The Foliage Train is a railway line in Piedmont that runs from Domodossola to Locarno and which every year, in autumn, makes all travelers dream. From 2020 it is necessary to reserve a seat, but the rules of nature do not change: the show is guaranteed also thanks to the large windows of the white and blue trains.
Il Foliage train is a path that unfolds in Piedmont. The Piedmont it is one of the most characteristic regions to experience the stupendous autumn season and therefore enjoy the foliage. However, there is one thing that not everyone knows and that only in recent years has it become increasingly known. In Piedmont there is a train which passes through the most beautiful sceneries of the Region and which in autumn turn into bright red, orange and yellow. The leaves do their job and all of nature is an explosion of colors.
How to enjoy the foliage in Piedmont
The railway that many after having crossed it have defined as "the most beautiful railway in Italy“, Is a path that winds up alpine railway and which extends to Approximately 52 kilometers, connecting Domodossola, in the upper Piedmont, to Locarno in Switzerland, on Lake Maggiore.
The stages that the train touches are Domodossola, Valle Ossola, Valle Vigezzo, Centovalli, Lake Maggiore and finally Locarno (and vice versa of course if you travel in reverse). The Foliage train as you can guess from the name, it is a train that is taken by residents but by people who come from every region of Italy, mostly during autumn, the season par excellence to enjoy the foliage and the wonderful colors of the leaves in this period.
At the moment (data updated September 2020) in order to travel the Foliage train route it is necessary to reserve a seat on the train, cause Covid 19. All trains are equipped with large windows to admire the view and the Centovalli Express and Vigezzo Vision trains are also equipped with air conditioning.
The Foliage Train is an experience that every year is held only in the autumn period, from mid-October to mid-November approximately. To view the exact dates, the advice is to contact the competent railway line that also issues the tickets and for which it is also possible to know the departure and arrival times at each station.
How to book the foliage train
Il Foliage train ticket it is valid for one or two days and includes one outward and one return journey on the entire line. There is also the possibility of making only one intermediate stop (outward or return), to be able to visit one of the locations of the railway route and stop to enjoy nature, for a taste of true Piedmontese autumn.
The ticket includes the seat reservation to sit (which is mandatory). Families with children will appreciate that i children under 6 do not pay the ticket.
The site from which to book tickets for the Foliage Train is that of Centovalli - Vigezzina The white and blue trains, characteristic of this route, cross during the Foliage Train in two hours, about 83 bridges and 31 tunnels passing through splendid Piedmontese panoramas made of valleys, woods and mountain villages.
It is possible to choose to travel from one of the two terminus stations (Domodossola or Locarno) or from one of the intermediate stations. THE tourist ticket prices for trains they range from € 16,50 to € 43 (depending on the route and class, but also on the age of the travelers).
Other itineraries that may interest you
Other ways to enjoyautumn in Piedmont it is not only by train but also by bus. There are many ways to have fun in Piedmont, we have found 5 places to enjoy the foliage in Piedmont, starting from Turin but also arriving in the Langhe or at the Cosso Foundation and Miraldo Castle or at the Pralormo Castle.
