Ticketing/feasibility Lombardy/Switzerland circular journey

[Iskra]

Hi all, just looking to see if anybody can offer any insight into the best ticketing options for the below journey please:

Milano Centrale-Domodossola-Locarno-Lugano-Milano

Also, is this a sensible day trip or not and does anyone have any recommendations of anywhere particularly scenic to stop off for a break?

Thanks in advance

 

[Gordon]

What date is this for?

For the whole of the Swiss leg ( ie Domodossola (Domo) - Locarno - Lugano - Chiasso) a Saver Day Pass rover ticket would probably be the cheapest option. An SDP should be purchased AS SOON AS you know your travel date as the price goes up gradually the closer you get to the travel date (SDP does include the whole Centovalli line Domo - Locarno because even the Italian section counts as a Swiss train for geographical reasons).

However bear in mind that the Milano - Domo line is closed for rebuilding each summer for the last few years.

 

[Iskra]

What date is this for?

For the whole of the Swiss leg ( ie Domodossola (Domo) - Locarno - Lugano - Chiasso) a Saver Day Pass rover ticket would probably be the cheapest option. An SDP should be purchased AS SOON AS you know your travel date as the price goes up gradually the closer you get to the travel date (SDP does include the whole Centovalli line Domo - Locarno because even the Italian section counts as a Swiss train for geographical reasons).

However bear in mind that the Milano - Domo line is closed for rebuilding each summer for the last few years.

My journey will be sometime next week

Thanks for the help

 

[Tester]

Hi all, just looking to see if anybody can offer any insight into the best ticketing options for the below journey please:

Milano Centrale-Domodossola-Locarno-Lugano-Milano

Also, is this a sensible day trip or not and does anyone have any recommendations of anywhere particularly scenic to stop off for a break?

Thanks in advance

It is absolutely a sensible day trip, and very, very scenic.

Best place for a break, in my opinion, is Locarno - wander down to the lake. If you have the time and inclination, walk along the lake from Locarno to Tenero and resume your journey there (4.6km - under an hour so fits nicely with the takt).

 

[DanielB]

Best place for a break, in my opinion, is Locarno - wander down to the lake.

Certainly agree with that, the lake side in Locarno is incredibly scenic. Also worth noting that restaurants in Locarno are generally more affordable (though still Swiss prices) than for example in Lugano.
Had an excellent pizza here with a view at the lake when I passed by Locarno a few years ago.

 

[Andover]

Ticket prices are also a bit more reasonable in the Ticino generally, with a Camedo to Chiasso single going for CHF 20.80. That beats a Saver Day Pass any day, never mind only a week ahead, and can then be combined with a Lombardy day pass (€17.50) which overlaps at Chiasso.

Re-Camedo unfortunately doesn't overlap with anything very much and the slightly odd SSIF website seems to sell either nothing or a full Domodossola-Locarno fare as soon as you select an international journey, so I guess you'd have to purchase that short bit from the booking office at Domodossola. Still very likely to be the most economical option I would think.

You're then left with the gap of Arona-Re which can be filled by Trenitalia and SSIF singles.

 

[rvdborgt]

sbb.ch says Domodossola to Chiasso (via Locarno) is CHF 66 full fare. Domodossola-Camedo CHF 38, Domodossola-Re CHF 27, Re-Chiasso CHF 48, Re-Camedo CHF 19.40.
Domodossola-Re is €5.50. It looks like the international fares of SSIF and maybe FART is quite high compared to their domestic fares.
SSIF have a ticket office at the beginning of their underground platform in Domodossola.
The Lombardy day pass is only valid until Arona, so that means an additional ticket from there. Arona-Domodossola is €6.40. Milan-Arona is €6.70 and Chiasso-Milan €6.10, so not sure whether the Lombardy day pass will be worth it.
It should in theory be possible to buy a regional through ticket from Milan or Arona to Re, which should be cheaper than splitting in Domodossola. Unfortunately, trenitalia.com doesn't have SSIF timetables and then can't sell tickets to Re.

 

[Andover]

Re-Camedo CHF 19.40.

Can see this now, but it does seem absolutely insane compared to the overall level of fares (and again, SSIF will simply refuse to sell you anything for this route). Are we sure this isn't some kind of old TCV artifact?

Interestingly if not necessarily relevantly, SSIF also appear to suggest that, at least as far as season tickets are concerned, you can combine Italian ones issued to unserved halt Ribellasca with Swiss ones from Camedo, regardless of the brief gap.

Per chi viaggia regolarmente sulla nostra linea ferroviaria, è possibile abbinare l’abbonamento regionale italiano con l’abbonamento comunitario svizzero.

**********

Abbonamento regionale italiano

L’abbonamento è valido nella tratta Domodossola – Ribellasca. L’abbonamento non da diritto al posto a sedere.

Il costo di prenotazione e l’eventuale supplemento panoramico non sono inclusi nel costo dell’abbonamento.

L’abbonamento mensile o annuale può essere comodamente acquistato online o in biglietteria a Domodossola.

