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Varenna to Florence, Venice, and/or Switzerland

Posted by on

Hello!

My husband and I are taking our first trip to Italy for my friend’s wedding this September (from the 12-19).

The wedding is in Varenna on Como Lake. We are arriving at Linate airport and traveling into Varenna on the 12th and staying through the 15th.

From there, our plans are flexible. We thought it would be nice to venture into Switzerland and maybe stay overnight (or just do a day trip depending on our itinerary) because we’re so close from Varenna. We’ve also talked about visiting Florence and/or Venice if time allows. We flight out of Milan on the 19th.

Any suggestions for must-sees in northern Italy or for an itinerary that allows us to explore some of these destinations in the most efficient manner? We would like to take the train as we don’t plan to rent a car.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Posted by
8889 posts

From Varenna you are perfectly positioned to do the Bernina Pass rail route OVER the Alps.
Train from Varenna to Tirano, and another from there to Chur. Overnight in Chur.
Option 1: back the following day by the same route.
Option 2: after Chur, take a bus over the San Bernadino pass to Bellinzona (3 castles, World Heritage site), on to Lugano and back to Milan.

You could also do Florence or Venice for your 4 nights (did I calculate that right?), but those are in the opposite direction (south).

Posted by
303 posts

I agree that Switzerland is closer to maximize your travel time. We spent 4 days in Varenna then took the train from the train station in Como ( the city of Como) to Zurich, but loved Lucerne more. Of course, there is always seeing more of Lake Como. Venice would be a hike. Save that for another trip. You will want to return to Italy!!

Posted by
3124 posts

You only have a short time, and the train connections will limit your options. IMO Florence wouldn't be worth the time getting there and back. Do you want to go to Switzerland just to say you've been there, or is there a particular destination you want to see? Lugano, for instance, is pretty similar to Varenna.

To avoid unnecessary stress, I suggest staying at or near Milan airport the night of the 18th.

If you haven't already seen RS's article on Varenna, here you go https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/the-italian-allure-of-lake-como

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