Taste and experience. This is the essence of «Fuori Stazione», a tourist guide collaboration between Trenord and Lonely Planet to help you discover tasteful places that can be reached by train and then on foot. A significant detail because selected bars, restaurants, taverns and accommodation are located not far from the station, at most having to cover a distance of 500 meters. The common thread guiding this initiative is to direct foreign and Lombard tourists to discover the tastes and palates of restaurateurs who source from cheesemakers and butchers who have full control over the supply chain and use raw materials closely linked to the region, exploiting and enhancing the region’s biodiversity and its food and wine heritage. The impact on the region becomes more important because tourism supports the village and regional economy.
«Tourism is an opportunity for the railway, as it attracts new tourists who can then again choose public transport to travel – explains Andrea Severini, CEO of Trenord -. At the same time, the railway in Lombardy represents an opportunity for tourism: it allows you to arrive directly in the city center, with the offer of extensive and frequent connections. Therefore, we are trying to create the best conditions so that people prefer trains to cars, even in their free time. In this way, we will make a real contribution to a sustainable transport system from an environmental and social point of view.”
The opportunity is also appreciated by foreign tourists who come to Teglio to taste pizzoccheri or explore the lake. «Lombardy is not only attractive, but developing as a tourist destination – recalls Debora Massari, member of the regional council for Tourism -. In 2024, there will be almost 21 million arrivals at accommodation facilities and more than 53 million attendances and of these attendances, 67% is represented by foreign tourists.”
Venues are chosen not only based on the quality of the dishes or local specialties, but also taking accessibility into account with prices ranging from 15-20 euros per person to 50-60 euros. Luca Iaccarino, journalist, writer and food critic who edited this guide, chose the destinations based on the Trenord trail that reaches Valtellina, on the Oltrepò Pavese, lake. In addition to restaurants and trattorias, the guide also mentions typical dishes from various regions – from ossobuco with Milanese yellow risotto to Sfursàt, a Valtellina wine, to the “casonséi” of the Bergamo and Brescia regions – as well as local events and events. For food and wine stops, the walking distance from the station is also indicated, to make it easier to organize travel.
“In the first ten months of 2025, almost 10 million people have traveled on our trains to tourist destinations at weekends and the summer months; the figure is 4% higher than in the same period of 2024 – says Leonardo Cesarini, commercial director of Trenord -. In addition, 120 thousand customers bought tickets for “Rail Travel”, the train+experience proposal. These data confirm the value of the work we have been doing over the years with the region, to encourage the use of trains in time free time, towards well-known destinations and hidden corners This is a result that we want to continue to improve, with new guidelines and proposals for winter, in the interests of sustainable mobility.”
