Brussels to Italy, via Germany and Switzerland. Advice more than welcome!

S
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I am quietly working out my plans to travel from Brussels to Naples.
The travel date is not fixed yet, but will normally be somewhere at the end of August ... and 1st week of September.

The route I have in mind:

Brussels North - Cologne (ICE)
Cologne - Basel (ICE)
Basel - Lugano (IC)
Lugano - Milan (RE)

Departure 6u32am, arrival 17u17pm.

If I would like to reserve a seat for the ICE, I pay 5.30 euros for 1st class per person, per journey.
I wouldn't want to do that, but my travel partner isn't convinced about trains, so maybe better to reserve a seat after all. Otherwise I risk having to change seats several times.


1/
Why does the SBB travel planner not show the train at 16u02 pm departing from Lugano in August ?
Is that because not all travel times have been communicated from Italy yet?

2/
Would the SBB travel planner show a connection via Bern and Brig on August 26, because the 16:02 train from Lugano to Milan is not (yet) available?

3/

Is it easy to get from Milan Central to Milan Porta Garibaldi?
Or better to go directly from Lugano or Chiasso, to Milan Porta Garibaldi?

4/

Would the hours still change in the months of August / September, on Saturday, compared to the hours currently available for the months of April and May?

For example, on May 14 and May 21, Saturday, I find the same hours as shown in my post.

 

From Milan Porta Garibaldi we would then travel to Naples by night train. Just have to convince my travel partner because she currently prefers to spend the night in Milan, and then travel to Naples by train the next day.


Thank you very much for your responses.

52 replies

Angelo
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@Sven For the trip to Milano Porta Garibaldi (PG) you can use hourly R11 (Regional Train) of Trenord from Chiasso directly to Milano PG (but it stops at every station). Or change in Monza from RE to an R to Milano PG. You could also use EC151 (compulsory reservation) directly to Milano PG. 

If you have time in Milan walk from Centrale to PG and go eat good italian food at a ristorante for dinner, the ICN should start at 22:13 from Milano Porta Garibaldi.

An other option is to use from Milano Centrale a Regionale Veloce or Regionale to Piacenza (next stop of the ICN and enter there the train) or you go to the stop before Milano, which is Novara and take the Regionale Veloce from Centrale to Novara.

 

 

I checkt now with ÖBB scotty app, that the Malpensa Express of Trenord runs from Centrale to Garibaldi. But Interrail is not accepted, but I have in mind that special fare of this train is only for passengers that go to/from the last stations at the airport Malpensa. It should be for trips before a normal regional train, but I'm not sure. You could ask directly Trenord.

 

 

 

For your other question, do you have tried to book for two persons in the same time? Beacuse then it should be possible to be more people in one compartment. 

Be also prepared that covid rules of Trenitalia could change, because many rules are finishing Trenitalia could start to sell compartments for more people.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
R
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Now, what can I do as a customer to find out from when this intercity notte can be booked at NMBS?
Already sent a message to twitter nmbs.

Shall I email MERITS to ask when they expected Trenitalia's timetable?
Or what else can I do?

I prefer not to use the DB option, because then there will be costs that I have to incur.

You could book via DB and then collect from a DB ticket machine while in Germany. But probably they can also only book when they can find the timetable.

It's no use to contact someone at MERITS: they're just waiting for data from Trenitalia. If the train is already in Trenitalia’s system, then it shouldn't be long until the data appears in other planners, depending on how fast Trenitalia work.

Most planners are updated with new data from MERITS in the nights Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri. You could e.g. check the DB planner every Tuesday and Friday morning until the train appears.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
S
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NMBS don't have an extra fee for choosing a specific seat as far as I know.

Do let me know what kind of ticket you get for the Italian night train. NMBS recently claimed they don't issue electronic tickets yet for these trains, although a few months ago, they said they had just switched to electronic tickets (PDF) only for all international tickets (this incudes the ticket offices).

 

@rvdborgt

 

Yesterday I was finally able to buy the tickets for the intercity notte 797 at NMBS.
I received a printed PDF document at the counter. The counter clerk forgot to ask me if I also wanted to receive the document by e-mail. And according to her, she couldn't take the application anymore after I paid it.

 

Afterwards I called the 02 number of NMBS for service after purchase, and with great difficulty I also received my tickets that I ordered at the counter by mail via a PDF file.
The male employee I had on the phone claimed I wouldn't need the tickets to board the night train??!!!
That's why he didn't want to send me the PDF document by email at first.

But I wanted an email confirmation in case I lost my paper PDF document.

 

 

I'm going to open another topic, with some more questions for you. Also try to upload my ticket.

