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Short trip into Italy

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We are getting ready to start a 10-day trip to Switzerland starting tomorrow. Toward the end of the trip, we will be in Luzern. I was thinking about making a quick trip down to Italy. It sounds like as of yesterday, the COVID entry requirements were not extended. I didn't want to have to fill out a bunch of paperwork for just a few hours in the country but now that it has not been extended, is it worth a trip down into Italy? How long does it take to go through customs typically and what would be the best location to hit using our Swiss pass for a trip down and back to Luzern? ( I assume you can go to places like Como San Giovanni on your Swiss pass that are just over the border.) Are there any other better options?

Thanks!

Posted by
20067 posts

No, you can only go as far as Chiavenna, Switzerland, which is just short of Italy, but the extra cost is quite minor. There are really no customs to deal with, although technically Switzerland is not part of the EU. They just do occasional spot checks. What is questionable is the why. Since the main rail line now involves a 35 mile tunnel completely under the Alps, there is not a whole lot of scenery on the 2 1/2 hour trip each way.

What might be a little more enjoyable is a 3 hour direct train to Locarno, Switzerland. That goes mostly over the Alps and the lake it is on is even bigger than Como, Lake Maggiore. First train of the day is at 7:18 am. Be sure to specify "via Goeschenen" or you might end up on that other rail line with the long tunnel. They speak Italian in Locarno, so other than paying Swiss prices, you'll never know the difference.

Posted by
121 posts

We’re in Varenna, Italy now prior to Switzerland trip. We flew into Milano and there was no paperwork at all. And we zoomed through passport control. Don’t know about entering via ground transportation. There are no Covid related requirements and virtually everyone is maskless. The weather is lovely at the moment. It’s been 30 years since we’ve been in Varenna and it’s just as lovely now but the stairs were easier to climb back then. 😄

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