How to Transfer Between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Airport

December 29, 2023December 29, 2023 Koen 0 Comments

This guide shows you what the transport options are – including bus, taxi and train – when you need to transfer between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Airport.

Milan Malpensa Airport

After a comfortable flight in Air Europa economy class from Madrid, I found myself at Milan Malpensa Airport.

It was 10am when I disembarked from the plane at Malpensa Airport.

Given that my onward flight from Bergamo was only scheduled to depart at 5.05pm, I had plenty of time to make the transfer between the two airports.

Let’s explore the three transport options – bus, taxi and train – which you can use when you need to transfer from Milan Malpensa to Bergamo Airport.

air europa boeing 787-8 dreamliner economy class cabin — *Flying on an Air Europa Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Madrid to Milan Malpensa. ©Paliparan*

france italy alps plane view — *Flying over the Alps between France and Italy. ©Paliparan*

runway milan malpensa airport air europa boeing 787 — *Landing at Milan Malpensa Airport. ©Paliparan*

Direct bus from Malpensa to Bergamo

There is a direct shuttle bus linking Milan Malpensa Airport and Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, and this is probably the best compromise between speed and price.

The Malpensa-Bergamo bus service is operated by Orioshuttle and costs €20, taking around one-and-a-half hours.

At Malpensa Airport, this shuttle bus calls at both terminals (T1 and T2), before continuing to Monza, Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport and the city of Bergamo itself.

You are however well-advised to check the online timetables whether this shuttle bus works out with your flights, as there are 8 daily departures on weekdays and only 3 daily buses on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

milan malpensa bergamo airport transfer shuttle bus — The current shuttle bus schedule from Milan Malpensa to Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport. Do however check online whether this schedule is still in place, as the departure and arrival times are subject to change. ©Orioshuttle

Taxi

Taking a taxi is obviously the fastest and most flexible way to travel between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Airport, but it will also be the most expensive.

The fixed rate for a taxi from Milan Malpensa Airport to the centre of Milan is currently €104.

Given that Bergamo Airport is almost twice the distance from Malpensa, a taxi could easily set you back 180 to 200 euro.

From Malpensa to Bergamo by train

It’s also possible to travel between Milan Malpensa Airport and Bergamo Airport by train.

Milan Malpensa Airport has train stations in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

However, as Bergamo Airport doesn’t have its own station, this route also involves a short trip by local bus from Bergamo’s central railway station to reach that airport.

Depending on your exact time of departure, you first need to take a Malpensa Express train from Milan Malpensa Airport to either Milano Porta Garibaldi station, or to Milano Centrale.

At one of these Milan railway stations, you then change onto a local or regional train to Bergamo.

The train ticket from Milan Malpensa Airport to Bergamo costs either €18.20 (via Milano Porta Garibaldi) or €19 (via Milano Centrale).

You can check timetables and buy tickets on the Trenitalia website.

You don’t need necessarily need to purchase your train ticket online in advance – buying it on the spot at the airport could be easier in case of a flight delay or a long hold-up at passport control or baggage reclaim.

The train tickets have a fixed price and cannot sell out since neither the Malpensa Express nor the regional trains from Milan to Bergamo offer seat reservations.

From the train station in Bergamo there is a frequent bus service to Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, with tickets costing just €2.60.

The total cost for a train and bus journey between Milan Malpensa Airport and Bergamo Airport ranges from €20.80 to €21.60, with the entire trip taking approximately two-and-a-half hours.

milano porta garibaldi trenord train milan — *The train service from Milan Malpensa to Milan, and from Milan to Bergamo, is operated by Trenord. ©Paliparan*

My train journey

Given that I had a lot of time on my hand, I decided to take the train as I personally think it’s the most comfortable way to travel.

Besides, it also allows you to have a look around Milan or Bergamo, if you want.

As I was flying out of Bergamo, I decided that exploring Bergamo rather than Milan would offer better time management for my trip.

I would only have a short bus journey remaining to reach the airport, and therefore could maximise my time in the city.

The journey on the sleek and modern Malpensa Express train to Milano Porta Garibaldi was uneventful.

At Milano Porta Garibaldi, I had some 20 minutes to change trains, which even allowed for a quick coffee at one of the train station cafés.

The ride from Milano Porta Garibaldi to Bergamo was a bit more exciting.

There are two railway lines between Milan and Bergamo, and my train took the prettier one via Ponte San Pietro, which has some fine views over river valleys and quaint Lombard towns.

Two hours after departure from Malpensa Airport, I arrived at the station of Bergamo, with plenty of time left to explore the city.

milan malpensa airport express train transfer bergamo — *A Malpensa Express train at the underground station of Milan Malpensa Airport. ©Paliparan*

milan malpensa express train bergamo airport transfer — *On board the Malpensa Express train to Milan. ©Paliparan*

espresso station Porta Garibaldi — *Espresso stop at the station of Milano Porta Garibaldi. ©Paliparan*

milan bergamo train porta garibaldi airport transfer — *My train from Milan Porta Garibaldi to Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

milan bergamo train transfer airport — *Interior of my train from Milan to Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

river adda bridge railway milan bergamo — *Crossing the bridge over the River Adda. ©Paliparan*

ponte san pietro station bar — *Station bar at Ponte San Pietro. ©Paliparan*

view milan bergamo railway line — *View from the Milan to Bergamo railway line. ©Paliparan*

bergamo train view — *Approaching Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

milan malpensa bergamo airport transfer — *Bergamo station. ©Paliparan*

Looking around Bergamo

I’ve visited Bergamo numerous times and have grown to appreciate the city, as it has a beautiful old town with great views over the surrounding area, and some fine restaurants.

