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Milan to Zurich via Bernina Express with children?

Posted by on

Hello,

We are planning a two week trip to Italy this July, flying in and out of Zurich. The day we land in Zurich we will take the train to Milan, stay the night, and then take the train to Florence where we will stay for five nights. After that we will spend five nights in Malcesine before making our way back to Zurich for our last night before flying home. I have been reading about the beautiful Bernina Express, and I'm wondering whether it would make sense to take this scenic - but much longer - route to Zurich when we leave Malcesine, rather than taking the more direct route that we'll take when we arrive. I don't know when we'll be back in this area, and if we're able to see the Alps this way then it feels like we absolutely should. Our children will be 7 and 9, and I worry that such a long train ride will make them stir crazy. On the other hand I'm thinking maybe the trip could be a nice, relaxing way to end the vacation, as long as 1) the seats are comfortable and 2) it's okay if they get up and walk around periodically.

Any advice or experience people have had making this trip, especially with kids, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much!

Posted by
16894 posts

10 hours versus 5.5 is a big difference (departing Desanzano) and you do get some mountain scenery on the faster train. I don't promise that the seats will be comfortable but you always have the option to walk around the train.

Posted by
20661 posts

It is doable if you do it in a day and a half. First problem is getting from Malcesine to a railway station, Desenzano or Peschiera. The summer ferry schedule is not out yet, but it looks like there may be a fast boat from Malcesine to Peschiera in the late afternoon. You could either spend the night in Peschiera, or continue on by train to Milan. The connection with the Bernina Express leaves Milan at 10:20 am and gives you 1 1/2 hours in Tirano, time for a relaxing lunch at one of the pizzerias by the station. The Bernina Express leaves at 2:26 pm and after a train change in Chur, you will be in Zurich just before 8 pm.

You will need to look at this again when the summer train and boat schedules come out. The fast train from Milan to Zurich goes through the new 35-mile Gothard Base Tunnel under the Alps, so not so much scenery there.

Posted by
8 posts

My hope was to take a bus from Malcesine to the bottom of the lake to the train as early in the morning as possible and do it all in one day. Would that not be possible? We are leaving Malcesine on a Thursday and our flight home from Zurich is the next day in the late afternoon. We are planning to stay in Zurich Thursday night so that we don't risk missing our flight, but it wouldn't be impossible to stay somewhere else and make our way to Zurich Friday morning.

Posted by
451 posts

A lot of people here, suggest staying in Luzern before a flight out of Zurich, it is about 70 minutes by train with frequent connections to the airport and a much cheaper city to stay in with sites to see. Train seats are like airplane seats. We traveled on a scenic train and our 7 year old loved it. Our 11 month old was able to get up and walk down the train car with help. Grab sandwiches and enjoy! I have not been on this train but it is on our list. The view is worth the extra time! The kids give them a tablet or book and they will be fine. Promise them a reward for not complaining.

Posted by
20661 posts

To do it in a day:
Bus 483 dep Malcasine 7:48 arr Peschiera Stazione FS 9:18
Frecciarosso 9714 dep Peschiera Stazione FS 9:47 arr Milano Centrale 10:45
or
Regionale 2062 dep Peschiera Stazione FS 9:59 arr Milano Centrale 11:35
Regionale 2560 dep Milano Centrale 12:20 arr Tirano 14.52
Walk across the piazza from Trenord station to Rhaetische Bahn station
Bernina Express 960 dep Tirano 15:12 arr Filisur 18:18
RegioExpress 1164 dep Filisur 19:01 arr Chur 20:03
Cross-Platform connection from track 10 to track 9 at Chur
InterCityExpress 1258 dep Chur 20:09 arr Zurich Hbf 21:23

Again recheck the summer schedules when they come out.

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