Milan Malpensa Airport

Arrived at Terminal 2 to find picking up (nearly all) my hire car from Budget required me to go to Terminal 1. The bus doesn't run very often and space for cases was at a premium. Arriving at Terminal 1 the bus stops at what seems the Sheraton on the road. This is the proper exit but if its raining you are in trouble. Signage on roads in and out very poor for an airport and also not clear enough for returning hire cars. All in all this airport reminds me of charter airports in the UK in the seventies. Really not very impressive for Italy's richest city.

Had to transit through Malpensa and it was a huge hassle. Airport looks very old and has a weird layout if you are transiting from Shengen to a Non-Shengen flight. I was going to/from HKG with Cathay Pacific and had to pass through MXP both times. MXP staff is unfriendly and speak Italian with you and unwillingly speak English if they notice you do not understand them. Also on the return flight the luggage handlers could not transfer my bag within 3hours to another flight. I have seen worse airports but these were in countries where you do not expect it to be any better.

MXP-DUB. MXP T1 a fine experience. Easily accessible via a bus from Milan Train Station. Check in open two and a half hours before the flight and quick. So was the security. Good selection of shops after security. Plenty of food options.

Terminal 1 is a very depressing experience. Dirty toilets with malfunctioning water supply. Limited choice of food and drink and incredibly high prices once you actually find something you want. It is really a mystery that the design capital of the world has an airport that is among the most ugly! The pros has to be the fast delivery of luggage on arrival. Terminal 2 is for Easyjet and other low cost carriers where you do not expect very much. Therefore the result is less disapointing but it is still quite a mess over crowded and worn.

CDG-MXP arrival in T1. While the terminal looks modern from the apron it is a huge disappointment once you have disembarked. Long walks from the gates to the baggage area; insufficient airconditioning; toilets located in hidden corners and not very clean. In the public area information booth is difficult to find out. Two bus lines connect the airport with Milan central station - both cost EUR7.50 one-way and travel time is around 50 min. I booked my bus ticket online but still had to exchange it against a real ticket at the Autostradale counter.

Lufthansa Italia flights from LHR return. No real problems on arrival used a ticket machine for the Malpensa Express while still in the terminal. For the return flight was able to check in online from my hotel so arrived at the airport just under 1 hour before latest check in. Queue for security very long and not well managed but got through in time. No time to look at the shops etc airside but think this was probably a bonus! Have seen worse airports.

I used this airport last week and I am very disappointed. Very long cues to check in and security. Fast lane did not recognise my C-class boarding as it was not issued in Malpensa airport. No restaurant after security just fast food.

Screens at luggage claim proudly display landing time and when bags first appear usually within some 10 minutes of landing (this was a Schengen flight). This may satisfy some service criteria MXP management imposes into the luggage subcontractor. Result for passengers on this flight was that a couple of bags appear (satisfying the performance criteria) but the remaining bags take a lot longer. Carts cost EUR1 refundable. Lifts to public transport are quite small esp with cart. Public transport from the airport is varied with taxis costing a fixed EUR85 to Milan downtown trains cost EUR11 one way to Cadorna and buses to Central station cost EUR7.50. Unfortunately there was only one booth selling train tickets with no automated booths available - the line was at least 30 passengers. Check-in was a breeze as was the security check - efficient and polite. In all not a bad experience only the pubic transport lets it down.

MXP-EDI by Easyjet from Terminal 2. Transport from Milan arrives at T1 -there's a free shuttle bus connecting - time taken 10mins. Check-in efficient. Security slow all 4 people in front of me were carrying bottled water in their carry-on luggage in spite of the ubiquitous warnings. Shops poor - selling Parmesan for eu33/kg! this is the most outrageous of the rip- offs along with the worldwide bottled water scam. Toilets fairly clean. Non Schengen departure gates have about 40 seats for 5 gates - and constant loud music and adverts from screens. Random security searches carried out at gate but swift. Overall the airport is rundown and spartan and unattractive. Only CDG is worse than this place.

The building looks old and in bad shape. I don't know why but we never arrive or depart from gates - always buses making you lose time and unnecessary walks.