Lake Como toward the Mountains - Day Trip Driver? Train?
Mar 1st, 2012, 09:58 PM
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Lake Como toward the Mountains - Day Trip Driver? Train?
Our original plan was to spend a few nights in the Dolomiti but plans changed and more days were added to Tuscany. Can't get it out of our heads though and am wondering if there is any way at all to get to a worthy destination further in the mountains on a DAY trip from Lake Como. I'm ever the optimist, but I find that there are many reasons why I don't think this work:
1) We're staying on the west side of the lake in Menaggio, making it even farther.
2) We'll have no rental car until a few days after. We were willing to rent the car around Lake Como but the only rentals appear to be south in Como itself. Don't really want to backtrack.
3) I can find no information on any tours or drivers that go east from LC.
4) Using Google's "Orange Man Walking" makes it quite clear why it's over four hours on the "straight" shot east from Varenna to Bolzano.
5) Trains appear to run North / South only.
Any thoughts? And if trying to get anywhere near the Dolomites is impossible in a day, are there other recommendations for a train/bus/driver day trip? Need to keep it to the east or the northeast as we're coming from ZRH through Lugano and headed south after Lake Como. For instance, is St Moritz worth seeing to three 50 year old ladies in September and on a budget? Many thanks for any ideas.
1) We're staying on the west side of the lake in Menaggio, making it even farther.
2) We'll have no rental car until a few days after. We were willing to rent the car around Lake Como but the only rentals appear to be south in Como itself. Don't really want to backtrack.
3) I can find no information on any tours or drivers that go east from LC.
4) Using Google's "Orange Man Walking" makes it quite clear why it's over four hours on the "straight" shot east from Varenna to Bolzano.
5) Trains appear to run North / South only.
Any thoughts? And if trying to get anywhere near the Dolomites is impossible in a day, are there other recommendations for a train/bus/driver day trip? Need to keep it to the east or the northeast as we're coming from ZRH through Lugano and headed south after Lake Como. For instance, is St Moritz worth seeing to three 50 year old ladies in September and on a budget? Many thanks for any ideas.
Mar 2nd, 2012, 02:49 AM
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Have done this both ways. Cheapest best way to do this is stay in www.bellagio.info or Varenna from train station there it is a cheap easy train ride up to Sondrio and neat mountain destinations. For 10 euros or so from Menaggio I have also gone to Lugano and trained from there to zermatt.ch not really a day trip though. tigercarrentals.com best car deals for me in the past more of a hassle to park in cities and way more $$$ than train but nice too.
Happy deciding!
Happy deciding!
Mar 2nd, 2012, 02:54 AM
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Usually buy shuttle tickets for Lugano in the square at Menaggio
from the news stand/store right there it is a nice ride to Lugano along lake lugano 30-45 minutes. Then go wherever but overnite at least would be way better.
from the news stand/store right there it is a nice ride to Lugano along lake lugano 30-45 minutes. Then go wherever but overnite at least would be way better.
Mar 2nd, 2012, 03:18 AM
#5
Menaggio is the largest of the three mid-lake towns and that bus Qwovadis speaks of is easy to use.
You could take the ferry over to Varenna and catch a train all the way to Tirano where the Bernina Express begins its spectacular run but I think the idea of going over to Lugano and on from there might be a better one
You could take the ferry over to Varenna and catch a train all the way to Tirano where the Bernina Express begins its spectacular run but I think the idea of going over to Lugano and on from there might be a better one
Mar 2nd, 2012, 06:35 AM
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hi Sandra,
The easy way to do it would be to take the train from Zürich to St. Moritz, as flygirl suggested above. Stay overnight, and the next day take the Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano and Milan and on to Como.
You can see the train routes at the Swiss rail site
www.rail.ch
s
The easy way to do it would be to take the train from Zürich to St. Moritz, as flygirl suggested above. Stay overnight, and the next day take the Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano and Milan and on to Como.
