Our trip through Switzerland is in May 2016, which is too early to get train schedules in January. Does anyone know if there is a Sunday train which goes from Basel, Switzerland to Lugano, Switzerland? How about a bus from Lugano to Verenna on a Sunday? Our Viking cruise ends on a Sunday morning May 1 and we'd like to stay in Varenna, Italy that evening if possible.
Posted by
Green Bay
20178 posts
The schedules are out at www.sbb.ch. Many trains and several direct connections.
To get to Varenna from Lugano, you need to get a bus to Menaggio, then a ferry across the lake to Varenna. Offhand, I think there are fewer buses on Sunday.
As an alternate, you might stay on the train (or connect) all the way to Milan, then take the local train from there to Varenna-Esino.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32214 posts
mls,
In Switzerland, there is most certainly a train on Sundays. Have a look at the bahn.de website for all the solutions. The trip will be about 4 hours, probably with at least one change.
I'm a bit curious on why you're transiting through Lugano, since the Bernina Express bus doesn't go to Varenna? You'd have to transfer to the Regionale in Tirano for the final segment to Varenna.
A much easier and more direct route would be to travel from Basel SBB station to Milano Centrale (one or two changes). There's a departure at 08:13 with arrival at Milano Centrale at 13:35 (time 5H:22M, one change at Zürich HB). From Milano Centrale to Varenna, it's an easy one hour trip to Varenna (the station is officially called "Varenna-Esino"). That should get you to Varenna in about mid-afternoon, in time for an exploratory walk-about before dinner.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
It's not too early to get train schedules for your travel date at http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html. For the most direct route from Basel to Varenna, they suggest connecting trains at Zurich and Monza, rather than Lugano or Milan. The local C12 bus runs from Lugano to Menaggio on Lake Como, and from there you have to take a ferry across to Varenna. Sundays and May Day in particular are not great for most bus lines; the Festivo schedule on this route only runs a couple of times per day.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
"May 2016, which is too early to get train schedules in January." - Swiss timetables change once per year, on the second Sunday in December. The times up to December 2106 have been fixed and published since October 2015. There is generally no difference between Sunday times and the other 6 days of the week, except for a few rush-hour extra trains. All routes operate at least one train per hour, 7 days per week.
A booklet showing trains between Basel and all other large towns and cities in Switzerland is here: http://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/sbb/de/pdf/fahrplan/gedruckte-fahrplaene/fahrplaene_2016/taschenfahrplaene/BS_TFPLFV_10.pdf.spooler.download.pdf
This booklet is available free at Basel station. See page 38 etc. for the trains to and from Lugano. One train every hour, at 4 minutes past the hour (xx:04)