bellagio italy

Jeannie,

Your trip is very straightforward, but it would help to know if you've travelled in Italy before.

When you arrive at Milano / MXP Terminal 1 and have collected your luggage, make your way to the airport rail station and buy tickets for the Malpensa Express. You should be able to also buy tickets for the train to Varenna, possibly at a Kiosk (the station is officially called Varenna-Esino). I'd suggest also buying your outbound ticket from Varenna at that time also, as the ticket won't be active until it's validated.

A few points to note. First, the Malpensa Express has two destinations, one going to Milano Centrale and one going to Milano Cadorna. BE SURE to board the train for Milano Centrale. Also, you MUST validate (time & date stamp) your ticket prior to boarding the train or you'll be subject to hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! The trip will be about 52 minutes and you'll arrive on track (Binario) 1 or 2. From there you'll make your way into the main hall with the remainder of the tracks.

When you arrive at Milano Centrale, check the electronic sign boards for the track (Binario) of your next train. The destination may not be listed as Varenna, but rather Sondrio or Tirano. In any case, that will be the correct train as Varenna is an intermediate stop on that line. If in doubt, ask one of the conductors who should be standing near the train. You might find it helpful to check the Trenitalia website prior to your trip, and print out a list of the departures for that day-of-the-week so that you have an idea on the departure times. Also, you MUST validate your ticket prior to boarding that train, or again, hefty fines (DON'T forget). I'd suggest sitting on the left (when facing forward) as the lake will be on that side. The trip is 1H:03 and the train will go through a tunnel just prior to arrival. Be ready to disembark promptly as the train doesn't usually stop for too long.

Upon arrival in Varenna, you can either walk down to the Ferry dock or take a Taxi. The walk is not difficult as it's mostly downhill, and even at a relaxed pace shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. Go down the stairs next to the station first and then downhill along the road to the small bridge. Turn left on the bridge and then turn right. Look for a large yellow building, Hotel Olivedo, as the Ferry dock is right in front of that. There's a small ticket office where you can buy tickets for the ride to Bellagio, and that trip is about 20 minutes.

When you arrive in Bellagio, walk up the Ferry ramp (it's not too steep) and then turn left. Hotel Metropole is right along the waterfront near the Ferry docks so isn't a long walk and is mostly level. THIS is the building you're looking for.

How were you planning to get to Lugano? The easiest method is to go back through Milano Centrale and then transfer to another train to Lugano. Those trips are each about an hour, plus of course the waiting times for trains.

The high speed Freccia train will also leave from Milano Centrale, so return there for that trip. You can buy discounted tickets up to 120 days in advance, but there will be a schedule change in mid-June to you may not see the tickets on the website until then. It's not necessary to use a travel agent for that. You can easily from Trenitalia or at www.captaintrain.com. Note that those tickets are specific to train, date and departure time, so can ONLY be used on the one train listed on the ticket. If you board the wrong train by mistake, hefty fines may result.

Continued......

Great and wonderful advice! Thank you so much for being so clear! I understand we need to date and time stamp the train tivket before we board for Milano Centrale, but where and how do we do that? Is someone there to do that or does a machine do it? Yes we spent a month in Italy in 2011 but did not go to Milan or the Lakes area. We have been to Rome for a week before and look forward to another week there! We love Italy and the people! Thank you so very much for being so precise....it really helps us. I assume there is a ticket office where we buy the tickets for Milano Centrale or is it a machine? I hope not the latter.

Jeannie

Thank you again.....I just now read the continued part and maybe not all of that yet. This is a HUGE help. Is this train Le Freece expensive? Do you know? Maybe we should just buy it at the station and not in advance. That way we will be sure not to miss it. We do not understand how you get your tickets stamped and dated before you board the train. Your directions are amazing!! It makes the travel so very much easier and less nerve racking. We are doing the lakes first so we can rest up from the jet lag.Thanks again so much....it looked like more is coming! You're great!

Part 2....

For the trip from Milano to Rome, you could also use Italo Treno high speed service, which has the same travel time and uses newer trains. I normally choose which train network to use based on price and timing, as they're both similar. However, note that in some cases Italo uses Milano Rogoredo station in Milan rather than Centrale, and Roma Tiburtina in Rome rather than the more central Roma Termini (which is likely the station you want to use). Be sure you're clear on which stations are being used if you decide to use Italo. You can buy tickets for Italo either on their website or again at Captain Train.

My memory is a bit foggy on the restaurants in that area, but if your budget will allow you could try Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. If you want to try a fine meal in Varenna, have a look at Albergo Milano or Villa Cipressi. It's easy to reach those from the Ferry dock along the waterfront promenade, although a few uphill stairs are required.

On the topic of the Swiss deploying tanks to it's borders, I wouldn't be too concerned about that as I doubt that it will happen and I doubt it will affect tourists. I've only seen mention of that on one somewhat questionable website, so it's not a "done deal" by any means.

If you use Trenitalia from Milano to Roma, Super Economy tickets are currently about €49 PP. If you want to save money, it's NOT a good idea to buy them at the time as you'll likely be paying Base Fare, which is the highest price tier. Base tickets are currently listed at about €89 PP. Note that Super Economy tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased, so choose carefully! I don't expect the prices will change much between now and the time you're able to buy tickets for September.

Travel time via Freccia high speed is normally about 2H:55M, but there are a few trips which take as long as 6H:48M. Be sure to note the travel time when you buy your tickets.

Buon Viaggio!

Jeannie,

The automated ticket Kiosks are very easy to use, and have English language menus. You could also use a staffed ticket office, but those can sometimes have a long queue (especially at Milano Centrale).

For validating tickets, there will be small yellow or green & gray machines close to the tracks. Watch what the others do. If you scroll down towards the bottom of THIS website page, there's a short video on "How To Validate Tickets In Italy" that should explain the procedure. It's not difficult.

Thank you Ken! We could never have done all this without your help! Just fired the travel agent!

Jeannie

Your Freccia tickets do not need to be validated since they are only good one one train. The regionale tickets that you buy at the station can be placed in a machine (green/white/red or perhaps yellow if it's an old machine), the ticket will be time and date-stamped.

You can buy tickets with cash (kiosk will have pictures of euro bills and coins on it) at a ticket kiosk (the machine will prompt you in English when you click on the British flag icon). It will give change up to €20, I think. It will also take a credit card that has a PIN. You can also buy tickets at the ticket desk but lines may be long, and you will need to pick up a customer number slip from a dispenser.

Jeannie,

Because of your COPD, I highly recommend taking a taxi from the train station in Varenna. I think it cost us 11 euros last Oct. Keep in mind You will be unfamiliar with the area, hauling your luggage, walking downhill, and I believe there is one area with stairs so I think it would be better for you to take a taxi. We used the one recommended in Rick's guide.

Rosana

Wonderful help and website! Thank you agsin!

Rosana and zoe! Thank you both! Great info. We will take the cab in varenna! Think we have the trains down now!