train from Como to Salzburg - help please
 

Hi guys...we are leaving in about 2 1/2 weeks for Italy :) On 11/29 my parents, brother and I will be leaving Lake Como Giovanni train station to go to Salzburg Hbf. I have been trying to find the fastest and least complicated way of doing this as it is going to be a long trip. Any suggestions? I have been running it on Trenitalia so it seems the way to go is through Verona, Innsbrook, etc. Is there any better way through Switzerland? I'd like to limit how many times we change trains so as not to wear my parents out too much, but also trying to take as many high speed trains as possible. Also, anyone ever take a cab or shuttle from Como (the town) to one of the Milan train stations? I thought that might be a way to make one part of the trip a little easier...not sure how expensive that is. Any comments are appreciated.
Thanks.

Try using the Swiss Fed site:

www.sbb.ch

click on the "E" at the top for the English version...then in the search box..click on "advanced search" (the calendar works better
then put in Como for the dep station (it will ask you if you want Giovanni) and Salzburg as the end point.

Choose a departure time (use 6:00 AM to see about al the possible connections)

Be careful in choosing a date too far out because timetables may be changing next month

www.bahn.de - the German rail website i always use for any train schedule in europe shows the optimal train with only one change

Lv Como S Giovanni (mainline station daily 9:07am ar Zurich 12:51

Lv Zurich 13:40 ar Salburg 19.25

No going back thru Milan and changing in that, to novices, often huge hectic station and then changing twice more via the Verona - Brennero - Austria route.

To the best of my knowledge, the buses from Como only go to the Bergamo airport and Milan Linate or Malpensa airports, they don’t go to the train station in Milan. (There are trains that do that.) Have you considered flying between Milan and Salzburg? Even with connections, this may be faster and easier than the train (although the train is certainly going to be a pretty ride in November).

If you take a taxi or private car service to the Milan train station from Como, I believe it would run you in the neighbourhood of €100, but your hotel may be able to give you a more exact figure.

I think that the Zurich routing above is quite good, as no changes are required and Zurich is an easy station to use. (I don’t really have an issue with Milan either, but Zurich is certainly smaller and the major trains, like the ones you would be on, all arrive and depart on about 10 tracks next to each other. You can usually even find out the track you will be arriving and departing on ahead of time by looking at the rail.ch website. There are free luggage carts and also porters. But you will find this in Milan too, just not as well organized of course.). You could also take the 7:43 train whch arrives at 11 am, and give yourself some time to stretch your legs and have lunch and a stroll in Zurich before the 3 pm departure. There is also a 13:40 departure from Zurich for Salzburg which will arrive at 6 pm and requires no changes. Remember that in November it will be dark quite early in the afternoon (and won’t be light much before 8 am), so if you want to see scenery bear this in mind.

Rail.ch will bring you right to the English site for Swiss Rail. I believe that trains refered to above require a reservation (esp the Cisalpino), see the rail.ch website. Some of the other trains to Zurich or Salzburg will require changes, so be sure to get the correct train.

Sorry, I just re-read my message and see some errors there. The 13:30 train from Zurich to Salzburg does not arrive until 7:30 pm. I misread the timetable. Also, there is no 3 pm train departing from Zurich, not sure where I got that.