We're planning a trip to Italy for our honeymoon at the end of May. We're planning for our final stop to be Interlaken and we'd love to find a scenic train through the alps on our way. We are going to be coming from Florence or maybe Venice, but I'm assuming both will take us through Milan, so maybe the best train ride from there? Any other advice or suggestions about Italy in general would also be welcome...first time to visit! Thanks!
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
You're talking about a 6-8 hour train ride from Venice to Interlaken... I think you should be more interested in the quickest route rather than detours to ride some specific train through some specific path. Your destination of Interlaken is taking you toward the Swiss Alps. Toward one of the most beautiful place on earth which is the Lauterbrunnen Valley and surrounding alpine villages of Murren and Wengen - THAT'S where you should be staying. Interlaken is not in the alps and best used as a transit hub for train connections. Change trains in Interlaken Ost and just a short 20 minute little train ride from there will put you smack into the middle of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Many nice hotels and restaurants and grocery stores there and also in both of the alpine villages.
Posted by
Green Bay
20254 posts
For trains in northern Italy, Milan is like Atlanta is to the south. If you die and go to heaven, you still have to change trains in Milan.
The standard route is through mountain valleys and includes 2 "base" tunnels, the Simplon Tunnel and the Loetschberg Basis Tunnel. These tunnels go completely underneath the mountains. For a railroad, that is very efficient. A long, straight, level track moves trains faster and more people and freight can move through it. But the scenery inside tunnels is about the same everywhere.
When it was opened 110 years ago, the Simplon Tunnel was a modern wonder of the world. 12 1/2 miles (20 km) under then Swiss-Italian border. The 10 year old Loetschberg Basis Tunnel is almost 22 miles long (35 km). It replaced, at least for mainline trains, an older route that climbed the Berner Oberland and used a much shorter old Loetschberg Tunnel. So there is still some great scenery, although about 40 minutes longer travel time if you take that route.
You need to specify "via Kandersteg" on the SBB route planner to get a ticket routed that way. Once you exit either tunnel. there is some very nice scenery, especially your first glimpse of the Eiger after Spiez. Hope for a clear day.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32921 posts
You can take the Milan - Zurich train as far as Arth-Goldau and get a short ride to Luzern. Some trains go direct to Luzern, but most from the south involve that short connector from Arth-Goldau. That's because Luzern is a dead end station easiest approached from the northeast.
In Luzern you can change to the very scenic metre gauge Zentralbahn panoramic cogwheel train to Interlaken Ost on what is marketed as the Golden Pass line over the Brunig Pass and through Meiringen where Holmes had his final battle with Moriarity. Two hours later you are in Interlaken Ost where you change to go up into the Alps at Lauterbrunnen. Very scenic, with lakes, waterfalls, and forest right up close. At the end of May you might even get some snow on the Golden Pass but this year that's unlikely.