Train Change in Milano Centrale

Hello, Arno,

We are planning to travel from Sargans to Zurich, then Zurich to Milano Centrale, afterwards, Milano Centrale to Venizia. We have purchased the Swiss Travel Pass for our trip in Zurich and tickets for our seat reservations for the Zurich-Milano Centrale (arrival 19:35h) trip. To complete the trip, we also purchased a FernItalia ticket for the Milano Centrale-Venezia (departure 20:05) leg.

What confuses us now is the change of trains in Milano Centrale. As we have but 30 minutes to move ourselves and our luggage from one train to the other, it would very much help to have a clear as to how we ought to best manage it.

The ticket for the Zurich-Milano Centrale (see below) specifies "Cisalpino 21." I have done random searches on the Internet regarding "Cisalpino" and have been unable to locate anything meaningfully related. Is it a specific station or platform we have to alight from? the name of the carriage? How can we best locate the other platform where we board the train, labelled Carriage: 1, headed for Venezia?

15:32 ZUERICH HB

19:35 MILANO CENTRALECisalpino 21 | Seat reservation : included | 1st class

Thanking you very much in advance for your kind help and advice.

Best regards,

Tortoise

Hello, Arno,

The FernItalia train is FrecciaBianca - sorry to have forgotten to specify.

Best,

Tortoise

Hi Tortoise!

The Cisalpino is just the type of train you're traveling with, so that's nothing to worry about. We don't know that much about traveling in Italy and the rail station of Milano, but 30 minutes should be more than enough to change trains. You should be able to find arrival and departure platforms in the Swiss or Italian timetable. If not, then you'll be able to find your way once you arrive at Milano. The departing trains will be announced at displays, including platforms.

Does that reassure you?

Hi Tortoise -

from one Slowpoke to another.

30 minutes is not a guarantee at Milano Centrale. However, for an important connection such as the one you have described, the outbound will often be adjusted by a few minutes in order to synchronize with the routine level of lateness of all the trains.

Milano Centrale is terminal. The trains come in to a dead end, then go out on the same track.

So, if you can be in a car near the front of the train coming in to the station, you will save a few minutes if you need to go to the railhead and change tracks. If you are lucky ( it works this way in Switzerland) your connecting train may be on the other side of the same platform. Don't plan on it in Italy.

The last time we came into Milano Centrale from Firenze (Florence) we reached the outer station yards 30 minutes before our scheduled arrival. We got off the train 45 minutes after that. Ran with our bags to our train, panting. Our train from Milano Centrale to Zürich was 30 minutes late departing.

CisAlpino is a name that has had various meanings over the years. One is the name of the "sub-company" or division of the rail company that runs the trains - it is or was a JV between rail companies in Italy and Switzerland. Another meaning is the unique design of the train cars/system. They were some of the first tilting cars, and shortened the travel time remarkably....when they worked well.

In recent years, the Swiss have taken over the company or the maintenance, or something. Even that has not fixed the problems. If the tilt mechanism does not work correctly, the trains have to slow down. Those trains are often late.

Not to worry- somehow, it all works, but it is a bit exciting. ;-)

One of the things I found amusing about rail travel in Italy was that the overhead monitors and signage listing trains, destination, times, etc., generally had another column. It showed how many minutes late each train was.

Slowpoke

Hello, Annika,

Thank you very much for your reply and the helpful information. It is indeed reassuring to know that the connection will be okay as I couldn't book one ticket until Venice. What I sadly managed to overlook was Chiasso.

Another reason for my concern is because, aside from the short time, we will be having our big luggages to contend with. Then, even if we can run for it, our Mother, who is a senior citizen, would have a hard time.

We will make sure we are ready when we reach Milan and hope we will not be left behind.

Thank you very much for the reassurance, Annika!

Beat regards,

Tortoise

Hello, Slowpoke,

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge about these trains and their operation -- what an insight!

We will write Fernitalia and hope they will be able to give us more information about the connecting trips.

Good you were able to catch your train. Hope we will be able to, too!

Best regards,

Tortoise

Toortoise -

I spent some time trying to find a map of Milano Centrale. Routine searching disclosed posting threads that claimed there was no map, because of makjor reconstruction ( about 2009 and 2010).

I finally found some maps, but I don't know how accurate they are. I'd guess thatthe trackts havenot moved, but maybe the other stuff has.

Try this page:

www.google.com/search?q=station+map+milano+c entrale&tbm=isch&imgil =nDcQ0mDedl-bZM%253A%253B8gQG5Gpet OcrWM%253Bhttp%25253A% 25252F%25252Fwww.amoit aly.com%25252Fdeposit% 25252Fmilano.html&sour ce=iu&pf=m&fir=nDcQ0mD edl-bZM%253A%252C8gQG5Gpet OcrWM%252C_&biw=1206&b ih=625&usg=__JDl1zV-XVcHgOpxPYgn9SePJhJY%3 D&ved=0CHUQyjdqFQoTCNa xgdSO_MYCFYVpPgodmY4CM Q&ei=uI-2Vdb1G4XT-QGZnYqIAw#imgrc=nDcQ0m Dedl-bZM%3A&usg=__JDl1zV-XVcHgOpxPYgn9SePJhJY%3 D

And, this one looks like it is up to date:

www.milanocentrale.it/

Slowpoke,

Thank you very much for having taken the time to look it up and to share it with us! It will surely be helpful! I will check them out already.

Thank you and best regards!

<<" Slowpoke,Thank you very much for having taken the time to look it up and to share it with us!">>

You are welcome. Hope it helps.

Slowpoke

Hello, Slowpoke,

The links you shared are really veey helpful. Thank you very much! We now have a much better idea where we may find the different platform numbers.

Just sharing: I previously mentioned I shall also write TrenItalia. They did respond though with a long response in Italian saying somwthing else that hardly answered our question about the interchange and platform numbers.

Best regards,

Tortoise

<<"The links you shared are really veey helpful. Thank you very much! We now have a much better idea where we may find the different platform numbers.">>

You are quite welcome.

Good luck.

Slowpoke