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La Spezia to Lauterbrunnen in late June

Hi all,

My route is all makes out and my hostels all booked. I've just discovered one major flaw in my plan. I had thought it would take 7 and a half hours and 3 changes to go La Spezia to Lauterbrunnen leaving La Spezia at 7.38 and arriving just after 3pm. I get that info for up to June 11, then after that it says 22 hours, or unavailable. I also tried looking up a short part of my journey, La Spezia to Milan for my date on trenitalia and it has nothing. Can anyone please help? I thought that booking opened 4 months before? Do I need to wait until closer to the dates?
Thanks
Brooke

Posted by
21087 posts

Regionale schedules for trains after June 12 have not been loaded yet. Not to worry. The Italians will get around to it in the next 2 or 3 weeks. Happens twice a year in June and December and it always puts people in a tizzy. They'll get 'er done eventually. Meantime, just confirm the current train schedules in the next 7 days, as schedules change very little, if at all.

Posted by
47 posts

Thanks so much Sam!! I'm 5 weeks out from my first solo trip. Trying to make sure I'm well researched and ready, yet if I'm honest that train trip is what I feel least comfortable with. All my other journeys are short train rides, or flights. When I couldn't see it for my dates, I was hoping it was a timetabling thing. Thanks so much! I'll calm down and wait.

Posted by
32344 posts

wander,

Are you staying in La Spezia or one of the Cinque Terre towns? The departure at 07:38 appears to be one of the quickest at 7H:18M, so that would be the best option. The first two segments have compulsory reservations, and you can buy advance tickets on those as soon as they're available. The latter segments are in Switzerland, and there's really no advantage to buying those in advance, as you can buy them when you arrive in Spiez (I've done that).

Posted by
47 posts

I had planned to stay in Portovenere for four nights. But as the train departs La Spezia at 7.38, and earliest check out from my hostel is 8am, I amended my plans to stay 3 nights, and the last night in a cheap hotel next to La Spezia train station. I'll be planing for the 7H18MIN option. Thanks for the advice. So I purchase tickets from La Spezia to Milan, then Milan to Spiez. Then at Speiz buy tickets for the rest of the Switzerland leg?

Posted by
21087 posts

Actually, you can buy the leg from Milano Centrale to your destination in Switzerland from Swiss rail at www.sbb.ch/en. I'd leave extra time (1+ hour) in Milan to make the connection as they will be on separate tickets.

Posted by
7175 posts

IC 662
Dep 07:38 LA SPEZIA CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 10:55 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)

EC 52
Dep 11:23 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 13:53 SPIEZ (Switzerland)

RE 6724
Dep 14:05 SPIEZ (Switzerland)
Arr 14:28 INTERLAKEN OST (Switzerland)