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Rail Travel from Stresa (Lago Maggiore), IT to Zurich

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I will be staying near Stresa, IT from 8/30 until 9/5 and then planning to fly home to NY from Zurich on 9/10 in AM. Looking for help to plan 5 days in Switzerland BY RAIL starting with Bernina Express Train, probably to Chur?
Am trying to figure best towns to spend time in with my wife just doing local things, shops, food, wine, no extra side trips... I could start In Lugano or Tirano but not sure of how to get from Stresa.
Seems like Luzern could be a 2 nighter? My last night must be in Zurich at airport for early AM flight.
Appreciate any thoughts. Some towns like Chur seem to be for side hiking trips but not much else?
Any thoughts on a few days in Lugano or Tirano or other “hang out” walking towns?

Thanks much.
Mike

Posted by
8889 posts

Looking for help to plan 5 days in Switzerland BY RAIL starting with Bernina Express Train, probably to Chur?

Unfortunately, if you are starting from Stresa, you are at the wrong end of Switzerland for the Bernina route. You would have to go back south again to Milan, then North-east to Tirano. And after Chur cut back across most of Switzerland.
Stresa is conveniently on the Lötschberg-Simplon route into Switzerland.I would suggest you head direct for the Berner Oberland, and/or Luzern.

Posted by
21145 posts

Bernina Express is awkward from Stresa. Suggest instead train to Locarno via Domodossola, then train to Bellinzona. Not sure what the summer ferry schedule will be, but there may also be a through boat from Stresa to Locarno. Hang out in Bellinzona for a day or so, then the Gotthard Panorama Express to Luzern. It includes a lake boat trip for the last leg from Fluelen to Luzern. Hang out in Luzern, then train to Zurich the night before your flight.

Posted by
28073 posts

The rail line between Domodossola and Locarno is known as the "Centovalli" line and is worth taking for sure.

Posted by
1641 posts

In he summer there are daily ferries from Stresa to Locarno. The slow ferry will be over two hours, but you can be outside, get great photos up the lake. The hydrofoil ferry will take over an hour, but no outside seating.
We prefer Ancona as it us much more small town, while Locarno feels more big city. Worth an overnite stop or at least a few hours.

Posted by
847 posts

I'm planning something very similar just a few weeks after your trip (late September 2020).

From Stresa I'm planning on taking the boat to Locarno (one night) and then going to Bellinzona to see the UNESCO heritage site castles. Probably spending one night there but they do have left luggage at that station so could be a stop over (or skip night in Locarno - from Locarno to Bellinzona is only a half hour).

Then train to Andermatt to connect with the Glacier Express and on to Chur. I realize you miss part of the Glacier Express (I've already done the Zermatt portion on a previous trip). I plan to spend a couple nights in Chur and do part of the Bernina Express as a day trip. I realize I'll have to return on the same route but I want to see it. All the way from Chur to Tirano is 4 hours so that would be 8 round trip so I was thinking of only going as far as St Moritz. I'm not sure if the "best" part is south of St Moritz or not, but I'm sure it will all be lovely.

Then I'm planning to go from Chur to Stein-am-Rhein (two and a half hours) for at least one night before flying out of Zurich. It looks to be only an hour train from Stein-am-Rhein to the airport, almost as fast as from Zurich city center to the airport. On a previous trip we stayed in Lucerne the night before our flight as we were told that was just as quick as staying in Zurich and that worked fine. If you have not been to Lucerne I would probably consider staying there.

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