We'd like to get just a quick day or two of the scenery of the Alps before our cruise leaves from near Rome. If we fly into Milan and use it as a base would we have enough time to do a day trip or two into the Alps? Which routes would work best; would we have enough time for some of the Bernina Express route? Would it be better to stay in Milan on day 1 and 3 and somewhere in the Alps on day 2? We'll have a couple of pieces of larger luggage that would be easiest to leave at a hotel in Milan rather than schlepping it with us on a train. We'll do that Milan to Rome and that will be enough!

This would be at the end of April/beginning of May.

We mainly want some Alps scenery and love trains.

d

Adding another question...

We could also fly into Zurich or Geneva. (or does anyone have any other suggestions?) Would this help for ease of routing? Are the Swiss train luggage services reliable if we had them take care of our luggage within Switzerland?

What is the weather typically like at the end of April?

d

From Milan you can catch a train up to Tirano, running along Lake Como through Varenna. From Tirano you can take the Bernina Express up to St Moritz or other town/village [day 1], and then the Glacier Express down the Rhone Valley [day 2], changing to a train back to Milan via the Simplon Tunnel and along Lake Maggiore [day 3]. The Bernina and Glacier routes are arguably the most scenic in Switzerland.

I've done these trips in late April, and some parts again in October. October is warmer and greener, but for stunning Alpine scenery with lots of snow, April-May is wonderful [although newly thawed parts will be brown].
Very sensible to leave your heavy luggage in Milan and travel light [with warm layers].

Hi D - The Bernina Express would be a good choice - very scenic. You could start from Milan - or better still, Lake Como if you base there.

You could do it as a round-trip with an overnight in the Upper Engadine Valley - returning by post-bus via Lake Como or Lugano.

Or you could do the Centovalli train ride via Domodossola and Locarno.

Or ... head to Zermatt for a view of the Matterhorn.

Alternatively, if you want to see the best part of the Alps, fly into Innsbruck, Verona or Venice ... and head for the Dolomites.

Steve

hi denisede,

I do love the trains in Switzerland and use them for every trip. I'm a huge fan of the trains.

However -- I would not spend three days on the trains!! As nice as the panoramic views are from a seat in a moving train, they are millions of times nicer from the mountains!! I strongly suggest that you get to the Alps as quickly as you can, and then spend most of your time actually ON the mountains, enjoying a five-senses experience. And it's very easy to get to viewing platforms or mountain restaurants -- there are cable cars or cog railways to get you there. Then you'll have the time to soak up the views and commit them to memory!

Entering at Zürich would make your journey easier, I think, because there is a train station right in the airport. You could spend maybe a day in Luzern, then go south to the mountains around Brig. Brig is a lovely town with a castle, and it's surrounded by mountains. Or you could go a little further and stay in a car-free village like Bettmeralp or Riederalp or the famous village of Zermatt.

If you decide to enter at Milan, Brig is still not far, and you could shoot up, stay for three days exploring the Alps and the Alpine villages, and then shoot back down.

Or the Engadin Valley, via Tirano, Poschiavo, and Pontresina would be a terrific choice as well.

You can research each of these routes at the Swiss rail site,

www.rail.ch

About the baggage service, yes, I've used it a number of times. It's reliable. It costs 20 chf per bag for 24-hour service or 10 chf per bag for 48-hour service. If you flew into Zürich, you could send your bigger bags on to Brig, then pick them up only when you depart for Rome.

Good luck!

s

swandav2000 is right, but it is cold in April, and a warm train carriage is attractive. [Sometimes it's too warm, so you do need to dress in layers.] If you enjoy train travel, Swiss trains are the best! The itinerary I suggested would still allow time to get out and have a look around,and stay overnight in two places.

Thanks so much to everyone. Now I've got some more research work to do to see which looks best for us. The suggestions are so helpful as they give me an idea of what is realistically doable.

d