Per viaggiare tra Locarno e Camedo è necessario acquistare un abbonamento Arcobaleno. L’abbonamento è valido su tutti i mezzi di trasporto pubblico che circolano nelle zone acquistate.

Per maggiori informazioni si rimanda al sito: www.arcobaleno.ch

L’abbonamento non da diritto al posto a sedere.

Il costo di prenotazione e l’eventuale supplemento panoramico non sono inclusi nel costo dell’abbonamento.

L’abbonamento settimanale, mensile o annuale può essere acquistato in Biglietteria a Locarno o in altri punti vendita Arcobaleno.

 

[rvdborgt]

Can see this now, but it does seem absolutely insane compared to the overall level of fares (and again, SSIF will simply refuse to sell you anything for this route). Are we sure this isn't some kind of old TCV artifact?

TCV is still very much alive, albeit now called NRT. I'm quite sure SBB sell tickets according to SSIF's NRT tables.

Interestingly if not necessarily relevantly, SSIF also appear to suggest that, at least as far as season tickets are concerned, you can combine Italian ones issued to unserved halt Ribellasca with Swiss ones from Camedo, regardless of the brief gap.

Maybe that's just because they can't issue season tickets to the border tariff point, or because the fares involved are zonal fares, so be default valid until the border.

 

[nwales58]

The Lombardy day pass is only valid until Arona, so that means an additional ticket from there. Arona-Domodossola is €6.40. Milan-Arona is €6.70 and Chiasso-Milan €6.10, so not sure whether the Lombardy day pass will be worth it.
It should in theory be possible to buy a regional through ticket from Milan or Arona to Re, which should be cheaper than splitting in Domodossola.

Piemonte region fares, we covered recently on another thread, are distance-based in something like 5km bands. So in theory there is a through Arona-Ribellesca distance-based fare. Online information only discusses season tickets and BIP cards, which are impractical for a visitor.

If you find it is possible to buy a Piemonte cross-operator/mode fare from a machine or station please report back!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is the Arcobaleno cross-border setup any help?
I can't see any "day trip" type fares, and I think the tickets are the sum of the two CH/IT fares so no saving.
But it might save buying multiple tickets.
Also includes the S50 TiLo service to/from Malpensa.

Biglietto transfrontaliero | Home - Arcobaleno

arcobaleno.ch

Doesn't help with routes via Domodossola though.

 

[Iskra]

Thanks to everyone who has assisted This seems unfortunately complex for a journey that should be a popular one due to the scenery.

It is absolutely a sensible day trip, and very, very scenic.

Best place for a break, in my opinion, is Locarno - wander down to the lake. If you have the time and inclination, walk along the lake from Locarno to Tenero and resume your journey there (4.6km - under an hour so fits nicely with the takt).

Thank you, this seems a nice idea

Certainly agree with that, the lake side in Locarno is incredibly scenic. Also worth noting that restaurants in Locarno are generally more affordable (though still Swiss prices) than for example in Lugano.
Had an excellent pizza here with a view at the lake when I passed by Locarno a few years ago.

Thanks, I have actually visited Locarno before, but by boat rather than train.

 

[Iskra]

Thanks to all who assisted with information for this. I travelled today and it was a great success- I managed to achieve everything I wanted and more: the journey over Centovalli was excellent in the snow, although sadly all the trains I saw were very empty- I assume they are full in summer? The walk up fare was only 22 Euro on the panoramic train. I had an hour in Locarno and visited Lugano which is very scenic. I then discovered the tram-train there so I took that to the end of the line and back, then headed to Como via Chiasso. All this, with a fairly civilised start and end time to the day

At Chiasso, I saw some of the longest trains I’ve ever seen. Including a 22 carriage SBB Eurocity train- do these even fit at Milan?

 

[eastwestdivide]

a 22 carriage SBB Eurocity train

I’ve an idea they leave 11 behind at Chiasso southbound. I travelled that way last year and I think only half the very long train went to Milan.
edit: after checking my notes, yes, double Giruno from Zurich, left one behind at Chiasso (at around midday)

and Centovalli is pretty good isn’t it - I enjoyed the continuous curves climbing out of Domodossola

 

[Iskra]

I’ve an idea they leave 11 behind at Chiasso southbound. I travelled that way last year and I think only half the very long train went to Milan.
edit: after checking my notes, yes, double Giruno from Zurich, left one behind at Chiasso (at around midday)

and Centovalli is pretty good isn’t it - I enjoyed the continuous curves climbing out of Domodossola

Thank you …So today I saw a double-set continue South from Chiasso, I took a video of it as it’s the longest passenger train I’ve ever seen!

Yes, beautiful!

 

[nwales58]

…So today I saw a double-set continue South from Chiasso, I took a video of it as it’s the longest passenger train I’ve ever seen!

Although 11 looks long, the Giruno are articulated 200m sets. So a double set is approximately the same length as a double ICE-3, TGV (apart from the Atlantique sets) or a single Eurostar 374.
They do look impressive though, a line of white gliding through the mountains.