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Venezia / Venice / Venedig to Zürich / Zurich by train
How to take the rail journey from Venice/Venezia to Zurich
Making the rail journey from Venice to northern Switzerland has been improved for the better on the new timetable, as the departure time has been moved forward by four hours to 13:18.
Aside from arriving in Switzerland in time for an evening meal, the two particular positives are:
- connections are available to destinations across Switzerland (Brig, Geneve, Lausanne and Sion have a daily direct train from Venice)
- for all by the shortest winter days, the entire journey will be daylight; and many of its highlights will be towards its conclusion.
Though if the timings of this direct train don't suit, the other option is to take a train to Milano Centrale and connect there for a train on to Zurich.
Taking an overnight journey isn't a feasible option on this route.
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Routes
From Venezia Santa Lucia/Venice S. L. to Zürich HB / Zurich main station
Journey Summary
6hr 9min
Daily
Travel Information
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Venezia S. Lucia daily at 15:18 and arrive in Zurich at 21:27.
Final Destination: Zuerich/Zurich
This train also calls at: Lugano (connect for Locarno); Bellinzona and Arth-Goldau (connect for Luzern and Basel)
1 x direct train per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
(When looking up this journey on Trenitalia select Zuerich (city) as the arrival station)
This one direct train of the day is usually scheduled to depart from Venezia S. Lucia station at 15:18, so target that time when looking up this journey.
When looking up this journey you will see other options which involve:
(1) taking a train from Venice to Milan, and then connecting there into a
(2) another train from Milan to Zurich
But if you do opt to change trains in Milan instead, then pay particular attention to the time allowed to change trains.
It's not particularly uncommon for the Frecce trains from Venice to arrive in Milan 20 - 30 mins late; and any ticket you have booked will only be valid on a specific train on to Zurich
This is a route on which having to swap tickets to a later connecting train, in the event of a delay, is definitely a scenario to avoid if possible.
Travelling with InterRail and Eurail:
Rail Pass users will need to pay a reservation fee prior to boarding this train, but it can be the best option for a Venice to Zurich journey.
If you opt to travel to Zurich, by making a connection in Milan, you'll need to pay the rail pass reservation fees on both the Frecce train from Venice to Milan AND the EC train from Milan to Zurich.
OR avoid the fees completely by making more connections and experiencing a slower journey.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Italia Rail | from €39 | |
| Trenitalia | from €39 | |
| Omio | from €39 | |
| Trainline | from €39 | |
| Save A Train | from €39 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Good to Know
The train will reverse direction on departure from Milano Centrale.
Aside from the views on the right as the train departs Venice and a brief view over Lake Garda, as the train leaves Desenzano, the Italian section of this journey is unexceptional, but things become a tad more fabulous once the train has passed through Chiasso and crossed the border into Switzerland.
Once you're in Switzerland, look out for these highlights:
The views from the left over Lake Lugano, as the train nears Lugano.
The crossing over Lake Lugano - with great views from both sides of the train.
South of Lugano station, the views over the lake switch to the right.
After departure from Lugano, the train will now travel through the new Ceneri Base Tunnel.
After departure from Bellinzona the train will enter the world's longest railway tunnel, The Gotthard Base Tunnel - so long that it takes the train around 18mins to pass through it.
Despite the fact that this train now travels through The Gotthard Base Tunnel this is still a scenic journey through the Alps.
After the train has exited the tunnel and travelled through Schwyz, there are views on the left over Lake Luzern, which aren’t available when heading south on these trains.
Then shortly afterwards, before Arth-Goldau, also on the left there are views over the Lauerzersee.
After departure from Arth-Goldau there are some beautiful views over Lake Zug - also on the left.
(All of the videos were taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction)
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