Trains

My wife, Paula, and I traveled on a shuttle bus from Milan’s Malpensa Airport in Italy to Lugano, Switzerland, in May ’08, and one of our fellow passengers was an engaging American college undergraduate returning from her home in Arizona to her school, Franklin College (www.fc.edu), an American college in Lugano. After she explained to us what an American college was doing in Lugano, we took advantage of our good fortune by picking her brain for sightseeing and restaurant tips.

My wife, Nenko, and I took a 3-week trip to Romania, Moldova and Ukraine in September-October ’08. We hired excellent private guides in Romania and Moldova and enjoyed a 12-day cruise down the Dnieper River in Ukraine, which we booked through Value World Tours (800/795-1633, www.rivercruises.net).

My wife, Debbie, and I were in Romania in November ’07 visiting the Bucharest Stock Exchange. We stayed at the Casa Capsa (Calea Victoriei nr. 36, Bucharest; phone 4021 313 40 38, www.capsa.ro) and it was wonderful — of older vintage but not in need of repair. We visited with some oilmen staying there.

While my wife, Paula, and I didn’t find Lugano, Switzerland, to be the most exciting or interesting of destinations, the city is the southern terminus of two of Swiss Rail’s most scenic train routes: the William Tell Express and the Bernina Express. That is its primary attraction for many travelers, but its mountainside location on picturesque Lake Lugano (shared with Italy) provides another good reason to visit.

by Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT, photos by Clyde and Jane Holt

Here are tips from my trip to SWITZERLAND in May ’08.

My wife, son and I rode the Glacier Express (www.glacierexpress.ch) from Zermatt to St. Moritz, Switzerland, on June 2, 2008, and we were planning on renting a car in St. Moritz to drive to Bolzano and Lago Maggiore in Italy.

Our AAA travel agent advised us that the train would not arrive in St. Moritz until 5 p.m. and that the Hertz rental agency, located about five miles from the train station, closed at 5:30. I decided that it would be close, but, since Swiss trains are “never late,” we could make it.

I read Rick Steves’ 2007 “Scandinavia” guidebook looking for tips on transportation between Norway and Sweden. I decided to try the train, booking passage from Oslo to Stockholm (a 5-hour journey) for July ’07.

Via the Internet, from ACP Rail International (www.acprail.com) I purchased standard-class tickets for two adults for $105 per person. My son (under 12) traveled for free.

by Jay Brunhouse

When I learned German in Munich, Germany (München), in 1966-67, Munich was known as The World City with Heart and The Secret Capital of Germany.

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