GeorgiaO

I will be traveling from Milan to Paris in mid October and wish to take the scenic route through Switzerland. Is it possible to do this in one day (mainly during the daylight hours)? What route do you suggest?

thursdaysd

Go here: http://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm and ignore the London to Paris legs.

PalenQ

Yes it is very very easy - Milan take the train to Brig - some direct from Milan but more often now have to change at Brig/Visp - the quickest way form there would be via Bern I think but the new Lotschberg Rail Tunnel puts trains in tunnel practically the whole way so you see none of the famous Alps you are burrowing under.

So take a train from Brig down the Rhone Valley to Montreux and then the train tracks along Lake Geneva to Lausanne, where you get direct TGVs to Paris.

At least on the Rhone route you have lovely scenery.

Go to www.bahn.de - the German Railways web schedule and put in Milan to Brig and Brig to Lausanne and Lausanne to Paris - it will take you most of the day but check schedules to be sure you can do it A good way to access the English schedule page of www.bahn.de is to go to the home age of www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on the link "Best on-line train timetable' or some such wording and this brings you to the English schedule page with From:
To:
Date:
Etc - I reference this home page link because it also gives you several tips on fully using the Wundserbar bahn.de site that may not be apparent at first glance. I would expert about 8 hours of travel time - Lausanne would make a neat city to walk around in for a few hours (lockers in stations for bags).
For lots of great info on European trains also check out www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

neckervd

There are many scenic routes. You may check:

VIA SIMPLON

Milan - Arona - Lake Maggiore - Baveno - Domodossola - Simplon Tunnel - Brig - Goppenstein - Kandersteg - Bern - Basel - Paris

Variant 1: put your luggage in the lockers at Brig and go to Riederalp/Bettmeralp/Aletsch Glacier and back and continue from Brig directly to Paris, either via Bern - Basel or via Lausanne

Variant 2: put your luggage in the lockers at Brig and go to Zermatt/Gortnergrat and back and continue from Brig directly to Paris, either via Bern - Basel or via Lausanne

Variant 3: go by bus from Domodossola to Brig, via Simplon Pass

First train from Milan to Brig: Milan dp 7.25 - Brig ar 9.16
Last train from Brig to Paris: Brig dp 16.57 - Paris ar 22.49 (daylight up to Lausanne)


VIA BERNINA

Milan dp 6.20 - Tirano - Bernina Pass - Punt Muragl - Muottas Muragl ar 12.20. Have lunch at Muottas Muragl (panoramic view over lakes and glaciers). Muottas Muragl dp 13.40 via Punt Muragl - Albula Pass - Chur - Lake Walen - Lake Zurich - Basel to Paris ar 21.37. Daylight up to the French border


VIA SAN GOTTARDO

Milan - Lugano - Lucerne - Basel - Paris, 9 1/4 hrs journey
First departure from Milan, 7.10, last departure 12.39
Stop over at Lugano and/or Lucerne

PalenQ

VIA SIMPLON

Milan - Arona - Lake Maggiore - Baveno - Domodossola - Simplon Tunnel - Brig - Goppenstein - Kandersteg - Bern - Basel - Paris>

this Switzerland part is the old route with regional trains that take longer than the main route but is infinitely more scenic than the new Lotschberg Tunnel or the Rhone Valley route - change at Brig/Visp to a local train going via Goppenstein, Kandersteg, etc and rejoin the mainline at Fluelen or Spiez and go to Bern to catch TGV trains to Paris.

This would be the most practical scenic detour off main routes - going up to Zermatt and back takes about 4 hours extra and you are in Zermat mainly for a cup of coffee, being able to see nothing but perhaps for a fleeting glimpse at the Matterhorn, if that famous fickle mountain peak is not enshrouded in clouds or fog.

3 practical routes:

1- mainline Milan to Spiez and Brig - some views of high Alps from Fluelen and Spiez parts and tracks do skirt shores of Lake Thun

2- mainline down Rhone Valley via Montreux to Lausanne - along Lake Geneva with Mt Blanc possibly being seen in the distance hovering high above the lake.

3- Brig/Visp detour on old Lotschberg line via Bern.

All other routes would be an all-day marathon where you would be on trains from dawn to late at night.