We are getting off a cruise in Genoa and then going up to Germany to the next leg of our trip. We will take a train to Milan to catch the next section. This will be on July 4th, so the train schedules aren't out yet. But I'm trying to piece it together from existing schedules. Right now, I have the plan as going from Milan to Zurich and then switching to DB bahn and going in to Stuttgart. We have the whole day to get up there, and since most of my family hasn't been to Europe before - I'd like it to be as scenic as possible. But of course, not too complicated because we are with a larger group. Is there a better route to take that would provide the best view going through Switzerland and the Alps?
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Seattle, WA
17435 posts
Hi Carrie-if you are doing this all in one day, you don't want to go too much out of the direct path (via Zurich) as it will add a lot of train time. The trip from Milan to Stuttgart, with a single change at Zurich, is 7 hours as it is. Going via the most scenic route, the Bernina Express route, would turn it into a 10-hour trip just to get to Zurich. And actually, the direct Milan-Zurich route, via the Gotthard Pass, is quite nice. There are a few tunnels, including 1 or 2 spirals, but no long tunnels like there are on the Milan to Bern path. You get nice views of lakes, mountains, and hanging glaciers on the way. The connections work out well to depart Milan on the 11:10 to Zurich, with a 15-minute break to transfer to the 15:05 direct train to Stuttgart, arriving there around 18:00. You can get really good prices on both these trains by booking Milan to Zurich on Trenitalia (22 euro Smart fare, check "other prices and services" to see this offer) and Zurich to Stuttgart on bahn.de. WE have done both and saved a bundle.