Lucerne to Como S. Giovanni train question

Swiss trains have often tight connections, that usually are not a problem as trains run on time and often the connection is on the adjoining track. But you can't have a connection on adjoining tracks in Arth-Goldau as the station is Y-shaped, so beware overly tight connections there. Lugano station has only 4 parallel tracks so is a bit easier to navigate.

https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/bahnhofplaene/plan-arth-goldau-a4.pdf

Long range trains are designed to be more comfortable to long range travellers and their luggage than local trains designed for commuters with little or no luggage, but Lugano to Como is only 30-40 minutes and most trains are Swiss RABe 524 multiple units working under the TILO Swiss-Italian service.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treni_Regionali_Ticino_Lombardia
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:SBB_RABe_524#/media/File:FFS_RABe_524112-9_interno_191214.jpg

The scenery, obviously, is the same as the track is same.

Thanks for your reply and pointing out the easiness of the navigation at the stations. I thought the Lugano station will be easier. I am so glad you confirmed it!

Same tracks. Both trains pass through Arth-Goldau, one is coming from Zurich and continues all the way to Milano Centrale, and the other comes from Luzern, but only goes as far as Lugano, thus the need to connect there.

I would pick the Lugano connection. It has 14 minutes and track 3 and track 1 are near each other, although you still need to use the under passage.. Arth-Goldau has a shorter time of 7 minutes and is longer walk as it is a "Y" intersection of the tracks from Zurich and the tracks from Luzern and you have to walk across the top of the "Y" (or should I say, underneath).

If I have Swiss Travel Pass, how does it work on this journey? STP covers the train from Lucerne to Lugano but not from Lugano to Como, Correct? If so, do I need to purchase a ticket at Lugano or can I buy that ticket at Lucerne?

You can also take a Treno Gottardo from Lucerne to ware Locarno, but leave the train at Bellinzona and change to a train to Milano—it will stop in Como San Giovanni. We did this last September with our family, actually taking a boat down the lake from Luzern to Flüelen, the picking up the train from there to Bellinzona. We had Swiss Saver Day Passes that covered the journey.

We bought separate tickets from Bellinzona to Milan, but for if you are only going to Como San Giovanni, and have a Saver Day Pass, a ticket covering the distance from the Swiss border at Chiasso to Como S.G is only 3,20 euro. Buy that online with your Saver Pass discount.

It is kind of annoying that the SBB.ch website does not show this route, so you can just buy a ticket. Maybe there is a way to force it, but I could not figure it out. If I put in Luzern to Como S.G, it shows an option leaving Luzern at 9:18 or 11:1i8 on the Treno Gottardo, )IR 26) but then they have you switch to an Intercity train at Arth-Goldau. But if you have a Saver Day Pass instead of tickets, you can do as you want.

@Lola,

We won't have saver pass as we will only be in Switzerland for 3 days. I am considering the 3 day STP because we can use it for our Mt Rigi excursion. I just don't know where to get the ticket from Lugano to Como if we use the STP to cover the train from Lucerne to Lugano.

You can buy it at Luzern station.

If you have the STP that will cover you till Chiasso, so you will, in both scenarios, only need a ticket Chiasso - Como.

This is something to get your head around: Tickets are not for trains. There is no such thing as a train ticket. Tickets are for routes. You have an STP that covers the route from Luzern to Chiasso, and if you add a ticket from Chiasso to Como you have the whole route covered, and are allowed to be on the trains... And you just stay on the train.

Chiasso to Como on the regional train is only 1,6 so I would go for that, and yes, you can already buy that in Luzern.