Buying Train Tickets from Varenna to Milan

These are no ticket machines at the Varenna train station.. There is a travel agent in town that does sell tickets. It is best to get your return ticket in Milan.

Thank you. I find that very interesting because when we went to the Berner Oberland last summer even the most remote mountain top villages had kiosks even though there was no ticket counter. I guess different country, different way of doing things. Thanks again!

You can also buy that ticket online from Trenitalia if you have access to a printer.

Heidi, that was Switzerland. They do things differently in different countries.
SBB (or other Swiss rail companies) have ticket machines at every station, Trenitalia does not.

You don't buy a return ticket in Milan, you buy two separate one-way tickets for the two directions on two different dates.

You don't need to print trenitalia's e-tickets.

The travel agency is inside the station since 2016.

Local trains tickets can be purchased also at many Tobacconist shops in Italy, in Varenna the shop offering this service is in Via IV Novembre nr. 6. You can recognize it thanks to the sign with a capital white T on a black background hanging outside the shop.

"I guess different country, different way of doing things."

Chris, if you read my whole comment you would see I did mention the Berner Oberland is a different country. I am not so old that I don't know what country I was in just because I did not specify the country's name is Switzerland.

We are planning to stay in Varenna next weekend for three nights and
have an early morning return flight home the following Monday.

I'm having a bit of a time figuring your schedule so I'm just double-checking? You aren't thinking of leaving Varenna the same day you have an early morning flight from Malpensa? The airport is a LONG ways from Varenna so that would not be a good idea.

have an early morning return flight home...on Monday

You are planning on leaving Varenna on Sunday, correct?

"Next weekend for three nights": for an early flight on Monday, you should spend Sunday night closer to the airport. From Varenna it's probably at least two hours by public transportation, not including waiting time for a connection.

I'm curious to know how many people ride for free from Varenna-Esino to Milano Centrale, especially on an early weekend morning when that train is packed in high season. I venture to guess many tourists show up expecting tickets to be on sale at the train station. Then they figure they'll buy tickets on board, if necessary. The aisles and exit corridors are packed with people and luggage, I've never seen a train officer come through to check tickets. No one is going to look for one either in that packed-sardine state. The ride is cheap and only an hour long. Maybe the train folk don't think it's worth a check. I wouldn't want to be a passenger caught without a ticket, but I suspect a lot of people ride for free on this last hour ride.

Heidi,

What time is your "early flight" on the Monday?

There are several options for buying tickets from Varenna-Esino to Milan......

• Buy them in Milan prior to going to Varenna, either from a Kiosk or the staffed ticket office. Be sure to specify the date you'll be travelling on the ticket as the tickets will only be valid on the day printed on the ticket. Don't forget to validate the tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel or you'll risk hefty fines.
• Buy them online at www.trainline.eu and then print them out whenever you have access to a printer.
• Buy them at the helpful Tivano Tours office in Varenna, perhaps the day before you'll be travelling back to Milan.

Hi everyone,

Our flight leaves at 10 in the morning. I noticed the earliest train leaving Varenna is at 5:37. Its a little tight on time. The connection were making is to Paris before leaving for the U.S. I'd like to be at Malpensa Airport at 8 am.

I wouldn't do it but if everything is on-time your are fine. You have 15 mins to transfer in Centrale. However, if you miss the 5.37 you don't have a good back up. The 6.23 is too late as it would put you at the airport around 9.20. We have frequently found that check-in for flights will cut off about 45 mins prior to departure. So you 10am flight is really a 9.15 to check in.

The 6.23 is too late as it would put you at the airport around 9.20.

It actually gets you there at 8:46, but it is still panic time. Don't miss that 5:37, 7:46 is still living dangerously.

It would be too tight for me too, Heidi. I'd consider staying in Milan the night before as you don't have much if any room for error in your current plan.

I'm not a last-night-in-Milan type of traveler. I hate leaving Varenna, so I stay as long as I can. I don't do trains to MXP, though. I call my friend Marco Barili and let him drive me to MXP from Varenna. (http://www.varennataxi.com/) No matter the hour, he always knows how to get me to MXP on time. Marco and his wife Nelli speak a little English.

Hi everyone. We returned to Boston yesterday and I just wanted to let everyone know we made our flight with time to spare. We took the 5:37 am train from Varenna and made the connection to the Malpensa Express just fine with a 20 min window. Needless to say, it was a great trip!

It's terrific when it works, but awful when it does not. Congratulations on your good luck. Sometimes that Varenna train slows down to a stop about five-minutes before arrival at Centrale. Anything can go wrong with only a 20-minute window.

Hey Joe,

Your sarcasm and snarkiness isn't appreciated nor is it warranted. I planned out the timetable and not only were we able to make this very easy connection but, we also made 2 one hour connections from Paris to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Boston. So, needless to say you know the definition of exaggeration.

Glad it worked out for you.