I am trying to see if on my Swiss Rail Pass I am able to get to Milan, Italy?
I am using the train all through Switzerland, about 6 days.
What route would I take?
Would I be better off buying another train pass? I am only taking one more train in Italy to Venice?
Or would it be better to train to Zurich again and catch a flight?
Thank you,
Michael
A Swiss Pass is only valid on routes owned by Swiss Railway companies. See the validity map here: http://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/sbb/de/pdf/freizeit-ferien/ferien-kurztrips-schweiz/internationale-gaeste/sts-geltungsbereich_en.pdf
If you are going to Milan, the Swiss pass is valid up to Domodossala, Chiasso or Tirano, depending on which route you take.
Do not buy another rail pass for Italy. Italian train prices are a lot cheaper than Switzerland. Just buy a ticket from the border station (Domodossala or Chiasso) to wherever you want to go in Italy, at the Italian railways site: http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
Thank you very much
Michael,
Would I be better off buying another train pass? I am only taking one more train in Italy to Venice?
As Chris has advised you, there's no need to buy a pass for Italy, but you may consider booking your train tickets on the
Trenitalia website, up to 120 days in advance to take advantage of discounted tickets.
The best route (via train) would be to travel from St. Moritz to Tirano, then onto Venice, with a train change in Milano Centrale.
When you check for train schedules on the Trenitalia website, you'll need the station names in Italian such as:
Happy Travels!
Thanks again for the info.
After doing research on it all I think train to Zurich and plane to Milan is cheaper and less time!
Thank you for the information
It's been helpful with our other plans!
Michael,
"After doing research on it all I think train to Zurich and plane to Milan is cheaper and less time!"
Travel from St. Moritz to Zürich by train and then a flight to Milan is ludicrous and it will absolutely NOT be faster and cheaper than travel by train to Milan. For example.....
travel by train from St. Moritz to Milano Centrale will be about 4H:25M (one change at Tirano). The segment from Tirano to Milan will take 2H:32M and the current fares are listed at €11.50 PP (I didn't check the segment from St. Moritz to Tirano). DON'T forget to validate your tickets prior to boarding the train in Tirano, or you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!
The alternative..... travel by train from St. Moritz to Zürich airport ranges from 3H:26M to 3H:40M. Once you reach the airport, you'll have to add time for walking to your gates (it's a large airport), check-in, security, waiting times, boarding and de-planing and then travel from the airport in Milan into Milano Centrale (about another hour for that). Total time for that trip will probably be in the 7-8 hour range.
Taking the train from St. Moritz is a far better option. Rail passes are rarely cost effective for Italy, so I wouldn't suggest buying another pass. Keep in mind that the train from Milan to Venice will be a high speed version, and Passes do not cover the compulsory seat reservations for those. You'd have to pay out-of-pocket for the reservations. Don't be caught without valid reservations for the train you're riding on, or again hefty fines!
It's far cheaper to purchase advance tickets for the high speed trains, as if you can get the Super Economy tickets they're a good value. However note that the S.E. tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased, so choose carefully before you buy. You can buy tickets in advance from the Trenitalia website or from Trainline.eu at the same price. On the trip from Milan to Venice, you could also look at Italo Treno which operates a competing high speed service. You can also buy tickets for Italo on the Trainline website.
When buying tickets for trains in Italy, it's important to know which stations you'll be using. Many cities have more than one station.
Michael,
Are you planning to visit Zurich before traveling to Milan or Venice?
If you're considering flying from Zurich to Milan, you could also fly directly to Venice, unless you intend to visit Milan (before going to Venice).
You may check flights at Skyscanner.com
Another option is to visit Varenna, a lovely lakeside village on Lake Como, en-route to Milan. This would entail taking the train from St. Moritz to Varenna with a train change in Tirano.
Edit to add... I was writing at the same time as Ken, and he makes a good point...If your intent is to travel to Milan, it makes more sense to take the train from St Moritz to Milan than to go all the way to Zurich just to catch a plane.
A flight from Zurich makes no sense. With a Swiss Pass your travel is covered to Tirano. From there to Milan by train is very inexpensive, as Ken posted.
You will follow the very scenic Bernina Pass route going this way. You should not miss the opportunity to do that.
I am so glad I received all this input. I had checked the train routes from St. Moritz to Domodossala or Chiiasso and they were ridiculous, one taking me to Zurich for the connection and one with a 2 hour bus ride!
Thank you so much for the alternatives. I will reinvestigate.
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT RESOURCE FOR PLANNING!!
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
Michael
So you guys were all spot on, now we can enjoy the Bernina Express as well!! Thank you.
One last question: If I have the 4 day Flex Swiss Pass, can I use it to purchase tickets with the discounts from Murren to Schilthorn and Jungfrau without it using a day on the Flex ticket?
