[Removed user]

8 February 2020 at 22:11:21 #825155

Hello! My husband and I are traveling from Luzern to Milano (where we intend to rent a car and drive to Padua, so I wasn’t sure if its better to just stop at Lake Como and get a car?) at the end of March. We wanted to see the scenic alps but do not have time for the Bernina Express. I realized that the Gotthard Panorama Express won’t be functioning at the end of March? Please correct me if I’m wrong on that as that is what I wish we could do. (We wanted to take the boat from Lucern to Fluelen too, but again, I do not think it is functioning the last week of March?)

Anyway, we talked about driving from Luzern to Padua, but I’m not sure how much more of the alps we will get to see?

Can anyone offer any insight? Should we drive from Luzern to Padua and we will be able to see a lot of the alps or should we just scrap the idea and take the regular train from Luzern to Milan and give up on the sight-seeing of the alps?

Thank you for your time and information!

Rachel

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[rockoyster]

9 February 2020 at 0:05:12 #929759

Hi Rachel and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

I would drop the idea of driving from Luzern. You won’t see a lot of the Alps and you will be up for a large charge to pick up a car in Switzerland and drop it in Italy.

The GPEX is not running in march but you can replicate the route on boat and regular train if you get a boat from Luzern to Flüelen and from there proceed to Lugano or Milan via Göschenen. Sailings on the lake are limited and the “romantic” paddle steamers are not operating. See http://www.lakelucerne.ch/fileadmin/lakelucerne/content/Dokumente_Downloads_PDF/01_Fahrplan-Preise/01_Fahrplan/Saisonaler_Fahrplan/2020/2020_Fahrplan_Winter.pdf.

See also http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy.

For checking timetables see http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/checking-train-timetables. You can compare the timing of the GPEX route versus the more direct route Luzern to Milan.

[Removed user]

9 February 2020 at 0:21:01 #929760

I don’t understand your itinerary. Why are you starting from Luzern? If you are in Luzern you are already in the ‘Alps’ so you will have seen some Alpine scenery before you set off for Padova. I also don’t understand why you say you don’t have time for the Bernina Express, but would have had time for a lake steamer trip if they had been operating.

You could perhaps pick up a car at Monza

You can do the Bernina route leaving Luzern at 08.35, reaching Monza at 17.26, Luzern – Thalwil – Chur – Samedan – Pontresina – Tirano – Monza

[Removed user]

9 February 2020 at 21:13:35 #929761

Thank you!

[Removed user]

9 February 2020 at 21:13:55 #929762

Thank you!