Transportation from Lake Como to Bolzano

It takes anywhere from 4h 55min to 6h52min max. Most trains will take much less than 6 hours.
Go to the official train company (Trenitalia) website:
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Enter
From: VERENNA-ESINO
To: BOLZANO BOZEN
Enter a date (17 Sept)
Enter a time: (start as early as possible in the morning to see all options).
Et Voilà!
Prices will vary depending on type of train you choose (faster trains cost more) and availability of discounts if you purchase in advance. Prices will range from under €30 per person to €59.10 per person, which is the maximum possible price you can pay.

If you google “Varenna to Bolzano”, then click on the train symbol above the map, the options will appear. Change the Depart date to Sept. 17. I’m not sure where you are looking, but I see journeys from 4 hr 56 min to 5 hr 57 min, priced 23-46€ each.

Which rail website did you use to research the trip? I just checked the Trenitalia website and found numerous solutions for trips on September 17th. The departure I'd choose departs Varenna-Esino at 10:35, arriving Bolzano Bozen at 15:30 (time 4H:55M, two changes at Milano Centrale and Verona Porta Nuova, current fare listed at 46.40€ PP). The first change allows about 25 minutes, and the second allows about 22 minutes. As I recall, the trains heading north from Verona use a track (Binario) that is in a different part of the station.

You can buy tickets online on the Trenitalia website or from a reseller such as The Trainline, and also from local ticket offices or Kiosks. If you buy tickets locally, note that the first train is a Regionale so your tickets must be validated prior to boarding the train on the day or travel. Failure to do so may result in hefty fines collected on the spot. Tickets purchased online do not have to be validated. If you're travelling with a smartphone, tickets can be saved on those.

Is Bolzano your final destination, or are you travelling to other towns in that area?

Thank you all, for your helpful responses. I don't know how I missed the train schedules! From Bolzano we take a bus to Siusi and then find our Airbnb just out of the village. We are told it is a 700 meter walk. Seems lovely.

We did the second half of your journey - train from Verona to Bolzano, then the bus up to Siusi - last year. A few thoughts there:

• There's an intercity train that runs this route that is a fraction of the cost of you book it through the German rail system (bahn.com) instead of through TrenItalia.
  • We used our time in Bolzano to get a stretch of the legs, grab some lunch/groceries, and do our laundry , which is way easier than doing it in Varenna before you leave or Siusi after you arrive. There are a couple of self serve laundromats within an easy walk of the train station.
  • The bus can get crowded, so arrive early and line up at the right bay in advance of the departure. We got lucky and made it onto the standing room only bus, but many ticket holders had to wait for the next one due to it being over capacity.

Assuming you're going up to the Alpe (AMAZING.) One thing we did not expect to love so much was e-bikes. A very fun and relaxing way to cover a lot more ground up there. Have a blast!

Steve, your added thoughts and suggestions are very helpful! Just for clarification, is the German train from Verona to Bolzano?

Yes. I'm assuming you'll take the train from Varenna-Esino down to Milano Centrale, then another train over to Verona Porta Nuova, and one more up to Bolzano (not Bolzano Sud) This last leg is most efficiently serviced by DB (Deutsche Bahn.) And remember, always 2nd class. Hope that helps!