Final Destination: Milano or Venezia
All trains also call at: Lausanne and Domodossola (connect for the 'Centovali Railway) and Stresa - for Lake Maggiore
The first train of the day also typically calls at Gallarate, where connections are available into local trains which make multiple stops in a cross-city tunnel including at Repubblica and Porta Venezia.
4 x trains per day
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Check that you're booking for the direct trains; using the journey time to guide you.
Reservations will automatically be assigned when booking tickets - but rail pass users will either need to make reservations prior to boarding; paying the rail pass reservation fees, or avoid the direct trains.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
Trenitalia | from €39 | |
Trainline | from €39 | |
Omio | from €39 | |
Happy rail | from €39 | |
Rail Europe | from €39 |
The Astoro trains are used for most departures.
This is an enchanting journey, which tends to get overlooked, but not by ShowMeTheJourney, as it's been included in our list of Europe's Most Epic Express Train Journeys.
It's a train ride with multiple highlights, the first of which occurs after Lausanne when there are some great views over Lake Geneva, from the right of the train.
Then between Sion and Visp, the train threads through valleys lined with vineyards...
...that video was filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives a great idea of what to expect on this journey.Shortly after departure from Brig the train will travel through The Simplon Tunnel - which for much of the 20th century was the world's longest railway tunnel.
The train then travels through a spectacular valley between the tunnel and Domodossola.
If your reserved seat is on the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are some fabulous views over Lake Maggiore either side of Stresa.
Though this video only gives a sense of the view of the islands that can be seen by the lake shore to the north of Stresa station; and also shows why we have tried and failed to photograph these islands, as glimpses of then can only be snatched through the trees.
The railway is also by the lake shore south of Stresa.
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This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.