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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Malnate
Malnaa
Skip Malnate as a destination: it is a commuter town with one steam-train ride. Use it only if you are staying with locals or need a cheap base near Varese.
Malnate is a small Lombard town 5 km south of Varese, best known for the Valmorea steam railway. The town itself has a single notable church and a handful of pizzerias. Most travellers pass through on the train between Milan and Varese without getting off.
- Country
- Italy
- Local name
- Malnaa
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, humid)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €40–60 excl. bed · Mid €60–100 excl. bed · High €100+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · EU-wide emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Pizza (restaurant) | €7–12 |
| Coffee at a bar | €1.20–1.50 |
| Train Malnate–Varese (single) | €2.50 (check) |
| Taxi from Malpensa to Malnate | €50–70 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MXP · Milan Malpensa
- About 30 km (19 mi); taxi about 40 min, or train via Saronno and Malnate (check connections)About 19 mi (30 km); taxi about 40 min, or train via Saronno and Malnate (check connections)
Typical fares
- Malnate → Varese train
- about €2.50, 10 min (check)
- Malnate → Milan Cadorna train
- about €5.50, 50 min (check)
- Taxi Malpensa → Malnate
- €50–70
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walkable centre. Trains (FNME) to Varese, Saronno and Milan Cadorna run every 30–60 min. A car is needed for the Valmorea railway boarding point (check exact location).
See and do
Known for
- Ferrovia della Valmorea steam train
- San Matteo Church
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Varese | Train FNME, 10 min | 20 min |
| Milan | Train FNME to Cadorna, about 50 min | 1 h 15 min |
| Lake Como | Train to Varese, then bus or car to Como city, about 1 h | 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Town centre near the station
- A few B&Bs; walk to the steam train departure point.
- Varese (5 km north)
- More hotels and restaurants; 10 min by train.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAHT-see-eh |
| How much? | Quanto costa?KWAN-toh COS-tah |
| Where is the station? | Dov'è la stazione?doh-VEH lah staht-see-OH-neh |
| One ticket to Varese | Un biglietto per Vareseoon bee-LYET-toh pair vah-REH-zeh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- The Valmorea steam train runs on a limited schedule: check the official site before planning.
- Border checks on the Valmorea train: bring your passport.
- No tourist information office in town.
Safe town; standard precautions against pickpocketing on trains. The Valmorea train has no onboard security.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Malnate yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ferrovia della Valmorea steam train
- San Matteo Church
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Malnate, revision 4600374 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4600374
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MalnateMalnaa
A questo indirizzo, per favore
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulate in Malnate; nearest is Milan (US, UK, etc.).
Malnate is a transit town; carry cash for small purchases.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/malnate). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.