Day 3 - Milan to Chur

This was the day the rail holiday really began!



The Swiss Railways train took us from Milan Central through the southern states of Switzerland, through the St Gotthard tunnel and on to Goschenen. Here we disembarked and boarded the rack railway which climbed up the Schollenen Valley to Andermatt.

By this time I realised I had made a tragic error in booking the train from Milan, which meant we missed the Glacier Express (and our meal booked in the restaurant car). H0wever, we found the quality of food at the station cafe in Andermatt was very good - including home-cooked lasagne and some staples of Swiss fayre (eg sausages). Fortunately, trains run regularly over the Swiss system and we were able, with our Swiss Passes, to board the next available train to Chur which followed the same route as the Glacier Express. For me, the journey on the local train was far more interesting and rewarding than it would have been had we been crammed into the panorama coaches. On the local train, the windows could be opened for uninterrupted photography. In addition, we had the first class section of our carriage to ourselves and hence felt uninhibited in opening all the windows and leaping around taking pictures and video clips at our leisure.

We arrived in Chur in sufficient time to be able to stroll into the city centre to find food (and drink). The town has been modernised and pedestrianised but there are some interesting nooks and crannies to explore.

We stayed at the IBIS hotel in Chur, which is within walking distance of the city centre (though not with suitcases).

As can be seen, the hotel has an interesting pyramidal design - we stayed very near the apex in a large and comfortable room. The staff were very friendly and the buffet breakfast was well worth the extra cost - setting us up for the day ahead.

Day 4 - Chur to Lugano

The station at Chur is fascinating. A junction of several railways - both standard and metre gauge - with arrivals and departures every ten minutes or so, means there is plenty to watch while waiting for the train.

We had booked aboard the panorama train of the Bernina Express which ensures everyone has a superb view of the scenery, but being unable to open the windows makes photography difficult. However, the commentary in German, Italian and English was very helpful in alerting us to particular and impressive aspects of the railway, which winds and spirals its way up and over the Bernina Pass. A key feature of the line is that it uses adhesion for the entire journey - there are no rack sections, even though the gradient is a steep as 1 : 14 (7%).

Key features of the line are:

• The Landwasser viaduct (probably the most well known railway feature in Switzerland)
• The spirals between Bergun and Preda
• The Montebella curve and Alp Grum
• The descent into the Poschavio valley
• The spiral viaduct at Brusio

The line terminates in the Italian town of Tirano where a coach (which must also be booked in advance via the Swiss Rail Centre) took us past Lake Como to Lugano. The coach journey was particularly interesting as we neared Lugano where the road wound through the mountains and villages and in several places narrowed to a single lane. Our driver was clearly familiar with the route and threw the coach (sometimes almost literally) through impossibly narrow gaps and, with blasts on his horn, sent other motorists into complicated reverse manoevres.
The only positive thing we can say about the hotel we booked into was that it was close to the lakeside and was reasonably priced. Lugano itself is fascinating with plenty of night life and slightly faded elegance. We found the bar at the Lido to be particularly pleasant for a glass (or two) of Prosecco or a Campari Soda as an aperitif before strolling into the centre for a leisurely al fresco meal. Mind you, the selection of food is fairly limited. It's fine if you like staple Italian fare (pizzas and pasta) - but limited if you want a bit more variety.

Day 5 - Lugano to Locarno

Day 5 was relatively restful. My daughter spent a leisurely day reading, swimming and eating in Lugano whilst I took a short train journey beside the lake to Melide to see Swiss Miniatur.



It was a blisteringly hot day but the modelling was of a very high standard and the whole thing is well executed. It's well worth a vist if you already happen to be in the area.

A rail journey of about an hour took us to nearby Locarno. I found Locarno to be more to my liking. Although similar in many ways to Lugano, the Piazza Grande has a more interesting range of shops and the lakeside seems more attractive. We arrived just before the Film festival was about to start - which takes place in the Piazza

We booked into the Hotel America - which is tucked away just off the Piazza Grande above a bar. It was clean, pleasantly decorated and comfortable.

After a thunderstorm and torrential downpour we ventured out in the evening to await the grand firework display - which was staged on the lake. I have never seen such a spectacular display - which must have lasted a good 20-30 minutes.