3 nights Varenna/Fiumelatte

Number one question the first: I believe that all or nearly all of the trains between Tirano and Milano stop at all stations. I can't imagine a change between Tirano and Varenna or Fiumelatte, and the trains are not hugely frequent. Where does the timetable tell you to change trains? Or are you talking about in Tirano? In that case you get off the Swiss train and walk across the road to the Italian train and board, getting off at your destination. Or has something changed?

Number one question the second: There is nothing to speak of in Fiumelatte besides a waterfall, a train track and residences. The station is just a wide place in the track. No facilities. Get your tickets in Tirano or if you don't have time you can do it at the travel agency open part of the day in Varenna. We are not talking big city stuff here.

Number two question the first, second and third: You are lucky to find the bakery. I don't remember it. See my answer for number one question the second. Everything - and believe me that is not much - is in Varenna. This is very small village life in Italy in Varenna - tourist hotspot that it may be notwithstanding - and Fiumelatte is a tiny tiny wide patch in the road, a suburb if you will of Varenna. Everything is down the road in Varenna. 1 and a half shops, one church, a couple of restaurants, a gelato stand, and a ZTL. Completely unlikely either of the one and a half shops will be open on Sunday. Maybe the bakery in Fiumelatte will open a couple of hours on Sunday morning if he specialises in bread, but if anything fancier it is unlikely.

Number three question: everything you would do in the sun, just a bit wetter. It may make for arty photos.

There are 2 Bernina Expresss trains on Sept 1. Are you arriving on the 1 at noon or 5:32 pm?

They sell tickets at the Buffet Della Stazione Di Tasca Massimo next to the train station in Tirano. While there, you can also buy 2 "carnet" 5 km 10-trip tickets for 12.50 EUR each. These are "self validating" which I assume means you validate them by hand with an ink pen before boarding a train. So that is 5 trips to and from Varenna-Esino and Fiumelatte for each of you. Last train Varenna to Fiumelatte on a Saturday is at 8:06 pm, at least on the current schedule.

We left Varenna this morning. We bought our tickets at the station around 10 AM yesterday before we hiked up to the castle. After the castle we ate at the lakeside restaurant in Fiumelatte and then hiked to the top of the river before walking back to Varenna. I loved our 3 nights in Varenna!

Nigel, we will have to change in Sondrio or Colico depending on if we take the 13:08 train or the 15:08 from Tirano. The regional that goes to Varenna does not stop in Fiumelatte. I am just guessing a smaller hourly train hits the smaller towns. When I looked at the route all the way to Milan, same train number that stops in Varenna, the next stop is Lecco. Of course this is all contingent on change in June.

Sam. thank you for telling me about the carnet of tickets, I will look for that. I saw the hourly trains and will make note of all the options. I can't make the reservations of the Bernina until 90 days out but I plan on the earlier one. We leave from Chur and there is an 8:32 from there or we can change onto Bernina in a different town (not sure of name right not) where we get on a different train that has listed as some open air carriages. We are still debating. One gets in at 12:48 an the other doesn't get until 13 something if I recall correctly.

Mnannie: you actually bought tickets at the Varenna train station? From a machine or an agent? This would be new and it would be great to have more information. Thanks.

Here is the page from Trenord describing multi-journey tickets.
http://www.trenord.it/en/tickets/multi-journey-passes.aspx

The Lombardy Regional train network is set up like a German Land network. There is an hourly "regionalbahn" train between Lecco and Sondrio that makes every single stop. The train between Milano Central and Tirano is a "regional express" that makes limited stops. A map of the Lombardy network.
http://www.trenord.it/media/2155431/regionale_2018_a4_v00d.pdf
They even have products similar to German Laender tickets, but prices are even better. 16 EUR pp for a Lombardy Day Ticket, and 43 EUR gets you a whole week.

I just recently traveled through Varenna. You have to buy train tickets from the travel agency at the train station. The tobacco shop in town sells Tren Nord tickets only.

Yes, we bought tickets at the train station. It was through the travel agency and they charged us 1 euro commission for each ticket. There was a sign at the front of the station that directed us to that office to purchase tickets.