Author: wishing
Date: 03/02/2006, 11:00 am
Hi,
We are travelling from Manarola in the CT to Lausanne on July 7th. I have searched train schedules and whichbudget.com for flights. I can't find any flights (even to Geneva) and the trains take about 8 hours. Is that the best we can do? Should we consider renting a car for the day? Or just resign ourselves to 8 hours on the train and enjoy the scenery! Thanks for any and all input.

Have you checked for flights out of Pisa?

I think renting a car in Italy and dropping it off in Lausanne would probably be very expensive.

Hi Ness
I've tried Pisa as well as Milan.
We may just have to do the long day of train travel. I was hoping that someone knows something I haven't stumble across in my hours of research! Thanks for the suggestion.

I don't know if your research includes the possibility of catching a train out of Torino to Switzerland, but I think there might be a scenic train you could take, which might help while away the hours.

Sure you can fly, GOA to GVA via MXP, 3 flights that day with Alitalia, 06:45/11:10, 12:05/17:00, 17:45/21:35, for USD555.

Or you can fly with Air France out of Pisa via CDG, 09:55/14:10 or 16:05/21:10 for USD625 and a few flights with Alitalia for USD646.

Or take the train to Lugano (the day before and stay the night) then fly with Darwin to Geneva, at 07:15 (arr 08:00) for CHF99, or at 10:45 (arr. 11:35) for CHF49.

Or take the train from Manarola to Lugano (via Milan, lvg. 07:24 arr. 10:50 or lvg. 08:36 arr. 12:50) on the 7th, and have a sumptuous lunch and look around in Milan before carrying on to Lugano to catch a Darwin flight at 18:15 (arr 19:05) for CHF49.

You can't fight the geography, its a long way, with lots of mountains in between, and slow going at first to get away from the hilly coast onto the flat where trains run fast.

If you decide to do it all by train, why not go as far as Milan the day before and have an evening there? It'll make a huge difference, breaking the journey almost exactly in half.

WK