Fly Milan with Queensway Travel

City Information
Airport
Malpensa 
Intercontinental, international and domestic flights arrive and depart from the Malpensa Airport, 45 km north-west of the city (Tel: 0274 851). The transfer to Malpensa has been controversial though, and many operators and passengers still prefer to use the more convenient Linate. 
International Arrivals is at Terminal 1, where all the usual facilities are on offer. Thomas Cook offers foreign exchange services. Bank cash dispensers can be found throughout the airport and left-luggage facilities are also available. The Eurochange Business Centre offers a wide range of services, including hotel bookings, secretarial services, PC workstations and meeting rooms for up to 20. 
Linate 
Although Linate has only one terminal, it’s not as crowded as it was in the past. Six km east of the city centre , it serves some international, but mostly domestic flights, especially the Milan-Rome shuttle. Bureaux de change and banks are available in the international and domestic areas respectively. A DHL courier service is attached to the airport. 
Orio al Serio 
Orio al Serio International Airport (Tel: 035 326323) is being increasingly developed as a charter flights airport, business airport and alternative to Malpensa, especially for those east and south of Milan. Most usual facilities are available.
Airport to City Transport
Malpensa: Taxis can be found outside the arrivals hall. The journey into the centre takes about an hour and costs about €80. However, the quickest route into town is by train. The Malpensa Express service to Ferrovie Nord (Cadorna metro stop) leaves every half hour and takes 40 mins. 
A bus service to Milan’s Railway Station is also available, and stops outside the arrivals hall. The service, called Malpensa Shuttle, runs every 20 minutes from 0620-2100, then every 30 mins to 0015. Some buses stop at Fiera by request. 
Linate: The journey from Linate to the centre by taxi takes around 15 mins and costs about €15. A regular bus service (Autobus 73 – ATM) runs every 10 mins to Piazza San Babila. The journey takes 30 mins and costs €2. There is also a coach service running to Milan’s central train station. The 20-min ride costs €2. 
Orio al Serio: The trip by taxi takes 50 mins and costs about €55. You can travel by coach to Milan Central Station. There are eight departures a day costing €6.70.
There’s a bus service from Sesto San Giovanni (MM1) to Malpensa (50 mins – €5.50) and to Linate (15 mins – €2.85) every 30 min. You can also arrange to be picked up at your home at any time, in which case the cost is €20, depending on the number of passengers.

Orientation
The Duomo towers over Milan from its central piazza, with the rest of the city radiating out in rings from here. The inner ring contains the oldest part, which follows the line of the old city walls. The financial district and Piazza Affari, the site of Milan’s stock market, lie to the west of the Duomo around Piazza Cordusio, while the main shops are found to the east around Piazza San Babila and Via Montenapoleone. The trendy Brera district lies to the north. The outer ring contains both residential areas and more businesses, with many multinational companies and large hotels clustered around Piazza della Repubblica and Via Pisani, the busy street which leads to the central train station. South of here is a popular area housing much of Milan’s nightlife, as well as the old canal system, which was partially designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Getting Around
Taxis can be found in most of the city’s main squares. Fares are metered and should be rounded-up to include a small tip.

What to see
The Duomo: The spiky white marble outline of this immense Gothic cathedral is recognized throughout Italy and the world. Work began in the 14c, but was only completed some 500 years later. The imposing interior is lit by a multitude of stained-glass windows. Take the lift, or climb up to the roof to inspect the 3,400 statues and 135 gargoyles at close quarters. The golden Madonnina (little Madonna) gazes serenely over the city from the top. On a clear day you’ll have great views over the city and, if you’re lucky, the Alps. The adjacent Cathedral Museum contains an interesting display of documents, sculptures, models and other artefacts chronicling the cathedral’s history. 
La Scala: The 18c home to the world’s most famous opera house. The best seats normally get booked months in advance, but it’s always worth a try on the off chance (Tel: 02 7200 3744). If you don’t get a seat, take a look at the museum next door which contains a vast collection of scores, documents, costumes, set designs and other mementoes of La Scala’s illustrious past. 
Pinacoteca di Brera: Longer opening hours make it easier to pay a post-work culture stop. The 17c Palazzo di Brera houses one of the most important collections of Italian art, the best of which is the 15c-18c Lombard and Venetian collection. 
The Last Supper, Museo del Cenacola: Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece is the centrepiece of this museum. Visitors come to gaze at this painting which has regained much of its previous beauty after years of restoration. The Cenacola shares the square with the Romanesque cathedral Santa Maria delle Grazie, another Milanese attraction.

Local Heroes
Controversial comedy writer (and possibly the most respected), Dario Fo is one of Milan’s true jewels. His defiant, thought-provoking plays won him a Nobel prize for literature in 1997 and unswerving loyalty from Italian intelligentsia. An accomplished actor too, his performances with his wife Franca Rame are a testimony to the power of farce, denouncing the misdemeanours and corruption of the powerful. Absolute must-sees are his two most famous plays Morte Accidentiale di un Anarchico and Mistero Buffo.