I’m planning a trip to Venice in March and I’d like to travel by train rather than fly, I’m thinking of taking three days on the trip with two overnight stays. I’d like to incorporate the Bernina Express in the trip too. I’m not a seasoned rail traveller so I’d be grateful for any tips on the practicalities of using interrail for such a trip.
Looks really good! The Bernina route is my favourite Swiss railway :)
You could spend the first night in Strasbourg or Basel and the second in the Engadin Valley or near Lake Como.
Have a look at mandatory reservations on high-speed trains here : https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm
Eurostar needs to be booked well in advance (popular route + passholder quota). Change in Lille (same station) or in Paris : Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est -> 10 min walk.
Bernina Express : 36 CHF reservation for the (crowded) panorama carriages or reservation-free regular carriages at the front -> less crowded with pull-down windows. Also possible to take the hourly regional trains on the same route. You can see the driver's cab from the 1st class seats at the front (with a 1st class pass).
Questions welcome.
+4
I would start by looking at this page on Seat61. It gives you a summary of the various options for getting from the UK to Venice, with some really good descriptions + suggested train times.
https://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm#london-to-milan-venice-florence-rome-naples
Unfortunately, Options 1 & 2 (via the Paris-Milan high-speed railway) aren’t possible at the moment because the line is blocked by a landslide.
Option 5 is the way if you want to include the Bernina Express. Highly recommended!
Then you could choose a different route for the return journey. Either the sleeper via Stuttgart, or the day route via Switzerland (much of it the same route as Option 5).
Many thanks for Raiderton & Thibcabe for your useful tips. Much appreciated!
I think it’s romantical if you have rail trip with your darling or family, you will have time with the others on train
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