By rail · FUNICULAR AND MOUNTAIN RAILWAY RIDES IN ITALY
Good funicular and mountain railway rides in Italy sell the seats before the fares, and the best ones go first. Below: the 8 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Ride Naples’ Funicolare Centrale to Vomero, then walk downhill with a local guide through Via Palizzi, the Petraio stairways, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and the Spanish Quarters. Expect Gulf views, Vesuvius, Capri, local stories, and a finish at Pignasecca Market.
“Virginia was an excellent guide, welcoming, charming and informative.”
Build your own Capri day with a boat tour around the island, a Blue Grotto stop, bus rides to Anacapri, lunch at La Giara, and the Mount Solaro chairlift. You receive the main tickets and vouchers, then choose the order and pace that suit you.
“First stand off the ferry from Sorrento, they hand you every voucher you needed to see Capri. Boat tour waiting right next to ticket office. Allowed you to explore Capri at own pace without needing to organise anything.”
Follow Genoa’s ancient creuze with a live English or Italian guide, ride a public funicular or lift uphill, and return through colorful neighborhoods. The guide carries a small guitar and may sing original songs about Genoa. Expect hills, steps, wide views, and a traditional snack, though snack availability should be confirmed.
“Great tour and stories about the background and history of Genoa. We learned a lot about the culture and saw areas we would not have known to explore.”
Join a small group of up to 10 with an English or Italian guide, possibly Mikael or Fiamo, for a six-hour walk from Como to Brunate, Blevio, Monte Piatto, and Torno. Ride the funicular, eat a local lunch in a baita, and return by boat.
“It was an amazing new experience for both myself and my husband we have always lived in a city and this trekking was totally new for us, we will blown away and also our Guide Mikael was an excellent tour guide very informative and he really made our experience unforgettable”
Start at Como’s Sant’Agostino dock for a one-hour shared cruise with villa views and prosecco, then use priority access for the Brunate Funicular. Captain Alessandro may lead the boat portion, while Brunate is self-guided and offers quiet streets, viewpoints, and lake panoramas.
“There appeared to be some confusion as the owner of Salimar Boat Tour didn’t know about the change in time from 9 something to noon. Fortunately, another boat was available, piloted by captain Alessandro.”
Explore Como’s old center and Villa Olmo with an English-speaking private guide, then ride the funicular to Brunate for sweeping lake and mountain views. The 2 to 3 hour tour includes entry tickets, starts at 10:00 am, and can be adapted to your pace.
“We effectively had a private tour as it was only me and my wife in the tour group. Our guide, Emmanuele, was excellent. He was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We spent about an hour in Como city centre (including walking around Villa Olmo's gardens) and then went up to Brunate via the funicular. Emmanuele brought us around Brunate and knew where the best spots to take photos were located (some of them not usually known by tourists). The 3-hour tour flew by and we ended the tour with lunch in Brunate at a restaurant recommended by Emmanuele. A highly recommended tour, which is good value for money.”
Join a small English-language tour from Como for an open-top Jeep ride through Brunate’s steep streets, Liberty villas, churches, and Volta Lighthouse. Your driver shares local context, and the tour includes the lighthouse panoramic basement. A funicular ride down is optional and not included.
“Bad experience today . The place is very beautiful and we climbed from funicularo to lighthouse volta, to enjoy the view. At 4.20 pm the employee working at the ticket office refuse to sell ticcket for a group a 8-10 turist, saying it was to late. The closing time was 4,30 pm. She was very rude with the tourists’ The way she talked to us was like she wanted all the tourists gone from there, hate them.”
Spend three hours exploring Verona with a private, child-focused guide such as Maria or Giulia. Enter the Arena, see Romeo and Juliet landmarks, hear playful local stories, and ride the funicular to Saint Peter’s Mount for wide city views.
“We had an excellent tour with Maria. She was very knowledgeable and kept my children engaged the whole time. Would definitely recommend.”
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