Italy’s second-biggest train station is No.1 when it comes to beauty

The station

Milano Centrale, Milan

The facade of Milano Centrale, the main railway station in Milan.iStock

The journey

Milan to Orta-Miasino via Novara to reach Lake Orta in north-west Piedmont. Train RV 2024 on the first leg is a 39-minute, almost 45-kilometre journey, operated by Regionale Veloce.

The departure

The soaring interior ceiling of Milano Centrale.iStock

Milano Centrale may be the second-busiest station in Italy, after Roma Termini, but this architectural Casanova is by far the most handsome. Its imposing stone facade, complete with neoclassical statues of winged horses and an old clock tower, was designed in the early 1900s and inspired by the Roman Baths of Caracalla. Inside, the departures concourse is film-set worthy: a soaring space with arched glass ceilings and marble and travertine stone walls decorated with mosaics and reliefs.

I arrive at the Piazza Luigi di Savoia entrance by taxi about 35 minutes before my departure because I’m travelling with a medium-sized suitcase and a small carry-on. The concourse is located two levels up but with insufficient signage it takes me a moment to find the escalators, which are located deep inside the lower hall. There are luggage storage facilities in the station and booking machines scattered on the lower level. I’ve booked my ticket via the Rail Planner app as part of the seven-day Eurail pass, which is a handy option if you’re travelling across multiple countries in Europe.

Safety + security

It’s busy but not suffocatingly so. It feels a great deal less chaotic than Roma Termini at the same time of year, and I see minimal police or security. I am, however, conscious that I am juggling luggage, including my zipped-up handbag, which I regularly check is done up. There is access to shops on the mezzanine and upper level where the trains depart.

Food + drink

Il Mercato Centrale Milano has food, drink and other retail outlets for travellers.iStock

Indoor marketplace Mercato Centrale features various artisan counters selling everything from salads and juices to sweets, such as pistachio cannoli, and an assortment of spritz. I opt for a takeaway panini of truffle mortadella with lettuce and grana padano crema; it has the perfect focaccia-to-filling ratio and travels well. I’m tempted by the novelty of “Chinese ravioli”.

Retail therapy

Almost anything can be bought at Milano Centrale. Shops, mostly chains, are scattered on every level of the station: Kiko cosmetics, Crocs, La Feltrinelli Express bookshop – I even spy a Boots pharmacy and medical centre.

Passing time

Milano Centrale is the second-busiest station in Italy.iStock

There’s plenty to keep you occupied on your feet, but unless you’re eating at a sit-down restaurant there are few places in the departures concourse to actually sit. Most people are standing or sitting on the floor. I join them and stand next to the concourse gates until my train’s platform appears on the board.

Boarding

Italy’s high-speed Frecciargento at one of the station’s 24 platforms.iStock

The trains depart from the upper level, and people crowd around the gates that lead to the 24 platforms. My train departs at 12.15pm and by 12.05 there is still no platform assigned. There are two staff members assisting at the gates. When I scan my QR code there’s a technical issue with my pass and I’m told to see the man at the last gate, who thankfully allows me to pass through. It’s a stressful start but I make the train after rushing to my platform and hauling my bags aboard.

The verdict

It’s not the easiest station to navigate the first time around but with excellent, authentic food options and plenty of architectural eye candy, passing through here feels like going back to the golden age of train travel.

Our rating out of five

★★★★½

The writer travelled a guest of Eurail. See eurail.com

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