FYI -- Using The Bus System In Stresa

Friday, April 24, 2009

FYI -- Using The Bus System In Stresa

3:08 PM |

Dana Kaplan, Stresa Sights |

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This is where the bus stops in Stresa. Wait by the pole with the sign. There is a schedule posted on the pole. The lake and the imbarcadero are to your right; the Chiesa di Sant'Ambrogio, the light blue, large church, is to your left.

Taking the buses in Stresa to get around shouldn’t scare you. It’s easy, inexpensive, and can get you to a lot of places that you can’t reach by train, or without a car. The concerns are usually which bus to take, how many buses will I need to get where I want to go, and what is the schedule?

Hopefully this post will help to alleviate some of those concerns.

The following link brings you to a very good, interactive map of the VCO local bus system. Perhaps open it in another window to follow these directions at the same time.

Open the link here.

You are now on the home page for the bus site, with a choice of summer schedule, from June 14 through September 8 (orario estivo), or the winter schedule for the rest of the year (orario invernale). Let’s use the summer schedule here as an example. The map looks like this, but is interactive on the site.

Let’s say you want to go to Orta, on Lago Orta, which is a popular and worthwhile day trip from Stresa. Click on the dot representing Stresa. This will bring up a list on the left of various routes available from Stresa. Clicking through on those routes will bring up a red line on the map, indicating the path of that route. Is there a direct route to Orta? There is (Stresa – Gignese – Armano – Orta.) Next, with that route showing, click on the small magnifying glass icon. This will open an Adobe document with the time schedule for that route.

The main Stresa stop, (Stresa Imb. Nord,) is on the road near the imbarcadero, across from the Chiesa di Sant'Ambrogio. Let’s say you take the 10 am bus from Stresa; you will arrive at the Orta Promenade at 11. And the bottom schedule shows that there are buses at 3 pm and 6 pm to bring you back to Stresa.

By the way:

Fer = Weekdays and Saturdays

Ven = Fridays

Gior = Buses that run everyday

This Orta example fortunately has a direct bus from Stresa. What if your destination doesn’t? Check various routes with the thought of changing in one of the towns to get where you want to go. Carefully check the times of the buses, to be sure that you can make connections.

Costs are not listed here; but I find the bus system to be a very economical mode of transportation, plus, you get to see a bit of the hearts of towns along the way. Maybe even someplace you’d like to visit next.

It seems complicated, but let’s face it, there is a lot of information here. After playing around a bit with the map you should get the hang of it. If not, feel free to ask me. Sono qui per questo, I’m here for this…

Labels: transportation

12 comments:

Eleonora Ferrari said...: Ciao Dana,
This post is very helpful and informative. I was standing at this bus stop just last week waiting for a bus to Lake Orta unaware of their winter/summer schedule. The receptionist at the hotel didn’t even have this information. Grazie!!; April 25, 2009 at 6:55 AM
Stresa Sights said...: I wish you had this information to use last week then! Now you'll have it for the next time at least...; April 25, 2009 at 10:36 AM
girasoli said...: I am so bad about taking buses because I never know where to get off. I count stops but then sometimes the bus driver does not stop at every stop. Sometimes I am lucky finding a helpful person who will tell me when to get off, other times I get off at the wrong stop...it is always an adventure!

I really appreciate this info! I am going to print it all out before I leave. I also didn't realize it was possible to get to Orta from Stresa in a reasonable amount of time by bus. Now if I only did not get bus sick! -- My other reason besides getting off at the wrong stops that I prefer trains although I agree that buses are usually even cheaper.

Thanks again so much for this post!; April 30, 2009 at 1:57 AM
Stresa Sights said...: girasoli -

Buses can be an adventure, true! But then again, I also miss boat and metro stops...

About Orta, there is also a tour from Stresa that goes each Thursday, arranged by Tomassucci Travel. It includes a guide; this may also be a nice way to see there...; April 30, 2009 at 9:40 AM
girasoli said...: Thanks for the tip. I found their website. They offer quite a few excursions.; May 4, 2009 at 1:49 AM
Anonymous said...: Thank you for what is a very helpful website. I'd be grateful if you could clarify - where do you buy tickets for the bus? Do you have to buy them in a shop or on board? Thank you!; September 28, 2010 at 3:01 PM
Stresa Sights said...: Anonymous, you buy your tickets directly on the bus. Tell the driver what your destination is and he will tell you the amount. The cost is very minimal.; September 28, 2010 at 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi there! Thank you for your kind post re where to get bus tickets - we were unsure if we had to buy tickets in a shop beforehand. The link to the bus company website is also helpful. I noticed that there is a reference to a service from Milan to Macugnaga but no schedule comes up unfortunately so I don't know if the service is still running. It would have made for a nice excursion. Thank you for your web site - the information is most helpful. Kind Regards - The Smith Family from Scotland.; September 30, 2010 at 3:27 PM
Stresa Sights said...: Smith Family, you don't say when you will be in Stresa, but go into the tourist office, the one at the Stresa boat ferry imbarcadero and ask them about buses to Macugnaga or other places for the days that you are there. There may just be something available.

And I'm glad you've found the information helpful.; September 30, 2010 at 8:44 PM
Anonymous said...: Thank you once again from the Smith family. We shall in face be in Stresa in 10 days time but will check with the tourist office. Many thanks!; October 1, 2010 at 2:08 PM
Anonymous said...: love this site. My husband and I will be arriving on 20 March and leave 08 May 2012. Helpful info. Can't wait to get to Stresa.; February 15, 2012 at 1:28 PM
Stresa Sights said...: Thanks for the compliment Anonymous! You are staying here such a nice long time... how lucky! Please let me know if we can help you in any way. --Dana; February 16, 2012 at 2:21 PM

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