We'll be taking the train from Varenna-Esino to Tirano and then on to St Moritz. Are our Swiss Travel Passes valid for that whole route, or will be need to buy regional train tickets from Varenna-Tirano (since they're both in Italy)?
On the sbb.ch site it shows the whole route, so I'm thinking maybe the passes will work the whole way. Am I right?
That route is not on the map of Swiss Travel Pass validity, so do buy the regional train ticket either at the travel agency at Varenna station (or you can buy onboard the train during hours that the agency is not open) or buy it at an earlier train station, such as Milano Centrale, separate from your first ticket to Varenna. (You have to validate each one separately in the date-stamp box when ready to use it.)
Cindy, most railway company websites list connecting trains from other railway companies, so you can look up the complete route from A to B no matter how many companies' trains are involved. www.bahn.de includes virtually the whole of Europe.
Railway company boundaries are not always exactly on the border, for example Your Swiss pass is valid from Tirano, which is in Italy. The map Laura posted (you will get a free paper copy of this with your ticket) shows what is and isn't included: https://www.swisspasses.com/railpass/overviewmap_en.pdf
Italian fares are a lot cheaper than Swiss, a ticket from Varenna-Esino to Tirano only costs €7.30 (prices on http://www.trenitalia.com/ ).
Gotcha. Thank you both. :)
