Train disruption at Varenna- Essino due to landslide

If you want the ferry route, take the Trenord train from Milano Cadorna to Como Laghi and it is not too far a walk to the ferry dock. If you want the bus route, take a Trenitalia train from Milano Centrale to Como S. Giovanni and you can get the bus from there. You don't need to pre book either the bus or the ferry. There is fast ferry service, but check the schedule for times

Just curious: if you had already booked your train to Varenna, is Trenitalia or Trenord (whomever you booked with) offering alternatives for its booked passengers? Might be worth checking with them as they may have arranged bus service.

If I may add to your post. We are back in the US tonight from Varenna. Our Airbnb host messaged us Friday evening about the train disruption. We were leaving Saturday to stay in Milan for our flight back to the US today(Sunday). Our host graciously took us to Lecco to train on in to Milan. The landslide is between Lierna and Varenna. On Saturday the train was running to Lierna (just before Varenna) and no further. The train coming down from Sondrio/Tirano was stopping in Bellano. I don’t know if that has changed. We talked with a couple in Lecco and they had shared a taxi from Varenna to Lecco and their total fare was 60 euros- each couple paid 30 euros. I hope this information will help some with their planning.

We are also trying to get to Varenna, when I try booking tickets on TrenItalia website, most say not purchasable. We are coming from Levanto (near Cinque Terre) on Friday, June 2. Our best train option gets us to Milano Centrale at 13:58. We are open to any option to get us to Varenna. I'm not sure if it is best to take the train to Lierna and then ferry from there? Or maybe we go elsewhere on the lake to ferry to Varenna? Any advice much appreciated. Thank you.

Several years ago when there was a train strike that only affected the east side of the lake we were advised to book a train from Milan to Como then take a bus to Mennagio. From Mennagio we took a ferry across the lake to our hotel in Varenna. It was all very easy but 3 different types of tickets purchased on the spot at the train, bus and ferry stations in Milan, Como and Mennagio.

Or maybe we go elsewhere on the lake to ferry to Varenna

If you can't find a better option, at the worst there is the 3 hours ferry that departs from Como at 15:10. I think it's the run #22, but you should depart from Levanto either at 7:57 or at 8:45 to take it.

I agree that departing from Levanto at 10:40 is nicer, but arriving in Milan at 13:58 would be too late. You wouldn't have the time to transfer into a direct train from Milano Centrale to Como S. Giovanni, walk from that station to the ferry docks and then board the 15:10 ferry.

I would recommend the bus from Como to Mennagio. The C10 runs pretty frequently and it is about 70 minutes from Como Stazione to Mennagio.

First of all the correct spelling is MENAGGIO (one N and two G, not the opposite), that will help you find the proper timetable online.

The C10 bus originates from the Como bus station which is across the street from the COMO LAGO train station, where the Trenord regional trains arrive. That station is a bette option than the Como San Giovanni, because not all buses stop at Como San Giovanni (where long distance trains stop).
Select C10 in the link below for the timetable in PDF
https://www.asfautolinee.it/it/orari-rete-extraurbana

Como Lago is also the train station of choice if you want to take a ferry to Menaggio or even to Varenna. There are also fast ferries which can get you to destination faster. From the link below select BATTELLI E SERVIZI RAPIDI
COMO-COLICO
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-di-como/

If you want to go from Milano Centrale to Como Lago, you have to change trains at Saronno or Como Camerlatta

Yes. Trains to Como Lago depart from Milano Cadorna, not Centrale.

Hi, we bought train tickets from Lecco to Varenna on Sunday 28th May, not knowing about the landslide. You are instructed to leave the train at Lierna and take a 5 minute walk down a steep hill (road) to the ferry which takes you to Varenna. The ferry was very busy but is only 20-30 minutes. Our train tickets were valid for the ferry ride and we didn’t pay extra for this. The Milan train goes through Lecco, so your tickets to Varenna should work OK. Hope this is useful.

Thanks Sandra. That is helpful to know. The Trenord says this, but good to hear first hand experience. They have not posted when the blockage will be cleared, but it does not sound like something that can be accomplished quickly.

