Milan to Lucerne by car
A traveler named Rvmaccounts is planning a trip from Milan Malpensa to Lucerne by car, as they have aged parents who prefer this option. They are concerned about possible snow affecting the roads and are looking for advice on driving conditions during their trip from December 16 to 23.
- Check the weather and traffic news before driving, as there may be disruptions due to snow.
- Consider taking the train instead of driving; it's easier and often preferred for elderly travelers.
- If you choose to drive, be prepared for possible traffic jams and slow conditions, especially on weekends.
AI-generated summary-
Hi – I am planning a trip from Milan Malpensa to either Lucerne or any other recommended city by Car. I have aged parents so car is the best option. Would the roads be clear or would it be difficult to drive (snow etc?). I am hiring a 4 wheel drive from Milan airport. Thank you.
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Hi Rvmaccounts and welcome to MySwissAlps!
They usually clean the snow quite fast from the highways, but anything can happen. Once I had to cancel a day trip after a big snowfall because even the highway had bad circumstances and it kept falling, so they couldn’t keep it clean.
You mentioned that you are traveling with elderly people, but you could rethink the option of traveling by train as it is much easier in case of snow. I also like the train because they cannot get into traffic jams and I can stand up whenever I want and stretch my legs. Please check this too: http://www.myswissalps.com/carversustrain.
If you are not used to driving on mountain roads it can be tricky, especially with a rented car in snow: http://www.myswissalps.com/car/drivinginthemountains
If you are driving, you can find practical information (like about the traffic regulations, Swiss motorway vignette, parkings, etc.) at http://www.myswissalps.com/car.
From Malpensa you can get easily to Zermatt (http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt/activities) or Lugano (http://www.myswissalps.com/lugano/activities), Lucerne (http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/activities) is a bit further.
When?
That was an awesome response. Its just that its easier driving with my parents. Thanks for so much detail. Is there snow in December 16 to 23?
Dec 16 to 23
Hello Rvmaccounts,
There has been reported heavy snowfall in some places in Switzerland since a few weeks ago, with a few passes and routes disrupted. If you are driving into Switzerland, please plan ahead and check the weather forecast and traffic news.
- Link to Swiss Meteo here: http://www.myswissalps.com/weather/forecast
- Traffic info: http://www.myswissalps.com/car/trafficinfo
Be sure to check out the useful info about driving in Switzerland from the link provided earlier by Ildiko.
Regards,
Anna
Hello Rvmaccounts,
Note Anna’s comments.
Please consider the trains.
Everyone can relax.
Can you be more specific abut why they would not be be suitable for your parents?
I’m a bit elderly myself and use them a lot.
Slowpoke
A you may have noticed, we collectively don’t recommend using a car, especially in winter. Malpensa is well connected to the Swiss railway network so you should be fine, and plenty of elderly people travel on trains day-in day out in Italy and Switzerland.
Trains leave Malpensa at xx.13 past each hour (local train S50), change trains onec in Lugano and you can get to Luzern
Hi 1960man –
<<“Trains leave Malpensa at xx.13 past each hour (local train S50), change trains onec in Lugano and you can get to Luzern“>>
Glad to hear that they finally got that link in place. I’ve not used Malpensa for years, but it used to be a more complex process to hook up with the Swiss rail network.
Looking at the SBB timetable, I see one-stop connections to Luzern, with a leisurely 40 minute connection at Lugano. They depart at at xx19 on the S50, as long as you are traveling after o700. (The one at 0619 is a two stop connection with the additioanl change at Rotkreuz). ) I don’t see an xx13 departure. Am I missing something?
I always check for adequately long connection times in Italy ;-(
Slowpoke
Hi Rvmaccounts-
There are often traffic jams causing slow driving conditions on the trans-Alpine routes on weekends, and Winter weather adds uncertainty. Luckily, your arrival date would be a Monday. Will you be jet-lagged? Do you plan to return to Malpensa at the end of your trip….on a weekend?
Slowpoke
” I don’t see an xx13 departure. Am I missing something? “
xx.13 from Terminal 2, xx.19 from Terminal 1
ps I first used Malpensa in 1976 when it was many miles from any passenger line!
<<“ps I first used Malpensa in 1976 when it was many miles from any passenger line!”>>
Thanks. I started in the 1980’s. Still a nuisance then..
Slowpoke
Please take the train! We are 70 years old and went to Switzerland on an 8 day train pass! We then took a train to Milan and later to Venice! The trains are the best way to go! The
Swiss train pass is awesomw! You just get on and off the trains, buses and boats without tickets. Print the pass at home before you go! We traveled from Zurich to Lucerne and then to Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, the Jungfrau, Sdhilthorn, Montreux, Zermatt and Gruyere.
The trains are so easy to use. They are on time and connect to boats, mountains etc. If you can, take the Golden Pass route on a Belle Epoch train to Montreux from Interlaken. Listen to the advice of the people on My Swiss Alps.
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