Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Chur, Switzerland

The train works well for this. Use the German train site Bahn.de, or the Swiss one, Rail.ch, to figure it out. The best route takes just under five hours and has two connections. You can depart G-P at 10:04 to Innsbruck, change there and again at Sargans, and arrive in Chur at 14:52.

Thanks, Lola. I posted in both places - wasn't sure which was the better, so opted for both!
Thanks for the info, will follow it up. Have you ridden the Bernina Express? Interested to know what others think. Might have to stop overnight in Chur and ride the train the next day, perhaps then continue on to the Como area. Thanks!

Kathy, I travelled on the Bernina Express last year, and the scenery is beautiful! I very much enjoyed the trip! I believe you will have to spend at least one night in Chur (I was there for two nights, as I wanted to "explore" a bit). As I recall, the Bernina Express departs in the morning. Where are you planning to stay on Lago di Como? If you're planning to stay in Varenna (the usual favourite here), that's an extremely easy trip from Tirano. The Bernina Express arrives in Tirano at 12:38. Trains heading south depart every two hours, so you should be able to connect with the 13:10 departure. The trip from Tirano to Varenna-Esino is ~1H:26M. If you're hauling lots of travel kit, be prepared to disembark promptly, as the train only stops for a minute or so. If all the connections "work", you could be sitting on the patio of your Hotel in Varenna by 16:00, having a mid-afternoon glass of Vino and enjoying a gorgeous view of the lake! When will this trip be taking place? Happy travels!

Hi Ken,
Sorry about the delay - tried posting this yesterday but there was a problem - lucky I'd typed it up in a Word doc!! We 'talked' a few months ago – in my very early stages of planning. I had a break to finish some study, so am now back into it! Great to hear about your experience of the Bernina Express! I think one night in Chur might be the way to go as we're keen to get to Lake Como. As part of our trip in Sept 2010, 4 of us stayed for 2 nights in Lezzeno at the Hotel Aurora (with their restaurant just across the road, looking out over the lake) which we really enjoyed. Only had one full day with a ferry pass and visited 2-3 towns – just superb weather and we left wanting more! In Aug/Sep, 2012, we will be 3 couples travelling more or less together, and I have a 6 week itinerary drafted out focussing on places we hadn't seen! However, we keep talking about Lake Como - so I'm investigating the possibility of stealing back a few days and amending the route to try and squeeze it in. It's good to hear that Varenna is easy to reach from Tirano, so I'll investigate places to stay there, or nearby. Any suggestions?? I'm wondering whether I cut some of our itinerary back to 2 night instead of 3 night stays and maybe visit Innsbruck and surrounds first, before travelling to Chur via Sargans, as Lola suggested. That way, we could head directly to Salzburg (?) after our time at Lake Como. What do you think?? Cheers, Kathy

Kathy, It's good to hear that you're going to try and fit a visit to Lake Como into the Itinerary. Varenna is a beautiful spot, and a great place to practice the fine art of Il Dolce Far Niente (and enjoy some great Vino and Gelato). It makes a great place for exploring other parts of the lake, such as the resort town of Bellagio (20-minutes by Ferry from Varenna). There's a good sellection of lodgings shown in the Italy Guidebook, but given your location you may not have access to that. The books are all available in E-book format now if you have a Reader (PC or otherwise). Some lodgings you might consider, depending on your budget and preferences: > Albergo Milano > Albergo Olivedo (right across from the Ferry dock) > Villa Cipressi > Hotel Eremo Gaudio (it's above the town, but great views) > Hotel Royal Victoria (right in the centre of town) Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero have ornate gardens that can be toured for a small fee. I'd suggest trying to arrange for three nights though. By the time you arrive in Tirano and travel to Varenna, it will probably be about 16:00. You'll have time for dinner that night and not much else. If you only stay two nights, that will only allow one full day for touring the area. Cheers!

Good tips, thanks Ken! Yes, we had only one full day there last year and Bellagio was definitely a highlight - loved it. Also visited Villa Carlotta and popped into one other town for a few mins and that was it! Would like to visit some of the other towns this time - what would you recommend??
Kathy

Kathy, Menaggio is the only one that comes to mind. Varenna is usually a "rest stop" for me, so I prefer to relax and enjoy the ambience, and don't travel too far. Hopefully some of the others will have some good suggestions for you.

Sounds like you're set on Lake Como, but have you looked at Lake Bled, since you're heading into Slovenia? It's really stunning as well. It's still a resort town, but less overrun with American tourists.

Yes, kathy, we're heading to Slovenia from Salzburg and Lake Bled is certainly on the itinerary! Thanks for the confirmation, though.
Cheers, Kathy