Hi everyone. Using DB bahn and Trenitalia, I'm having trouble. Hoping to travel from Varenna Italy to Pontresina, Switzerland and arrive in Pontresina mid-afternoon. Is this possible? I wish to depart Varenna early morning to Lecco; a schedule shows a 21 minute ride to Lecco; then lecco to Colico is one hour, but no schedule exits from Colico to Tirano. A schedule shows Tirano to Pontresina is 2 hours. This is the Bernina Pass route isn't it? Also, has anyone traveled this route from Pontresina to Munich: Pontresina -Chur-St. Margrethen-Lindau Hbf thru Kempten(Allgäu)Hbf to Munich. This is scheduled to take around 8 hrs with four changes. This will be our last travel day after a month and the route appears to be the most scenic way from Pontresina to Munich. If you've knowledge of this route, is the Scenery and extra time worth taking this route? Thanks in advance for your advice,
Sundance
Posted by
NYC
922 posts
Try http://www.trenord.it/it/home.aspx I got results for Colico to Tirano using a test date within 7 days, but no results when I tried a date further out.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
What are your travel dates? You could be too early for reservations. The general range is 60-90 days out.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17433 posts
For some reason, the usually reliable bahn.de does not recognize Varenna, or Varenna-Esino as it is properly designated on rail schedules. You can use either the Swiss site rail.ch (SBB.ch) or Trenitalia to see the train from Varenna to Tirano. There are departures at 9:24 am, 11:24 am, 13:24, etc. the time to Tirano is 1 hour 30 minutes. You wait there for 50 miinutes for the Swiss train running on the Bernina route to Pontresina, which takes 2 hours 10 minutes. Overall travel time from Varenna to Pontresina is 4 hours 26 minutes. To arrive mid-afternoon, you can either depart Varenna at 9:24 and arrive at 13:50, or depart Varenna at 11:24 and get to pontresina at 15:50. Remember to buy your tickets at the travel agent near the station as the station itself is unattended and the ticket machine (if there is one) is perpetually broken.
Posted by
OP
boone
63 posts
Thanks to you three above, first problem solved. Now, I need to book Varenna and Pontersina lodging and find the answer to the next question:
Also, has anyone traveled this route from Pontresina to Munich: Pontresina -Chur-St. Margrethen-Lindau Hbf thru Kempten(Allgäu)Hbf to Munich. This is scheduled to take around 8 hrs with four changes. This will be our last travel day after a month and the route appears to be the most scenic way from Pontresina to Munich. If you've knowledge of this route, is the Scenery and extra time worth taking this route?
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
The scenery between Pontresina and Chur is stunning. It is the route you will take regardless of your further options. I prefer the Aalberg Pass route (via St. Anton to Innsbruck).