Wonderful Train Ride to Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como was beautiful beyond belief.

It was the first week of November and I was seating in a lakeside cafe in Lake Como, Italy. It was 54 degrees Fahrenheit; the sun was shining and the small city was crowded with tourists. Since the month was just starting, I could only imagine how crowded this popular tourist destination was during the summer. I was eating shrimp ravioli in a saffron and cream sauce while working my way through a half carafe of Italian Chardonnay. I’d been in Italy about five hours, and I was as happy as a clam. Lake Como was beautiful beyond belief and after spending four days in the gray rainy dreariness of Zurich, Switzerland to be sitting in the sunshine watching beautiful girls pass by I felt like I had won the lottery.

Yet it wasn’t easy to get here. While I had spent several hours online getting all the required documents and certifications that I needed to travel from the United States to Switzerland to meet all the COVID restrictions, I spent almost as much time getting the documents that I needed to travel from Switzerland to Italy. Because Switzerland is neutral, and Italy is part of the European Union, I had to acquire a complete new set of documents.

The main form that I needed was called the EU Digital Passenger Location Form also known as the dPLF. You can find the form at this web address https://app.euplf.eu/#/ .

The form is fairly simple to fill out. It’s only three pages long and has sections that include your permanent address, where you’re staying in Italy, how you’re entering the country either by train or by plane, how long you’re going to be there, what countries you’ve traveled to in the past 10 days and also if you were vaccinated. And then it has a declaration stating that you are vaccinated or have had a rapid test to prove that you do not have COVID. I filled out the form online and then downloaded the PDF onto my phone and also onto my computer. There is also a “Green Pass” QR code that you can use. This is the Italian version of the Swiss “Green Pass” which allows you to enter restaurants or concerts or museums. However, I found it very difficult to download even in its QR form. Unless you’re a citizen or are planning to stay there for a long time, the short-term passenger finds when they download the Italian Green Pass that it is only good for a couple of days and then you have to reapply for it. Instead of downloading their green pass, I just carried around my American passport with my vaccination card and that allowed me to get into any place that I needed to go.

So a warning for anyone who’s traveling to Italy from another part of Europe by train. No one will check your digital pass for the EU when you board the train. You must show it to the conductor when he comes through which was 30 minutes after I had boarded the train and we were already 20 miles down the tracks. When we crossed from Switzerland into Italy, the train stopped at the nearest station, and it was checked again. The conductor wanted to see my dPLF document and my vaccination card, because just like Switzerland they take this very seriously. If you don’t have the required material they will kick you off the train at the next station, and on many trains that cross borders there are armed police to enforce rules.

As you cross the border from Switzerland into Italy you will notice a very funny thing that happens. Switzerland is a very organized country. Its grass is cut, fences are fixed and there seems to be no trash anywhere. It’s not only a beautiful country, but also a well-maintained country as well. I saw little to no graffiti anywhere the entire time I was in Switzerland. Italy has a completely different mindset that is more relaxed about graffiti, the care of their lawns and their fences or their trash pickup. It’s as noticeable as night and day as you cross from Switzerland into Italy. Italy is a gorgeous country, it’s just a different way of life.

I had bought a ticket at the main train station in Zurich. The train from Zurich to Lake Como is about 3 hours. Traveling to Europe, you can be told if you’re an American that you need to buy a EuroRail pass online before you travel to Europe. That is not true at all. Europe is full of trains running in all different directions. Local trains, regional trains, and high-speed trains that cross borders. Trains are the main way that most people travel in Europe going from one place to another. It is not difficult to buy a train ticket, and the savings that you will get by buying a European Rail Pass in America online are not that significant. I personally just find it easier to go to the train station and buy the ticket that I need instead of worrying about which train my Rail Pass will allow me to get on.

I chose an excellent hostel that was located very close to the train station and was only four blocks from the main city square and two blocks from the lake shore. The hostel I chose is the Ostello Bello Lake Como Hostel and their address is Viale Fratelli Rosselli 9 Como, Italy 22100. I prefer staying in hostels as opposed to hotels for a couple of reasons. One they’re cheaper and two there is a built-in community of people who are doing the exact same thing that you are. It is an easy way to meet people. You already have something in common and they may have wonderful advice on places that you need to go see and things that you should do. I rented a single room with an ensuite bathroom. I’m just too old to share a dorm room with three or four other people. The room that I had rented was lovely with a view of a private garden and a bathroom with plenty of hot water.

