- Must visit
MASI Lugano
Lugano’s leading art museum presents major modern and contemporary exhibitions in a striking lakeside cultural complex.
Cheapest price
$23
Average price
$23
Fastest journey
1 h 15 m
Average duration
1 h 26 m
Buses per day
6
Distance
45 km
The best way to find a cheap bus ticket from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano is to book your journey as far in advance as possible and to avoid traveling at rush hour.
The average ticket from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano will cost around $23 if you buy it on the day, but the cheapest tickets can be found for only $23.
Of the 6 buses that leave Milan Malpensa Airport for Lugano on Thu, Aug 13, 6 travel direct so it’s quite easy to avoid journeys where you’ll have to change along the way.
On Thu, Aug 13 the direct buses cover the 45 km distance in an average of 1 h 26 m but if you time it right, some buses will get you there in just 1 h 15 m .
On Thu, Aug 13 the slowest buses will take 1 h 35 m and usually involve a change or two along the way, but you might be able to save a few pennies if you’re on a budget.
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBusOmio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $17. For those with little time consider booking a bus which can get you there in 1h 7m. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $17, and a train costs an average of $49.
Distance: 27 miles (45 km)
Most popular Bus | Train | Driving |
|---|---|---|
$21 Average price Cheapest | $51 Average price | $76 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
1h 37m Average total duration Fastest 1h 7m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 2h 48m Average total duration 2h 18m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 1h 1m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
![]() Most popular bus company | ![]() Most popular train company | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
This is compared to other travel options from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano:
A bus is $30 (€24) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano costing on average $51 (€41).
Other travel options to Lugano take longer:
Train takes on average 2h 18m.
Tickets start at around $21 (€17) compared to roughly $76 (€62) in fuel and tolls — a saving of about $56 (€45). The journey takes 1h 7m versus 1h 1m by car, so you'll arrive a bit later, but you can use the time productively rather than spending it behind the wheel. No parking to sort, no fuel stops, and most coaches have Wi-Fi and power outlets.
Direct services are operated by BlaBlaCar, FlixBus.
Driving is worth considering if you're on a tight schedule, travelling as a group (where fuel costs split several ways), or want the flexibility to stop along the way.
| Operator | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Duration | Departure days | Cheapest price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 01:20AM | Arrival Time 01:40AM | Duration 0h20 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $4 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 05:05AM | Arrival Time 06:10AM | Duration 1h05 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $135 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 05:15AM | Arrival Time 06:20AM | Duration 1h05 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $145 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 06:10AM | Arrival Time 06:20AM | Duration 0h10 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 08:20AM | Arrival Time 09:00AM | Duration 0h40 | Departure days Mon | Cheapest price $8 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 09:10AM | Arrival Time 10:45AM | Duration 1h35 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 09:10AM | Arrival Time 09:40AM | Duration 0h30 | Departure days Thu | Cheapest price $7 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 09:20AM | Arrival Time 10:45AM | Duration 1h25 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 10:00AM | Arrival Time 11:20AM | Duration 1h20 | Departure days Mon | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 10:50AM | Arrival Time 11:20AM | Duration 0h30 | Departure days Mon | Cheapest price $8 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 11:10AM | Arrival Time 11:50AM | Duration 0h40 | Departure days Wed | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 11:30AM | Arrival Time 12:40PM | Duration 1h10 | Departure days Mon | Cheapest price $8 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 11:40AM | Arrival Time 12:10PM | Duration 0h30 | Departure days Wed | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 12:00PM | Arrival Time 01:10PM | Duration 1h10 | Departure days Wed | Cheapest price $8 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 12:10PM | Arrival Time 12:50PM | Duration 0h40 | Departure days Tue | Cheapest price $10 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 12:30PM | Arrival Time 01:50PM | Duration 1h20 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $135 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 01:10PM | Arrival Time 02:00PM | Duration 0h50 | Departure days Sat | Cheapest price $7 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 01:20PM | Arrival Time 02:10PM | Duration 0h50 | Departure days Sat | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 01:25PM | Arrival Time 02:40PM | Duration 1h15 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $136 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 02:00PM | Arrival Time 03:15PM | Duration 1h15 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $136 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 02:50PM | Arrival Time 03:10PM | Duration 0h20 | Departure days Sat | Cheapest price $4 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 03:00PM | Arrival Time 04:20PM | Duration 1h20 | Departure days Tue | Cheapest price $13 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 03:00PM | Arrival Time 04:15PM | Duration 1h15 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $136 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 03:40PM | Arrival Time 05:00PM | Duration 1h20 | Departure days Thu | Cheapest price $10 |
Operator GoOpti | Departure Time 04:00PM | Arrival Time 05:05PM | Duration 1h05 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $136 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 05:40PM | Arrival Time 06:10PM | Duration 0h30 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 05:55PM | Arrival Time 07:20PM | Duration 1h25 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 06:05PM | Arrival Time 07:20PM | Duration 1h15 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 06:20PM | Arrival Time 06:50PM | Duration 0h30 | Departure days Tue, Thu | Cheapest price $8 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 06:50PM | Arrival Time 07:40PM | Duration 0h50 | Departure days Wed | Cheapest price $7 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 07:20PM | Arrival Time 07:40PM | Duration 0h20 | Departure days Sun | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 07:30PM | Arrival Time 07:50PM | Duration 0h20 | Departure days Sun | Cheapest price $4 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 08:10PM | Arrival Time 09:00PM | Duration 0h50 | Departure days Sun | Cheapest price $7 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 08:40PM | Arrival Time 09:00PM | Duration 0h20 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $4 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 09:10PM | Arrival Time 10:50PM | Duration 1h40 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 09:20PM | Arrival Time 10:50PM | Duration 1h30 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 10:30PM | Arrival Time 10:40PM | Duration 0h10 | Departure days Sat | Cheapest price $5 |
Operator BlaBlaCar | Departure Time 11:10PM | Arrival Time 11:40PM | Duration 0h30 | Departure days Thu | Cheapest price $5 |
The table below shows live departures for Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano buses for today, Wednesday, August 12. You can also manually refresh the results below to see updated bus journeys.
