As a family we've booked Inter rail tickets for early August. Part of our planned itinerary is from Switzerland via Domodossola to Stresa. Then later, on from Stresa to Milan. It appears that trains are replaced by buses on the dates we wish to travel. Does anyone know how practical these might be for a family with bags and are reservations possible?
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Rail replacement buses in northern Italy.
- Thread starter fandroid
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Domodossola onwards is Trenord RRB. Non-reservable.
Iselle-Domodossola is a low-floor BLS bus according to the Swiss.
In Italy for reservability and the like best to look at a national source, I was looking at Trenitalia app, though they may not be accurate for Trenord. Find an (i) to click on the train and it's prenatobile or non prenatobile.
In August once in Italy I suspect you'll be surrounded by many other similar but noisier families.
How about staying the other side of Lake Maggiore or Lake Lugano which you can do by train?
Iselle-Domodossola is a low-floor BLS bus according to the Swiss.
In Italy for reservability and the like best to look at a national source, I was looking at Trenitalia app, though they may not be accurate for Trenord. Find an (i) to click on the train and it's prenatobile or non prenatobile.
In August once in Italy I suspect you'll be surrounded by many other similar but noisier families.
How about staying the other side of Lake Maggiore or Lake Lugano which you can do by train?
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
The actual closure, as far as I could gather on a similar recent trip, is from Arona to Stresa for 13 weeks June 9-Sept 8, for gauge enlargement works.
Local services are therefore pretty normal Milan-Gallarate-Arona, with RRB beyond (and with separate RRBs between Milano Centrale and Domodossola direct, for the cancelled EC legs).
You can also do the longer route by train from Domodossola to Milan via the Centovalli route to Locarno and then via Bellinzona/Lugano, but that doesn't get you to Stresa.
Local services are therefore pretty normal Milan-Gallarate-Arona, with RRB beyond (and with separate RRBs between Milano Centrale and Domodossola direct, for the cancelled EC legs).
You can also do the longer route by train from Domodossola to Milan via the Centovalli route to Locarno and then via Bellinzona/Lugano, but that doesn't get you to Stresa.
The buses replacing the EC trains have mandatory reservations (€3 with Interrail), which can be booked at Swiss and Italian stations. However, these buses don't seem to serve Stresa (the EC trains they replace do), so you'll have to use the local replacement buses, which AFAIK can't be reserved.
Plus 09/08-31/08 Iselle-Domodossola is also shut with separate RRBs replacing the normal RE services. There are a few RRB from Brig-Domodossala. The EC replacement buses are Domodossola -Milano Centrale only.
If it was me, I'd stay somewhere other than Stresa, if from Brig either via Locarno as Lnw/gw suggested, or as an excuse to go Andermatt/ Göschenen/Gotthard for the scenery. Peak holiday time though so lakes hotels could be expensive or full.
If it was me, I'd stay somewhere other than Stresa, if from Brig either via Locarno as Lnw/gw suggested, or as an excuse to go Andermatt/ Göschenen/Gotthard for the scenery. Peak holiday time though so lakes hotels could be expensive or full.
Last edited:
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
I don't know it it helps at all, but the SBB site will give you the bus connections from Brig to Stresa (I picked a random date in July).
The Trenitalia site will give you the bus connections Stresa-Milan, involving connecting into a regional train en route.
https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.We...ults?handoff=true&referrer=www.trenitalia.com
There are also regular Alibus service buses from Stresa to Malpensa Airport, from where there are frequent trains to Milan (including to Centrale).
The timetable and fares detail is in this link.
www.safduemila.com
These certainly cater for people with bags.
The Trenitalia site will give you the bus connections Stresa-Milan, involving connecting into a regional train en route.
https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.We...ults?handoff=true&referrer=www.trenitalia.com
There are also regular Alibus service buses from Stresa to Malpensa Airport, from where there are frequent trains to Milan (including to Centrale).
The timetable and fares detail is in this link.
Alibus Malpensa-Lago Maggiore - Navetta aeroportuale S.A.F.
Alibus: servizio a chiamata che collega l’aeroporto di Malpensa al Lago Maggiore. Tariffe e orari navette aeroportuali Verbania, Stresa, Arona, Malpensa.
www.safduemila.com
If you are travelling before Iselle-Domo shuts, and can tolerate a relatively short bus ride, I would stick with plan A. Nothing is reservable, so you even save some money!
An interesting alternative would be to head via the Gotthard to Locarno or Luino and complete the journey by lake steamer; they seem only to run twice a day, but it might cover one of your holiday excursions into the bargain.
An update. We've shifted our accomodation to Intra. The original plan was to go Domodossala - Locarno and lake boat from there, so that'll give us a slightly shorter journey by water. We'll then leave by ferry to Laveno Nord/Lago and train from there to Milan (changing a few times!). One party member is joining us on the arrival day in Intra from Milan Malpensa, so the info re the Alibus was very useful for them. My daughter made the final decision to shift, and I tend not to argue with her! Thank you everyone for your help
- Status