Leaving Your Trip in COMO

This page offers help (concrete or informational) on leaving your trip. Topics include...

1. Where do you leave your trip? See immediately below.
2. What are the closest airports?
3. Our “Access Packages,” designed to help you travel onwards from your cycle trip.
4. Suggestions on how to time your ongoing travel, whether you are having us arrange it, or doing it yourself.
5. Service information regarding train travel from your trip end location.
6. Suggested post-trip visits, especially when these are not geographically obvious, but are rendered economical and convenient by direct rail connections.
7. Hopefully helpful hints for those setting up their own travel from the trip.

If you wish to arrange some or all of your travel through us, please tell us what by means of this response questionnaire, designed to collect all the information we need to be able to book your travel.


1. WHERE and WHEN Do You Leave Your Trip?

Your trip disbands at noon on its end date (generally a Saturday, but Friday for the July 2008 departure), at a suburban Como railway station in the Como suburb of Chiasso.

Many travellers on this trip depart directly by train to Venice, Florence or Rome for a city visit. Indeed, we offer a Venice package after the July trip (included in your trip price if you are on Biking Transcontinental or Mozart & the Matterhorn), and can help set up ongoing travel to Venice at other times.

You may deliver your cycle (and claim shipped luggage, if necessary) at any time between 10a and noon, allowing for the use of the bike for a morning explore of Como, or for a ride along the lake, if this appeals.

If you wish to arrange your own ongoing travel (in other words, you do not want to set up any ongoing travel arrangements through us), a couple of hints regarding ongoing travel are offered at the bottom of this page. Otherwise...


2. What are the CLOSEST AIRPORTS?

Milan Malpensa and Lugano are the closest airports, either less than 90 minutes away (see “Service Information,” below, for details). Malpensa is an intercontinental hub, while Lugano offers only limited European service. The next closest intercontinental airport is Zurich, 4 hours by train from Como / Chiasso (including rail shuttle from downtown Zurich to the airport).

Milan Linate and Bergamo (the airport Ryanair calls “Milan”) are on the far side of the city of Milan, and take substantially longer to reach than Malpensa. Both are accessible via express bus from the downtown Milan station.

Verona’s two airports are also within striking distance, but even farther away (Ryanair’s “Verona” airport is actually in Brescia). Reaching these requires a further hour-plus train trip from downtown Milan, followed by a city bus or taxi....


3. Our ACCESS PACKAGES
as of January 1, 2008

Our “Access Package” is actually just a hotel night in Como, with breakfast. An airport shuttle train runs hourly from Como to Malpensa airport, and tickets must be purchased locally. Our London “Access Package” includes a train from Como to London, via Paris (stopovers available at no extra charge).

Base (Starting) Access Package Price: 68 €.
If you are a North American traveller, the $ price (US or Canadian) on your price chart applies until 35 days prior to trip departure. Otherwise euro prices are transcribed to your invoice in its currency, converted at the exchange rate of the day on which the package is requested (rounded to the nearest whole dollar). Current “mid-market” rates can be consulted from the site we use for conversion. We use the mid-market rate on the day of conversion, and add 2% to cover currency broker exchange commissions (our conversion rates are thus as good as, or better than, any you could obtain, including via your credit card, unless you are a professional currency trader).

Subject to availability. Some extra-cost options also have higher prices if ordered w/in 35 days.

Included:

• A hotel night in Como, based on shared occupancy. This rate is available to singles willing to share if someone else requests same.
  This price corresponds to our usual hotel. If not available, we will try to place you in an alternate of similar standing. Price may be slightly different.
• Continental breakfast.
  

The airport shuttle train to Malpensa is not included, as tickets cannot be prepurchased. But its station is just two blocks from our usual hotels, cost is circa 10€, travel time is 75 mins, and hourly service is available from 5:15a.


Alternate Arrangements, in lieu of our usual packages (subject to availability)
Prices are complete (in other words, they are not in addition to the “Base” Access Package Price)

• Tickets to London, via late morning train. 139€ if you also requested tickets from London to your trip, 159€ if not. Via overnight train: 159€ if you also requested tickets from London to your trip, 189€ if not. If you wish to travel in 1st class on the Eurostar from Paris to London (meal service included aboard), add 48€.
• Single room in Como, if desired (or if no roommate can be found): +29€.
• Ongoing daylight train tickets. Tickets are available to all points, for travel on either the date that the trip disbands, or the next day, after a night in Como. Sample prices, including required seat reservation and express train supplement charges:
  - Venice or Florence : 69€ 2nd class, 89€ 1st class.
  - Rome or Nice : 85€ 2nd class, 119€ 1st class. Discount rates, subject to availability, not refundable or exchangeable once ordered: 59€ 2nd cl., 89€ 1st class.
  - Paris: 95 €. Discount 1st class upgrade: 29€ when available (regular upgrade price: 59€. Discount tickets are not refundable or exchangeable).
• Overnight trains are available to Rome, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Palermo (Sicily), Vienna, Berlin, Barcelona.... Price of 125€ (95€ to Rome) includes reservation and couchette. Sleeping car upgrades are available. This solution saves a night's accommodation, and a travel day if you are going a long distance.
  Sample upgrade prices from 2nd cl. couchette on overnight train: 45€ to “Comfort Couchette.” 59€ to double sleeping car cabin. 119€ to private cabin (39 / 89€ for dbl / sgl sleeper to Rome). For general information on upgrades, follow this link.
• Hotels available in Milan, Venice, Paris... follow this link for general information.
  

