I am researching one way train options from Lucerne to Milan in July. We will be traveling with our 8 year old daughter. Looking for options that are scenic yet relatively fast (under 5 hours) and do not involve a lot of exchanges. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Chicagoland
1959 posts
Train from Lucerne to Lugano connecting to train to Milan Central Station. Takes about 3 hours.
An alternative journey by boat and train to Lugano.
Either way, you'll have beautiful scenery.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
36436 posts
The fastest trains, the vast majority of them, between Luzern and Milano Centrale go under the Alps instead of over. They spend a fair amount of the trip in the world's longest railway tunnel which is 35.5 miles long, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
That cuts down on the scenery a fair bit. But it checks the box for "relatively fast".
The most scenic by far is the ship on Lake Lucerne which goes the full length of the lake to Fluelen where you change to a scenic train, changing once again in Lugano, but this is also the slowest.
There are trains which use the old route over the top, also scenic and relatively slow, again change in Lugano.
I can get you scenic and I can get you fast. Which do you think will win out?
Posted by
Green Bay
23082 posts
Start at www.sbb.ch/en. Luzern to Milano Centrale, then put Goeschenen in the "via" box. This will give you the old route mostly over the Alps. You will have 1 or 2 connections depending on your departure time.