You can see the train routes at the Swiss rail site
www.rail.ch
s
Mar 2nd, 2012, 08:12 AM
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A long but fantastic day trip from Menaggio could well involve hopping the Maloja Pass bus to St Moritz, Switzerland, going up the awesomely scenic Maloja Pass on a serpentine hairpin-turn twisting road - then in St Moritz hop the Bernina Pass railway, to me Europe's most spectacularly scenic railway, skirting placid Alpine ponds fed by behemoth glaciers, etc. over the Bernina Pass and down into Italy, terminating at Tirano from where you can get the Bernina Express bus to Menaggio - I'd have to check schedules to see whether it is all possible with schedules and perhaps you would hop the Bernina Express bus to Tirano and go to St Moritz and then the Palm Express or Maloja Pass bus to Meanggio.
Mar 2nd, 2012, 08:18 AM
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You can read about the Bernina Pass railway on this site:
http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/si...s/rg011210.pdf or www.seat61.com or the Rhaetian Railways who run the trains official site - http://www.rhb.ch/index.php?id=33?&L=4.
Note there are official Bernina Express trains for tourists that give commentary but also regular local trains about hourly you can just hop on - same scenery of course.
http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/si...s/rg011210.pdf or www.seat61.com or the Rhaetian Railways who run the trains official site - http://www.rhb.ch/index.php?id=33?&L=4.
Note there are official Bernina Express trains for tourists that give commentary but also regular local trains about hourly you can just hop on - same scenery of course.
Mar 2nd, 2012, 09:29 AM
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You can book an organised day trip from the hotels or tour agents in Menaggio to go to ST Moritz on the Bernina express. It goes at 8am and you have time in St Moritz before coming back via another route through the alps. Cost about 45 euro each. Yes you are on a coach(bus) for part of the day but it makes very good use of your time.
Mar 2nd, 2012, 10:37 AM
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http://www.postbus.ch/pag-startseite...bot-detail.htm
Maloja Pass postal bus data - schedules, price - a k a Palm Express
Maloja Pass postal bus data - schedules, price - a k a Palm Express
Mar 3rd, 2012, 08:35 AM
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. For instance, is St Moritz worth seeing to three 50 year old ladies in September and on a budget>
No IMO on your limited time - St Moritz is glitzy and nice but there are nicer closer jaunts - but to pass thru here doing the Bernina Pass Railway yes by all means but no reason to linger in St Moritz and not a reason for coming here IMO.
No IMO on your limited time - St Moritz is glitzy and nice but there are nicer closer jaunts - but to pass thru here doing the Bernina Pass Railway yes by all means but no reason to linger in St Moritz and not a reason for coming here IMO.
Mar 6th, 2012, 05:01 PM
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Wow, thanks for all the responses! I noticed that a trip to Lugano was mentioned a couple of times and a train from Zurich to St Moritz was mentioned as well. The only problem with those plans is that we are flying into Zurich and then taking the train to Lugano, then the bus to Menaggio.
Looks like I've got some links to look at and a couple of places to Google. I am assuming that Soglio (flygirl) and Sondrio qwovadis) are NOT the same towns?
Thanks again everyone.
Looks like I've got some links to look at and a couple of places to Google. I am assuming that Soglio (flygirl) and Sondrio qwovadis) are NOT the same towns?
Thanks again everyone.
Mar 7th, 2012, 09:55 AM
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I'd really consider Soglio. It was just beautiful.
Here are a few photos I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2765379188/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2764534239/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2765379524/
Here are a few photos I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2765379188/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2764534239/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2765379524/
Mar 7th, 2012, 09:58 AM
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ps. a simple search found this - check it out.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-st-moritz.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-st-moritz.cfm
Mar 9th, 2012, 09:32 PM
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Flygirl - your pictures are wonderful. Dang it, I'd just about decided to just spend the day on the lake and now you've confused me!! I'll only go to Solgio if you'll tell me where the first photo was taken. Just beautiful!
Mar 10th, 2012, 04:06 AM
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Sandra
Thank you!
I should mention: if this is your first trip to Lake Como, and, it's less than four days long - just stay put on Lake Como. Lots to see and do. You won't want to leave.
Soglio is so tiny, you will see that view right away.
Thank you!
I should mention: if this is your first trip to Lake Como, and, it's less than four days long - just stay put on Lake Como. Lots to see and do. You won't want to leave.
Soglio is so tiny, you will see that view right away.