Ostello Bello is a chain of hostels all throughout Italy, and you receive a discount of 10% to 20% at the other locations when you book through them. They have locations in Como, Florence, Milano, Rome as well as others though out the country. The hostels are all different in size and accommodations but the staff in each one is very friendly. I highly recommend them.

The town of Lake Como is not very big. The city centre is probably 10 blocks by 10 blocks and filled with cobblestone walkways, old churches and timeworn buildings but also filled with tons of restaurants and modern upscale shops. The city was founded by the Romans as a holiday getaway for the ultra-rich of Rome, and the gorgeous scenery of the lake and mountains is unparalleled with blue skies and snow-covered mountain peaks.

In my next blog, I write about all the things to do in Como from museums to visiting the ancient lakeside town of Bellagio.

Till then Ciao!

All photos and film by James Carey.

Copyright 2022 Carey-On Creative, LLC. Atlanta, GA.

Tripswithjames.com is a Trademark of Carey-On Creative, LLC.

A Visit to Zurich, Switzerland in the COVID Age.

Visit to Zurich Post COVID

The city of Zurich, Switzerland may seem like a strange place to visit in winter, but the offer of a really cheap roundtrip ticket kind of sealed the deal, so off to Zurich I went. But in the age of COVID travel a few things are different than they used to be.

A Day in Zurich – A Short Film

First, every different country will require some form of COVID vaccination proof and that includes countries that you are just passing thru waiting for your next plane at the airport. My flights were through London Heathrow and then onto Zurich. Britain requires you to fill out a form called the Passenger Locator Form that you can find at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passenger-locator-form-how-to-guide. This will tell you everything that you need to know about the form and what information that you will need to provide. You have to do this within the 48 hours before you take off or the airline will not let you board the plane at all. There is no debate about this – no form, no fly. The UK will process it quickly and let you know if you pass. If you are full vaccinated you will have no problem but you must upload a digital copy or a photo of your vaccination card with the form. You need the plane number and your arrival time and takeoff time. They will give you a QR code you can use on your phone but I suggest to also take a paper copy along just in case. Remember this form is only for passing through Britain, if you are planning on staying that is an entirely different process so check ahead. You may still need to quarantine for up to 10 days if not fully vaccinated and you will have to pay for tests and other fees on top.

Limmet River

Because Switzerland is not part of the EU, I also needed to get permission from Switzerland to enter and stay. You can find out all the needed information from this official website of Switzerland – https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende.html – here you will find information on requirements and a link to the form that you have to fill out. They also have a handy link called Travelcheck that can take you through exactly what you need to do step by step. Remember the form must also be filled out and approved before you can even get on the plane or a train to enter the country. They will also give you a QR code but take a paper copy along as well.

Cathedral in Old Town

Switzerland also gives you a separate Vaccination QR code so that you are able to go into bars or restaurants or theaters or concerts. Any place where people gather inside. I must stress that all stores and restaurants and bars in Zurich check this QR code religiously. You cannot enter into any establishment and stay unless you can provide them with vaccination proof. I could never quite figure out how to download that code although that QR code and the information are also on the Switzerland site. The official name of that department is the Federal Office of Public Health or the FOPH. When people asked for my QR code I kept showing them the one on my entry document which always came back negative, and I was even asked to leave a restaurant once when I could not provide it to them. However if you carry your American passport and your American vaccination card around, they will accept that and you will be able to get in any place and do normal things. Just don’t lose it!

Lake Zurich fountain

And one more thing before we move onto what it’s like to visit Zurich. Please wear your mask! The Swiss do not play around with this. You are required to enter any establishment with a mask on and if you do not they will ask you to leave. If you want to argue or fight with them about your right not to wear a mask, they will just call the police. Please remember this is not the United States. This is a separate country with separate rules that their people follow in order to get along. You are expected to follow those rules. It doesn’t matter what you believe or how you feel about the subject. You are required to wear a mask indoors. Now when you sit down to eat you can take your mask off, but you must wear your mask even when getting up to go to the bathroom.

