Train or bus from Switzerland to Venice

It's not all that easy from St. Moritz (or Geneva), but if your "anywhere in southern Switzerland" includes Lugano, that is an easy trip of less than 4 hours, with one change (in Milan).

Colleen, travel by train would be the "easiest" method, but it would be a somewhat lengthy trip. Using a departure from St. Moritz as an example, the trip would be at least 8H:25M. The simplest route (least number of changes) is 9H:25M with changes in Tirano and Milano. ¶ If you have a choice of places in southern Switzerland to depart from, one good choice would be Lugano as the travel time to Venice is only about four hours (depending on which train you choose). ¶ It would help to have a bit of further information on your circumstances in order to make more specific suggestions. Cheers!

There is a direct train that leaves Geneve at 07:42 and arrives at Venezia Santa Lucia at 14:40. You also can leave at 13:42, change at Milano Centrale and Venezia Mestre, and arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at 20:49. There are other departure times with more connections and longer travel times. To see all your choices for Geneve-Venezia Santa Lucia or St Moritz-Venezia Santa Lucia, use the timetables on the German Rail site, www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml. After you get summary timetables for point A to point B, click on the arrow to the left of the departure time(s) of your choice to see the connecting points. For St Moritz-Venezia Santa Lucia the timetables show a travel time as short as 7hr15min, but the first leg is on a bus.

I am finding the bahn website to be very cryptic. People have posted that you can get a direct train from Geneva to Venice St. Lucia, and that the ride is about 7 hrs., but the duration of the trips I see here are between 11 and 13 hours. There is a column titled Chg. What does this mean? Perhaps it means you have to change trains[INVALID] 2, 3 or 4 times! And what does "Connection is in the past" mean? I think researching train travel is pretty hard to figure out online. I think I am better off getting to Geneva a day ahead and going to the station and working it out from there. The Swiss Rail website didn't have any English language choice, so I couldn't use that site. Anyway, I'm not going to worry about it, as long as there is a train from Geneva to Venice, I'll figure it out when I get there!

Colleen, have you definitely decided on Geneva as your departure point? YES, the word "Chg" indicates a change of trains, and the number beneath it shows how many changes there will be. ¶ "Connection is in the past" means that connection has already taken place (if you use a date a few days in the future, you shouldn't receive that note). ¶ Actually the bahn.de website is VERY easy to use and I don't find it to be "cryptic" at all. It's an excellent information resource! It would help to know when this trip will be taking place (especially which day of the week). ¶ I checked some of the trains on that route, and the one I'd use is the same one Tim suggested - a DIRECT train departing Geneva at 07:42, arriving Venezia S.L. at 14:40 (time 6H:58M, EuroCity so compulsory reservations - there are several stops but no changes). I used an arbitrary date of 29 Sept. to get that schedule. Cheers!

Ken, I don't know exactly what day I'll be traveling, and I could only get information up through November. I am going next May. The spellings of the city names are different and no countries are included with them, and there are multiple stations for Geneva I guess. I know in Europe there can be multiple places with the same names or various spellings, etc. I find these kind of sites very unclear, but I guess with practice you get used to how they work. But like I said, it seems it will be okay for me to just go to the Geneva station, though I guess there is more than one, and work it out the day before I want to go. Thans, Ken

OH, and no I don't necessarily have to go from Geneva. I'll be driving in Switzerland, so if there's a better place where I could get a direct train, that would be great. I have been misdirected at train stations in Europe before and find signs are often not in English, so I am very wary about multiple transfers and getting on the right train. You can't understand announcements over the loud speakers and even ticket agents have sent me to the wrong train.

Colleen, one additional comment. The rail websites always use the European names for stations. For example, Florence=Firenze, Venice=Venezia, Geneva=Geneve, etc. Perhaps that's one reason why the route information wasn't responding for you? ¶ As you're driving, you could also depart from Lausanne, Montreux, Brig and also as suggested earlier, Lugano.

The Swiss site is very easy to use and there is an English option. If you can't find it, try www.rail.ch as it will take you directly there.

Also, if you don't have to go from Geneva, try Zurich. There is a diret train from Zurich to Milan (3 hours 41 minutes, no train changes) and then a direct one from Milan to Venice.

Lugano is looking better and better to training to Venice. And the William Tell Express to Lugano from Lake Lucerne is looking good, too! Anyone ever done that trip?

We haven't done it, but I will say the Swiss lake cruises are very pleasant, if you have the time for it. Just remember that you'll probably have to change trains in Bellinzona, and choose between going to Lugano and Locarno. You can read about iit on this website under "Switzerland's Scenic Rail Jounreys" (found on the "plan you rtrip" page for Switzerland.

Colleen, the William Tell Express is certainly one option, if you have the time. I've never taken the trip, but researched all of the scenic railways prior to my trip this year, as I wasn't sure which one I'd be taking. ¶ The first part of that trip is via boat from Lucerne to Flüelen, the next is train from Flüelen to Airolo and the Ticino portion is from Airolo to Lugano. You could reduce your travel times by dropping the car either in either Flüelen or Airolo. ¶ Depending on the timing, you might have to plan for one night in Lugano (which you might enjoy?) before continuing on to Venice. Cheers!

Hm, so much to consider. It's great to be able to consult folks who have been there and done these things. When I finally get to Padua, I am doing the Rick Steves Italy villages tour. It will be a relief to just relax and go with the flow and not have to worry about all these plans and schedules and arrangements. Thanks so much for your input!