What is the Bernina Express?

The fabulous Bernina Express is a narrow gauge train with panoramic sightseeing cars run by the Rhätische Bahn between Chur in Switzerland and Tirano in northern Italy, see the route map here.  It's perhaps the most scenic Alpine train ride train of all - although the Glacier Express competes for the title - and one of the most scenic train rides in the world, a personal favourite.  It forms part of an alternative slow scenic route between Zurich & Milan, and on this page I'll explain how to use the Bernina Express as part of a scenic overland journey from London, Paris or Zurich to Milan, Florence, Venice or Rome.  You can ride it all year round, a completely different experience through Alpine snows in winter and through sunny green meadows in summer.  So you should probably ride it more than once!

  Clever way to buy cheap Bernina Express tickets from €29.90

  How to travel from London, Paris or Zurich to Milan, Venice, Florence or Rome by Bernina Express

  Tours, vacations & holidays on the Bernina Express

What's the train like?

The Bernina Express at Tirano...		2nd class seats...  Larger photo.

1st class leather seats...  Larger photo.		Bernina Express panoramic carriages...

Refreshment trolley with cuddly ibex.  Larger photo.		Baggage area with open window.  Larger photo.		The Bernina Express is hauled by an Allegra unit with unreserved seats.  Allegras also operate the hourly local trains.

What's the journey like?

A ride on the Bernina Express is a 4-hour, 144 km (90 mile) journey between icy Switzerland and sunny Italy, through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, with Alpine gradients as steep as 1 in 7, on a railway built in 1896-1904 and now declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Between Chur and Samedan near St Moritz, the Bernina Express shares the route with its sister train, the Glacier Express, crossing the famous Landwasser Viaduct from mountainside to mountainside, on which many of the Glacier Express's and Bernina Expresses publicity photos are taken.  South of Pontresina, the train climbs up to the Bernina Pass, past the Morteratsch Glacier, reaching its highest point at Ospizio Bernina, 2,253 metres (7,391 feet) above sea level.  Descending through the fir trees on the other side of the mountain, the train calls at the pretty village of Poschiavo.  Between Poschiavo and Tirano the train runs round the famous Brusio Spiral Viaduct, where most of the classic Bernina Express publicity photos are taken.  In Tirano, the Rhätische Bahn connects with Trenord regional trains to Milan Centrale, change in Milan for high-speed trains to Florence, Rome or Venice.  For more information about the Bernina Express, see the Bernina Express pages on the official Rhätische Bahn website, www.rhb.ch. 

Here I'll describe a northbound journey from Milan Centrale to Zurich, but the scenery is exactly the same in either direction.  It's an excellent way to travel between London, Paris or Zurich and Milan, Florence, Rome or Venice, but the Tirano-Milan connection is poorly advertised by the Rhätische Bahn, and many travel agents seem ignorant of its existence.  In fact, excellent Trenord trains link Milan Centrale with Tirano every two hours, no reservation necessary, just buy a ticket and hop on.  Route map   Watch the video.

Step 1, Milan to Tirano by regional train

Milan to Tirano regional trains run by Trenord leave every 2 hours, no reservation necessary, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.  Above right, 2nd class seats.  1st class is almost identical to 2nd class, but with grey seats not blue.

Trenord introduced new air-conditioned Milan-Tirano trains in 2015, smooth-riding with clean toilets, video information screens & power sockets at all seats.  A pleasure to travel on, and it's a pretty ride as the train speeds along Lake Como towards the mountains...

Step 2, Tirano to Chur by Bernina Express

In the photo above left, the Trenord station is on the left & the Rhätische Bahn station is on the right, just a few hundred metres apart.

Soon after leaving Tirano station, the Bernina Express starts running through the streets, pictured above right.  Cars are held at traffic lights to let it pass...

The train climbs up the valley out of Tirano...		...and uses the famous Brusio Spiral to gain height.

