Once on the Italian side of the pass, you begin a gentle descent through the region of Süd Tirol (Alto Adige in Italian).  This is an autonomous region of Italy that was once part of Austria, so you will notice that station signs and train announcements are in both languages.  The region is majority German-speaking and you may even here a cheerful “Gruss Gott” from your Italian ticket inspector!  Twist and turn through the beautiful scenery in time with the Isarco River, a watercourse that will be your companion for the next 50 miles or so.

BOLZANO, ITALY

Time of departure:  15:31

Distance from start:  172 miles / 278 km

Elevation above sea level: 262m / 860ft

The dramatic cutting mountains begin to give way to more rolling hills as you trundle through out of the bilingual Alto Adige and into “Italy proper”.  As you stop at the stations of Trento and Rovereto, Lake Garda is only a few miles to the west and Rovereto is often used to access the northern part of the lake by rail users.

Gradually, the train swings slowly around to the left and the looming lights of Verona are ahead of you.  The train joins the Milan-Venice mainline as it calls at Verona for a Northwest

VERONA, ITALY

Time of departure:  17:00

Distance from start:  275 miles / 444 km

Elevation above sea level:  59m / 194ft

After the train leaves Verona, the topography is a lot flatter, as the train zooms across the northern plains of Italy into the state of Veneto.  Passing through the city of Padua, the excitement builds as the train approaches Venice, crossing the long causeway (Ponte della Libertà) from mainland Venice Mestre, right onto the island itself.

VENICE, ITALY

Time of arrival:  18:10

Distance from start:  337 miles / 543 km

Elevation above sea level: 0m / 0ft

As you walk out of Venice’s modernist Santa Lucia station, you couldn’t be anywhere else in the world, as the Grand Canal stretches out before you, marking a magical end to this epic journey.