Thoughts on an overnight stopping place between Mulhouse and Venice

[Ian99]

I was filling in some gaps on an interrail trip to Venice early next week and only just now notice that there is a bus replacement service between Tirano and Milan....

Extra annoying as I already booked accommodation in Tirano but never mind.

We'd probably chose not to do the Bernina Express if it means a bus replacement the next day so wondering if anyone else has any thoughts on different options?

Domodossola would have been okay but we've already done that on other trips....

Thoughts welcomed!

 

[StephenHunter]

Basel is quite good, although rather pricey.

 

[Ian99]

Thanks for mentioning Basel but I was thinking of somewhere a bit cheaper and somewhere that splits the journey more equally...

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Lugano or Como if you are taking the Gotthard route?

 

[Ian99]

We can take whichever route suits best... Como is a good suggestion, thank you.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Jun 2025 ==

Do I recall that one can avoid reservation fees for our Interrail passes by changing trains in Lugano?

 

[Lxd2]

Yes, you can change in Lugano onto the RE80 service to Milano Centrale, no reservations required.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I've stayed at Hotel Jarolim in Brixen/Bressanone on the Brenner route.
The hotel is the former railway hotel just yards from the station.

Also Hotel Goldenes Lamm in Villach (Tauern/Semmering/Karawanken/Venice routes), a 5 minute walk from the station.

Both very reasonable rates and friendly places in nice Alpine towns, bookable via Booking.com.

 

[DanielB]

Basel is quite good, although rather pricey.

Basel is actually one of the cheaper places in Switzerland to stay, but heard from someone else it's expensive at this moment due to a large arts fair.

 

[Gordon]

Prefer Bellinzona to Lugano. Fabulous castles plus the FFS loco works and more freight than Lugano

 

[Alfonso]

Brig is a personal favourite

 

[30907]

Brig is a personal favourite

Bear in mind that Domodossola-Milan is also bustituted for much of the summer (throughout for EC, shorter section for Trenord).

I was filling in some gaps on an interrail trip to Venice early next week and only just now notice that there is a bus replacement service between Tirano and Milan....

Pedantically it's Tirano-Lecco, half-way to Milan. And unfortunately partial bustitution on Edolo-Iseo-Brescia which would otherwise be an alternative.

 

[Ian99]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions - decided on Como in the end as it's the simplest. And no sign of Bus Substitutions between Mulhouse and Como or between Como & Venice.....

I'll remember the other suggestions though for when I'm travelling solo.

 

[Porty]

We can take whichever route suits best... Como is a good suggestion, thank you.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Jun 2025 ==

Do I recall that one can avoid reservation fees for our Interrail passes by changing trains in Lugano?

Yes, change at either Lugano or Chiasso (or maybe even Bellinzona, but not sure about that) for frequent regional trains to Como and Milan. I think these are Flirt trains so you can imagine you're on a Greater Anglia route!

 

[Ant1966]

Yes, change at either Lugano or Chiasso (or maybe even Bellinzona, but not sure about that) for frequent regional trains to Como and Milan. I think these are Flirt trains so you can imagine you're on a Greater Anglia route!

We did exactly this change at Lugano a couple of weeks ago (see my '8 Day Interrail' trip report). 4 minute connection off the train from Luzern, made it fine!