Milan's second busiest station...
Most mainline trains use the magnificent Milan Centrale, but the Paris-Milan TGVs, the Brussels-Milan European Sleeper, some Italian high-speed trains and many Italian suburban trains use Milan Porta Garibaldi station.
Station overview: See location map
Built in 1961, Milan Porta Garibaldi is Milan's second busiest station after Centrale, handling most of Milan's suburban traffic as well as some mainline trains. The station has 12 terminus platforms and a further 10 through platforms located in tunnels underground.
Milan Porta Garibaldi, exterior.
Main entrance.
Concourse, inside the main entrance at street level.
From the concourse, you can walk directly onto platforms 1 to 13, under the Binario/Platforms 1-13 sign. Platforms 1-12 are the dead-end terminus platforms.
For platforms 14 to 20, go down these steps and turn right into the pedestrian subway under the tracks, with steps & escalators up to each platform. You'll also find the Carrefour Express supermarket down here, ideal for stocking up for a journey.
A view of the terminus (dead-end) platforms 1-12, one level down from street level. this is platform 11. The TGVs to/from Paris use these platforms.
A view of the through platforms 13-20 (this is platform 13).
Another view of through platforms 14-20, looking back the other way (this is platform 15).
Which platform for your train?
Finding your train
The station has 22 platforms (binari or singular binario in Italian). The station departure boards show which platform each train leaves from and there are train departure indicators on every platform. You can easily walk between any two platforms in just a few minutes.
Platforms 1-12 are terminus (dead-end) platforms at ground level, numbered from left to right as you stand on the concourse and look towards the trains. These surface terminus platforms are the ones usually used by the TGVs to/from Lyon & Paris.
Platforms 13-20 are through platforms located adjacent to platforms 1-12, these tracks feed into a tunnel to cross the city underground. You can walk onto platform 13 from platform 12, but for platforms 14-20 you need to go down the steps or escalator into an underground pedestrian passageway under all the tracks.
The half-hourly regional trains to Milan Centrale usually leave from platform 20. The Milan-Brussels European Sleeper usually goes from one of these platforms, typically 14 or 15.
Platforms 1 SOT & 2 SOT are underground platforms handling local trains on the Milan Passante line. SOT = Sotterraneo = underground.
Tip: If you go to www.viaggiatreno.it/viaggiatrenonew on your phone and select Milan Porta Garibaldi you'll see the planned platform number for your train even before it is announced on the station departure boards. A good way to stay one step ahead!
Changing trains at Porta Garibaldi
Changing trains at Porta Garibaldi is very straightforward. There is easy level access between all platforms, you can walk between platforms around the back of the buffer stops without having to pass through any ticket check. It only takes a few minutes to change trains, even if you were changing from platform 1 to platform 22. Just make sure you allow for any delay to your first train - if a booking website suggests a connection, it will be a reasonable one.
When connecting between two Trenitalia trains, as long as the scheduled connection is over 15 minutes, you are entitled to later onward travel at no charge if a delay means a missed connection. Online systems will only suggest valid connections. See Trenitalia staff if you need reserved seats on a later train.
Tickets & reservations
The main Trenitalia ticket office (marked Biglietteria/Tickets) is on the main concourse, over to your right as you walk into the main entrance.
Ticket office.
Free WiFi
Milan Porta Garibaldi has free WiFi. Select the WiFiStation, network and on https://portale.wifistation.it either sign in with a Facebook or Twitter account or enter your mobile number to have a verification text sent to you (this works with international numbers including UK +44 mobiles).
Left luggage, ATMs, safety & security
There is no left luggage facility at Porta Garibaldi. Use the one at Milan Centrale, for prices & opening times see the left luggage page.
There are ATMs in various locations around the station.
There is nothing particularly unsafe about any Italian station, but as in any busy place, be aware of the possibility of pickpockets.
Food & drink
It's a busy station with various retail & food outlets, but I have no particular recommendation. Let me know if you find somewhere good for a coffee or a beer.
Supermarket: There is a decent-size Carrefour Express supermarket on the lower level, ideal for stocking up for the journey. From the concourse, go down the steps signed Binari/platforms 14-20 and turn left. Open 7 days a week from early until quite late, they sell sandwiches, wraps, salads, beer and wine and all the usual supermarket fare.
Cafe: I haven't tried it myself, but the Café Napoli Porta Garibaldi (www.caffenapoli.com) a 2-minute 150m walk from the station may be a good place to enjoy a coffee or pizza between trains.
Hotels near Milan Porta Garibaldi
The AC Milano Hotel (a Marriott Lifestyle Hotel) is just 350m from Milan Porta Garibaldi station and gets good reviews.
Also try the Holiday Inn Porta Garibaldi, which offers family rooms.
Local transport: Walking, metro, taxis
Walking: It's a 2.5 km 31-minute walk from Milan Porta Garibaldi to Milan cathedral and the beautiful 19th century shopping mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Taxis: For a taxi fare calculator see www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Milan-Italy&lang=en. Taxis are usually plentiful outside the station, although they are not cheap.
Metro, trams, buses, Milan city transport: Porta Garibaldi is on metro line M2, the metro entrance is on the lower level, follow the M signs. For city transport information and metro map see www.atm.it.
How to transfer between Porta Garibaldi & Milan Centrale
It's easy to transfer is by metro, just 2 stops on Metro line M2, coloured green on metro maps
Air-conditioned metro trains run every 2-4 minutes, journey time just 5 minutes, fare around €2. Milan Porta Garibaldi is shown as Garibaldi FS on metro maps, Milan Centrale is shown as Centrale FS. For metro map & information see www.atm.it.
The metro accepts contactless bank cards so you can just touch in, ride the metro and touch out at the other end. Look for the ticket gates equipped with a contactless card reader on top.
A taxi between Porta Garibaldi & Milan Centrale takes around 8 minutes and costs around €8.50. See taxi fare calculator.
Tip: When transferring from Milan Centrale to Porta Garibaldi, it's quicker & cheaper to use the western taxi rank on the platform 4 side of Milan Centrale (rather than the eastern rank on the platform 21 side), as the taxis from the western taxi rank can head directly west towards Porta Garibaldi without having to negotiate the main square in front of the station.
If you want to walk, it's a 1.7 km 22-minute walk although (having done it) not a particularly attractive one.
Trenitalia local trains link Porta Garibaldi & Milan Centrale every 30 minutes, reducing to hourly late at night. They take 9 minutes from Centrale to Porta Garibaldi, or 11 minutes from Porta Garibaldi to Centrale. Fare €2 at the urban tariff. You may prefer option this to going underground with the metro, although this route is a Trenord route that does not accept Interrail passes.
At Milan Centrale, look for a train to Malpensa-Aeroporto, these typically leave from platform 1 and the first stop is Milan Porta Garibaldi.
At Milan Porta Garibaldi, look for trains going to Milan Centrale, these typically go from platform 20.
Milan metro, easy to use, just 2 stops and 5 minutes between Milan Porta Garibaldi and Milan Centrale.