Zurich to Como - easy button train

You can buy the EC train from Zurich to Como from either of the operators, SBB in Switzerland, or Trenitalia in Italy. The ride is more under the mountains than thru the mountains, as it uses the 35 mile long Gotthard Base Tunnel, pretty much beneath the Alps. A ticket on this train includes a seat reservation. I would not worry about a rail strike, as it has a Swiss crew right up to the Italian border, only a few miles from Como.

If there is a train strike and your train ends up being cancelled you will be able to use your ticket on other trains However Swiss trains do not strike (last train strike in Switzerland was in 1918), so you would always be able to get to Chiasso, which is on the border. So worst case is you end up on a Trenord train for that bit, with lots of other people...

Having not been to Zurich before, how early do I need to be at the station before the train departure? We will be schlepping a couple of rollaboards and a carry-on.

Do you have a hotel in Zurich or are you coming from elsewhere? The EC trains to Milan go at 33 past the hour from Tracks 7 thru 11. So 15 minutes is more than enough to get your bearings, check the departure board, and walk to the platform.
https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/bahnhofplaene/plan-zuerich-hb-a4.pdf.sbbdownload.pdf

you need as long as it takes you to move that luggage on your own, one assumes you have already bought the ticket, in which case add time, even more if you need to buy it from a human, and look at the big screen and see what number platform you need and get to it a couple of minutes before the train goes.

For me that's 5 to 10 minutes so I can stop and get a snack to take on board. I don't know how fast you walk or how much you might get distracted by all the shops.

How are you arriving at Zürich Hb? Taxi? Incoming train? Walking from elsewhere in town?

I don't know the difference between carry on and rollaboard. I thought they were the same. (I don't fly very often) I really don't know. Don't they all have handles and roll?

We will be arriving by taxi from a nearby hotel. I will have the tickets in advance.

Can we buy food on the train or should we pick something up before boarding? Probably getting first class seats if there is a difference in service between cars.

the station has everything you could possibly want for snacks and picnics including hot food and drinks of all sorts including alcohol. There is a supermarket and all manner of speciality shops including pretzel stores.

Everything you would need to know about the station is at https://www.seat61.com/stations/zurich-hb.htm

If money is of no concern you could get a meal on the train as there is a restaurant car but most have only expensive basics.

Pretty much what you need to know about the train - except the onboard menu and the food and drink prices - is at https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Switzerland.htm#Switzerland-Italy

Get used to looking at the Man in Seat 61 - almost all questions about train travel anywhere in the world can be answered there. Mark, the former UK railway professional who started it still has a lean towards including how to do that from the UK, but you by no means need to be British to enjoy the website.

Awesome information. Thanks Nigel!

Will also look at that site for our trip next year to England.

What's an easy button train??? Am I missing something obvious?

You might also watch some train videos, vloggers love routes like this. Start with Simply Railway, check out Nonstop Eurotrip.