A Day Trip to Domodossola with the Day Ticket: One Day, Two Countries, and Lots of Experiences

Did you know that with a Day Ticket, you can travel across the border—all the way to the Italian town of Domodossola, for example? All you need is a day ticket, and in a single day you can explore Italian markets, enjoy coffee and a cornetto in a sunny square, ride one of the most beautiful railway lines through Centovalli, and visit the blooming camellia park in Locarno. We tried exactly this kind of trip—and it was worth every minute on the train.

Day Pass AKA Tageskarte

We used a day ticket for our trip. Just a reminder: a day ticket is a one-day pass for public transportation throughout Switzerland, valid on most trains (IC, IR, regional services), buses, trams, and boats within the SBB system. It works similarly to the Swiss Travel Pass—only it’s valid for a specific day. In practice, this means you can travel, transfer, change plans, and stop wherever you want all day long. And that’s exactly why it’s ideal for longer day trips, such as the one to Domodossola. I bought mine online in January during a Coop/Interdiscount sale for 55 CHF; a friend bought hers at the “Gemeinde” for 59 CHF (but you can get it for as low as 39 CHF if you buy it more than 14 days in advance for a specific date).

Traveling to Domodossola

Direct IC trains run from Bern to Domodossola, as well as international EC trains that continue on to Milan. The journey passes pleasantly, partly because a large portion of the route takes you through two long tunnels—the Lötschberg and the Simplon—so before you know it, you’re on the other side of the Alps. Reservations are not required, but if you’re traveling on a Saturday (market day), expect the train to be quite crowded. Fortunately, the trains are long enough that you can usually find a seat.

Domodossola

The small town of Domodossola is located in the Italian region of Piedmont. On a map, you’ll find it nestled between the Swiss cantons of Valais and Ticino. Walking down the main street, Corso Paolo Ferraris, from the train station will take you to the historic center, the heart of which is a maze of picturesque alleys surrounding Piazza Mercato. If you ignore the ubiquitous stalls at the Wednesday and Saturday markets, you’ll be enveloped by the magical atmosphere of an authentic Italian town still undiscovered by tourists. If you have more time (which we didn’t, giving us even more reasons to visit again), you can also climb up to the historic pilgrimage site of Sacro Monte Calvario, a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering a beautiful view of the entire valley.

Markets in Domodossola

The markets in Domodossola are among the largest and liveliest in the entire region and are held regularly every Wednesday and Saturday. On these days, the main street leading from the train station transforms into one long marketplace filled with clothing, accessories, and fashion items—and honestly, the prices sometimes feel more like an Italian boutique. But as soon as you turn into the side streets and head toward the historic center, a completely different world awaits you: stalls with fresh vegetables, local cheeses, cured meats, herbs, and other delicacies that you won’t be able to resist tasting and buying.

Railway Through Centovalli

If you want to continue from Domodossola along the scenic route through Centovalli, keep in mind that the platform is located on the lower level of the station. The tracks run perpendicular to the ones you arrived on, so just follow the signs downstairs. In the timetable, you’ll see the designations RE and PE—in practice, these are older and newer types of trains, but both will take you along the same route. Trains run roughly every hour, and the trip to Locarno takes about two hours.

The panoramic route through Centovalli is one of the lesser-known but all the more impressive railway experiences in Switzerland. Unlike the famous panoramic trains, you won’t find luxury cars or need to make a reservation here (except if you travel as a group; in that case, I would make a seat reservation), but you’ll enjoy an all the more authentic atmosphere. The name “Centovalli” means “a hundred valleys”—and that’s exactly what awaits you: deep gorges, high viaducts, chestnut forests, and small villages where time seems to have stood still.

As we left the spring-like weather in the valley behind, the landscape changed with every meter we climbed, until we suddenly found ourselves back in winter. To be honest, though, Centovalli itself on the Swiss side was a bit of a letdown. Maybe I was sitting on the wrong side of the train (note for next time: the right side facing the direction of travel), but you couldn’t see much of the valley because it lies deep below you. And I thought to myself that in summer, when the trees are in full leaf, it probably won’t be much better. But maybe one of you can prove me wrong? In any case, on this route, it’s truly true that the journey itself can be the destination.

Camellie Locarno

Our destination in Locarno was the famous Parco delle Camellie. Special shuttle buses run from the train station to the park for the exhibition, but we decided to walk there. It’s only about a 20-minute walk along the shore of Lake Maggiore. The park itself covers an area of roughly 10,000 m² and features hundreds of camellia varieties in a wide range of colors and shapes. The park is open to the public free of charge year-round, but an admission fee applies during the Camellia Locarno event (10 CHF per adult). The Camellia Locarno Festival offers a rich supporting program, exhibitions, plant sales (not just camellias), and culinary experiences.