S
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@Sven For the trip to Milano Porta Garibaldi (PG) you can use hourly R11 (Regional Train) of Trenord from Chiasso directly to Milano PG (but it stops at every station). Or change in Monza from RE to an R to Milano PG. You could also use EC151 (compulsory reservation) directly to Milano PG. 

 

 

These options were already known to me.
Thank you for confirming that interrail is valid here with Trenord.

 

 

 

I checkt now with ÖBB scotty app, that the Malpensa Express of Trenord runs from Centrale to Garibaldi. But Interrail is not accepted, but I have in mind that special fare of this train is only for passengers that go to/from the last stations at the airport Malpensa. It should be for trips before a normal regional train, but I'm not sure. You could ask directly Trenord.

 

 

I am trying to contact Trenord customer service via instagram as they are not responding to my message via email.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Angelo 

I contacted Trenord customer service if it really isn't possible to take the train between Milan Central and Milan porta Garibaldi, clearly saying it's only a 9 minute ride.

I asked twice, but unfortunately I got the answer that interrail is not valid on the malpensa express.
Such a shame as it's only a very short drive!

 

R
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So if I understand you correctly, it is a better idea to do the following route :

Chur - Zürich

Zürich - Basel

Basel - Cologne

Cologne - Brussels 

I'd say yes. It just means changing in Basel (or Freiburg, Karlsruhe or Mannheim) onto the direct ICE to Cologne. Do check in advance if it reaches Basel SBB and is not turned short in Basel Bad Bf. When you plan to change in Frankfurt Hbf, you should always check before Mannheim if the ICE to Brussels is really departing there and not cancelled east of Cologne.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
S
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Haha, yes Trenitalia costumer service is very usefull. But it could also be the truth. We have to wait and check after.

 

In the meantime, I will therefore regularly have to use the Trenitalia app or website to see whether the intercity notte 797 is already for sale at the end of August.
Currently this is until August 5.

Thank you very much @Angelo 

R
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1/
Why does the SBB travel planner not show the train at 16u02 pm departing from Lugano in August ?
Is that because not all travel times have been communicated from Italy yet?

Yes, that's the reason. Regional timetables from 12 June in Italy have not been published yet. 

2/
Would the SBB travel planner show a connection via Bern and Brig on August 26, because the 16:02 train from Lugano to Milan is not (yet) available?

Probably.

3/

Is it easy to get from Milan Central to Milan Porta Garibaldi?

It's 2 metro stops. You can also walk if you have time, it's about 1.8 km.

Or better to go directly from Lugano or Chiasso, to Milan Porta Garibaldi?

That's also an option. You can change in Monza, from where there are many suburban trains to Porta Garibaldi

4/

Would the hours still change in the months of August / September, on Saturday, compared to the hours currently available for the months of April and May?

For example, on May 14 and May 21, Saturday, I find the same hours as shown in my post.

There's always a chance something might change, primarily because of engineering works. But if you're not travelling until the end of August, I'd wait until Trenitalia have published their summer timetable and then verify before booking any trains.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
S
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Le Frecce says this about booking 2 rooms next to each other, with a door in between.
Anyone able to work with this explanation? It's really not clear to me yet.

LE FRECCE SAY :
Select the travel solution you are interested in and the fare. In the drop-down menu relating to offers and services, you will find sleeper or wagon and the wording communicating

I have no clue. I don't see that in the choices. For 7 June:

So nothing with “communicating”. Note that the lowest fare is still available, so there should still be many places left.

 

Yes, LE FRECCE says this option is not possible on the Milan - Naples connection.

But it should be possible on other night train connections, but they don't know on which connections 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

Angelo
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@Sven I will investigate about this topic and will come to you later.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
R
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This one should work:

 

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
S
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NMBS don't have an extra fee for choosing a specific seat as far as I know.

 

 

@rvdborgt 

It didn't cost me anything extra to reserve my chosen seats. A lot of sighing from the employee.

Angelo
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@Sven 

School summer holidays in Italy are very long from June to mid September. 

But most people get to vacation for “Ferragosto” wich is every year the 15th of august. So plan 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after very full trains near the beach and in the mountains. But also in July are often full (especially in the weekends)

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
R
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It is often best to continue further to Cologne as soon as possible. Currently, it seems (almost?) all ICEs Frankfurt - Brussels are only running west of Cologne. This may happen more often in summer because the series 406 don't really like hot weather :/

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
S
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Currently, the plan is to return from Switzerland to Brussels on September 1.

In the morning I would like to do another trip from Chur to Zurich.

 

From Zurich I would then like to make the journey to Brussels, preferably with ICE because of the low costs (5.30 euros/person for a certain seat)

There is a connection at 11:59, 13:59, with a change at Frankfurt main.

 

My question : Isn't it better to travel from Zurich to Cologne, because of many delays / and even cancellations in Frankfurt?

