Heading to Munich from Milan- is going to Lucerne a reasonable route by train?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17417 posts
It depends on what you want to see and whether you would like to stop along the way. The quickest and most direct route (fewest changes) goes via Verona in Italy, thence north via Innsbruck, taking 7 hours. The route through Luzern takes longer and requires more train changes, but is reasonable if you wish to break up the journey with a night in Luzern.
When we did a similar journey, but coming frommGermany not heading there, we spent a night up on Rigi ( Rigi Kaltbad) at Hotel Alpina. This hotel was less expensive than places in Luzern and was a nice break,,with lovely views over the lake and mountains. The journey itself would have been more expensive because of the cogwheel railway up Rigi, but we had Swiss passes to cover that.
If you are interested in the route via Switzerland, you can save a lot on train fare by buying Smart Fare tickets from Milan to Arth-Goldau or Luzern on Trenitalia well in advance. Savings would be more than enough to cover the higher prices of lodging in Luzern.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
Jo,
As Lola mentioned, the quickest route is via Verona and then through the Brenner Pass. If you're planning at least one night in Lucerne and don't mind a longer rail journey, you could also go Milan > Tirano > Chur > Lucerne, via the Bernina Express. There are several choices, so you'll have to choose the best one that fits with your overall plan.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33810 posts
I'm a little confused by the conflict between this post and your other about trains in Switzerland.
Can you give a bit of clarity as to your current thinking, please?