Train to Italy at Christmas

japmis

Hello MSE-ers!

By Christmas I will be in my 3rd trimester and my OH doesn't want me to fly, but we have promised to visit his parents in Italy for a week. He thinks the train is the best idea, and I've said ok as long as I get a lie flat bed.

Does anyone have experience with this please?

So far the SNCF website has come up with a price of over £700 for the return journey from London :eek:

Best website to use? How to get a deal?

I love the romantic idea of getting a train across Europe but at that price it's going to remain fantasy!

PasturesNew

http://www.seat61.com is worth looking at.

SavingPennies_2

Yes I've done this, we booked through RailEurope and used the invaluable man in seat 61website mentioned above. I did enjoy the experience but it is not a cheap option and was quite tiring as we had to change trains several times (London, Paris, Zurich, Milan) but that will depend on your route of course. Could his parents not visit you instead? Might be easier and cheaper.

japmis

thanks! just what I am looking for

complicated but my F-I-L cannot travel. If the train turns out to be silly money we'll probably end up driving and do an overnight stop in Dijon. Neither romantic or comfortable

SavingPennies_2

We did an overnight hotel stop (Zurich) as it worked out roughly the same price as the overnight train option (with our own "room") and we thought it would be less tiring, plus we'd get to enjoy the scenery rather than sleeping through it. The actual journeys were fine with some amazing scenery especially between Zurich and Milan, but....the downside is lugging bags (even though we travelled fairly light) between platforms and on and off trains, with a bit of jostling as it was so busy - that made it a bit tiring and stressful at times. You can find out pretty much everything at maninseat61 it's a fab website.

Yolina

Whereabouts in Italy? You mentioned a driving option, which may not be the best in winter if you end up having to go through the Alps (I'm from the French side ) At that time of year some roads may be randomly closed due to the weather or chains compulsory

japmis

ooooh didn't think of that! his parents live near Omegna, about an hour from Malpensa/Milan. Would we make it across the mountains?!

Yolina

The quickest driving route to the Milan area will indeed be up the mountains.
The other option would add quite a long detour and would be motorway all the way down to Nice and onto Italy along the coast and then back up to Milan.
Not much fun either way.

lovesgshp

In Italy, you will need to have either chains for the car or snow tyres. The period normally is from November to maybe mid April, but may be longer in the north.

Read the guidance from the AA link below if you thinking of those months. I know of a few people who have been fined, as the police/Carabinieri love to do roadside checks in the winter months!!

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/snow-chains-winter-tyres.html

Moto2

There's a weekly Eurostar from St Pancras to Bourg St Maurice in the Winter.
Not sure what the connections are like from Bourg St Maurice to Milan but worth checking out if you don't want too many changes.

Yolina

Moto2 wrote: »

Not sure what the connections are like from Bourg St Maurice to Milan but worth checking out if you don't want too many changes.

The OP will be looking at either connections on slow local trains or a coach trip from Bourg St Maurice to somewhere with a connection to Milan

The quickest train route will probably be London->Paris Gare du Nord -> taxi to Paris Gare de Lyon -> Zurich -> Milan
It's a fairly long trip though, so SavingPennies' suggestion of an overnight hotel in Zurich is a good one.