I am new to discovering this forum and I am impressed with the wealth of advice and information that can be found here. My family of 4 is traveling to Italy at the end of June. (6/26-7/12) In our group are 2 teens (15 and 17) and my disabled husband, who will be traveling with his electric wheelchair. I am wondering if any of you have specific advice for navigating Italy with limited mobility. Our tentative itinerary is the following:
1. Arrive in Milan (spend 1 night)
2. Head to Varenna by train (or elsewhere on Lake Como) for 3 nights
3. Head to Interlaken (or elsewhere: Murren, Wengen) by train for 3 nights
4. Head back to Italy by train, pick up a car and drive to the coast (long day) We are thinking of Levanto for 3 nights (hopefully do a boat trip and/or train to Cinque Terre)
5. Agriturismo in Tuscany 3 nights (with day trips to Lucca, Pisa, Volterra or San Gimignano)
6. Florence for 2 nights (return car)
7. Train to Milan for one last night and then head home
I am specifically wondering about a few things. Are the ferries in Como accessible? Has anyone taken the train from Como to Interlaken, or do we need to go back to Milan first? Has anyone rented a boat in Levanto to explore Cinque Terra? What day trips do you think are best for teens in Tuscany? Any other tips you may have I would appreciate.
A little more info: I have traveled a lot in Italy (30+ years ago). My husband and I also spent a 3 week honeymoon here 20 years ago before his disability. He is able to stand and walk a bit, so I think we can get him on a boat. Our kids don’t really care too much about art and culture(!) They love the outdoors and and being active.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5649 posts
You're taking on a lot planning for your family, and I wish you a good trip. I am somewhat concerned that you don't have lodging booked yet, as many places book up several months in advance, especially Lake Como. And-Many hotels do not have elevators.
Also, the middle lakes towns are made of steps, so I hope your husband can navigate the terrain. Perhaps watch some u- tube videos on each lake town to get a feel of the layout. Varenna, Bellagio, and Menaggio are incredibly beautiful, and just sitting on a lakeside balcony with a glass of wine can be a satisfying experience.
The CT is also very steep, with steps. And sometimes the regional trains are standing room only.i
Again, I applaud your efforts, and hopefully others with mobility issues can help out.
Have a wonderful family time.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17563 posts
Getting on and off the trains can be challenging, depending on the type of train. Some have 2 or 3 steps up into the carriage through a narrow door at the end, while others have a larger door in the center with level access from the platform. My recollection is that in Italy, the regional trains are the latter type, so easier to board, but these are entirely unreserved, and will be very crowded. Many that we rode last September were indeed standing room only. The high-speed trains have reserved seats, but those are generally the ones with steps up into the carriage.
You can read more about the train types, and accommodations for disabilities, on this website:
I am concerned about your plans to head to the Berner Oberland from Lake Como. Just getting to Interlaken will be a long journey with several changes on the way; then if you continue there is one more to Lauterbrunnen, 2 more to Wengen, and 3 more to Mürren. You will have to return to Milan to get there.
The shortest and simplest journey from Milan to the BO this summer would be to take the train to Luzern (4 hours with at least one change on the way), and change there for the train to Interlaken Ost, another 2 hours. And that is not the best place to stay; Lauterbrunnen or higher is much more scenic. It is long and possibly difficult journey for just 3 nights.
But there are some good alternatives, which will offer the same (or similar) adventures and beautiful scenery your family seeks in Switzerland.
My first suggestion would be to consider the Engadine Valley, in the village of Pontresina. Assuming your Lake Como location is the lovely village of Varenna (an easy 1-hour journey from Milano Centrale by direct train), you can take a regional train north from there to Tirano on the Swiss border, a 1.5 hour ride. Change there to a Swiss train over the Bernina Pass, much loved here as the most scenic of the Swiss train rides. In 2 hours you reach Pontresina, a pretty little ski resort town in the Engadine Valley, which is more likely to have decent weather in late June than the Berner Oberland. Lots of adventures for outdoor enthusiasts there—-explore the tourism websites like this one:
https://www.engadin.ch/en/summer-autumn/
A second option involves returning to Milan from your Lake Como base, unless you choose to stay in the town of Como itself. (I personally would take charming little Varenna over the bigger town of Como, but it may depend on where you can find lodging). Then head to Locarno on Lago Maggiore, in the Italian-speaking Swiss canton of Ticino. From there you can visit the beautiful Valle Verzasca, with great hiking, mountain biking, river swimming, and even bungee-jumping. But no alpine peaks.
https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/explore/valle-verzasca
For a third option, If you wish to go further into Switzerland for some mountains, you could take the train from MIlan north to Luzern (one train change on the way. This is the same as option 1, but you stay in Luzern or nearby (we like the lakeside town of Weggis, reached by boat) and pursue you outdoor activities on Rigi:
https://www.rigi.ch/en/experience/hiking
This offers great views over the lake, but not the variety of adventures your family could find at Pontresina.
For hotels—-in Varenna see if Hotel du Lac has rooms. It is a 4-star hotel, which means it does have an elevator. And you can look for similar 4-star hotels in your chosen Swiss location.
For a Tuscany agriturismo, consider Mulino di Quercegrossa 5 km from Siena. It is less a charming family farm and more of a small water park with 6 different pools, but we took our teen girls there and we all loved it. Just do not go on a weekend