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Milan has three main railway stations: Milano Centrale, Porta Garibaldi, and Cadorna. The first primarily serves trains connecting Milan with the rest of Italy and other countries (France, Switzerland, Germany), while the other two are mostly linked with suburban rail services.
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Milano Centrale – Milan’s Central Railway Station
Milan’s Central Railway Station (Milano Centrale) is located at Piazza Duca D’Aosta, 1.
The original Milano Centrale building, constructed in 1864, was located where Piazza della Repubblica now stands. As it became outdated due to technological advances, engineer Ulisse Stacchini began designing a new building, drawing inspiration from the Union Station in Washington D.C., USA.
In 1931, the renovated Milan Central Station commenced operations at its new location. Since then, its exterior has remained unchanged – the strict and precise architectural lines typical of the 1930s Art Deco style, unique bas-reliefs, and large sculptures as decorative facade elements.
The most unusual part of Milano Centrale is the steel dome crowning the roof, designed by engineer Alberto Fava. The dome covers an area of more than 66,000 square meters and stretches 341 meters in length.
Milano Centrale services 24 platforms, from which more than 600 trains depart daily. Nearby, the Centrale FS metro station provides access to the M2 and M3 lines (directions can be checked on the Milan metro map). The station offers luggage storage, cafes, restrooms, and an information desk. A taxi stand is opposite the station, and a bus stop is situated west.
Milano Centrale has regular transport connections with Milan’s major airports. For instance, you can reach Milano Centrale from Malpensa Airport (Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa) via an hourly express train, or a bus that departs from Malpensa every 20 minutes. From another airport, Linate (Aeroporto di Milano-Linate), regular buses operated by Stam company take 30-35 minutes to reach the central station.
Trains from Milano Centrale travel to major Italian cities such as Rome, Venice, Turin, Florence, and Naples, as well as Paris, Geneva, Zurich, and other major European cities.
View Milan hotels near the central station
Porta Garibaldi
Porta Garibaldi (Milano Porta Garibaldi), opened in 1963, is Milan’s second most important station (after Centrale) and the largest suburban railway station in the city.
The address of Porta Garibaldi is Piazza Sigmund Freud, 1. It is easily accessible from any part of the city via the metro, with the nearest station being P.Ta Garibaldi. There are no direct public transport routes from the airport to Porta Garibaldi. Options include taking a taxi (quite expensive in Milan) or traveling from the airport to Milano Centrale by train or bus. From there, it’s about a 20-minute walk to Porta Garibaldi (a good option if you’re not carrying heavy luggage) or take a taxi to your destination.
Hotels Near Porta Garibaldi Station
Many prestigious and comfortable hotels are located near Porta Garibaldi, including:
Budget accommodations are also available in this area. The hotels around the Garibaldi station are a popular choice for tourists interested in entertainment and shopping, as this area is a hub for Milan’s shops, clubs, cafes, and restaurants. You can find the exact address of a particular hotel online or view all hotels in Milan near Garibaldi Station on Booking.com.
Cadorna Station
Cadorna (Stazione di Milano Cadorna) is a railway station named after the famous Italian Marshal Luigi Cadorna, located at Piazza Cadorna, 1. It is near one of Milan’s main attractions, Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle).
You can reach Cadorna from any part of the city via metro lines 2 and 3 (directions can be checked on the Milan metro map).
Cadorna Station
Cadorna Station (Stazione di Milano Cadorna) is the terminus for the suburban railway lines S3 and S4, connecting Milan with other Italian regions – Lombardy (cities of Laveno-Mombello, Varese, Canzo), Piedmont (city of Novara), and with the most significant city airport – Malpensa. You can reach the station from Malpensa on one of the express trains departing from the first terminal every half hour. There is no direct transport from Linate Airport to Cadorna, so a taxi is required.
Hotels Near Cadorna Station
Close to Cadorna Station are the hotels Palazzo delle Stelline (three-star) and Mokinba Hotels King (four-star), and a little further are the four-star hotels UNA Hotel Cusani and CamperioHouse Suites. All are prestigious and comfortable, offering various services such as saunas, restaurants, tennis courts, etc. The address of any listed hotels can be found on Booking.com by entering the appropriate search query.
Near Cadorna, accommodation is usually sought by tourists particularly interested in Milan’s historical attractions. Nearby are the most famous of such sites – the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you can admire ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo da Vinci, and the famous ancient Sforza Castle.
You can check the current train schedule for any of Milan’s stations and buy train tickets online at www.trenitalia.com. When purchasing tickets at ticket offices or online, pay attention to the abbreviations used to denote Milan’s stations. For example, the abbreviation MI C.LE indicates Milano Centrale, MI P.GA – Porta Garibaldi, MI N CA – Cadorna Station.