I am planning to stay on Lake Como then train to Zurich for flight home. Considering taking the Bernina Express on October 18. Would spend two nights in Zurich, one full day to tour. First, is this reasonable? If so, where would be a good place to stay on Lake Como, convenient for this itinerary? What are the logistics of taking train to Tirano, then Bernina Express. I understand this is a full day journey, is it worth the cost and time? Other option is to stay one more night (three instead of two) on Lake Como, take fastest October 19 morning train to Zurich, tour half a day, leave the next morning. Is Zurich worth spending a full day of touring? Any opinions appreciated. Thanks.
Posted by
Bern, Switzerland
977 posts
Well from my point of view it is definitely worth it as the scenery is really cool. If of instance you were to stay at Como S. Giovanni, then you could begin your trip on the 08:22 and arrive in Zurich at 18:23, this would be along the route of the BEX, but not the actually train itself. If you wanted to be on the actual BEX train, then you could begin at 10:31 arriving Zurich at 19:53. The first train would require 5 changes, were as the second would only be 3. The cost of a ticket would be about CHF100 for either.
Having done the trip several times I do not see any advantage to waiting for the BEX and given the time of year the earlier departure would mean that you have more daylight time on the journey.
You can look up train details and buy the ticket online here at the Swiss Railway site.
Posted by
Green Bay
20084 posts
If you decide on the Bernina Express route, stay in Varenna on Lake Como. There are hourly trains to Tirano at 24 past the hour. The stations in Tirano are separate, so there is a short walk (5 minutes) between them. The 8:24 train will connect to the actual Bernina Express train at 10:03. there is a small reservation fee required for the Bernina Express over the regular trains that run hourly.
If taking the EC train direct to Zurich, the city of Como would be more convenient, if less desirable as a holiday location. The EC train goes from Como San Giovanni station every 2 hours and there are trains requiring connections at other times.