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Italy, Switzerland and Austria Route by Train

Posted by on

Looking for help with a route between Italy, Austria and Switzerland. My husband and I (60) are planning a trip April 28 to May 25. We will fly in from London so no jet lag. We would like to travel by trains and, in particular, we would like to do the scenic trains in the Alps. We enjoy food, people watching, day excursions and cruises, scenery, but limited museums. Help on where to fly in/out of as well as best type of rail passes would be helpful. Also, our last weekend will be the holiday weekend, so we're concerned about hotel reservations. Thank you!

  • Rome
  • Sorrento
  • Capri
  • Florence
  • Venice
  • Lake Garda and/or Lake Como
  • Austria ????
  • Switzerland ????
Posted by
8889 posts

The best kind of rail pass is often none. It is often cheaper to buy individual tickets.
See this webapge: http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm
which explains all the details. I would recommend that website ( http://www.seat61.com ) as the best source of information on train travel in Europe.

Why don't you fly from London to Naples, and then do Sorrento > Capri > Rome > Florence etc., that way you avoid doubling back.
I would say either Venice > Lake Garda > Austria, or Venice > Lake Como > Switzerland, again to avoid doubling back on yourself.
A car would be a good idea for your few days on whichever lake, that way you can do some exploring.
If you choose Switzerland, choose the "back route" from Lake Como into Switzerland, Bernina pass (click here), the only rail route over the Alps (not tunnel through).

I am not sure which Holiday weekend you are referring to. Monday 1st May, Thursday 14th May and Monday 25th May are public holidays in Switzerland, different days in different countries.

Posted by
32405 posts

susan,

Is that the order you plan to visit each place on your list? It would be more efficient to fly from London to Naples if possible, take the Curreri Viaggi Bus to Sorrento and start your trip there.

A few questions and comments.....

  • Were you just planning to visit Capri as a day trip?
  • Have you travelled by train in Europe before?
  • Are you returning to London or elsewhere when your trip is finished?
  • Have you considered Lago Maggiore as well? There are some fantastic sights there and also an interesting day trip possibility.

Austria is somewhat of an "outlier" with your other destinations, but it should easily be possible to fit Switzerland in. With a bit of further information, I'm sure the group here can provide some Itinerary suggestions.

Posted by
78 posts

As Ken wrote, adding Austria to your already long tour might stretch it a little too much.

If you want to enjoy some nice alpine scenery, here is my advice:

Florence to Lake Como via Milan, by train. Change train at Milan central station.

Lake Como to Sankt Moritz via Tirano - Bernina Pass. Change train at Tirano.

Sankt Moritz to Zernez by Raetische Bahn train. Zernez is a nice little alpine town, gateway of the swiss national park.

Zernez to Mals by Autopostale Bus. MALS is the german name, MALLES VENOSTA is the italian equivalent.

Mals/Malles Venosta to Bozen/Bolzano by train, changing at Meran/Merano. Merano is worth a visit too.

Bozen/Bolzano to Venice by train, changing at Verona.

Fly back to London from Venice.

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