We will be in Lake Como the end of June, staying in either Varenna or Belllagio. Does it seem doable to take the train from Varenna to Tirano and then catch the Bernina express and then back again from St. Moritz to Tirano. I'm not getting a clear picture of how much time this would take and would there be enough time for lunch in St. Moritz.
Also wondering how available taxi service is between towns without taking ferry's. One of our travelers does not do well on boats.
Thanks
It’s very doable, and absolutely worth the effort. It’s one of the most beautiful lines in the world. Seat61 is a great resource
You can travel from Tirano to St. Moritz on any Swiss train enjoying the same scenery you would see on the Bernina Express. Using any Swiss train opens up the schedule for you. In order to see the schedule, you can look at SBB, the Swiss train company website and search for point-to-point tickets from Tirano to St Mortiz. A quick look at the schedule tells me that the ride is about 2 hours. Add an hour and 45 minutes for the train from Varenna to Tirano. That route is run by Trenord. So a long ride to go and return. But in this case, the train ride is part of the experience and not just point-to-point transportation.
Are you asking about taxi service in the Varenna area? Taxis are available and I would recommend reserving one. It would be a long (pricey) trip from Varenna to Bellagio in a taxi. If you look at a map of Lake Como, you'll see that it looks like an inverted 'Y'. To get from Varenna to Bellagio by land, you'll have to go down one leg of the Y, and back up to the inside of the Y to get to Bellagio. To Menaggio you'd probably have to go up around the north shore of the lake. I did read that someone in your party doesn't like boats. If you ride the car ferry from Varenna to Bellagio, it will be a large heavy boat. Take that instead of the passenger boats. The ride is only 10-15 minutes. Keep your eyes on the horizon and the beautiful mountains and you'll be so enchanted you won't feel a thing.
Things will take a little longer to get Tirano as the train will only go as far as Colico, then you will have to transfer to a train replacement bus the rest of the way to Tirano. If you are staying in Bellagio, no practical way to Varenna without a boat.
Schedules from Varenna to Tirano at https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Schedules from Tirano to St Moritz at https://www.sbb.ch/en/buying/pages/fahrplan/fahrplan.xhtml
This will be practical if you forgo using the named "Bernina Express" train and stick to regular trains, and save a ton of money to boot.
Thank you so much. Can I purchase the train ticket for my journey from Varenna to Tirano at the Varenna train station? So I understand it seems to be more logical if we stay in Varenna to then taxi to the train station in Varenna?
Carol
Carol,
stay in Varenna to then taxi to the train station in Varenna?
Varenna only has one main road, one tiny side road, a couple of shops, a couple of hotels, a station and dock, a small ice cream seller, and a fair number of apartments. Lovely views.
It only takes a few minutes to walk the length of the town; I'm not sure that a taxi would take such a short fare.
oh, and about soxfan0065 - red or white?
Comiskey or Fenway?
Thank you, White Sox / Comisky.
Based on train travel I was also looking into Colico?
Varenna does not have a ticket machine or sales agent at the station. You can buy tickets from a travel agency near the station, when they are open, but it is easiest to just buy them online from Trenitalia. The tickets cost only 8 euros. You must validate this ticket (or “check in” with Trenitalia using the app, or a link they send to your email, before you board the train.
In June there will be track work on the line going to Tirano, so the train will take you as far as Colico where you change to a bus to Tirano (included in the ticket price). If you prefer to take a taxi from Varenna to Colico, you can board the bus there with the ticket you bought online. The ticket for that journey is €6,60. Make sure you check the current schedule on Trenitalia so you can time your journey to Tirano to meet a Swiss train on the Bernina route, whether it is a Bernina Express train with panoramic cars, or a regular train on the same route. With the bus link, it is a bit over 2 hours from Varenna to Tirano.
It's been a while since I did this trip but for me, the highlight was going out on the spaces between the trains and enjoying the wind and the smell of creosote. It's possible newer carriages or insurance changes don't allow that but _(ツ)_/¯
