Foliage Train: Locarno-Domodossola from October 10

Context

TL;DR

• From October 10 to November 15, 2026
• 52 kilometers between Locarno and Domodossola
• Just under two hours each way
• Ticket valid for one or two days

Key facts

• Event → Treno del Foliage
• Railway → Ferrovia Vigezzina-Centovalli
• Route → Locarno-Domodossola
• Distance → 52 kilometers
• Duration → just under two hours per leg
• Validity → one or two days
• Stop → an intermediate stop on the outbound or return journey

From October 10 to November 15, 2026, the Treno del Foliage returns to the Ferrovia Vigezzina-Centovalli. The journey connects Locarno and Domodossola, passing through wooded areas and gorges, over bridges and alongside villages, in an Alpine setting lit up by autumn colors.

For a Frontaliere Ticino reader, the central point is the railway connection between Ticino and Piedmont. The route crosses the Centovalli and Valle Vigezzo, along a historic line that connects the two areas. The route covers 52 kilometers and takes just under two hours per leg.

A recognized itinerary

The Ferrovia Vigezzina-Centovalli offers one of the most evocative panoramic itineraries in the Alps. Lonely Planet and the New York Times have included it among the ten most beautiful railway routes in the world. The autumn landscape is therefore the focus of the experience described, alongside the connection between the two locations.

Launched in 2016, the Treno del Foliage has become an autumn classic and over the years has attracted an audience from beyond the local area. For the 2026 edition as well, the ticket may be valid for one or two days. You can depart from Locarno or Domodossola; the ticket also allows an intermediate stop along the route, to be made on the outbound or return journey.

Claudio Blotti, director of FART, considers the initiative one of the symbols of the Ferrovia Vigezzina-Centovalli. In his statement, he describes the journey as something that goes beyond transportation and brings together landscape, slowness, territory, and discovery. The stated aim is to promote the railway during the Foliage and throughout the year, with new experiences on board and at destinations along the line.

For guidance on connections from Ticino, the internal reference to mezzi pubblici Ticino accompanies the itinerary information.

Operational details

How to read the offer for those crossing the border

For a cross-border commuter travelling between Ticino and Piedmont, the flexibility indicated in the source lies mainly in the choice of endpoint and ticket validity. A single departure point is not specified: Locarno or Domodossola can be chosen. This choice allows the journey to be planned from whichever side of the border is more convenient for the reader, without changing the line described.

Four choices to keep separate

The structure of the offer can be read as follows:

This distinction serves to avoid confusing the departure with the stop. The former can be chosen from the two endpoints of the line; the latter can be added along the route, with the choice of placing it on the outbound or return journey. For those who want to plan their day without committing to a single direction of travel, this is the most tangible feature of the 2026 ticket.

Validity for one or two days offers two distinct formats. With one day, the journey centers on the experience provided for by the ticket; with two days, validity extends across two days. The difference does not change the line, the endpoints or the possibility of stopping: it changes the time available to organize the route.

The route also has geographical value for the Frontaliere Ticino audience. The line connects Ticino and Piedmont via the Centovalli and the Vigezzo Valley, covering 52 kilometers and offering autumn scenery along the journey. For this audience, its usefulness therefore lies in the cross-border rail connection associated with a seasonal experience.

To place the two ends of the route in the context of the border, one can consult mappa valichi, keeping the geographical orientation separate from the ticket options for the Treno del Foliage.

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Key points

From choice to the day

The simplest way to organize the outing is to start with the elements described for the 2026 edition. The journey is defined by the period, the two termini, the validity of the ticket, and the possibility of making an intermediate stop.

The five steps

1. Choose a date between 10 October and 15 November 2026. 2. Select the starting point between Locarno and Domodossola. 3. Decide whether to use a ticket valid for one or two days. 4. Consider whether to include an intermediate stop on the outbound journey or on the return journey. 5. Use 52 kilometres and a duration of just under two hours per journey as a reference.

This sequence applies both to those departing from the Ticino side and to those departing from Piedmont. The start of the journey changes, not the nature of the route: the historic line crosses the Centovalli and Valle Vigezzo, alternating wooded areas, gorges, bridges and villages, while the Alpine landscapes take on autumn colours.

For a cross-border commuter, the most relevant choice is deciding how to use the connection between Ticino and Piedmont. The source allows you to set the journey from either end, choose a validity of one or two days, and place the stop along one of the two directions. These are the practical decisions that define the experience.

The perspective outlined by Claudio Blotti goes beyond a single edition: FART's objective is to promote the railway both during the Foliage period and throughout the rest of the year, by developing new experiences on board and at destinations along the line.

To complement trip planning with a check of your monthly net income, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: tio.ch