We have a 3 week trip planned for April into Milan and out of Rome. Would love to briefly experience Switzerland and wondering the best way to do that. We are comfortable traveling by train and car. Many travel sites will only give info on one county or another but no recommendations between them.
Posted by
Green Bay
21142 posts
There are 2 trains every hour from Milano Centrale to Lugano taking about 1 1/4 hours. Once there, you might find it pretty much the same as Italy, except a bit more organized, upscale, and lot more expensive.
You don't say where else you are going in Italy. If you want to visit Lake Como, it is pretty easy to get to St Moritz and environs via Tirano and the Bernina Express train, or less glamorous regular trains.
Posted by
TX, USA
4815 posts
I did this (for my daughter) in 2020 Milan to Lucerne, all by train, 2 days & 1 night. It’s rushed but doable. On the second day, we even took a trip up Mt Rigi.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2009 posts
As Sam suggests, if you really want to see one of the best slices of Switzerland, take the train from Milan to Tirano, Italy (2.5 hours). You’re then at the station where the “Bernina Express” terminates. From here you can take any train for the 2.5-hour ride to St. Moritz as all trains travel on the same tracks ascending into the Swiss Alps on a route so incredible that UNESCO has designated it a World Heritage Site. Many consider this to be the most spectacular train ride in Switzerland and among the top 10 in the world. The full Bernina Express route continues another 2 hours beyond St.Moritz to Chur. While the St. Moritz to Chur leg is impressive, the best section is between Tirano and St.Moritz. You could overnight in the alpine town of Pontresina which is about 3 miles and a ten-minute train ride from St. Moritz. The Morteratsch train station is 3 miles and a 5-minute train ride from Pontresina. Here, you can walk a flat, easy trail in about 30 minutes to get up close to one of the Alps’ many glaciers.
Have a great Trip!