Limmit River

Now after all that required research and form filling out, did I find Zurich to be a a good place to visit? The answer would be yes. I was using Zurich as a jumping off point to cross into Italy which has its own separate rules and regulations about COVID and traveling in Italy which I will cover in my next article. Yet the city of Zurich is beautiful, very historic and a very modern city with all the conveniences that you would want in terms of transportation, entertainment and things to do and see.

Zurich Operahaus

Zurich is a global center for banking and finance. It lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. I chose to stay in a part of the city centre which is called Old Town because it is truly where the city was first founded as a military outpost by the Romans around the time of Julius Caesar. Old Town is very picturesque and runs on either side of the Limmat River. Here you will find historic buildings that reflect the deep and rich past of the Swiss like the 17th-century Rathaus (town hall) or massive clock towers and giant cathedrals.

Old Town at night

I flew into Zurich International after dark and while most people in Zurich speak English, the official language of this part of Switzerland is German. French is the preferred language on the side of Switzerland closest to France. Despite the fact that English is a prominent language there are no signs that are in English. Everything is in German, so at first I was confused trying to find my way around. There’s a large train station right outside the airport with trains and subways and trams running in all directions. I finally with the help of strangers found the correct train that leads into Old Town and also the main railroad terminal for the city of Zurich. Coincidentally the train station is located on the most prominent and upscale shopping street in Zurich which is Bahnhofstrasse.

Fountain on Lake Zurich

I chose to stay at a highly recommended hostel which provided me with a private room and bathroom for about $100 US a night. The hostel was on the other side of the river from the train station about a 10-minute walk. The hostel is called the Old Town Hostel Otter and is recommended by both traveladvisor.com and booking.com. It still had all the standard aspects of a hostel with a public kitchen and shared dorm rooms and bathrooms but also offered private accommodations. There’s also a fully stocked and friendly bar downstairs. Their check in process is a little complicated so I will leave it to their website to try and explain that to you, but I do recommend them as a high-quality hostel. You can find their website by searching on Google or information and ratings about them on traveladvisor.com or booking.com.

View from Uetilberg

I was in Zurich for three days. The first day I did nothing but walked the quaint cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways of Old Town. I wandered up and down ancient streets and over bridges coming across interesting alleyways, upscale stores, little churches and giant cathedrals. I did not hire a tour guide or use any particular tourist map of Old Town. It’s not real large and very hard to get lost in because everything is centered off the river which splits Old Town down the center.

Lake Zurich

The next day I walked along the promenades that line both sides of Lake Zurich discovering marinas, parks and interesting neighborhoods plus the impressive Zurich Operahaus. I also went sightseeing on Bahnhofstrasse and admired the pre-Christmas window displays of the high-end stores that reflect every famous fashion brand. It was fun to watch the chic and well-dressed Swiss as they rushed from place to place as I sipped my café latte in one of the many cafes and coffee bars that line both Bahnhofstrasse and the alleyways of Old Town.

View from Uetilberg

On the third day I just went to the train station to make sure I knew what train I was taking to Italy the next morning, and on a spur of the moment decision, I took the S10 train to Uetilberg Mountain. Uetilbeg overlooks the city giving you panoramic views of Zurich, the lake, and the surrounding area. It was beautiful this time of year and I imagine in summer it is breathtaking.

View from Uetilberg

The cuisine choices of Zurich are broad and mostly good. I found everything from Asian to hamburgers to jazz bars and first rate restaurants. If you’re looking for something good to eat, I am sure that you can find it in Zurich, but it won’t be inexpensive. The Swiss have maintained their own currency which is known as the Swiss franc and currently the exchange rate is $1.15 US to 1 Swiss Franc.

The temperatures in the first part of November were in the 40’s F but there was no snow anywhere except on the mountain tops in far distance. Make sure that you have an umbrella just in case because the weather on the lake can change at a moment’s notice from sunshine to rain and back again in a matter of minutes. Time in Zurich runs on a 24 hour clock as opposed to our 12 hour clock in the United States. So what Americans would consider as 1 PM would be 13:00 in Switzerland and in most of Europe.

Enjoy Zurich, it’s a great city!

All photos and short film are by James Carey @CareyON, LLC.

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