We hadn't bought our train tickets to Varenna yet. Am planning to buy to Lierna and then hope we can get onto the ferry there to Lierna. I haven't seen anything online where I can buy a ticket, although I do find the schedule. So I really hope we can get on that ferry - seems the best and most direct option.
Does anyone know if you can just walk up and buy the tickets in Lierna for the ferry? Thanks

The ferry work around is included in the price of a ticket to Varenna. Don't just buy a ticket to Lierna or you might not be able to board the boat. Its just like a train replacement bus, except because of geography, its a train replacement boat.

Trenord, the company that runs trains on that route has put up a page with information here:

https://www.trenord.it/en/news/trenord-informs/notices/from-monday-buses-and-boats-will-be-in-service-on-the-milan-lierna-and-sondrio-bellano-routes/

At the bottom is a not very obvious link to the temporary schedules:
https://trenord-europe-trenord-endpoint-prd.azureedge.net/fileadmin/contenuti/TRENORD/3-News/Trenord_Informa/Avvisi/2023/AvvisoTrenord_2023_069_interr_lierna_bellano-_new_new.pdf

Of course train tickets are valid on the replacement busses (and ferries) as well.

My concern is if I use the Trenord website and search for routes from Milan Central to Varenna on Friday, June 2, I only get routes that start at 7:20am (with 2 buses; not possible to get to Milan that early anyway) or the next train is at 20:20 with 1 bus. We don't want to leave Milan so late.

But if I search for a train from Milan Central to Lierna, I get many options, trains at 12:20, 13:20, 14:20, etc.
Ferry options that we can make would be either the 14:00 ferry or the 16:05 ferry.
My concern is that if the Trenold schedules don't align with the ferry schedule, if we get to Lierna we will be stuck and unable to take the ferry since we want to leave earlier than the 20:20 train. I'm not sure if we can just show up in Lierna and buy a ticket for the "extraordinary ferry" to Varenna.

On a side note, is there any difference in buying tickets via Trenord or TrenItalia? So far we've just used TrenItalia and already have the app installed. Not sure if we need to have an account/app with Trenord too.

If you look at the schedule posted by WengenK, the 9:20 train connects with the replacement ferry to Varenna, as does the 10:20, 12:20, 14:20, 16:20, and 17:20.

Trenord operates pretty much all the regional trains in Lombardy, and the their tickets are also sold via the Trenitalia website and app. Trenitalia. Trenitalia is a part owner of Trenord.

Just in case anyone else is reading this and has the same issues as we did - I feel like the landslide might take a while to get the train line open.

We bought train tickets to Lierna as we were unable to buy to Varenna on either TrenItalia or Trenord. Our train got it at 3:41pm. We headed to the ferry with everyone else and waited in line for the 4:05 ferry, didn't see anyone to ask about buying a ticket. The ferry arrived and they definitely checked for train tickets to Varenna. Without a ticket we had to wait to the side until everyone with a ticket boarded. Luckily they had room for us (and the others without a ticket), paid on board 10 Euro for 2 of us. Happy to have made it to Varenna!

Just returned from Lake Como via train. We took the train both ways and were there after the landslide. We found the fastest route from Malpensa airport to Varenna was to take the train from Malpensa airport to Como Nord Lago. Which is 1 hour 18 minutes.

Then take the “Hydrofoil” which is the fast ferry to Varenna. This will take 45 minutes to Bellaggio or 1 hour to Varenna.
The ferry is approximately a 5 minute walk located near the Como Nord Lago train station.

Track is now open.

Hi, N-Kingdom. I am not seeing that information posted anywhere. How do you know the track is open?

Thanks.

• ww

The railway reopened last June 11

Is the railway open just from Varenna to Milan? Or is it open all the way from/to Tirano? Thank you.

The landslide was at Fiumelatte, south of Varenna, therefore the segment north of Varenna to Tirano, was never affected.

Just to remind that the railway line is being renovated, so the section between Sondrio and Tirano is now closed till September 10th. Additionally, the section between Colico and Sondrio will be closed August 6th to 27th. There will be substitute bus services for the closed sections. - This has nothing to do with the landslide.