Lake Como to Cinque Terre

Will you be staying in each area? Or visiting them on a day trip from Milan?

You can get direct trains from Milan to Lake Como area (don't know which city you are visiting). If you plan to go from Lake Como Area to CT you'd probably have 1-3 train changes. First is in Milan as you leave the CT, then you would probbaly go from Milan to Genoa to CT or another town after Genoa to change trains. There are a handful of trains that go from Milan to Monterosso in the CT without a connection. It all depends where you stay.

La Spezia is a handful of tracks and real easy to navigate to your track. Milan is larger but I've never had an issue finding my way or reading the schedules. Both Ron in Rome and Man in Seat 61 websites have great information on train schedules and stations.

Thanks for the quick response Robert! I'm planning a 3 day stay in Varenna, LC and hopefully a 5 day stay in Manarola, CT. Your insight is very helpful. I will check out the website you'd suggested. Thank you again!
L2C

Trains connections are a cinch at these stations, and the monitors make it easy to figure out where to stand (we did this trip from CT->Varenna, then back to Milan to fly out). I might suggest buying your CT return tickets in Milan because the kiosks can be funny/not accept credit cards/broken or the ticket windows may not be attended in whatever CT town you're staying in. This can add some hassle, but if you don't want to commit ahead of time you can definitely buy on the way back.

Also, you might end up connecting in Levanto depending on the time you want to leave out of Milan. I'm guessing you've already looked at the trenitalia website to see which trains are available at which times. This station is also very nice and has relatively few platforms. Just don't forget to stamp your ticket before you leave for each leg!

As for Como, DEFINITELY buy your return tickets from Varenna in Milan. Easy to find and take a single train from Milan that stops in Varenna, but there or the way back you may have to change in Lecco, which is a very easy station to navigate.

Thank you very much "jpkand". The information you'd provided is reassuring... I had concerns about the complications one may run into during the train transfers. I will definitely take your suggestions re: buying the tickets ahead of time for those transfers.

love2,

Those trips are very easy! Could you clarify if you're going directly to Lago di Como after arrival at MXP, or will you be somewhere else before that? It would be easier to provide more specific suggestions with that information. Also, where will you be going after the Cinque Terre?

One other point to mention is that you won't necessarily have to go to La Spezia to access the C.T. Depending on which train you use, you'll probably go directly from Milan to Manarola.

Ken: I remember you'd helped me with my last travels to Italy! Cheers...you're the best!
The plan is to fly into MXP, take the train to Varenna, LC (3-4 days); then travel to Manarola, CT (5 days) via La Spezia. If there is a direct train from Milan to Manarola, that would be GREAT!! Appreciate your guidance Ken!
L2C

love2,

Thanks for the additional information. Here's the route I'd probably choose in the same situation....

• When you arrive at MXP, take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale (52 min.). You can buy tickets at the airport station for that as well as your trip to Varenna. I'd also suggest buying tickets for the return trip from Varenna, as the ticket office there isn't staffed. It would also be a good idea to buy your tickets for the trip to Manarola. DON'T forget to validate your Malpensa Express tickets before boarding the train OR your tickets to Varenna before boarding, as both trains are Regionale and those with unvalidated tickets may be fined on the spot! One other point to note is that the Malpensa Express has two routes, one to Milano Centrale and one to Milano Cadorna, so be sure to board the correct train.
• The Malpensa Express arrives at Milano Centrale on one of the "outer" tracks (Binario 2?), so you'll need to walk from there into the main hall. Check the electronic board for the departure track (Binario) of your train to Varenna. The destination may be shown as Sondrio or Tirano, as Varenna is an intermediate stop. You can check the large *Partenze" charts to clarify that.
• On the train to Varenna, I'd suggest sitting on the left (when facing forward) so that you'll have a view of the lake. The trip is officially 1H:03M. You'll go through a tunnel just prior to arrival, and be prepared to disembark promptly, as the train doesn't stop for long. You should be able to walk to your hotel, as it's mostly downhill (depending on which one you're staying in).
• On the return, you'll walk back to the station, validate your ticket and then board the train back to Milano Centrale. When you arrive at Milano Centrale, again check the electronic board for the departure track of your next train.
• For the trip from Varenna to Manarola, one of the easiest solutions seems to be a departure at 10:37, arriving 15:35 (time 4H:58M, 2 changes in Milan and Sestri Levante, reservations required for the middle segment - DON'T forget to validate the tickets for the other two segments prior to boarding the train on the day of travel). That timing would allow you to have a nice breakfast at your hotel in Varenna, and get to Manarola in time for a bit of a walkabout before dinner.

Buon Viaggio!

Ken: Thank you so very much for the step-by-step directions and suggestions. You're truly an invaluable source!
L2C