Hi all, my sister and I will be taking Italy I have a question about taking train to Varenna. Do we need to book tickets in advance, or can we just purchase them when we are ready to leave Milan? Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
No. These are regional trains. There is no discount and no reason to buy in advance.
Buy at Milano Centrale station.
I say "buy" rather than "book", as a ticket does not include a booked/reserved seat, there are no reserved seats on these trains, you just buy a ticket, get on a train (tickets are not train specific) and sit anywhere.
You can look up times on the Trenitalia website: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Tickets cost €6.70 and there is a departure every 1-2 hours.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you Chris
Posted by
Green Bay
20146 posts
Remember to stamp your ticket in the machine by the platform. That validates the ticket, otherwise you could be fined.
Posted by
871 posts
An e-ticket purchased from the Trenitalia web site for a selected date and time is good for 4 hours and is not date stamped; saves wasted time and possible security issues at the station. Train is going to Tirano, Varenna an intermediate stop.
Posted by
Renton, WA, USA
39 posts
We were there last September, Very easy to buy tix to Varenna, we used a vending machine. Noticed signs cautioning travelers to only talk to official information personnel. Assume people have been ripped off in some way or other.
Posted by
9 posts
Tip: As you approach Varenna, be near the front of the train. The platform is small, and you may not be able to disembark.
How did I learn this? The hard way.
We traveled late at night from Milan to Varenna. The regional train did not make any announcements, and it did not have any type of screen indicating arrivals. We stopped at what I thought was Varenna, however our car was on the bridge before you get to town. We moved fast, but still didn’t make it off in time.
A local young man (the only other passenger in our car) was nice enough to suggest that we get off at the next stop, illegally and dangerously cross the track, and catch the regional train heading back towards Varenna. It felt a little bit like American Werewolf in Lake Como. We made it though.
Sorry for all the rambling. Just ride at the front of the train. Also, use gps/app on your phone if traveling at night on regional trains.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks all to your replys!
Posted by
Western Canada
3123 posts
The station for Varenna is called Varenna-Esino.
Make sure you are at the door ready to jump off as soon as the train stops, as it's only there for a minute or two.
We couldn't get our door open, and a couple of teenage boys grabbed our bags and ran us to the next door so we could get off in time!
The town is a short walk downhill from the station.