| Provider | Departs | Duration | Arrives | Transfers | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FlixBus | 9:10 AM Ferno, Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa T1 | 1h35 | 10:45 AM Lugano, Via Ciani | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus | 9:20 AM Ferno, Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa T2 | 1h25 | 10:45 AM Lugano, Via Ciani | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus | 5:55 PM Ferno, Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa T1 | 1h25 | 7:20 PM Lugano, Via Ciani | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus | 6:05 PM Ferno, Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa T2 | 1h15 | 7:20 PM Lugano, Via Ciani | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus | 9:10 PM Ferno, Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa T1 | 1h40 | 10:50 PM Lugano, Via Ciani | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus | 9:20 PM Ferno, Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa T2 | 1h30 | 10:50 PM Lugano, Via Ciani | 0 transfersDirect | |
This is the last bus of the day. | |||||
Find all the dates and times for this journey
Compare train and bus prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
Buses from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano run on average 5 times per day, taking around 1h 7m. Cheap bus tickets for this journey start at $17 (€13) if you book in advance.
There are 5 buses per day. The earliest bus runs at 19:20, the last at 20:20. The fastest bus covers the 27 miles (45 km) distance in 1h 30m.
Distance 27 miles (45 km) |
Average bus duration 1h 7m |
Cheapest ticket price $17 (€13) |
Buses per day 5 |
Direct buses 5 |
Fastest bus 1h 30m |
First bus 7:20 PM |
Last bus 8:20 PM |
Cheapest Month Sep |
Cheapest Day Sat |
High Season Jul - Sep |
Low Season Jan - Mar |
Busiest Day Tue |
Least Busy Day Fri |
Discover the best of Lugano — top attractions, local food, transport tips, budget advice, and currency essentials. Plan your perfect Lugano trip today.
Lugano’s leading art museum presents major modern and contemporary exhibitions in a striking lakeside cultural complex.
Intimate museum inside the church complex, famous for Bernardino Luini frescoes and Renaissance religious art of exceptional local importance.
Museum and archive dedicated to writer Hermann Hesse in nearby Montagnola. It is essential for literary fans and lovers of the Collina d’Oro setting.
Lugano’s elegant waterfront park offers flowerbeds, sculptures, and lake views. It is one of the city’s most relaxing and photogenic walking areas.
The city’s famous shopping street is lined with arcades, boutiques, and historic buildings. It is ideal for strolling through central Lugano.
Main square facing the lake and city hall, often animated by markets and events. It is the natural hub of Lugano’s historic center.
A rich polenta dish from Ticino, often topped with braised beef, rabbit, or cheese. It reflects the region's Alpine farming roots and northern Italian influence.
Slow-cooked beef braise in red wine, commonly served with polenta. It is a hearty Ticinese classic suited to the cooler mountain climate.
Lake fish such as perch or pike-perch, usually simply grilled or pan-fried. It showcases the fresh catch from nearby lakes in southern Switzerland.
Elegant Michelin-starred dining at Villa Principe Leopoldo, known for refined Italian and Mediterranean cuisine with panoramic views over Lugano.
Historic lakeside restaurant serving polished Ticinese and Italian dishes in a classic setting near Parco Ciani.
Traditional grotto-style venue above Lugano, appreciated for local specialties, grilled meats, polenta, and a rustic hillside atmosphere.
Very high by Swiss standards: hotels, dining, and local transport usually cost more than in nearby Italian cities and many European lake destinations.
Service is usually included. Round up or leave 5-10% for excellent restaurant service. Round up small taxi fares and café bills.
Official public transport app
Via Ciani, Lugano -> Piazza della Riforma, Lugano
Find answers to the most common questions about traveling from Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano by bus. From journey times and ticket prices to direct connections, first and last departures, and even whether the route is scenic, our FAQs cover everything you need to plan your trip. Whether you’re looking for the fastest bus, the cheapest option, or tips for making the most of your visit at Lugano, this guide helps you travel smarter and with confidence.

Most Milan Malpensa Airport to Lugano buses use the Milano, Autostazione Lampugnano to Lugano, Via Ciani station pair, with some services arriving at Agno, Lugano Airport (Parcheggio sosta breve). Use this guide to compare Milan Malpensa Airport and Lugano bus stations on this route, check city-centre transport, alongside checking practicalities like bus station facilities and services.
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need