We have a train booked from Milan to Varenna on June 23. I’m aware of the railway closure but only through this group. Will trenitalia cancel our booking or amend it to arrive in Lecco instead of Varenna? Do we need to do anything for the bus transportation from Lecco to Varenna? Should we arrange private transport? One quote I got was 80€ which I’d rather not pay.
Posted by
Chicago
8464 posts
That route is highly used by both everyday locals going to and from work and tourists. Trenitalia won't cancel your ticket; you don't need to do anything but get off the train and get on one of the buses using the same ticket and get off when you reach Varenna. Given how crowded the train gets on that route I'm sure there will be multiple buses.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3075 posts
The Trenord train line from Milan to Varenna-Esino will be closed north of Lecco at least from June 15 through September 15. This means train travelers to Varenna-Esino will need to disembark the train in Lecco and board substitute buses for the remainder of the journey. Your train ticket will reserve you a spot aboard the substitute buses completing the journey.
So, you don’t have to do anything other than to hang on to your train ticket to show the bus driver. And the buses will wait for the trains to transfer their passengers onto the buses.
The Trenord trains north from Varenna-Esino to Sondrio and Tirano will also be impacted by maintenance construction and substitute buses will also be used on that stretch to link the routes for travelers.
The journey from Lecco all the way to Tirano is expected to take about 30 minutes longer by bus than by train.
Posted by
OP
14 posts
That helps! I’m not worried about getting there now! It might take longer but we are in no rush going to Varenna.
What about on the way back? We are catching a train in Milan taking us to Venice. I assume the bus ride will add time to the return so we should plan to take an earlier bus from Varenna to Lecco.
Do we just show up at the train station in Varenna and get on a bus to Lecco? We just board our reserved train in Lecco to get us to Milan?
Posted by
1 posts
I'm traveling from Milan to Varenna on June 25th. Trenitalia and Trenord websites used to show hourly trains on the schedule when I looked last month. However, when I look now, I only see 2 trains listed per day (at around 8pm and 9pm). Will they continue to have hourly service? I'd like to leave from Milan around 3pm but am not sure if that is possible if there are no trains. I know there will be buses from Lecco to Varenna but I was expecting Milan to Lecco trains to still go hourly. Thank you.
Posted by
1 posts
Hello! My partner and I are travelling from Milan to Varenna Esino (in the hope to go to Lake Como) on Wednesday June 25th. I was hoping to book my tickets but have realised there is maintenance works going on and therefore no trains from Milan to Varenna Esino. I read that I would be able to get the train from Milan to Lecco and then a replacement bus would take us to Varenna from outside Lecco station. I am able to book the Milan to Lecco train tickets, but would like to ask how would I then carry on to Varenna and what would be my ticket for the replacement bus? It won’t let me buy a ticket for Milan to Varenna for that date.
Posted by
Wengen
3166 posts
Railways cannot cancel tickets at their own whim. The moment a railway sells you a ticket they commit to transporting you. And if for some reason they need to replace a train service with a bus service than your ticket is obviously also going to be accepted for the bus.
Don't overthink this. In the end this is just trivial local mass transit.