For a tremendous way to traverse the Alps high ridge that runs thru Central Switzerland i would recommend you look at the Bernina Pass Route, either by train or car - the Bernina Pass rail route, the only train line to traverse the Alps north to south without the use of long tunnels - actually going up and over it is to me one of the top scenic trains in Europe - it takes a bit longer but if you have a day to spare it is so so memorable. I can tell you more if interested. On the Bernina Route it is easy to stop by Lake Como (Bellagio, etc.) on your way to Milan. Swiss trains are fantastic - for lots of great info on Swiss trains, scenic trains like the Bernina Pass route, etc. here are some great sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html - this latter site has some details on the Bernina Pass route.

cheers

Wow, Palenque - thanks for the tip! We've done the Glacier Express, maybe 15 years ago, and I went part way on the Bernina Express on a trip with my college roommate,up to Alp Grum., but never went all the way.

I presume you can go from Zurich to Chur, then Chur down to Milan? Is that correct?

That site has a lot of possibilities, and I'm definitely looking in to them.

Have you ever done the William Tell trip? that looks good too. Oh, how I love those Swiss boats that connect so well to Swiss trains.

ttraveler - Yup mainline trains to Chur where you must switch because the next train is narrow-gauge, geared for mountain climbing - then via the fantastic Albula Loops up to St Moritz/Pontresina (sp?) from where the Bernina Pass route begins - yup to Alp Grum and Bernina Ospiz - these are two stations at the summit and there is a sweet Alpine lake from which glaciers stretch up - it's popular to walk around the lake and between the two stations. Thus i would recommend staying in either Pontresina (which many people seem to love - smaller and more rural than glitzy San Moritz) and do the Bernina as a leisurely day trip - theree is the ubiquitous mountain hotel with sun terrace at i think the Bernina Ospiz station so you can have lunch and soak up the intoxicating views.

And when you want to go to Italy you take the Bernina Pass train to its terminus at Tirano, Italy and leave the Swiss station there and walk across the plaza to the Italian station, cater-corner from the Swiss one - then trains take you to Milan via Varenna-Esino, where you can get off and walk the short distance downhill to the boat dock for boats to Bellagio and or Como, etc. Or from Tirano you can also hop the Bernina Pass bus that takes you to Lugano and trains to Como and Milan. during the summer there are open-air platform cars on some of the Bernina trains and thus to me was such an exhilarating experience in such wondrous scenery.

http://www.bernina-sud.info/En/bernina.html

Oh, Palenque, this sounds so great! I hope I have the courage and the smarts to put this all together.

Maybe we could go back to the wonderful little Lake Como town of Lenno, to the San Giorgio, a hotel that time seems to have forgotten. I hope I'm not dreaming too much but it would be so great to re-visit some places we've been and find some new adventures also.

Have you ever done the William Tell trip? that looks good too. Oh, how I love those Swiss boats that connect so well to Swiss trains.>

Yes i have done the William Tell a few times and it is a novel way to go between Zurich/Lucerne and Milan, on the Gotthard Tunnel route, which is also one of Europe's most scenic mainline railways - that is until the new super-long Simplon base tunnel is completed in several years that will burrow under most of today's scenic route - the boat ride from Lucerne to Fluelen is spectacular IMO - on the fjord-like Lake Lucerne - then the Fluelen train station is just steps from the boat dock - and trains that tie in with the Golden Pass have observations cars as well - if the Bernina Pass route is too far out of your way for your time - and it is a major detour off the main Zurich-Milan route that goes via the Simplon Tunnel - then the Gotthard route has great scenery, if not so dramatic Top of Europe vistas that the Bernina route has. You can't go wrong IMO - the Gotthard Route also goes by Lake Como, with Como being the hopping off point.