I was wondering if anyone has had experience with the train ride from Domodossia to Locarno? I have had to make some adjustments to my original plans and was curious about this excursion. Some sites state you can do a one way trip then take a ferry down Lake Maggiore to Stresa where I will be staying. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Milan Italy
46 posts
Hi, Giangilberto from Milan, So the Centovalli train travels all year round 365 days a year so you could take it at any time. Clearly the foliage period is the best time to do this type of tour.
The best time to live foliage experience is from October 10th to November 15th which I highly recommend because it's a unique experience where you can see the foliage of all the vegetation in the woods around Lake Maggiore.
And above all, what makes the difference is the fact that, as far as the return journey is concerned, if you want to return from Locarno, for example, by ferry, there are still no timetables after October 4th on the official website yet.
You can look at the site that I put below which is the official lake navigation (Navigazione laghi) site where there is a section with the timetables where you will find a PDF with all the timetables.
One last thing if you want to do it during the foliage period, sales open in September and they sell out in a very short time, it's something that happens. They're all sold out practically almost immediately.
I'll also put the official Centovalli train website below, where there's a section dedicated to the foliage season with all the very detailed information you might need about tickets, timetables, and everything else covered on this site section, dedicated to the foliage experience.
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/
Posted by
Vignola, MO, IT
826 posts
I've taken it from Domodossola and spent the night in Locarno. It was early April and was beautiful going up and rained that evening and snow coming back. The train was not as roomy as regular trains and people had backpacks and small bags. No one had a large suitcase.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32728 posts
judy,
I've taken the Centovalli and it's a beautiful and scenic trip. You'll take the regular train from Stresa to Domodossola, and then go downstairs to reach the underground FART station. Arrival in Locarno is also underground. As I recall, there's a Manor store & restaurant nearby at Piazza Grande (nice place to have a meal).
If you're jusst planning to stay in Locarno for the day, there are some interesting sites there.....
- Madonna del Sasso Monastery - https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ca/experiences/sacred-mount-madonna-del-sasso/ .
- Cardada Cimetta - a short cable car ride up the hill. There's a restaurant right at the top cable car station with a patio that looks over the town and lake.... incredible views - https://www.cardada.ch/en/cardada-cimetta/the-place-to-be . Be sure to check the website in case there are any special events being held up there.
- There's also a nearby platform built out over the edge of the mountain that provides fantastic views. As recall, it's to the left and slightly downhill from the top cable car station.
- Casino
- Locarno International Film Festival (just about over for this year)
It would probably be a good idea to take your Passport, since you'll be travelling to a different country.
The quickest way to return to Stresa is via the Aliscafo (Hydrofoil) but the regular ferries will get you there just as well. There are some beautiful smaller towns along the lake. When I mentioned the trip to Locarno, the owner of the hotel I was staying in went out and came back in about 20 minutes with the tickets, which included both the regular train, the Centovalli and the trip back on the lake.