If you want to get a full overview of what is there to see and do in the city, do check my Bergamo travel guide.

From Bergamo’s railway station in the Lower Town, I took the funicular up the hill to the Upper Town (Città Alta), which is the old part of Bergamo where most of the city’s sights are located.

bergamo lower town airport transfer — *Walking from the train station in the Lower Town to the Upper Town of Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

upper town funicular bergamo — *View from the funicular to Bergamo’s Upper Town. ©Paliparan*

bergamo old town — *A small piazza in the old town of Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

piazza vecchia bergamo milan malpensa transfer — *Piazza Vecchia, the main square in Bergamo’s Upper Town. ©Paliparan*

*Walking through the old town of Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

upper town — *Upper Town of Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

milan malpensa to bergamo airport transfer — *View from the Upper Town ramparts over the Lower Town of Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

Lunch

If you have some time to transfer between Malpensa and Bergamo Airport, making the trip by train also gives you the chance to have a good quality lunch or dinner before your onward flight.

I used this opportunity to revisit one of my favourite Bergamo restaurants, Mimi La Casa dei Sapori (do try their buttered ravioli!).

mimi la casa dei sapori bergamo — *Mimi La Casa dei Sapori. ©Paliparan*

mimi bergamo — *Lunch at Mimi in Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

coffee dessert mimi italy — *Coffee and dessert. ©Paliparan*

Bergamo Airport

After a nice afternoon in Bergamo, I took a direct bus from the Upper Town to the city’s airport.

Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport is served by many low-cost airlines, with especially Ryanair operating lots of flights from here.

For a low-cost airport, Bergamo Orio al Serio is quite large and there are plenty of shopping and dining opportunities.

There is even a nice little wine shop that doubles as a craft beer bar, which makes for a great place to await your flight.

bergamo orio al serio airport transfer milan malpensa — *Bergamo Airport. ©Paliparan*

*The traffic control tower at Bergamo Airport. ©Paliparan*

italian craft beer bar — *Bergamo Airport has an excellent craft beer bar. ©Paliparan*

Flying home with Ryanair

Regrettably, my journey through Central Europe and Spain had come to an end, and with some great travel memories, I boarded my flight back home.

For the Ryanair flight from Bergamo to Bucharest I only paid €10 – a steal.

There were some gorgeous pink and purple sunset colours in the sky over Bergamo Airport as I boarded the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 through the rear door.

bergamo bucharest ryanair — *Boarding my Ryanair flight from Bergamo to Bucharest. ©Paliparan*

sunset bergamo ryanair — *Beautiful pink and purple sunset skies behind the tail of my Ryanair plane. ©Paliparan*

ryanair boeing 737 — *Ryanair Boeing 737-800. ©Paliparan*

bergamo airport milan malpensa transfer — *Boarding a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 at Bergamo Airport. ©Paliparan*

bergamo airport ryanair — *A Ryanair plane taxiing on the apron at Bergamo Airport while a Malta Air aircraft takes off from the runway. ©Paliparan*

bergamo take-off night — *Taking off from Bergamo. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

There are multiple transportation choices available to transfer between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, including taxis, trains, and a direct bus service.

Each option has its pros and cons, with the taxi being the fastest but also the most expensive.

The shuttle bus transfer between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo can be a great option, although it has a fairly limited schedule with 8 departures on a weekday and only 3 daily departures during the weekend or on a public holiday.

The train is a cheap, comfortable and flexible option with multiple departures each hour, although you will need to change trains at Milano Porta Garibaldi or Milano Centrale, as well as to a local bus at Bergamo’s railway station.

Although it might sound inconvenient to have to change twice between Malpensa and Bergamo Airport, it works out great if you have time on your hand, as you can use the opportunity to explore Milan or Bergamo in between flights.

End of the trip report

My flight from Bergamo to Bucharest marked the end of my autumn trip across Europe.

If you missed any of the previous chapters of this trip report, you can find the trip report index below.

Thanks for following along on this trip and feel free to leave a comment or to subscribe to our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram pages to receive instant updates when a new article is posted online.

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Trip report index

This ‘Trains, Planes, Beer and Tapas: A Trip to Prague and Madrid’ trip report consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: Ryanair Bucharest to Chania (Boeing 737-800)
2. A Rainy Chania Stopover
3. Ryanair Hell: My Bad Chania to Budapest Flight Experience
4. Review: T62 Hotel, Budapest, Hungary
5. Review: EuroCity Train “Hungaria” Budapest to Brno
6. A Walk Through the Historic Old Town Centre of Brno
7. Review: EuroCity Train “Metropolitan” Brno to Prague
8. Review: K+K Hotel Central, A Prague Art Nouveau Delight
9. Beer Boozing in Prague: Sampling Some Czech Brews
10. Praha Hlavní Nádraží – Prague’s Stunning Art Nouveau Station
11. Review: Leo Express Train Prague to Olomouc
12. Olomouc Guide: Baroque and Belle Epoque Beauty
13. Review: RegioJet Train Olomouc to Prague
14. Review: Erste Premier Lounge Prague Airport
15. Review: Air France HOP Business Class Embraer 170
16. Review: Air France Schengen Business Lounge Paris CDG Terminal 2F
17. Review: Air France Business Class Paris CDG to Madrid (Airbus A220)
18. A Madrid Tapas Crawl: Bar Hopping in Spain’s Capital
19. Review: Ibis Madrid Aeropuerto Barajas
20. Review: Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge Madrid Airport
21. Review: Air Europa Economy Class Madrid to Milan (Boeing 787)
22. How to Transfer Between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Airport (current chapter)