train help, zurich-murren-varenna-montorosso

Jay, When you buy your tickets at the Zürich Airport, specify Mürren BLM as the destination. There will be a few changes to get there, which is what I was referring to as being "unusual". You'll first travel from Zurich Airport to Interlaken Ost, probably with one change in Bern (it will be a fast change so be ready). When you arrive at Interlaken Ost, you'll have to transfer to the Berner Oberland Regional train (blue & gold, you can't miss it) for the trip to Lauterbrunnen (about 20M). When you arrive in Lauterbrunnen, walk across the street to the Cable Car for the short trip to Grütschalp. There you'll transfer to the small mountain railway for the final leg to Mürren. The entire trip with all changes should be about 3H:10M. There's an alternate method to reach Mürren via Gimmelwald and Post Bus, but you can explore that one after you arrive. If you've decided to buy the Swiss 2-for-1 Pass, give Rick's Rail department a call. They're one of the largest sellers of Railpasses in the U.S. Click the "Railpasses" tab at the top of the page. You may want to discuss your other trips with them as well. As you're leaving in about a month, it would be a good idea to get this done SOON! You may also find it helpful to download Rick's free PDF Rail Guide. Look on the lower right of the Railpasses page for the web link. Regarding tickets from Varenna to Monterosso, you can either buy them at Milano Centrale or in Varenna. The station at Varenna isn't always staffed, but there's a VERY helpful Travel Agency just down the hill from the station. I've used them in the past and they were great! I'd have to check my notes for the name, but they're not hard to find. Your tickets from Varenna to Monterosso will be for the whole journey. continued.....

Jay - Part 2..... The Ticket Kiosks are totally automated, but a credit card is required. When I was there last year, the Kiosks were still accepting Magnetic Stripe cards, and I'm assuming this is still the case (I have Chip & PIN cards so it doesn't matter one way or the other). You may find it helpful to have a look at the "Rail Travel" section on the excellent Ron In Rome website. I would suggest NOT using the staffed ticket offices in larger stations in Italy, as there's usually a HUGE queue! The smaller stations (such as Monterosso) aren't usually that bad. A few important points to note regarding train travel in Italy. The "fast" trains always require compulsory reservations, and the tickets are specific to a particular train and departure time. Those caught without reservations may be fined on the spot, and it's NOT cheap (about €40-50 PP, as I recall)! When travelling on Regionale trains (ie: Milan to Varenna) YOU MUST validate your tickets by stamping them in the yellow machine. Those found without validated tickets may (you guessed it) be fined on the spot! Although this doesn't cover Switzerland or Italy, you may also enjoy watching THIS TUTORIAL from Rick. It's somewhat "dated" but covers some good points. If possible, also check the "Rail Skills" section in Europe Through The Back Door. I'll have a closer look at this later, perhaps this evening (there are a few things that I must get to this morning). I'm sure the others will have some good tips also. Cheers!

WOW! You are going to three of my favorite villages, except I would prefer Vernazza, if flood hadn't hit it. "What to do in Milan"; review RSteves guidebook for Milan, climb the Duomo, visit the Mall, and visit DaVinci's Last Supper; there are several other attractions that can be done. Luzern is a wonderful City as well, Mt. Pilates.

Ken's information is right on target. A few transportation changes from Zurich to Muerren but you'll enjoy all of it. The nice Jungfraubahn ride from Interlaken Ost into Lauterbrunnen is very scenic. Just make sure you get on the carriage that says Lauterbrunnen. For your journey from Murren to Varenna, the Swiss rail people have been working on tracks and a tunnel before you get to Domodossola. If this is still going on, it is possible that you will be transferred to a bus to go around. The Swiss will arrange all of this. As for compulsory, some trains require compulsory seat reservations. Not to worry. This is all provided for you when you purchase your ticket. As for a a pass, I don't recommend the Eurail pass as much of your Swiss travel looks to be in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The Eurail pass only gets you a 25% discount on all fares into and around the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It's a bit more price-painful if you intend to go up to the Jungfrau and/or Schilthorn. What you can do is buy the 2-for-1 saver 4-day flexi pass for 226CHF or the Swiss 1/2 fare card which costs 110CHF per person. It would be best to have one of these in hand before you buy your tickets in Zurich. You could use it immediately. The flexi pass is available at http://www.myswissalps.com/en/forum/topic1506-2-for-1-offer-swiss-saver-flexi-pass.aspx. Note that you cannot buy this pass there. The Swiss 1/2 fare card is available at any staffed Swiss train station including the Zurich airport station.