 

If you have any other suggestions, let me know. Thank you!

 

 

 

( Just saw that the price has gone to 5.90 euros, instead of 5.30 euros. )

The question is if the trains at 11.59 and 13.59 goes to Cologne :) As usually the ICE´s from Zürich goes from Frankfurt via Kassel & Hannover to Hamburg :)
From Basel you have trains that goes to Cologne :)

another option is you may catch arround 10am the Eurocity from Zürich via Rhine Valley & Cologne to Hamburg and connect then in Cologne for a ICE to Brussels. (Have a scenic Route through the Rhinevalley at the end of the trip) and in case of 1st class you can even enjoy it from the panoramic carriage :)

 

@seewulf 

I should have made my question clearer.

Wouldn't it be better to avoid Frankfurt because I notice there are a lot of delays or cancellations?

 

S
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It is often best to continue further to Cologne as soon as possible. Currently, it seems (almost?) all ICEs Frankfurt - Brussels are only running west of Cologne. This may happen more often in summer because the series 406 don't really like hot weather :/

It is often best to continue further to Cologne as soon as possible. Currently, it seems (almost?) all ICEs Frankfurt - Brussels are only running west of Cologne. This may happen more often in summer because the series 406 don't really like hot weather :/

 

@rvdborgt 

So if I understand you correctly, it is a better idea to do the following route :

 

Chur - Zürich

Zürich - Basel

Basel - Cologne

Cologne - Brussels 

S
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@Angelo

 

Could you please help me with this whether the message on page 3/3, which begins with "Linee: S11", will affect my travel plans on Friday, August 26?

Namely :

Lugano - Chiasso
Chiasso - Milan porta Garibaldi
Departure 19:32 - Arrival 21:21

 

Whether


Lugano - Mendrisio
Mendrisio - Monza
Monza - Milan porta Garibaldi
Departure 19h36 - Arrival 21h38

 

 

Thank you very much!!

 

Link

Angelo
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No because you are taking the Eurocity of Trenitalia and SBB? This document is about the local train service of Trenord. 

Some services on the line will not run for works between Monza and Milano. This will not affect some lines and long distance trains. 

 

NOTE: Your Eurocity from Lugano runs to Milano Centrale wich is another station then Milano Porta Garibaldi. 

You can also use local train services via Gallarate and Varese to Milano Porta Garibaldi or you run from Chiasso with local trains (to avoid the Eurocity Reservation and to get directly to Porta Garibaldi)

 

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
S
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No because you are taking the Eurocity of Trenitalia and SBB? This document is about the local train service of Trenord. 

Some services on the line will not run for works between Monza and Milano. This will not affect some lines and long distance trains. 

 

NOTE: Your Eurocity from Lugano runs to Milano Centrale wich is another station then Milano Porta Garibaldi. 

You can also use local train services via Gallarate and Varese to Milano Porta Garibaldi or you run from Chiasso with local trains (to avoid the Eurocity Reservation and to get directly to Porta Garibaldi)

 

 

@Angelo

I have described my travel plans in detail so that you can help me in the best possible way.

 

I take the train in Lugano with departure at 19:32, or with departure at 19:36. Both departure times are with a few changes to Milan porta Garibaldi. And because of this I also have to use the regional trains.

That's why I want to be sure about the link I've included. Will this have an effect on my travel plans?

 

 

In my previous post I described my travel plans to you. I may take the Eurocity to Chiasso, but I will see that on the day.

Angelo
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I'm not 100% sure, but want I get from the Document, it should not effect you. But Trenitalia and Trenord Timetable should be uptodate.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
S
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@Angelo and other users.

 

Does anyone know when Trenitalia will make such a link available from June 12, 2022?

Orario

Trenitalia says they don't?!

Angelo
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In the past it the online PDF timetable got online the same day of timetable change or a few day after that.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
S
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In the past it the online PDF timetable got online the same day of timetable change or a few day after that.

 

Thank you @Angelo !!


So what Trentitalia customer service says is probably wrong. Hopefully a PDF with the timetable will be available online in a few weeks!

Angelo
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Haha, yes Trenitalia costumer service is very usefull. But it could also be the truth. We have to wait and check after.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
S
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@rvdborgt

If I'm correct, there is no mandatory reservation for all trains for the proposed journey, right?

 

Thank you very very much to answer all my questions.

R
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@rvdborgt

If I'm correct, there is no mandatory reservation for all trains for the proposed journey, right?

Correct, not until Milan.

By the way, NMBS should be able to book a pass reservation for the night train at the ticket office. That way, you don't pay any booking fee and you don't need to struggle with the problems of Interrail's booking module when booking multiple passengers for an Italian night train.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.

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