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Como - S Giovanni - about a mile or so from boat docks day trains from Paris to Milan via Lyon are not that scenic even when go thru Alps Paris dp 10.15 - Como ar 17.55, change at Zurich |
" Don't know the Paris to Lyon leg, but Lyon to Milan will certainly be scenic, especially on a good day. Loved, loved, the train trip from Zurich to Como."
IMO Paris - Lyon, Paris - Geneva, Paris - Besancon - Basel, Paris - Strasbourg - Basel are all rather boring itineraries. Lyon - Chambery - Maurienne - Bussoleno - Turin - Milan is a bit better, but not really scenic. If the sky is clear, you can get nice views from Vercelli/Novara to the Alps, however. (Paris -) Aisy - Dijon - Andelot - Frasne - Lausanne - Lake Geneva - Montreux/Chillon - Brig - Lake Mergozzo - Lake Maggiore (views to Isole Madre, Pescatori, Bella and the Alps) - Arona - Milan is much better, although nothing to write home about. But if you really want to enjoy the alpine area, you must leave the train, take may be a rope railway to Montana and a gondola to Plaine Morte Glacier, a train from Visp to Gornergrat and back, a train and a gondola from Brig to Eggishorn/Aletsch Glacier or a PostBus from Brig over the Simplon Pass to Domodossola. |
But if you really want to enjoy the alpine area, you must leave the train |
neckervd - With all other solutions, you waste a whole day.
Except the first in your list. The OP does not state his/her sex - is "thefrenchtart" a clue? Avoiding issues of PC etc etc - if the OP is female I would certainly NOT recommend seat61's suggestion due to the late hour. If not Thello as suggested by PalenQ I would choose air. |
Zurich to Como was much more scenic before the opening of the new Gotthard Base Tunnel which now burrows under most of the awesome Alpine scenery - still a nice ride however.
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" With all other solutions, you waste a whole day. "
I have rarely found a train ride to be a "waste". The journey is as much part of the trip as the destination. But of course, YMMV. |
Agree with hursdayds on train rides interesting - see the Europe in between big cities - problem with night trains can't see much but utiliarian for sure.
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1. PO hasn't come back for almost 1 week
2. There are sooo many different things to see in Paris whereas the train ride from Paris to the Alps is more or less alway the same: some grassland, some forest, some farmhouses, some steeples far away...... 3. TGV Paris dp 14.41: in summer, the arrival at Como at 11pm isn't really late, but if the OP wants to go to another place than Como itself, it/she will have to sleep at Milan (ar 10pm) anyway and to go on the followoing morning. 4. Zurich - Como: it's possible to go from Zurich via the OLD Gotthard line to Milan with only 1 train change. But the itineray via the OLD Loetschberg line and along Lago Maggiore or via Bernina and Lake Como (both with 2 train changes) might be even more scenic. |
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