pbrielmann

We need to travel by train from Zurich to Milan IN ONE DAY this summer and want to understand the options. Our preference would be to take the most scenic option available as this will probably be a once in a lifetime trip. What are the options? How long/how many train changes (we'll have luggage)? Thanks for any help.

adrienne

Question - do you want to go out of your way to see more scenery? Will you stop and get off at an intermediary town?

I can give you the most direct way but do not know if it's the most scenic. There is a train with no changes, taking 3 hours and 41 minutes.

The easiest web site to navigate for scheduling (not booking for outside Germany) is:

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml

spaarne

I've been on that route before. There are direct trains, with plenty of stops, through the Alps. Look at a rail map of Switzerland and pick a train going through Faido.

For detailed assistance I suggest contacting http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/. Call the 800 number and speak with Byron or Linda. They are experts and are very helpful. They can also sell tickets, passes, and reservations. For a general introduction to European rail see http://tinyurl.com/eym5b.

Dukey1

Undoubtedly ONE of the "most scenic" routes (and also one that doesn't bypass a lot of scenery by going through long tunnels such as those which exist of several of the Zurich-Milan routes) would be as follows:

Train from Zurich to Chur; change there for either the Bernina Express itself or for several trains which traverse the entire Bernina Express route to Tirano, Italy. The scenery is spectacular.

Change in Tirano for a train to Milan; part of that route runs along the eastern shore of Lake Como.

You can EASILY do this entire trip in a day if you are willing to start out early in the morning.

PalenQ

the route Dukey mentions is dramatically more scenic than the rather scenic direct route via the Goothard Tunnel route but does take all day - the Bernina Pass railway on that route is to me the most scenic of all European train routes (and I think I've taken them all!)

But the direct route can be nice as well - especially famous is when the train passes the Weisskirch (sp?) three times! -As it loops into and out of a mountain spiraling up and up and then after the tunnel similar spirals in and out of the rocks. This is one of the most scenic main rail lines in Europe - but in a few years when the new Gotthard Rail Tunnel is finished nearly no dramatic Alpine vistas will be able to be seen.

Lugano would make a nice town to stop off in - thro bags in a station locker and look around the spiffy town center.

For lots of great info on Swiss trains check out www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. If taking several trains or lake boats or aerial cable ways in Switzerland check out the Swiss Pass, valid on not only trains but lake boats postal buses city trams and bases and gets 50% off nearly all aerial gondolas or trains going just to mountaintops.

neckervd

Direct trains via Lake Lucerne - Lugano - Como every 2 hrs from 7.09 until 19.09, 3 hrs 41 min journey, as Adrienne told you. These trains turn 3times around the church of Wassen, mentioned by Palen.
Recommended stop overs: Bellinzona (3 castles), Lugano (lake, cablecars to viewpoints over lake and Alps). Trains up to Lugano every hour.
Recommended variants: train Zurich - Andermatt, bus Andermatt - Gotthard Pass - Airolo, train Airolo - Milan.
Zurich dp 7.09 - Milan ar 12.50, Zurich dp 9.09 - Milan ar 16.53 (via Luino/Lake Maggiore instead of Lugano), Zurich dp 13.09 - Milan ar 19.50

A somewhat more scenic itinerary goes via Berne - Bernese Oberland - Lake Maggiore, departures from Zurich at 6.32, 12.32, 17.32, change at Berne, 4 hrs 03 min journey.
Recommended variants: Spiez - Brig via panoramic Loetschberg line instead of Loetschberg base tunnel
Zurich dp 6.32 - Milan ar 11.35, Zurich dp 11.32 - Milan ar 16.38, Zurich dp 12.32 - Milan ar 17.35, Zurich dp 16.32 - Milan ar 21.35, Zurich dp 17.32 - Milan ar 22.35
Brig - Domodossola by bus via Simplon Pass instead of Simplon Tunnel
Zurich dp 8.02 - Milan ar 14.32,

Most scenic itinerary mentioned by Palen (but many hours in trains):
Zurich dp 7.07 - Chur - Bernina Express - Tirano ar 12.36, dp 13.10 - Bellano 14.32 - Milan ar 15.40
Zurich dp 11.37 - St. Moritz - Bernina Express - Tirano ar 17.27, dp 19.10 - Milan ar 21.40
Recommended stopover: St. Moritz or Pontresina (trains from Zurich up to there every hour)
Recommended variant: Lake Como boat from Bellano dp 15.10 to Como ar 18.00. Como Lago dp by train 18.17 and then every 30 min until 20.17 - Milan Nord (Cadorna) ar 1 hr later.

Dukey1

The Bernina route can be done in one day as the OP has requested. The proposed "stopovers" would truly take "many hours."

pbrielmann

Thanks to all for the thoughtful responses. They are very helpful. Here's a little more info. We arrive in Zurich at 8:30 a.m. on July 4th after an all night flight from Connecticut via Philly. We have reservations in Milan for the night of July 5th and start a tour of Northern Italy on July 6th.

It seems that we have a decision to make between two very nice options.

1. Stay in Zurich the night of July 4th and have all day to explore the city and then take one of many direct trains to Milan the next day (we can sleep late if we want to and still get to Milan by early/mid afternoon), or....

