 'Frecce' trains operated by the national rail company, Trenitalia
2. high speed Italo trains
3. EuroCity (EC) trains which be travelling on to Switzerland (these trains don't use the high speed line).

When heading to Milan from Verona by train, there is a choice between taking:

1: the Regional trains, they're more frequent and generally cheaper (they will be when booking last minute at the station)
However, they're also the slowest option and seats can't be reserved; though modern, smart double-decked trains are now used on most departures.

2: the express trains, which are faster and seats are assigned when booking, but the speed comes at a price because they tend to be more expensive.
Fastest of all are the Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and the rival Italo trains; because these two services whizz down the high speed line between Brescia and Milano.

A long planned expanded service of trains between Milan and Zurich makes the most of the brand new trains that have been introduced to the route - and the relatively new Ceneri Base Tunnel.

Though this remains a journey which showcases the best of European rail travel.
The smart new trains have restaurant cars, plus the engineering achievements to enable the journey time are phenomenal. So despite the epic, recently opened rail tunnels, most of the journey is still fantastically beautiful!
Another recent innovation was the very welcome extension to the routes taken by some departures, so that Zurich now has daily direct trains to Genova/Genoa and Bologna; though these two services don't call at Milan's primary rail station, Milano Centrale.

Though the Gotthard Base Tunnel does take the trains away from the most scenic section of the older Gotthard Route - and making the most of those scenic highlights is still easily done, with only one connection between trains required.

However, for those who have time on their side, it's also possible to ride what is arguably Europe's most scenic rail route between two cities!