Train Route: Zurich to Milan through the Alps
This train runs from Zurich Main Station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof) in Switzerland to Milan Central Station (Milano Centrale) in Italy, past beautiful Alpine lakes and small towns on the way.
The route at a glance
- Zurich Main Station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof), Switzerland
- Zug Station (Bahnhof Zug)
- Arth-Goldau Station (Bahnhof Arth-Goldau)
- Bellinzona Station (Stazione di Bellinzona)
- Lugano Station (Stazione di Lugano)
- Como San Giovanni Station (Stazione di Como San Giovanni), Italy
- Milan Central Station (Milano Centrale)
Through the Alps from Switzerland to Italy
This train runs from Zurich, through the Swiss Alps and the Italian-speaking south of Switzerland, to Milan in Italy. The direct EuroCity train takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes.
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Lakes and small towns
Soon after Zurich, the train runs along Lake Zug past the town of Zug and the village of Walchwil, then through Arth-Goldau. It then follows the shore of Lake Uri, past Brunnen and Flüelen, with steep mountains rising straight out of the water.
Under the mountains: the Gotthard Base Tunnel
At Erstfeld, the train enters the Gotthard Base Tunnel. At 57 km (35 miles), it is the longest railway tunnel in the world, and it takes you under the Alps in about 20 minutes.
When you come out at the other end, you are in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Signs, announcements and food all switch to Italian.
Want more Alps? Take the panorama route
The fast train goes under the mountains. To ride over them instead, take the old Gotthard mountain line, also offered as the Gotthard Panorama Express. It climbs past the village of Wassen, whose church you see three times as the train loops up the valley, and through Göschenen and Airolo. It takes longer, but it is the most scenic way to cross the Alps here.
Bellinzona and Lake Lugano
In Bellinzona, look out for its three medieval castles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After Lugano, the train crosses Lake Lugano on a stone causeway at Melide, with water on both sides.
Into Italy: Como and Milan
The train crosses the border at Chiasso and stops at Como, on the famous Lake Como, before ending at Milan Central Station, one of the grandest railway stations in Europe.
Where to sit
Heading south from Zurich to Milan, sit on the right side of the train for the best views of Lake Zug and Lake Uri. Going the other way, from Milan to Zurich, sit on the left.