On the Brusio Spiral.  Here, the front of the train passes over the track it has just used to enter the spiral.

The train passes Lake Poschiavo...

...then it climbs & climbs, eventually clinging to a mountainside thousands of feet up....

...those clouds over the valley are actually below us.

Alp Grüm station at 2,091m (6,860 feet) above sea level, almost at the summit...

The valley on the left at Alp Grum with views of the Palü Glacier...		Ospizio Bernina, the summit at 2,253 metres (7,391 feet).

Beyond Ospizio Bernina, the train heads through the bleak Bernina Pass...

The train snakes through the Pass...

...then starts to descend towards Pontresina.

Between Samedan & Filisur the train passes through the 6km (3.7 mile) Albula Tunnel.  Above, just north of Filisur, the train is about to enter the tunnel before the Landwasser Viaduct...

Looking back after the Bernina Express has crossed the Landwasser Viaduct from tunnel to cliff, just north of Filisur.

More mountain scenery between Filisur & Chur...

And yet more mountains on the way to Chur...

Step 3, change in Chur for Zurich...  Chur is a terminus.  The Bernina Express has arrived on the right, the train to Zurich is waiting on the left, it's a simple cross-platform interchange that only takes two minutes.

Step 3, from Chur to Zurich by SBB InterCity or InterRegional train

Swiss Federal Railways IC or IR trains run from Chur to Zurich HB every 30 minutes, taking you alongside the shores of the Walensee and then the Zürichsee...  No reservation required, just hop on and sit where you like.

Video guide:  Milan to Zurich by Bernina Express

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Bernina Express timetable

Notes for timetable

• Summer = 13 May to 22 October 2023 = two daily Bernina Expresses between Chur & Tirano.

• Winter = The rest of the year = one Bernina Express per day between Chur & Tirano.

• IMPORTANT UPDATE 19 MAY 2023:  A landslide is affecting train service on the Italian  Tirano-Milan railway from 19 May 2023 until further notice, see www.trenord.it for more details.  Expect partial bus replacement and a longer journey time.  It's not known how long this will last.

• UPDATE 2023:  Just a heads-up, from 11 June to 10 September 2023, trackwork on the line between Tirano & Milan means buses will temporarily replace trains between Tirano & Sondrio (just 2 stops), check times at www.trenord.it.  It's likely that departure from Tirano going South will simply be 15 minutes earlier, arrival in Tirano going north will be 15 minutes later, no big deal.

• There are hourly local trains, not shown here.

  The Rhätische Bahn also run ordinary local trains every hour on the Chur-St Moritz-Tirano Bernina route, you can check times for these trains at the Rhätische Bahn website www.rhb.ch or at Swiss Federal Railways www.sbb.ch.  No reservation is required for these regular local trains, just turn up, buy a ticket at the station and hop on.  Tickets cannot sell out.  You'll normally need to change trains at least once if you want to travel from Chur to Tirano on these regular local trains.

• Travelling to/from St Moritz?

  Only the Chur-Tirano Bernina Express trains are shown here, these by-pass St Moritz.  There are also St Moritz-Tirano Bernina Expresses (1 in winter, 2 per day in summer) and of course the normal hourly local trains running Chur-St Moritz & St Moritz-Tirano.  You can check times for all these trains at either the Rhätische Bahn website www.rhb.ch or the main Swiss Railways site www.sbb.ch.

• Changing trains in Chur...

  In Chur, it's usually a simple cross-platform interchange between the mainline SBB InterCity or InterRegional train to/from Zurich and the narrow-gauge Bernina Express to/from Tirano which takes just a minute or two.  No reservation is necessary or possible, you can just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on - or pre-purchase at www.sbb.ch.  Zurich-Chur trains run every half hour.

• Changing trains in Tirano...

