Geneva to Milan by train
 

Hi,

I am flying into Geneva on the afternoon of the 15th of December. I plan to spend the day either sightseeing or getting to another town (staying overnight) from where I can take the most scenic route down into Milan on the morning of the 16th, to arrive in Milan 7 or 8pm latest?

Having only flown over the Alps before, I would like to make the most of the small amount of time I have getting through the Alps in the nicest way possible especially with it being Christmas time?

Can anyone make any suggestions? Is there a town I can travel to from Geneva that will give me a better journey, or is the direct rail route from Geneva sufficient?

Many thanks in advance.

I would check to see if you can catch the Milan train from Lausanne ( even Vevey or Montreux). If you can they are smaller and more pleasant towns to spend the the night than Geneva IMO.

as123456,

Just get into a train at Geneva airport and head for Zermatt. The next morning, take a ride up to the Gornergrat for some of the best scenery in the Alps!

At 15:30, take the train back to the valley, change in Brig and get to Milan at 19:35.

All train schedules are available at:
www.rail.ch

I would also recommend purchasing a Swiss Transfer Ticket at:
www.raileurope.com
for such a journey. You will then only need an additional ticket for the portion from the Italian border to the

... sorry, itchy trigger finger!

Here goes again:
Just get into a train at Geneva airport and head for Zermatt. The next morning, take a ride up to the Gornergrat for some of the best scenery in the Alps! Expensive at 72 CHF, but worth it (only in good weather of course!) Here's a taste:
http://www.ggb.ch/en/

At 15:30, take the train back to the valley, change in Brig and get to Milan at 19:35.

All train schedules are available at:
www.rail.ch

I would also recommend purchasing a Swiss Transfer Ticket at:
www.raileurope.com
for such a journey. You will then only need an additional ticket for the portion from the Italian border to Milano, which you can purchase when you validate your Swiss Transfer Ticket at Geneva Airport station. Be sure to specify which train you intend to take, as the "Cisalpino" trains on this route require seat reservations and the payment of a supplement for the Italian portion of the journey.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Many thanks for the excellent advice! Looks like I have an intinery!! Great.

Just one silly question, when you say "get a train back to the valley", do you mean back to Zermatt for a connection to Brig, as I can't see a direct route from Gornergrat to Brig on the website?

It sounds absolutely worth it, can hardly wait :-)

Sorry, my bad!

There's a separate train from Zermatt up to the Gornergrat. The 15:30 train I was referring to is the one leaving Zermatt for Brig, so you would have to go down from the Gornergrat before then (the 14:00 departure from Gornergrat to Zermatt would leave you plenty of time).

BTW, the Gornergrat and "main line" stations are right across the street from each other in Zermatt, so you can leave your luggage in a locker at the main line station during your excursion up the Gornergrat.

Finally, do a search for hotels in Zermatt on this forum. Have enjoyed the Mirabeau in the past (although it's been several years), a more affordable option is the hotel Sarazena. Links to all hotels can be found on Zermatt's homepage:
www.zermatt.ch

Have a great time and most important good weather!

Andre