How to get to Bergamo

Bergamo is a town in Northern Italy, 50 km north-east of Milan, on the way to Lake Garda and Venice. Thanks to its international airport Il Caravaggio (sometimes advertised as ‘Milan-Orio al Serio’, or Milan-BGY), Bergamo can be reached by plane from many European cities; alternatively, participants may fly to Milan and take a train to Bergamo.

Bergamo is built in two levels: The Lower and the Upper Town. Città Bassa (Lower Town), is where the modern city centre and shopping area are located, with lots of hotels, bars and restaurants. Here you can find the financial, administrative and commercial district of the town, the railway station, bus station and easy connections to the airport. Città Alta (Upper Town) is located on the top of a hill, surrounded by Unesco Venetian walls: it is the historic medieval and Renaissance centre of the town. It is from here that you can dominate not only the Lower Town, but the whole Bergamo valley as well.

Landing in Bergamo

Several low-cost carriers land in Bergamo airport, Il Caravaggio (Orio al Serio Airport, also advertised as Milan-Orio al Serio or Milan-BGY); from there, you can take a bus to the city centre and the Upper Town (bus No. 1; ca. € 2.40), or opt for a short taxi ride (€ 15-20 approximately).

Relevant links:

Orio al Serio Airport: http://www.sacbo.it/Airpor/portalProcess.jsp?languageID=2

Urban Bus Bergamo/Airport: https://www.atb.bergamo.it/it/viaggia-con-noi/turismo-a-bergamo/airport-bus

Radio Taxi Bergamo: http://www.radiotaxibergamo.it

Landing in Milano MALPENSA/Milano Linate

In this case, you will need to reach Milano Centrale Station and a train from there to Bergamo.

From Milan Airports to Milan Central Station (Milano Centrale):

1. From Milan Malpensa Airport to Milan Central Station (Milano Centrale):

• By bus. Malpensa Bus Express or Malpensa Shuttle Air Pullman to Milano Centrale (not Milano Cadorna) from Terminal 1 and 2: buy tickets from the driver standing by the door of bus; buses leave every 20 minutes from 6 to 1:20 am (takes 60 minutes). Ticket price: approximately € 10 round trip, € 16 round trip. (For more information: https://www.milanomalpensa-airport.com/it/da-per/in-bus)

• By train. The Malpensa Express train to Milano Centrale (not Milano Cadorna) takes about 60 minutes and departs every 30 minutes from 05:37 to 22.37 (departures are at 7 and 37 minutes every hour from Terminal 2, and at minutes 13 and 43 from Terminal 1). From Milano Centrale to Malpensa, trains leave at 25 and 55 minutes every hour. Ticket price: € 13 one way, € 20 round trip. (For more information: https://www.milanomalpensa-airport.com/it/da-per/in-treno)

• By taxi. quite expensive as the airport is some way out. The taxi ride to Milano Centrale has a standard flat rate of € 95. (For more information: https://www.milanomalpensa-airport.com/it/da-per/in-taxi)

2. From Milan Linate Airport to Milan central station (Milano Centrale):

• By metro Catch the M4 line of the Milan metro. It connects Linate airport with the centre in 15 minutes, but not directly, you have to change and take the metro line 1 at San Babila. The ticket costs €2.20 and is valid for 90 minutes.

• By bus There are a couple of companies serving Linate to Bergamo: Air Bus Linate-Centrale, €5 one-way ticket, € 9 round trip: https://www.atm.it/it/AltriServizi/Trasporto/Pagine/airbus.aspx; Linate Shuttle, with the same prices: https://www.milano-aeroporti.it/linate-shuttle/index.html)

• A cheaper option is urban bus 73, Aeroporto Linate - Duomo M1-M3, every 10 minutes; it takes almost one hour to the Duomo (€ 2.00). There, with the same bus ticket, take the M3 Metro line (the yellowline) Comasina direction to Centrale, then go to the train station. For more information: https://www.milanolinate-airport.com/it/da-per/in-bus

• By Taxi It takes about 25 minutes, but it is quite expensive.

Trains run every hour from Milano Centrale to Bergamo, from 05.35 to 23.40 hours, with departures at 5 minutes every hour most of the day. The journey from Bergamo to Milano Centrale runs between 05:00 and 22:02, with departures at 2 minutes every most of the day. However, the service is slightly more frequent in some time slots, in the morning and in the afternoon. The journey takes about 50 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at vending machines at the stations, or through the Trenitalia website (www.trenitalia.it, which also has pages in English, French and German). As for the price, first class is € 8.40, and second class is € 5.60. Please note that in practice there is no appreciable difference between them.

In order to access the platforms at Milano Centrale station, tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets must also be validated before getting on the trains (use the yellow or green machines found in the station lobby or on the platforms). If you cannot validate tickets, you must immediately inform the train personnel.

Trains run every hour from Milano Porta Garibaldi to Bergamo, from 05.31 to 22.31 hours, with departures at 31 minutes every hour most of the day. The journey from Bergamo to Milano Porta Garibaldi runs between 05:20 and 22:20, with departures at 20 minutes every most of the day. However, the service is slightly more frequent in some time slots, in the morning and in the afternoon. The journey takes about 69 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at vending machines at the stations, or through the Trenitalia website (www.trenitalia.it, which also has pages in English, French and German). Prices € 4.80 or € 5.60, depending on the kind of trip.

More information is available at http://www.trenitalia.com in both Italian and English. When choosing itineraries, select the “principali soluzioni” tab. It is advisable to take into account only direct travel solutions, without transfers.

Links with all the information on urban public transport (subway lines, buses, trams and funiculars, schedules, prices, passes, maps …)

Milan: https://www.atm.it/it/Pagine/default.aspx

Bergamo: https://www.atb.bergamo.it/it

You can buy public transport passes for urban or regional transport. An interesting option can be the "Abbonamento io viaggio ovunque in Lombardia", which allows unlimited use of all public means of transport in the Lombardy region for one day or for two, three or seven consecutive days. Please note that the train between Malpensa airport and Milan is not included in this pass.

For more information: https://www.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/istituzionale/HP/DettaglioServizio/servizi-e-informazioni/Cittadini/Muoversi-in-Lombardia/biglietti-e-agevolazioni/Io-viaggio/io-viaggio-ovunque-in-lombardia-biglietti-giornaliero-settimanale/io-viaggio-ovunque-in-lombardia-biglietti-giornaliero-settimanale

See also: Bergamo: https://www.atb.bergamo.it/en

You could wheel your suitcase from the station to some hotels located in Lower Town (Piemontese, Jolly, Mercure, Cappello d'Oro, or Arli). Other Lower Town hotels can be reached by a short taxi ride.

Upper Town hotels can also be reached by a short taxi ride, or by taking the No. 1 (or 1A) bus - direction Colle Aperto - (about every 10 minutes). Tickets can be purchased from the newsagent's and the Tabacconist’s at the train station, at bus stops, at vending machine or on board (we recommend one of the first two options). On bus, tickets must be validated. Bus No. 1 goes right round the walls — good views; make sure to seat on the left — and ends up just outside the entrance to Upper Town ('Colle Aperto'); No. 1 also goes to the funicular (Viale Vittorio Emanuele II, no. 64) — an interesting ride — which you can take with the same ticket.