Train from Milano centrale to Lausanne Switzerland

Thanks Tim.

I can't speak from experience, but I expect that you can't get an e-ticket for an international trip. However, you can retrieve your ticket from a machine in the Milan station and avoid having to stand in line at a ticket window.

Tim I am not sure about getting it from a ticket machine. Just don't know. Last year we made the trip from Rome to Zurich via Milan. We overnighted in Milan because of connection problems. We had to purchase the Milan Zurich leg from the International desk and show our passport to purchase the tickets. Other than a discount price, there is really no need for advance purchase. We bought our tickets the day before.

Hi David. The reason you need to pick up tix in Italy for int'l travel is that it will be checked on the train by a Swiss conductor who does not have a mobile unit with access to the trenitalia computer system. When buying, select self service, then easily pick up your tix at a machine in the first major station you encounter in Italy. Enjoy your trip!

The MIlan to Switzerland tickets have SMART fares which are similar to mini fares, so it is worth buying in advance. You will get a confirmation email and instructions for picking it up at the station (probably any station, not just Milan). We rode roundtrip Zurich to Milan and back to Zurich (after 2 weeks in Italy) on similar tickets we bought on the Swiss rail site. We picked up tickets for both legs of the journey in Switzerland. The special offer price saved us 496 CHF or around $500 for the four of us. Getting on the train (an IC) was no different than riding a train that stayed in italy. The Italian conductor checked our tickets. When the train stopped at the border station (Chiasso) some Swiss border agents boarded and walked through the train, looking left and right, but no one checked passports. Going to Lausanne you will travel to Brig and then continue west toward Martigny and Lausanne. There are a few trains that go this way, heading for Geneva. for others you have to change at Brig.

I simply assumed that a person can retrieve any kind of ticket from a machine. (And assumptions can be dangerous!) However, according to Bob, that should work.

Thanks for the good information all. Lola, I did find the smart fares however, there are none available on my particular train time. Great deal though! Was going to run two of us about 40 euro vs. the 130 euro I am looking at as a standard fare. It sounds like you all are confident that purchasing once in Italy works just fine. That is my main concern more than anything.