Train from Venice to Lucerne or Bern area???

Are you searching for more than three months out from today's date? If so, that would explain it. Schedules are only posted 90 days in advance, and as a result you cannot search that far out. Try searching a closer date, but one that would be during the same day of the week.

no - i actually am looking for early september so definitely less than 90 days. anyone have better websites to try other than raileurope.com?

Nicole, RailEurope is not good for the journey you need. Neither is your plan to take a night train. There is no direct night train from Venice to either Bern or Lucerne. Night trains from Venice go north to Austria, west to Paris and south to Rome. Night trains do go north from Naples and Rome into Switzerland and France. What you have to do is take a non-night train to Bologna to pick up the 314 Luna going north to Basel. From Bologna to Bern, you're only on the sleeper for under 7.0 hours. There is a later night train to Bologna that meets a later night train to Milan where you change again in the middle of the night to non-night train to Bern. Not Good.

The news is much, much better for a day train from Venice to either Bern or Lucerne. CLICK HERE to see part of a day schedule from Venice to Bern. You will change trains. If you give me a travel date and a decision for either Bern or Lucerne, I can provide a better-linked schedule for your use.

Note that this schedule is from www.trenitalia.com. You can't buy tickets from them online with your U.S. credit card. They don't accept them. You can buy the tickets for this journey when you first arrive in Italy. You don't have to wait until you get to Venice. As this is an important piece of your trip, be sure of your travel date and time of travel so that you can buy these tickets in advance. You'll be fine.

The train from Venice to Lucerne or Bern goes through the heart of the Alps and is arguably one of the most interesting and scenic in the world. Why not take a day train. You are, after all, there to see Europe aren't you?

As Jeff says, on a day train you'll be passing through some of Europe's most beutiful scenery. I don't think you'd want to miss it. When the train goes through the tunnels, you can imagine it's night ;-)

thank you all so much for your thoughts on this. i was looking for a night train b/c we i did not want to waste time on a train when i could be exploring the area but if you are saying that this ride is one that i should see then i will take it during the day and consider that as part of my seeing the sights! i guess part of my hesitation is that i have never taken the trains in europe and even though i keep hearing that they are clean and wonderful, i keep picturing sitting on a ny subway for 6 plus hours and that is not pleasant.

larry - thank you for that link - it is very helpful. we are looking to head from venice to lucerne on september 7th and would like to get an early start!

Nicole, CLICK HERE to see the a revised early morning schedule from Venice S.L. to Lucerne for Sept. 7. Note that many early trains (esepecially the high-speed Cisalpino trains [CIS]) depart from Venezia Mestre and not Santa Lucia. Thus, you see the R train out of S.L. with a train change 11 minutes later at Mestre. Not a problem. Just an extra train change. Just remember, that for an early train, the time needed to get from your hotel to the train station on the vaporetto could be 30-40 minutes.

thanks so much larry! that website is so much better than what i was looking at.