Suggestions needed: Train from Zurich to Florence

In theory (especially the 'Swiss watch theory'), you should have enough time to get from Zurich airport to the train station in a couple hours. To be safe and give yourself a little wiggle room, however, why don't you book the 12:09 or 13:09 run to Milano Centrale instead?

Also, for Milano/Florence, that can't be booked online with the DB Bahn website. You're going to have to book that separately on the Trenitalia website. That's how we did our Lucerne/Florence trip in 2015.

Enjoy your planning!

Thanks for the tip! The 13:09 sounds much safer. Plus it may give us time to find a nice place near the train station for some lunch or a snack before departing Zurich.

Would you recommend purchasing the entire trip from http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en ?
Seems it's only about $75 per person to Florence when booking 3 months in advance (over half of a same day purchase).

I don't know your exact date of travel so can't be specific, but I'd also look on sbb, the Swiss national railways. It is good to check both. I see you talking in dollars. Better if you get used to using the local currency, Euro in most of western Europe, CHF, Swiss Franks in Switzerland and then convert. If you let folk quote in your home currency you may not get the best deal. You can also have SBB quote in Euro at the official rate so you are comparing apples with apples.

Thank you! I was using the price of 63 Euros on the Trenitalia site and converting it to the $75 USD (current exchange rate). The Swiss site appears much higher.

You can book your trip starting at the Zurich airport; the station there is very easy to use. Regarding the Milan to Florence leg of the trip: if you are concerned about cost check www.italotreno.it. This is a private rail company in Italy; they run promotions for as little as €9.90 from Milan to Florence (also have reasonable fares for business class). The Trenitalia and Italo trains use the same stations. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! Have a marvelous trip.

Wow! Thank you & thanks for the tip! I had not heard of that website! Seems like there are more options to choose from!

I'm glad you have discovered .Italo Treno. They are my preferred Italian high speed trains (partly owned by the company owning Ferrari cars, and with a maroon/red colour scheme on the outside and leather seats on the inside).

I know the train from Zurich is non-refundable and non-changeable, typically, which puts us at the mercy of on-time air travel!

You've put your finger on the prime issue. If your flight gets delayed, (it happens) and you miss the train at Zurich Hbf, your advance ticket is worthless and you will have to buy new, full fare tickets to get to Florence. There goes that $300 savings. Full fare tickets for 2, second class are 262 EUR, over $300.

You say in June, and there will be a European wide schedule change on June 9 or so. Trenitalia is pretty slow posting the schedule, so they won't show up on the schedule for sale until maybe 2 month's before that date. Normally you can buy tickets 4 month's in advance, but if you are traveling after June 9, you will have to wait for them to go on sale. The schedule does not usually change that much, if at all, but they won't sell tickets until they are officially loaded in the computer.

Now I have done this, but I always leave a 4 hour window from arrival time to train departure time. It can be a pain being jet lagged and having to cool your heels that long when your plane lands right on time. The trains to Milan go every 2 hours, so you also have the options of 3:09 pm and 5:09 pm. The 5:09 looks to have the lowest advance price, 98 EUR for 2 right now. You could tour around Zurich for the afternoon before caching that train, then get to Florence before 11 pm. Get a good nap on the train to Milan. There is not nearly as much scenery as there used to be as they drilled a tunnel straight under the Alps.

I'd book the ticket straight through on Trenitalia. Book ahead as far as you can and they will give you the "Mini" fare on the Zurich-Milan leg, and "Super Economy" on the Milan-Florence leg. You might even get Business class on that leg for the same or lower price.

Thank you for the suggestion! I think that 3:09 looks like the safest bet. Even though, the earlier trains would probably work, it's good to have a little more cushion. I like your idea of walking around Zurich a bit before the train, and then get some rest on the way. Thanks!!

And if you're killing time at Zurich Hbf, there's a Nordsee restaurant (my husband's favorite for fish) right in the station.

Trains from the airport to Zurich Hbf run about every 10 minutes. Cost is about 7 or 8 CHF if I remember right. There are lots of luggage lockers at Hbf on the mezzanine just below ground level. Various sizes for 4 to 9 CHF per locker. It is close to the lake docks to take a boat ride on the Zuerichersee.

I don't know if you've considered this, but... since you're already at the airport, why not fly.

Swiss air has a flight leaving at 12:15.
Travel time is 1 hr 10 min. Cost is $93.

I always fly into Zurich on Delta and catch the train into Italy. I have never bought my tickets before hand (except to purchase a RS Swiss Transfer Pass). I go down to the ticket office in the airport, get my tickets, then go down to the train and ride to the main station and catch my trains from there.....there is much to see in the station and walking around that area will be a good way to pass the time until your train. I usually go as far a Verona with a change in Milan.

I think we're going to try for the 1:09 train and instead of going all the way to Florence, we'll stay a night or two in the Lake Como region (Bellagio). Break up the trip and enjoy a beautiful part of Italy. Makes flying into Zurich even more beneficial!

The 1:09 train gives us a 5 hour window after landing. So even, typical delays would be okay.