Lake Como: Menaggio to Varenna Ferry Schedule

Mcmlln,

According to this schedule, the ferry departs Menaggio at 3:10pm, 4:10pm, 5:10pm & 7:10pm ( travel time to Varenna = 13 minutes): http://www.navlaghi.it/c_download/E2016_NLC_Navetta%20CL.pdf

Edit: The timetables above (pdf) are from the official ferry website:http://www.navlaghi.it/eng/c_illago.html
You click on, 'timetables' (list on left side), then scroll down to find the 'Mid-lake shuttle'.

Somehow, I don't think you can arrive in Menaggio by train. No tracks. You can get there on a bus from Lugano and you can get to Lugano on a train.

If you want to get to Varenna from Lindau, you can take a train. Lindau to Chur to Tirano to Varenna. The Chur to Tirano leg is the famous route of the Bernina Express.

Here is the midlake shuttle timetable connecting Varenna and Menaggio.
http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/file2/NLC_Navetta%20CL_E2016.pdf

The fastest way is not the easiest. As Sam noted, the train does not serve Menaggio----you will be on a bus from Lugano. This journey can be as little as 6.5 hours but has lots of changes on the way. A journey with fewer changes takes longer.

Personally I would use the Bernina Express route suggested by Sam. It is spectacular, and takes you right to Varenna on the train. We did this last autumn and it was beautiful---but we broke it up into two days to have time to hike on the way.

That route would be Lindau---Sargans--Chur---Samedan---Pontresina---Tirano---Varenna or something like that. It takes 8-9 hours. You can use Bahn.de to find the route, but you will have to force it by specifying a route via Samedan or Pontresina. Otherwise it will send you Lindau---Zurich----Monza---Varenna or another route with more changes.

It occurs to me that the OP is looking at a route that goes by rail to St Moritz, then the Bus to Lugano, stopping at Menaggio on the way. It shows arrival at Menaggio at 15:05.

My train arrives in Menaggio around 3pm.

This route stops at Chiavenna, Italy at 13:50. There is a train, connecting at Colico to Varenna leaving at 14:44. This would get to Varenna at 16:05. and only costs 4.80 EUR. So it will get there sooner than taking the ferry. The 631 bus from St Moritz stops at Via Lusardi in Menaggio at 15:05 and it is over 1/4 mile walk to the ferry dock. No way to make that for the 15:10 boat, so they would have to wait for the 16:10 boat.

Thanks Sam & Lola for clarifying an important travel fact!

When I originally read the post, I focused on the OP's question about the ferry schedules.
I knew about the bus from Lugano, but my brain failed to register that the OP had written that he'd be arriving to Menaggio by train!

Sam, you're a great travel detective!

Thanks for the helpful feedback. I just wanted to clarify my final destination is Varenna. I have been looking for the best way to get from Lindau to Varenna. So far, I have seen the Lindau-Lugano-Menaggio as the best route, but it sounds like I can take the train to St. Mortiz or Chur and possibly take the bus to a train that would take me to Varenna?

From Lindau, you need to get to St Moritz (or nearby Samedan) by way of Chur. From there you have the option of taking the bus to Chiavenna, then train to Varenna, or train to Tirano, then train to Varenna.

If you get an early start (6:24 am) you can take the actual Bernina Express, which is direct from Chur to Tirano. There is a small reservation fee (12 CHF?) to ride the Bernina Express in a panorama car. That will get you to Varenna at 2:36 pm.

You should be able to buy a through ticket at www.sbb.ch/en.