Hello, We have three weeks in Italy, flying in and out of Milan. A few of those days (maybe even allotting a week...) are set aside for excursions into Switzerland. We are looking for pretty village-scapes, history, dramatic landscapes, a little shopping and some hiking, but a genuine Swiss feel. We could rent a car, but if the train rides are easier/cheaper/more enjoyable, that would be fine too. I was hoping for some suggestions for places that would be easy to travel to from Lake Como. Thank you in advance for any travel suggestions!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16378 posts
The lovely small city of Luzern is about 3 hours by train from the town of Como. Not a quaint village, but a beautiful lakeside town full of history, culture, and shopping. For hiking, you could take a lakeboat to the town of Weggis, and ride a cablecar up Rigi for some great hiking with views over the lake. www.rigi.ch Within 4 hours of Como you can reach two of our favorite places in Switzerland, Kandersteg and Bettmeralp. These are charming villages with very scenic hiking opportunities. Bettmeralp is a little car-free village perched high above the Rhone Valley, with views to the Matterhorn and hiking above the Aletschgletscher, Europe's longest glacier. Kandersteg in a valley village, and above it is a lake so beautiful it is considered a Swiss national treasure. We like to stay at the mountain inn up at the lake, and hike to a hut perched high above on the cliffs. www.oeschinensee.ch www.bettmeralp.ch To reach either of these, you return to Milan and then head north to Brig. This route (via Milan) would work if you are starting at Varenna as well, but would take a few minutes more. You can see the esact routes and schedules on the Swiss site at rail.ch
Posted by
Newport Beach, CA, USA
769 posts
you can also go to Lugano area - not far from Como area. Similar in that its an italian lake town - but different because its SWISS (with Italian flavor!). But if you have time for the alps thats great! just takes some time to get there.