grammyx8

My husband and I are planning our first Europe trip this August. We have traded our timeshare for a week in the Italy mtns north of Verona and another week in the Austria Alps. We plan to fly into Rome, spend 3 days then take the train to the Italy mtns for one week, then the train to the Austria Alps for another week. We would like to spend our last 3 days in another area, possibly Switzerland or Germany. We also hope to take some day trips to other cities from our location in Italy and Austria. I would love to see some castles or mountain scenery. I would appreciate any ideas on where to best end our trip. We could fly out of Munich, Zurich or some other city. Also any other advice on sites to see in these areas or advice on train travel would be greatly appreciated.

Jean

Can you be more specific about where the timeshares are located?

How do you plan to get around? If you rent a car in Italy and then return it in another country, you're likely to incur a large drop fee.

grammyx8

The timeshare in Italy is in Ponte di Legno. The timeshare in Austria is in St. Johann-Im-Pongau. We are not planning to rent a car. Hoping to be able to travel by train between destinations.

bvlenci

Ponte di Legno is north of Verona, but WAY north. The closest Italian city would be Trento, I think. In any case, it's a long trip from Rome no matter how you go, and there is no train station in Ponte di Legno.

You could take a train to either Brescia or Sesto San Giovanni and then take a bus the rest of the way. I would prefer taking the train to Brescia, changing trains in Verona, because the bus trip would be shorter, and bus trips in the mountains always make me carsick.

Here is a journey planner for the Lombardy region, where Ponte di Legno is located.

http://www.muoversi.regione.lombardi...rney%20planner

It doesn't seem to give the solution I suggested with a change of train in Verona. However, since the train changes in Milan all involve going from Milan Central Station to a different station, I would prefer to change trains in Verona. The trip will take a MINIMUM of seven hours, and it wouldn't be any faster by car. If you haven't bought your plane tickets already, you might consider skipping Rome and flying into Milan.

In Italy, towns almost always include a vast rural territory; Ponte di Legno has a territory of 100 square km. This means that a rental in Ponte di Legno could be ten miles from any bus stop or train station. You should definitely research the transportation situation near your rental and perhaps rethink the car rental, unless you want to spend the week hiking. If the rental is in central Ponte di Legno, you should be able to take buses to other places in Lombardy. Unfortunately, there isn't a great network of interregional buses in Italy, so transportation to the nearby Trentino/Alto Adige region may be scarce, although I can't say for sure.

To get to Austria, you would probably be best to take a bus, then a train, back to Verona. I believe there are trains from there to Salzburg or Innsbruck. I have a feeling that will also be a long and tedious journey, but I hope someone who knows the transportation network in Austria can help.

bvlenci

I just noticed that you'll be in Ponte di Legno in August. Usually, there is a big convention of the Lega Nord in Ponte di Legno around the 15th of August. This is Italy's right-wing, anti-immigrant political party. One of their programs is to secede from Italy, but that's just a pose. If they seceded, they'd have no occasion for their chest-thumping, beer-guzzling, raucous protests.

bobthenavigator

Time shares are often in ski locations that are also remote. You will really need a car if you expect to see any of these wonderful regions. Hard to have it both ways.

neckervd

Verona is by no ways close to Verona.
Best connection from Rome to Ponte di Legno:
Rome dp by direct train 9.15 to Brescia ar 12.50, dp by local train 13.07 - Edolo ar 15.07, dp by bus 15.17 - Ponte di Legno ar 15.44.
There may be a small timetable change in June.

Ponte di Legno - St. Johann im Pongau:

shortest itinerary:
Ponte di Legno dp 6.15 - Passo Tonale ar 6.45, change bus, dp 6.49 - Male ar 8.02, change to local train dp 8.37 - Mezzocorona ar 9.40, change to other local train dp 9.46 - Bolzano/Bozen ar 10.22, dp by fast train 10.34 - Woergl ar 13.08, dp by local train 13.38 - St. Johann im Pongau ar 15.54
resp
Ponte di Legno dp 12.45 - Passo Tonale ar 13.15, change bus, dp 13.39 - Male ar 14.52, change to local train dp 15.14 - Mezzocorona ar 16.14, change to other train dp 17.05 - Brennero/Brenner ar 18.52, dp by commuter train 19.26 - Innsbruck ar 20.08, dp by fast train 20.22 - Salzburg ar 22.08, dp by another train 22.11 - St. Johann im Pongau ar 23.06

More scenic itinerary (through the Swiss Alps):
Ponte di Legno dp by bus 8.10 - Edolo ar 8.40, change bus, dp 9.15 - Tirano ar 10.20, change to scenic Bernina train dp 10.50 - Pontresina ar 12.58, change to scenic Engadin train dp 13.02 - Scuol ar 14.23, dp by bus 14.30 - Kajetan Bridge ar 15.11, change bus, dp 15.57 - Landeck ar 16.53, change to train dp 16.01 - Woergl ar 17.35, change to connecting train dp 17.38 - St. Johann im Pongau ar 19.54
Connections in Switzerland are guaranteed, despite the short times for train changes (often same platform)

