I will be traveling by train from Lucerne Switzerland to Florence Italy.
The train I would like to take is as follows:

9:06a Lucerne to Arth Goldau - arrive 9:38a (still in Switzerland)
12 minutes between trains
9:50a Arth Goldau to Milan -arrive 12:50p (Italy, different country)
25 minutes between trains
1:15p Milan to Florence - arrive 3:00p

Will this schedule work? I've never traveled to a different country on a train before. When do you go through customs and how much time do you need to allow yourself?

Thank you!

You will have passport control on the train itself and probably no customs control.

I'm surprised to hear that there is passport control between Switzerland and Italy since both countries are part of the Schengen zone.

In the old days for most of western Europe, in places where there are still border controls agents from both countries would normally ride the train between the stops closest to the border, and would walk down the corridor checking everyone's passports while the train was moving. They would sometimes be accompanied by dogs inspecting for contraband (wasn't unusual for trains going from Holland to Germany).

Again harking back to the past, at some borders the train would halt right at the border and it could take an hour or more for the guards to inspect the entire train, give stern faced looks at travelers they wished to scare, and open up luggage if they wanted to do an inspection. I don't believe this was ever the case between Switzerland and Italy.

As far as I know, Customs is uninvolved. Customs is where you declare stuff bought in one country and taken to another. Both Italy and Switzerland are part of the Schengen zone, and unless you've bought $10,000 worth of Italian shoes and are taking them to Switzerland, Customs shouldn't figure into the equation (I don't even think train conductors are interested in, or can deal with, such stuff - it's the airports that might be when you depart for the USA or wherever else you're going).

You will most likely be asked to show your ticket and your passport. If you're carrying a boatload of designer shoes, deal with it at the departure airport.

There is no customs when traveling from one country to another within Schengen. You may have to show your passport or you may not - we have done it several times and never saw anyone but the conductor asking for a ticket.

I took the train from Zurich to Milan in August. Only had to show my ticket to train personnel. There was a change in some train personnel at one station around the borders (just a regular stop). I think the Swiss personnel get off and Italian's board. It could have just been the time of day though as it was about 4 in the afternoon, but I assumed the Swiss personnel would be boarding another train heading back to Zurich at that point.

$10,000 in Italian shoes, yummmmm. That would be one issue I would love to have to deal with, ha ha!

Thanks for the advice. It was something I just never thought about before and wanted to make sure I made my train connections.

One more thing, where on the train do you put your luggage? Is it accessable to you during the train ride? Is it easy to get once the train stops and you have to make your connection?

Thanks again!

We traveled from Switzerland to Florence in September. Some border police came aboard the train and just walked through the cars. They stopped by us and asked for passports but as soon as they saw that we had them they didn't even take them or look inside them.

As far as baggage goes, there are overhead racks as well as racks at the end of the cars and some seats have room between them for bags. We always kept our bags stored where we could see them since the train made several stops and we didn't want to worry about someone grabbing our bag and getting off the train with it.

I'm glad to hear about the luggage. We're going for 30 days and I'm going to try to pack as light as I can but thoes shoes take up alot of space!

Travelling from Switzerland to Italy the Italian border police still walk through the trains and are mostly checking for people carrying drugs or money (or financial instruments) over the permitted limit.

Some posters here are awfully wrong on Schengen treaty. Schengen has nothing to do with customs. There is no passport control anymore between Switzerland and the other Schengen countries since Switzerland joined the Schengen treaty. BUT this has not changed the customs issue! You're allowed to bring goods worth 175 Euro per person from Switzerland into Germany. The rules for cigarettes and alcohol are even more restrictive. I am not sure about Italy, but I suspect it will be quite similar. In fact, when travelling back from Basel to Germany last Tuesday I saw several German customs officers checking luggage of passengers on the train (and of course they checked the passports as well). This happens between the last stop in Switzerland and the first (sometimes even later) in the other country.

I second bayguy's comment: Don't worry about luggage, you'll find room where he said.

Ingo - you are right. The Schengen treaty covers the free movement of people and not the free movement of goods (i.e. what you are carrying). People from Switzerland have always visited neighbouring countries to buy cheaper goods - every Saturday the supermarkets near the border are full of Swiss cars. Equally there is traffic in the other direction as many goods are cheaper in Switzerland - petrol (gas), cigarettes, chocolate (quite apart from the unbelievable choice) and certain weirder items such as bananas! There are of course restrictions when it comes to the amount of cigarettes and alcohol which can be carried across the border. In addition the Swiss are a bit funny when it comes to meat as their agricultural sector is highly protected.

Passport control happens 95% of the time around the border. Last year, while taking the train from Arth-Goldau to Paris, we watched how the border police ordered an American tourist, travelling by himself, to open his suitcase so they could make a search. Search dogs are also often used for drugs. Just don't smuggle anything and have your passport with you and you will be fine.

And Ingo is right, of course.

Passport control happens on the train and not off the train. Conductors do not do passport control.

On the train the luggage is yours to do with as you will. If you are traveling second class there is a rack above your seat where you can (by yourself) put small bags. Larger bags either have to be left at the end of the car (sometimes but not always there is a rack to put them in) or sometimes they can be slid into a space between back to back rows of seats. If the bag is a really large one it will be a major PIA - since you often have to climb 2 or 3 steep narrow steps to get from the platform up to the train. Do not take on a train any bag that you cannot easily lift over your head.

As for making connections - it;s up to you to be at the door with your bag ready when the train stops, descend quickly, walk briskly to the connecting train (perhaps up or downstairs) and quickly board the next one. If you can;t pick the bag up and walk for at least a block with it - it's too big for train travel IMHO.

If traveling with luggage we go first class to have more room for the bags.

A few major stations have porters that can help you with luggage (from entrance to train) but that is quite rare.

By the way, your schedule will work fine. Milan may have delays but that should only give you even more time between trains.

schuler - I am afraid you are wrong. The Frecciarossa trains are extremely punctual. If anything the train to Milan is more likely to have a delay. For over a year now the trains arriving in Como from north of the alps have had delays of on average 15/20 minutes and the sbb.ch website indicated the risk of delays. I believe the situation has improved recently but it is always worth checking with the departure train station in Switzerland if there is a risk of delay. The trenitalia website does not indicate if there is a likelihood of delays.

I know this from personal experience as travelling both to Milan for the day and also on a number of occasions onwards.

So if the train going to Milan is going to be late there is a possibility I might miss the connection to the train going to Florence?

What happens to my reservation, will it be valid on the later train or do I have to purchase a new one? (I'm traveling with a 4 counrty select pass)

Your ticket will still be valid. If the train is running late point out to the train conductor that you have an onward journey. Also when at Milan there is a Frecciarossa kiosk just by the tracks where the trains leave, Fortunately there is a train to Florence at least once an hour.

Yes, our train from Geneva to Milan was about 25 minutes late arriving in Milan. I'd make a reservation for the connection to Florence for at least an hour after you're supposed to arrive in Milan. That's what we did and by the time we arrived in Milan, switched trains and got settled, our train to Florence left about 10 minutes later.
As stated above, if you miss your reserved train, there are trains every hour on this route.