I’m struggling as to how to put together an itinerary for mid May. Planning to take either the Bernina Express or regular train following the same route from Tirano to Chur. I would to spend at 2 or 3 nights in Montreux area and 3 nights, or possibly 4 in the BO. We are flying into Milan early on a Monday morning and out of Zurich the following Monday afternoon. Not even set on BO. We would like scenic train trips, some hiking, time on a lake (boat tour), spring wildflowers, some cycling if possible and cheese and chocolate. I have read that much may be closed during this time period but am open to all suggestions.
Posted by
Chicago
8163 posts
I have gone in May for my birthday a couple of times the last 5 years, so there is enough open that time of year to have a good trip with a week.
But looking at your case, since you say you are flying into Milan, I would recommend that you take the train to Varenna from Milan and stay there for a night or two relaxing taking the ferrys on Lake Como then leave Varenna to Tirano to catch the Bernina Express to Chur.
It is too long a ride with too many changes to go from Milan to Chur on the same day after flying overnight. The trains will rock you to sleep.
Here is a rough itinerary:
Arrive Monday take the train from the airport to Varenna (this requires a change of trains at Milan Central Station).
Varenna (2 nights Monday Tuesday)
Take the train Varenna to Tirano to catch the Bernina Express get off at and stay in Pontresina.
Pontresina (1 night Wednesday)
From Pontresina take the train to Luzern
Stay in Luzern (Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday)
Based in Luzern 4 nights gives you a lot of options to take day trips to anywhere including the Golden Pass train to the Montreux and the Berner Oberland area. That way you don't have to keep changing hotels You can also get to the airport on Monday easily from Luzern.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17417 posts
I do not think the Bernina Express is a good choice for your trip, especially in mid-May where the scenery at the highest elevations will be a mix of old snow and brown slopes—-not yet green and flowery. Plus is it a long way out of your way, especially if your goal is Montreux.
Here is a summary of the travel times for the Bernina Express to Montreux (or Berner Oberland):
Milano Centrale to Tirano, 2.5 hours. Tirano to Chur, 4-5 hours depending on the train chosen, plus wait time between arrival at Tirano and departure to Chur. Then another 3 hours 45 minutes to Lauterbrunnen, or 4 hours to ,Montreux, by the faster non-scenic route. Longer if you want scenery instead of tunnels and flat scenery with few mountains.
Take a look at the rail map of Switzerland, with the scenic routes highlighted, and you will see that the Bernina Express is far to the east, while you are wanting to head west.
There are some scenic train routes you could combine that would be much simpler and less time consuming, and provide a better experience, in my opinion. Here is what I would suggest:
Option 1: from Milano Centrale, head straight to Lugano, in Ticino (Italian-speaking Switzerland). This is 1 hour 15 minutes away from Milano Centrale. Overnight in Lugano, recovering from your journey and enjoying the lakeside city. Next day, take the Gotthard Panorama Express, a journey by train over the Gotthard Pass route to Fluelen on Vierwaldstättersee (aka Lake Lucerne) and boat cruise from there to Luzern. Travel time: Lugano to Fluelen, 2 hours 20 minutes, with pretty villages, lots of waterfalls, snowy peaks with hanging glaciers, and lots of green along the valley portions. Boat from Fluelen to Luzern, 2 hours 45 minutes, every minute of it scenic.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/gotthard-panorama-express/
Option 2: from Milano Centrale, head straight to Locarno, another lakeside Swiss city, 1 hour 55 minutes by train. Overnight here (I prefer Locarno to Lugano, actually). Next day take the Treno Gottardo over the Gotthard Pass on the same tracks as the Gotthard Panorama Express train, but without the fancy cars. Leave the train at Fluelen and catch the same boat as the GPE to Luzern.
At Luzern, your options are (1) 1 or 2 nights here, then take the scenic Golden Pass route train to Interlaken Ost, changing there either for the train to Lauterbrunnen (for the Berner Oberland), or the continuation of the Golden Pass train to Montreux.
This route offers more opportunities for spring wildflowers, as you are spending more time a lower elevations and by lakes, as well as cycling options in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and at Montreux.
There is also good cycling at Locarno, if you want to spend 2 nights there so you have a full day. The best is in the beautiful Valle Verzasca nearby, although there are some logistics to be solved. You could contact the tourism office listed on these websites for more information. Or you could ride to Postbus to the Ponte dei Salti and hike up the valley from there.
https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/explore/valle-verzasca
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/route/alta-verzasca-bike/
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/verzasca-valley-cool-green-water/
I will leave it to you to work out the number of nights at each place; it will involve some difficult choices among several great options! But in any case you can easily get scenic trains, flowers, and 3 nights in Montreux.
Edited to add link for the Gotthard Panorama Express, which I forgot earlier.
Posted by
OP
Ontario, Canada
119 posts
Thanks for the suggestions, especially @ Lola. We will not be jet lagged, aside from getting up for an 830am flight, we will have arrived in Europe a week earlier. The train suggestions are particularly helpful- when I looked at the transit times from Chur neither looked great.
@jazz+travels, I’ve spent time in the Italian lakes so am planning to spend the week in Switzerland this trip.