Hello,
After ending our RS tour, we will be heading from Venice to Varenna and then back to Milan. We originally were planning on renting a car but based upon what I've read, it sounds like we do not need a car in Varenna?
What is the best rail site to book our trip from Venice to Varenna? We will be travelling to Varenna on a Wednesday - not sure if options are limited mid-week.
Thanks in advance,
Barbara
Try the Trenitalia website or trainline.eu (which includes both Trenitalia trains and Italo trains - two competing rail companies, Trenitalia being larger and the national railroad).
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
https://www.trainline.eu
For the Treitalia site, you must use Italian spellings for cities (Venezia not Venice).
Look up schedules. Note that there is no point or need to buy regional train tickets ahead of time - those trains aren't reserved and can't sell out, plus they cost the same to book today as they would 20 minutes before departure. If you aren't sure of the time you might take a regional train, wait to book your tickets til you get to Venice.
The faster express trains (reserved seats) do tend to be cheaper to buy ahead of time, as cheaper seats available at lower prices sell out the closer you get to departure. So if you can be fixed in your plans, you can usually save money booking those ahead of time. You can either book now and download/print out your tickets or show them on your phone or tablet (or both).
If your trip is after June 10, the train from Milan to Varenna-Esino may not show up as it is a Regionale and many are not on the schedule yet. Just look at the same day of the week in the near future. Schedules don't change much, but it throws up a lot of confusion this time of year for people planning train trips and can't find any trains.
Thank you - I appreciate the information!
hey neighbor
we used trainline.eu when booking. they do have a senior discount if over 60. on left side adult press + right side has adult with arrow down and click senior 60+. do not use rail europe and like other poster the correct names of italy train stations. enjoy your holiday. happy travels
aloha
No, you are right - you will no use for a car in Varenna. The lake is the thing. There are boats big and small which go from Varenna all over the lake, and a beautiful lake it is.
You will board a high speed train in Venezia Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal and your train will whisk you along the Po Valley through Padova, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia and wind up at Milano Centrale station, the absolutely massive station in Milan. Centrale is a dead end station so there are no stairs to change platforms to your connection. Just walk up to the front of the train and find the platform number for your next train, they are all in sequence. Hop on the little train for Tirana and get off at Varenna. Be ready to get off because at Varenna the train doesn't stop long. Have all of you and your luggage at the door just before the train stops. That isn't a problem at Milan or Venice because they are the end stations for the train.