2. Take a train to Chur the morning of July 4th and then take the Bernina Express route to a town to spend the night (maybe St. Moritz, Tirano or Lugano), then continue on to Milan on July 5th.

Option 1 allows for a little more relaxed pace and some good scenery while option two might be a bit more tiring but will include fantastic scenery. Thanks to your comments we now have the facts to help us make an informed decision. If you have any additional comments to share, as Ross Perot once said, we're all ears. Thanks again.

neckervd

Afer a ovenight flight, you will probably fall asleep in the train anyway. So it doesn't matter which itinerary you choose.

kybourbon

I would take a train to Lucerne and spend the night. Perhaps take a boat ride on the lake or head up to Mt. Pilatus. Train to Milan the next day. Does your tour start in Milan?

http://www.pilatus.ch/en/

FWIW - the last time I planned a scenic one day train trip for a friend traveling with me (his first time to Switzerland), it poured rain the whole day.

xanthippe

May I piggyback on this thread, which has already given me some good information? My friend and I have reservations in Wengen in late June. We have two days to get to Wengen from Venice, and we plan to buy an 8-day Swiss pass. We are trying to decide where to spend the first night -- in Italy but somewhere close to Switzerland, I think. Then we want to take the train fo Lucerne for the second night. Is this a good plan?

Do we get the train in Lugano? Where could we spend the night to get to Lugano easily? Can we buy the Swiss Pass there or should we order it in advance? Which train should we take to Lucerne to get a scenic ride. This is after more than two weeks of travel, so we will each have a medium-size suitcase as well as a carry on. Will we have any trouble with our luggage on the train (storage space)? Help!

neckervd

I suppose you will stay only 1 night or 2 at Wengen, otherwise it wouldn't probably make sense to buy a Swiss Pass.
Venice - Lugano: trains about every hour from 6.20 until 18.20, change at Milan.
Most scenic itinerary from Lugano to Wengen:
Lugano - Locarno - Panoramic Centovalli train - Domodossola - Post bus over the Simplon Pass - Brig - Loetschberger train via Kandersteg to Spiez - train - Interlaken - Wengen.
You may have a look at
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/home.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en

xanthippe

Thank you, Neckervd. However, we are two women in our 70s and I don't think we want to schlep our luggage on and off a series of trains and buses. We want to spend our first night in Lucerne, so we want just one train ride to get there. Is there a special (named) scenic train, or should we just take the "regular" train?

We are spending 5 nights is Wengen (woohoo!), so are we making a mistake to (plan to) buy an 8 day pass? We will get the saver pass, which will save a little money. We like the idea of just showing our passes and not having to buy tickets. We will use it to get discounts up Mannlichen and the Shilthorn, plus other short excursions from Wengen, as well as a boat trip on Lac Luzern. We will use it for two days after leaving Wengen, on our way to Geneva.

Any more suggestions, anyone?

PalenQ

A 3-day Swiss Saver Flexipass may save you money - especially since being up in Wengen you may be taking things that the Swiss Pass at most covers 50% - with a flexipass between your first and third unlimited travel day - to be used over a maximum one-month period you still get 50% off nearly everything that moves in Switzerland but you do have to go to ticket windows to get the 50% off tickets - if the overall price is not much difference - consecutive-day passes are better per unlimited travel days - if not much difference take the consecutive-day pass and just flash it on any train, boat (great boat rides on the two lakes bookending Interlaken!)

xanthippe

I am still concerned about our luggage. If we have a 2nd class train pass, will there be room for our luggage (one medium suitcase and one carryon each)?

spaarne

<i>xanthippe on May 13, 13 at 3:53pm
I am still concerned about our luggage. If we have a 2nd class train pass, will there be room for our luggage (one medium suitcase and one carryon each)?</i>

You can always find room for luggage on a train. The question you should be asking yourself is whether or not you can pass the Pack Light Field Test. None of us can answer that. You'll have to pack all your stuff and go for a one hour stroll and a climb.

PalenQ

In Switzerland they always say 'take twice as much money and twice as little luggage!'

xanthippe

We've noticed the twice as much money part! Our entire trip is 4 weeks and includes a cruise. We couldn't figure out how to do that with just a carryon. My husband and I did a three-week trip to London, York, the Lake District and Paris with just a carryon each.

I HATE being burdened with so much luggage on this trip, but it just couldn't be helped.

neckervd

If you have a Flexipass (or any other valid train ticket) you can of course send your luggage from Chiasso, Lugano or any important Swiss train station to Wengen or any other place in Switzerland
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...itzerland.html

neckervd

As an alternative, you may leave Venice at 16.20 by direct train to Brig (Switzerland) ar 21.16, sleep in a hotel in front of the railway station (Terminus or so), go back to the railway station the next morning in order to buy a Swiss Flexi Pass (or whatever you need) and to send your luggage to Wengen or your final Swiss destination.

Brig - Wengen is 2 hrs by train (trains every hr).
Lucerne can be visited in a day trip from Wengen (2 1/2 hrs OW)

You may have a look at
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/home.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en

Highly discounted smart tickets Venice - Brig (32 EUR/pax instead of 65 EUR) available in the web
http://orario.trenitalia.com/b2c/npp...pe=&car=0&dc=1