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Dilemma...choosing route from Wengen to Rome or Naples

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We are trying to choose and wonder what you all would recommend. Not sure yet whether we will do Switzerland->Naples->Rome or Switzerland->Rome->Naples->back to Rome (for last night before flight)

  1. train Wengen to Basel or Zurich and then fly to Rome or Naples (con: 4 adults plus luggage could be around 1000CHF give or take; early evening or night arrival due to timings)

  2. train Wengen to Rome or Naples (via Luzern and Gotthard route) all in one day (11-12 hours on the train in one day...crazy?; arrival in destination after dark)

  3. train Wengen to Lugano (via Gotthard route); stay night in Lugano; train Lugano to Rome or Naples the next day (eats an extra day and requires a hotel night)

In some ways I think the Lugano option is best. In other ways I think the all in one day train journey is best. But is 11-12 hours on a train, ie. the whole day, crazy to consider? There will be a couple of transfers obviously. But train or not, that seems a long time!

Posted by
1800 posts

When is this going to be?

Normally Wengen - Rome by train would take 7 1/2 hours, and would be a no brainer (as it takes you 3 hours to reach any airport). But this summer the Simplon route is partly replaced by busses, turning the trip in to 9 1/2 hours for Rome. And to Naples is indeed going to be longer.

However, long train rides are not that bad. I have done longer. On a train you can get up. You can go to the restaurant. Look out at the landscape. And you will have a few changes too. Passengers will board and leave, and you may have some interesting conversations. Play games.

My sister usually travels by train when visiting me, and that takes 11 hours (and five train changes). She sees it as an opportunity to have some quality time with her kids. Wengen to Naples is going to eat up a day no matter how you travel. Make it an interesting day...

The most time efficient way would probably be to take the night train from Milano to Napoli, but that would not be my first choice.

Posted by
20 posts

When is this going to be?

currently looking at Sun. Sept. 29 but it could vary yet

Normally Wengen - Rome by train would take 7 1/2 hours

not seeing anything that short at all using sbb website. seeing mostly 8.5 to 9 hours. some of these are via Domodossola and some are via Luzern-Lugano. My understanding was the Stresa-Arona stretch is scheduled to reopen around Sept. 08?

seeing 10h21m to 12h for Wengen to Napoli Centrale depending on route

we are flying home out of Rome, so makes sense to go from Wengen to Napoli from that perspective.

Posted by
1800 posts

If you want to know what the normal schedule looks like you need to pick a date in this week. If you are looking far ahead and not seeing what you expect you are just too early. The Stresa - Arona line should indeed open in september, but the through EC trains have not yet been put on the timetable.

This is btw, why, when asking help with train travel, you should always mention your travel dates...

Posted by
7913 posts

But my experience has been that the trains in Italy always run behind schedule; this could make your trip a lot longer. I' d break it up instead of trying to go all the way by train from Wengen to Naples in one day.

Posted by
1800 posts

Trains in Italy are not as punctual as those in Switzerland, true, but the high speed strains are quite punctual. I would expect delays in the 10 minute range on such a trip, but not hours.

When we went to Italy a few weeks ago our train from Spiez to Milano (the one the OP will probably take) was late in Milano Centrale, but we still almost by accident got on the 11:58, in stead of the 12:10 we booked....

I would just go all the way. That day will be a day dominated by travel anyway. So just get it over with.

Posted by
16409 posts

We had a September trip planned that required us to travel from Switzerland down to Naples to meet our hiking tour group. I planned our train travel with 2, 2-night stops on the way, at Parma and Orvieto, to break up the journey into enjoyable segments. That is our travel style, and we have the time to do that.

As it turns out, our hiking tour in the south was canceled, and we changed to one at Lago Maggiore. We will just have to see Parma, Orvieto, and Naples another day.

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