I'm thinking of going on an Italy My Way Tour next year. I've been to Switzerland but my wife has not. The tour includes two nights in Varenna. How feasible would it be to rent a car in Varenna and go to Lauterbrunnen for the day? I am fully aware that from Varenna to Lauterbrunnen is about 4 1/2 hours one way. I figure if we leave Varenna at 6 AM we'd be in Lauterbrunnen at about 11, then leaving at 6 PM would bring us back to Varenna at 11 PM. Varenna isn't very big so I would be satisfied with a few hours there when we arrive before spending the first night there. There is a car rental company in Varenna that opens at 8 AM and closes at 6 PM, with a long lunch at midday. If I pick up the rental car before closing time the day we arrive in Varenna and drop it off at 8 AM on the day we leave, would that work? In Lauterbrunnen, I am thinking of only a hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, and a cable car ride to Murren for the view. I spent six wonderful days in Lauterbrunnen in 2011 so I did a lot of Alpine hiking in the area. My wife is more interested in Italy but would enjoy a glimpse of Switzerland. So my #1 question is the feasibility of the car rental in Italy, and the #2 question is can we do both the hike and a cable car ride on a summer afternoon.
Posted by
Paris
7269 posts
Hi,
I don't think this is feasible. Ten hours of driving in a single day is incompatible with any sightseeing, and I'm not even sure there are practical car rental options in Varenna (never needed one, quick search only indicates a mysterious local outfit without any reviews).
Alternative Switzerland day trip suggestion: take the train from Varenna to Tirano, then the Bernina Express from there to St Moritz, and back. Or, instead of visiting St Moritz, consider taking the funicular up Muottas Muragl or the cable car up Diavolezza. Extremely scenic journey, and no driving so you can fully relax. Perfectly feasible in a day.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1653 posts
The plan does not work for several reasons. First, Varenna is tiny and I wonder which kind of car you may find on hire. Second, the trip begins with a ferry crossing to Menaggio; the first run of the ferry is an indirect one at 6.50am taking an hour; the last one for the return trip is around 7.30pm. You may drive via Como and skip the ferry, adding an hour to the itinerary. - The shortest itinerary via Google involves the Gotthard tunnel, that at top times may have queues. To tell it shortly, even if you manage to get a car, you do not have enough hours in a day to do it.
If your wife wants to see a glimpse of Switzerland, the magnificent Bernina itinerary is close enough to Varenna, and you do not even need a car as it can be done by train. You could even consider leaving the train at Bernina Pass and have hikes around it.