2 days in Switzerland, advice on express train

He everyone,

I have Monday and Tuesday to see as much of Southern Switzerland as I can. I am in Lake Como for work, but will be done Monday morning and my flight out of Milan is Wednesday morning. I would like to see a couple of nice scenic Swiss towns, but most importantly go on one of those scenic train rides in the Alps. I have a rental car so I can drive to the Swiss towns or train station.

Any recommendations for which towns (not more than 2-3 hr drive from Como) and which route of the scenic train?

Thank you in advance,

Ned

Welcome to MySwissAlps, Ned! What a good idea to plan a few days in Switzerland before heading back. There are certainly options that match your wishes. Some examples:

• drive to Tirano (about 2 to 3 hours from Como) and catch the train to Pontresina/St. Moritz. This is a beautiful scenic train ride over the Bernina Pass, also known as the Bernina Express. It's no problem to travel the same route by regular regional trains. You can spend the next day in or near St. Moritz, visit some of the scenic little villages in the Upper Engadine, and then return to Tirano. You can either take the same route back or, if you don't mind a detour, take the bus to Chiavenna (it passes the beautiful Bergell valley) and then head for Tirano by train. I doubt whether this allows you to get back in time for your return flight from Milan though;
• drive to Brig or Taesch, park your car there and get on the train to Zermatt. It's touristy, but its location is very scenic and the landschape is stunning. To enjoy a scenic train ride, consider the ride up the Gornergrat;
• drive to Lugano, park your care there and get on the scenic Centovalli train to Domodossola. You may extend your trip towards Zermatt, as mentioned above.

The timetable helps you plan your train trips. Depending on how much you'll be traveling by public transportation, a Swiss Half Fare Card may help you save on traveling costs. Here's how to calculate whether that's the case for your specific plans.

Why not go through the Gotthard? I really like that ride - not only the mountains, but the railroad engineering.

Slowpoke