I am having a lot of trouble wrappping my head around this part of the trip and the train tickets involved and am feeling pretty confused and frustrated with my inability to navigate these ticket sites. I want to start from Rome and go to Gimmelwald. I would like ot have a 2-3 hour stopover in Milan to meet a friend. I want to if possible buy the local train tickets from Rome to Milan since they are cheaper( but this is not the highest pri). Shoudl I take the night train to Milan and then continue onward in the morning? How long does the non EuroStar train take? Also has anyone heard of or used the EuroRailways.com site? They are offering me seat reservations for 20$ from Rome to Milan. But I am not sure what time train it is for. Should I just go to Rome and buy tickets as I go? In that case should I book the Milan to Gimmelwald leg or should I just wing that too as I go? I am also planning to get a Swiss Saver pass for my stay in Switzerland. How do I apply that to my Milan to Gimmelwald journey? Thanks a lot to anyone that manages to get through any part of the above questions/rant.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19099 posts
At $20, that seat reservation had better be for an Italian Eurostar, ES*, and even that is high. If you know the time of the train you should be able to find it on the Bahn or Trenitalia website, and they will tell you the type.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32213 posts
preeti, Is there any possiblity you might want to stay at least one night in Milan to visit your friend? The trip from Rome to Gimmelwald takes a bit of time, so that could be a LONG travel day! If your friend meets you at Milano Centrale, you could stop somewhere nearby for coffee (or whatever) as you'd be hauling all your luggage at the time (I wouldn't store the luggage as that would add to the time). ¶ For travel from Roma Termini to Milano Centrale, I'd suggest using the EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita, as the trip is only about 3-hours. ¶ If you left Rome at 06:30, you could be in Milan at 09:30. You could visit with your friend until about 12:00. There's a train departing Milano for Interlaken Ost at 12:25, arriving at 15:57 (time 3H:32M, 2 changes, reservations compulsory). There's an earlier train departing Milano Centrale at 11:20 (time 3H:08M, one change, reservations compulsory). ¶ When you arrive at Interlaken Ost, you can purchase your ticket for the local Berner Oberland train to Lauterbrunnen, and then travel from there to Gimmelwald via the Post Bus (bright yellow, you can't miss it). The trip from there to Stechelberg is only about 15 minutes, and you'll see the Cable Car terminal when you get close. Gimmelwald is the first stop on the Cable Car. ¶ I'd just buy the tickets for your outgoing journey when you arrive in Rome. Happy travels!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16333 posts
Is it possible that the $20 for a reservation from EoroRailway is just that - reservation to be used with a rail pass, and not a ticket plus reservation? You could just buy your Rome to Milan ticket when you get to Rome; it is unlikely the trains are sold out. and for the Swiss Pass, do you have time to boy it before you depart for Europe? you can biy it on this webisite, under "Railpasses.". then when you depart Milan, show your pass when you buy your ticket, and you only need a ticket as far as Dodmodossola. the Swiss Pass coverage starts there. when the Swiss conductor gets on the train, ask him or her to validate your pass if they did not do this in Milan. there may be a fee if the conductor validates it, so ask in Milan if they can do it there. also, I see you live in Seattle, so you can avoid the shipping and handling fee for the Swiss Pass by going up to the Rick Steves store in Edmonds and buying it there. the can answer questions about using it for your trip into Switzerland from Milan.