Train to Varenna from Milan

That really shouldn't be necessary and will probably lock you into a travel time, or at least a short window, again unnecessary. Direct trains from Milano Centrale station take an hour, don't take reservations, and run almost hourly. You can buy tickets from a machine (some take cash and some credit card), a ticket window, or even a travel agency in the train station, about €10 per person in 2nd class.

Just buy your ticket at the station or directly from trenitalia.com, €6.70 one way, regional train, no advance purchase discount. Milano Centrale-Varenna Esino are the stations.
Make sure to secure your return ticket as there is no ticket booth in Varenna.

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. It's strange that the schedule says there is a train that leaves Milan around 8:20AM and the next one doesn't leave until about 2 hours later. All the other times are an hour apart. I wish one left around 9 so we wouldn't have to get such an early train. Don't want to wail until after 10 though.

Look at Trenitalia.com, the official railway site for Italy.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that's the site I was looking at. Thanks

laurie,

There are trains from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino about every 1-2 hours. There's a departure at 08:20 and the next one is at 10:20. Fare is currently listed at €6.70 PP one way.

You can easily buy tickets from the Kiosks or a staffed ticket office. There are Kiosks at track level and also adjacent to the ticket office on the ground floor. They have an English language option, and are very easy to use. There's often a long queue at the ticket office in Milano Centrale, so that's another reason to use a Kiosk. I'd suggest buying your return ticket at the same time, just in case the Kiosk in Varenna is out-of-order.

Those are Regionale trains, so if using locally purchased tickets you MUST validate prior to boarding the train on the day of travel or risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!

Sounds like my college mantra: "No 8 O'clock classes" which soon morphed into "No 8 or 9 O'clock classes" and eventually became "No morning classes".

Beware of all the people that will try and help you buy your ticket at the train station. They are not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They will hold onto the tickets that come out of the machine until you give them the tip they ask for. Be sure to validate your tickets before getting on the train and sit on the left side of the train on the way to Varenna. You will love Varenna.

If you want to buy regionale tickets online, you can; just show your e-device to the conductor and he/she will scan it.

There no kiosk or staff at the varenna station. There is a "tobacco shop" in town that sells tickets, but i'd not want to add that layer of anxiety. Buy a round trip ticket, and enjoy!

If you need rail tickets in Varenna, you might try the helpful Tivano Tours office. It used to be located just below the station on the main street, but I've heard they may now have an office in the station. If you forget to buy a return ticket, it shouldn't be a problem as the people that live in Varenna need to buy tickets too. BE SURE to validate before boarding the train on the day of travel.

The people that live in Varenna either have subscription tickets or use their Internet enabled phones to purchase via trenitalia's app. Both solutions could be difficult for tourists, while tobacconists and travel agencies are not open 24/7. In Varenna they might also close in the middle of the day.

There must be a reason if Trenitalia and regional governments can close all secondary stations' kiosks without people complain: I'm afraid it's the app.

If I buy the return trip ticket in the morning before we go, do I have to select a return time, or can we use that ticket to return when we are tired and ready to go back whenever?

laurie,

"If I buy the return trip ticket in the morning before we go, do I have to select a return time, or can we use that ticket to return when we are tired and ready to go back whenever?"

You can buy the return trip in the morning but be sure the correct date is specified and the approximate time that you expect to return to Milan. The ticket must be used within four hours of the time specified on the ticket.. DON'T forget to validate prior to boarding the train. DO NOT validate the return ticket in the morning as it will have expired by the time it's used.

darioalb,

I suspect you're right and most people just buy online tickets these days. There are probably a few older people that don't have smartphones, so they will have to visit the travel agency during business hours to get tickets.

I've never tried but it may be possible to buy Italian E-tickets from Trainline. One of the nice features of Trainline is that the credit card details are all pre-registered so there should be no delays with each purchase. Last time I checked the Trenitalia app was not available on the Canadian iTunes store, however there is an app called Infotreni and it may also be possible to buy E-tickets with that.

If I buy the return trip ticket in the morning before we go, do I have to select a return time, or can we use that ticket to return when we are tired and ready to go back whenever?

• If you buy at the counter or at an automatic machine you have to tell/enter a return day and then the ticket can be used on any regional train leaving that day. As they have a "24 hours shelf life", these locally purchased regional trains tickets must be time-stamped shortly before getting on the train. Once stamped they are valid for 4 hours on all regional trains making the same route.
  If you know the day of travel, you are not forced to purchase at the station before boarding. There are tons of tobacconists and travel agencies all over Italy that display trenitalia's logo on the window and that sell regional tickets adding only a small fee (if any).

• If you purchase on-line, regional trains tickets can be used on the chosen train and on any other one making the same route and departing within the following 4 hours. Of course you don't have to time stamp train tickets purchased on-line. You aren't even required to print them, anymore: conductors can scan the QR code directly from electronic displays. Of course a low-battery isn't an excuse.

darioalb,

Thanks for the clarification and detail on the tickets.