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Milano / Milan / Mailand to Stresa by train
How to take the rail journey from Milan/Milano to Stresa on lake Maggiore
Stresa is located along one of the two main railway routes between Italy and Switzerland, hence the express train service from Milan being provided by international EuroCity (EC) trains.
Though if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, perhaps due to a spontaneous decision to make a day trip to Lake Maggiore, then the slightly slower Regionale (RV) trains, will be money savers.
Whether you take the EC or RV trains a delightful journey along the shores of Lake Maggiore awaits you.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the express trains
Journey Summary
56 min
Daily
Travel Information
If you can book ahead then these EC trains only cost a few €s more, in comparison to taking the alternative Regionale trains and you'll have a faster, more comfortable journey too.
Though if you'll be booking tickets last minute at the station, these EC trains will be more expensive; by at least €10s.
Final Destination: Geneve or Basel
8 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
There are 3 different train services between Milano and Stresa
(1) THESE EC trains, they’re the fastest and can be cheapest, when the limited numbers of discounted Mini-Pris discounted tickets are still available.
Though the difference in price with the Regionale Veloce (RGV) trains will only be a couple of €s if you’re booking in advance online.
These trains depart from Milano Centrale.
They also tend to plug gaps between the departures of the RGV trains, so if you need to be in Stresa at a specific time, they become the obvious choice.
Though rail pass users should avoid these EC trains, as you'll save at least €10 by taking the alternative Regionale Veloce trains.
(2) The Regionale Veloce (RGV) trains which also depart from Milano Centrale.
They’re not as comfortable as these EC trains, but when the discounted tickets for the EC trains have sold out, they’re the cheaper option.
If you will be buying tickets at the station then you’ll save more than €10 in comparison to the EC trains,arnd the journey time is only 18 mins longer.
(3) Regionale trains from Milano Porta Garibaldi.
It's best to ignore these as they’re slower than the Regionale Veloce trains from Milano Centrale, but cost the same price and don't plug the gaps in the departures of the RGV trains from Milano Centrale.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Italia rail | from €9.90 | |
| Trenitalia | from €9.90 | |
| Save A Train | from €9.90 |
On this journey
Journey Features
Good to Know
A tick in the box for taking these EC trains is that seat reservations are complimentary when booking tickets, so all seats are assigned.
In contrast seat reservations are not available on the Regionale trains, and they can be busy trains, particularly when setting off from Milan in the late afternoon/early evening.
If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are some fabulous views over Lake Maggiore for the final 10 -15 mins of the journey, after the train has passed through Arona.
All of the images were taken from the right of the train.
Option 2: -taking the regional trains
Journey Summary
1hr 8 min
Daily
Tickets
Book early and save: No (not on these trains)
Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the same station immediately before departure.
If you will be buying tickets at the station then you’ll save more than €10 in comparison to the EC trains – and the journey time is only 18 mins longer.
Rail pass users won't incur any additional charges if they take these trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trenitalia | from €8 approx | |
| Italia rail | from €8 approx |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
As the guide to travelling by train in Italy explains, travellers often have a choice of train services when making journeys between Italian destinations.
This is the case on this route between Milano and Stresa when you can choose to travel on these trains, which tend to depart every two hours.
OR
taking the faster, but typically more expensive EC trains.
There are also slower alternative trains which leave from Milano Porta Garibaldi station.
Though we don't recommend taking those trains from Porta Garibaldi, as they depart in the same hours as these trains from Milano Centrale.
So they don't plug the gaps in the intervals between departures from Milano Centrale; so they don't save time or money
Final Destination: Domodossola
If your seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are some fabulous views over Lake Maggiore, once the train has departed from Arona.
All of the images were taken from the right of the train.
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