I have already posted in the France travel forum. Here is my dilemma! It seems that train routes go from Colmar down to Marseille and along the coast. To Nice. I have taken this route twice. I will have two days to reach the coastal area near Nice. I will be leaving Lucern, Sw for Colmar. Would it be rediculous to return by train through Sw to maybe Italy (Tourine) and on to the coast. Would love a scenic route by train but if this is not feasible, please tell me. I have looked at train routes but can't put it together. If you know a lot about train routes would the cost be way rediculous.
Posted by
Chicago
7865 posts
How about Luzern to Milan and then Milan to Nice. Book them separately
When you search this route it will show the prices for you to determine if the cost is "way rediculous."
https://www.trainline.eu/
I do not how scenic it is but maybe someone will chime in here,
Posted by
OP
56 posts
Thank you for your reply.
How long would it take to get to Milan? Then how long from Milan to Nice?
Posted by
Chicago
7865 posts
How long would it take to get to Milan? Then how long from Milan to Nice?
Since you do not want the cost to be way ridiculous then why not look it up on the site where you would buy each ticket.
When you do that you will see the cost and how long would it take to get Luzern to Milan then how long from Milan to Nice.
Here is the link again to the site where you can look it up by putting in your travel date:
https://www.trainline.eu/
Posted by
OP
56 posts
Thank you for your reply but I have had a hard time understanding the train schedule
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
I have had a hard time understanding the train schedule
Can you explain what your difficulty is, and maybe we can help.
Is it finding the correct website?
Is it knowing what to enter?
Are the results confusing?
Posted by
OP
56 posts
Thanks Chris for your reply. My itinerary is to land in Zurick, take the train to Lucerne and stay for 3 full days. From there to Alsace ...4 days and then to the Nice area of France. It seems that the rail route heading south goes to Marsaille. Marsaille to Nice is a route I have taken twice before. It was indicated that I would waste time backtracking through Sw. I am not that good will the rail timetable. What I did see is that I could change trains in Lyon and take the rail to Tourin, Italy. I then would need to change trains taking the rail down and over to Nice. If there are a lot of changes ...
Then this would be a problem do to back problems. Mostly lifting. I have learned to travel light over the past few year, but do know what it is like getting on and off trains with luggage. Could leave Alsace around noon or sooner, get to a destination, spend that evening and 1 additional day somewhere, and leave the following for my final destination. I just am not sure about reading the rail
Schedule correctly.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Sounds like your problem is not the train time websites, but geography. I think you need to look at a map, and a rail map not a road map. Rail maps are not very common on the internet.
There is a map here, but you must realise this is only showing the main lines: http://i.imgur.com/CK6bhBO.jpg
Second, there is the Alps. The Alps occupy the southern half of Switzerland, they then turn south and follow the French-Italian border (or rather, the border follows the top of the mountains). The mountains then end suddenly at the sea, at the point the border reaches the sea.
There are few rail routes across the Alps, they either need a tunnel, or in the case of the coast line from Italy to France, it is on the side of a mountain.
The main line south from Lyon to Marseille follows the Rhone valley, because that is flat. Anything further east is mountainous and slow.
Finally there is another set of mountains following the Italian coast.
Heading south from Alsace, you need to cross to Lyon, down the Rhone valley on the High Speed line to Marseille, and follow the coast line to Nice. This line is squeezed between the mountains and the sea, and is therefore slow.
The other alternative is from Alsace to head south, via Switzerland to Milan (Italian: Milano). Then continue to Genoa (Italian: Genova) on the coast. You can then follow the coast in the opposite direction to Nice. this would be slower than the French route via Lyon and Marseille.
Rail websites always find the quickest route, so you will have to look this up in two steps: Colmar to Milano and Milano to Nice.
The next problem is spelling. When using rail websites, you have to be careful to spell place names properly, and in the local language, or it may not work. For example Zurich, Marseille, Torino (English: Turin).