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Help Refining Swiss Trains and Italian Lakes Itinerary

Posted by (Amelia Island, FL) on

Four of us are in the process of planning a customized Swiss trains and Italian lakes trip for next August, utilizing the services of a tour company to organize the transport, hotels and some activities. We plan to extend the trip on our own to visit Cinque Terre (again) and fly out of Florence.

My original itinerary request to the tour company was Zurich>Zermatt>Chur>Triano/Lake Como>Lake Maggiore. Our primary interest in Switzerland is to do the Glacier Palace, Glacier Express and Bernina Express. We’ve never been to the Como/Maggiore area and want to make the most of a visit to the region.

The travel company pretty much followed my outline, except they added a day in Lucerne on the way to Zermatt, chose St Moritz over Chur, and did not include stays in Lake Maggiore.

So my questions are:

- Is Lucerne really going to add to the trip, or should we go straight to Zermatt?
- Is it better to stay in Chur or St Moritz?
- Should we split our overnights between Como/Bellagio and Maggiore, or should we stay only in Como?

Posted by
21026 posts

I really like Luzern, but it is a bit out of the way for your preferred itinerary. On the current schedule, you can get a direct train from Zurich airport to Visp at 8:45, 9:45, then 45 past the odd hours, like 11:45, etc. Trains with a change in Bern at other times, all taking 2 1/4 hours. At Visp you get the trains to Zermatt.

St Moritz generally gets short shrift on this forum for various reasons (glitzy, yet unattractive). Nearby Pontresina is preferred. And there is nothing wrong with Chur, its just that it is in a valley in the mountains whereas Pontresina is in the the mountains. The Glacier Express and Bernina Express follow the exact same route between Chur and St Moritz in the same style train carriages. Pontresina is a short connector from Samedan which is just before St Moritz, on the Glacier Express route. The Bernina Express stops in Pontresina.

Can't really say whether you should stay in both Como or Maggiore or just Como. I guess you will have to do both, then report back your impressions. It is about a half day travel to get between them.

Posted by
3268 posts

Where do they have you staying on Lake Como? Varenna would make sense cuz you can get there from Tirano after the Bernina Express. But the train from Tirano to Varenna has a bus link due to construction just so you know.

If you want to visit Maggiore instead you could continue on the Bernina Express bus to Lugano and take a short ride to Locarno on Lago Maggiore. Then take a ferry from there anywhere you want on the lake.

Posted by
21026 posts

The OP states "Next August", so I assume that means 2025. Track work on the Tirano-Milano line is scheduled to be complete this September.

Posted by
3268 posts

Ok, I hope it does mean August 2025 and not “next month”.

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