More scenic itinerary via Stelvio Pass 9100ft:
Ponte di Legno dp by bus 9.10 - Edolo ar 9.40, change bus, dp 11.15 - Tirano ar 12.20, change bus, dp 13.45 - Stelvio Pass 15.15 (30 min stop) - Umbrail Pass - Sta Maria ar 16.30, change bus, dp 16.36 - Ofen Pass - Zernez ar 17.38, dp by scenic Engadin train 17.49 - Scuol ar 18.23, dp by bus 18.30 - Nauders ar 19.15.
Sleep at Scuol or Nauders
Day 2: Scuol dp by bus 7.30 - Nauders dp 8.45 - Landeck ar 9.53, dp by fast train 10.17 - Woergl ar 11.35, dp by connecting train 11.38 - St. Johann ar 13.54

Night train:
Ponte di Legno dp by bus 18.45 - Edolo ar 19.15, dp by train 19.40 - Brescia ar 21.50 , dp by night train 22.25 - Woergl ar 5.16, dp by connecting train 5.38 - St. Johann im Pongau ar 7.54

neckervd

It should be PONTE DI LEGNO is not close to Verona. Sorry!

grammyx8

Thanks everyone for all the great information. This is all new to me so very appreciative of the advice. My next question is will we be able to do day trips from Ponte di Legno to Venice or Milan or any other cities? Will we need a car or will a bus or train work? Also still wondering where to spend the last 3 days and fly home from? Also can we do day trips from St. Johann im Pongau to maybe Salzburg or Munich? Thanks again for any help you can give me!

ellenem

"My next question is will we be able to do day trips from Ponte di Legno to Venice or Milan or any other cities?"
Ponte di Legno is in the mountains, is somewhat remote, and has limited public transportation. It is too far to do day trips to Venice or Milan. Without a car, your ability to leave the Ponte di Legno at all will be very limited.

neckervd

Day trips from Ponte di Legno to Venice, etc.

I suppose you don't realize that Ponte di Legno is the highest place in a long mountain valley where buses and trains are rather slow. For a visit of Milan, Cremona, Mantova, Verona, Venice or any other place in Val Padana you must first go down to Brescia That takes up to 3 1/2 hrs by public transport; even with a private car, it would take more than 2 hrs up to Brescia and more than 4 1/2 hrs up to Venice Parking (more than 5 hrs up to the center).
A day trip to Venice by public transport would look like this:
Ponte di Legno dp 6.25 - Brescia ar 9.48, dp 10.23 - Venice ar 12.10. Venice dp 14.36 - Brescia 16.37/17.07 - Ponte di Legno ar 19.44. If you do the last 15 miles by taxi, you can leave Venice at 16.50
A day trip to Venice is easier from Rome than from Ponte di Legno.

neckervd

People go to Ponte di Legno in order to hike in the mountains or to drive to the glaciers of the Bernina chain (Switzerland), Ortles-Cevedale (Provinces of Trento, Bolzano/Bozen and Sondrio) or to the neighbouring resorts of Pejo, Santa Caterina Valfurva, Bormio, Solda, etc. or to the mountain lakes of Passo Gavia, Val Fraele, Livigno, Poschiavo, Val Viola or Val Malenco (Lago Gera, Lago Palu, etc.),
Lake Como and the scenic old city of Bergamo can also be reached by car within an acceptable time frame.
The stunning prehistoric rock carvings at Capo di Ponte and lovely Lake Iseo can even be visited by public transport.

grammyx8

I see that our timeshare information on Ponte di Legno was misleading. I will have to study this some more. Thank you for all your help.

grammyx8

Another quick question. Would Artogne, Brescia (39 miles from Bergamo) be a better location with easier access to public transportation?

ellenem

Artogne is slightly less remote, close to the north end of Lago di Iseo and a very scenic area, but still not really a location from which to day trip to Milan or Venice. You would still do best with a car if staying in this area.

nytraveler

Not to be discouraging but I think you will find that the time shares are at the end of hell and gone - not handy for day trips to major sights - but for families that want countryside vacation. Without a car you may find that you are stuck with buses that run only once or twice a day and make it very difficult to get to see much of anything. I would definitely locate the time shares and check on exactly how one can get from them to any nearby larger town with train service or more frequent buses.

neckervd

Day trips from Artogne are not really possible by public transport, because the last train and bus for returning home leaves Brescia at 17.07 (Venice dp 14.42).
As to the attractivity of the place, all depends on the area where your flat is situated. It may be close to the bus stop or far away from it, somewhere in the hills.
Don't forget that Artogne (altitude 640ft) is far away from the high mountains, about 4 miles from lovely Lake Iseo, but rather close to a noisy motorway.

bvlenci

Be careful when renting in any Italian town in a rural area to see exactly where the rental is with respect to the center of town, which is where the bus stop would usually be. Remember that the total area of Ponte di Legno is 100 square km, or 38 square miles. This is not unusual in Italy. If you find yourself on the outskirts of such a town, you may find that there will be no public transportation at all anywhere near your apartment.