[Removed user]

16 January 2013 at 13:13:43 #805757

We (husband & I) are embarking on a Med. cruise from Venice on Tues/Wed Oct 8/9. We’ve been to Italy before. Since I’ve never seen an Alp before, we hope to see as much of them as possible before we get to Venice. Instead of flying to Italy, we’ve booked a flight to Zurich (from Canada), arriving early Saturday Oct 5, after which we plan to take a train directly to Zermatt. On Sunday (Oct 6) we plan to take the GE for the day, then stay overnight somewhere (Chur? St. Moritz? Elsewhere more economical?), then take the BE to Tirano on Monday, followed by a train to Milan, where we will stay overnight. On to Venice Tuesday morning. My question is, where would one recommend staying overnight between the two trains? Which town? I’ll try to figure out the rail pass situation later… we’ll be flying home from Rome, 12 nights later. Thanks very much.

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[Annika]

18 January 2013 at 5:17:19 #837934

Welcome VivianY! There are several options for an overnight stay, depending on how you want to spread your travel hours over the Glacier Express ride and the continuing trip to Milan. You could stay in Chur, resulting in a 6 hour trip for the Glacier Express and a 8 to 9 hour trip the next day to Milan. Personally, I would prefer ending the entire Glacier Express route the same day, ending up in St. Moritz or a nearby town. That takes about 8 hours, but obviously results in a more relaxed trip to Milan the next day. Moreover, the St. Moritz region is stunning and it’s worth spending a few hours there on the evening of arrival or the morning of departure. The timetable allows you to check all options.

St. Moritz hotels are listed here. You may also want to look for hotels in surrounding towns, which may be cheaper. Examples are Pontresina, Celerina, Samedan and Bever.

As for rail passes: I don’t know if you have further travel plans in Italy, but looking at your current information I’d say that you’re best off with a 3 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass. This allows three full days of free traveling throughout the country, to be used on Saturday 5, Sunday 6 and Monday 7. You would only need additional seat reservations for the Glacier Express and Bernina Express and a regular ticket from Tirano to Milan.

[Removed user]

22 January 2013 at 12:32:23 #837935

Thank you very much for your kind and informative reply, Annika. I really appreciate your input. We have decided to complete the GE, then take a train to Pontresina and stay there the night (Hotel Bernina).
Thanks also for your recommended railpass information. That sounds good, assuming we wouldn’t be better off with something that includes Italy. Our total train rides will include:
– Zurich to Zermatt (Oct 5)
– GE from Zermatt to St Moritz (Oct 6)
– St Moritz to Pontresina (Oct 6 also)
– Bernina Express from Pontresina to Tirano, Italy (Oct 7)
THEN, IN ITALY:
– Tirano to Milan Oct 7
– Milan to Venice Oct 8
– Civitaveccia to Rome Oct 19
– Rome to airport (Leonardo Express) Oct 20
Again, many thanks!
Viv

[Annika]

22 January 2013 at 15:29:13 #837936

Hi Viv! It would be helpful if you tell me where you’re from, as there are differences in available pass types for European and non-European residents. If you provide me with your country of residence, I can be of better help.

[Removed user]

22 January 2013 at 15:47:53 #837937

[quote]Annika said: Hi Viv! It would be helpful if you tell me where you’re from, as there are differences in available pass types for European and non-European residents. If you provide me with your country of residence, I can be of better help.[/quote]Sorry… my husband and I are from Canada.

Thanks!
Viv

[Annika]

22 January 2013 at 16:36:36 #837938

Hello Viv. In that case: there’s no rail pass covering just Switzerland and Italy. There’s the Eurail Select Pass, but that’s for 3 to 5 countries, so that will be too expensive for your plan. You can best arrange for passes/tickets for both countries separately. As for the Swiss part of your stay: I do think the Swiss Saver Flexi Pass I mentioned is best. As for Italy: you can take a look at the Eurail Italy Pass, but you would have to calculate whether this is actually cheaper than buying regular tickets.