4. TIMING Your Trip

Como is pretty, but you will have spent two nights there by the time the trip ends. If there is something else you want to do with your weekend, we suggest planning on a morning walk or pedal around town, and then travelling onwards at midday. We offer packages to Venice, and also to a trio of interesting cities (Venice, Salzburg and Munich), on certain dates. But Rome, Florence, Nice, Milan, Luzern, the Swiss Alps... are all within easy reach.

If you are flying from Malpensa on the day after the trip ends, spending the night in Como is your best option (plenty of lake fun to be had). But you can go into Milan for the afternoon if you prefer....


5. Service Information
Schedules are approximate – exact timetables can be consulted at http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm.
Best trains are mentioned. Others are slower or have multiple connections.

• To Milan. Travel time is 1 hour, service is hourly. Express trains require reservations, but walk-up space is always available on this line. Locals can be ridden without seat reservations.
• To Milan Malpensa Airport. Travel time is 1'15", service is hourly from 5a.
• To Lugano. Trains every half hour, 30-minute trip time. Lugano airport is a short taxi ride from the station, or 15” away by a connecting shuttle train which runs every 20 minutes.
• To Zurich. Travel time is 3 hours, service is hourly. Add an additional 30 minutes to reach the airport.
• To Paris. Fast daylight trains (circa 8 hours) run at 8a, 10:30a or 2:30p (connection in Basel). There is also a semi-fast at 12:30p (9 hours, 2 connections), which tends to most closely fit the trip’s organic end. Saturday fast trains run at 8a, 10a and 2p. There is also an overnight service via Milan, arriving in Paris at 8:30a.
• To Nice. Fast services at 9a and 2p, with a connection in Milan. Trip time is 6 - 7 hours.
• To Venice, Florence or Rome. Travel time 4 hours (6 to Rome). Hourly trains via Milan (reservations required). Direct trains to Venice at 1p and 2p. Reservations required.
• To London. Daylight: via Basel and Paris. Departs 10:30a, arrive London 9:30p. Overnight: via Milan and Paris, or via Koln and Brussels. The former lets you spend the afternoon in Milan, if desired, before overnighting to Paris for a morning connection to London. The latter offers a late-evening departure from Como, 8a connection in Köln, and a midday arrival in London.
  

6. Suggested POST-TRIP VISITS

We suggest travelling to Venice. Many Marbles do, so you will usually have company, and Venice is incomparable. We offer a “usual” hotel (stays of 2 nights or longer only), and can set up the train for you, if desired. After our July 08, we offer an inclusive package (included in the trip price if you are travelling on trip A, Biking Transcontinental, or trip E, Mozart & the Matterhorn):

• Friday train to Venice, including seat reservation (discount 1st class upgrade available for 19 €).
• Fr & Sa night hotel in Venice, with breakfast (additional nights avail.).
• One dinner.
• A Blue Marble coordinator is present, to help you get oriented.
  
  Prices: 239€ single (hall facilities) or 289€ ensuite single. 209€ twin or double (hall facilites); 249€ ensuite double. “Twin / double” prices available to singles willing to share.

Further extension to Munich and Salzburg.
Includes the Venice package described above, and additionally includes

• Sunday overnight train to Munich, day there (sleeper upgrades avail. on night train).
• Ongoing train to Salzburg on your own schedule.
• Monday & Tuesday nights in Salzburg.
• One dinner, two breakfasts.
• A Blue Marble coordinator is present in Salzburg.
  

Prices (including also Venice). “Twin / double” prices available to singles willing to share:

• Single: 475€ single (hall facilities in Venice) or 525€ (ensuite facilities in Venice).
• Double or twin: 399€ (hall facilities in Venice), 449€ (ensuite facilities in Venice).

7. Hints on TRAVELLING INDEPENDENTLY After the Trip
Guests subscribing to an “Access Package” need not read this section.

See also “Timing Your Trip” and “Service Information,” above, as either of these may additionally help.

We gladly provide travel consulting (schedule or routing information) concerning post-trip individual travel. In particular, we have invested a great deal to become railway experts. Our service fees are reasonable: a 20€ charge for all but the most complex projects – or the most simple (for instance, only a 10€ charge applies if the service is limited to the preparation of a routine rail ticket). You will generally find them well-justified by the time they will save you in research, standing on line, overpaying for your tickets, or all three.

But, for some, this type of research is fun. So, here are some hints, intended to start off hardened “do-it-yourselfers.”

Trains. Schedules for all routes can be consulted on this web site:
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm

Chiasso (the suburban Como station where we end our ride) is on the Gottard Pass north-south rail route, from Zurich and Germany to Milan. Frequent service is offered in both directions. The Alpine crossing (to the north) is beautiful, if you are headed in that direction.



If you wish to arrange some or all of your travel through us, please tell us what by means of this response questionnaire, designed to collect all the information we need to be able to book your travel.