  In Tirano, the Italian Trenord station is a few metres across the square from the Rhätische Bahn station.  The Italian regional trains link Tirano with Milan Centrale every two hours through the day, fare €11.50, you can check times at www.trenord.it.  No reservation is necessary or even possible, you can buy tickets at the station (at the cafe-bar if the ticket office is closed) or you can buy online at www.trenord.it and print out your ticket.

• Connecting bus between Tirano & Lugano...

  The Rhätische Bahn run a bus between Tirano & Lugano which connects with the Bernina Express.  This allows you to make circular excursions around Switzerland.  See www.rhb.ch for details.

How much does it cost?

• Zurich to Tirano by Intercity train & Bernina Express:

  Regular fare: CHF 92 (€93) 2nd class or CHF 161 (€164) 1st class.  Children under 6 free, children under 16 half price.

  This is the fully-flexible one-way fare, tickets at this price have unlimited availability and cannot sell out, it can be bought at this price even on the day of travel.  Fully-flexible tickets are good for any departure on this route on the day it's issued for.

  Or use a Saver Day Pass:  From CHF 52 (€53) in 2nd class and CHF 88 (€90) in 1st class.

  If you book 1 to 60 days advance, you will be offered a Saver Day Pass if it's cheaper than the regular fare.  This varies in price depending on availability and how far ahead you buy it.  It's good for unlimited travel on trains all over Switzerland all day.

  Or use a clever way to buy cheap tickets from €29.90 in 2nd class, €39.90 in 1st class.

  If you can book 1-6 months ahead there's a clever way to buy tickets between Zurich & Tirano using the German Railways website.  And accompanied children under 15 go free, too.  Specified trains only, no refunds.  I explain how to buy these cheap tickets from €29.90 here.

• Bernina Express reservation fee

  To use the Bernina Express panoramic carriages between Chur & Tirano, you must have a seat reservation.

  This costs CHF 20 (€19) in January & February 2023, CHF 24 (€23) March, April, May 2023, CHF 26 (€25) June, July, August, September 2023, CHF 24 (€23) October 2023, CHF 20 (€19) November & December 2023.

  Children under 6 without their own seat go free.  Children aged 6 to 16 pay the child fare, but must pay the full adult reservation fee.

  You can avoid paying any reservation fee if you travel in the unreserved seats in the Allegra unit which hauls the Bernina Express.

• Tirano to Milan by regional train costs €11.50 in 2nd class or €17.50 in 1st class.  Children under 12 half price.

  That's a normal one-way ticket with unlimited availability, good for any train that day.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, make a seat reservation for the Bernina Express following the instructions here.

  To travel in the all-reserved panoramic cars of the Bernina Express, you need two separate things:  A travel ticket and a seat reservation.

  In theory you can buy ticket & reservation together as one transaction at the Rhätische Bahn website www.rhb.ch, but it's better to make the seat reservation first and buy the ticket later.

  There are several reasons for this: (a) Seat reservations are available up to 6 months ahead, but you can only buy a ticket less than 60 days ahead; (b) you may want to buy a ticket separately using the clever way to buy a cheap ticket and (c) maybe you have an Interrail, Eurail or Swiss Travel Pass so don't need a ticket.

  So make your seat reservation first, as shown in the reservation section below.

  You don't need a seat reservation for the Zurich-Chur train or the Tirano-Milan regional train, you sit where you like on those.

  In fact, if you're happy sitting in the unreserved seats in the Allegra unit which hauls the Bernina Express, you don't even need a reservation for the Bernina Express and can skip this step completely.

• Step 2, buy a ticket between Zurich & Tirano.

  After making the Bernina Express seat reservation between Chur & Tirano, you need to buy a ticket, either between Zurich & Tirano if you're starting/finishing in Zurich, or between Chur & Tirano if you're starting/finishing in Chur.

  If you can book 1-6 months ahead, there's a clever way to buy cheap advance-purchase tickets from as little as €29.90 using the German Railways website, see the section below where I explain how to do this.

  If this cheap method suits you, great.  If it doesn't, here's how to buy a ticket the regular way:

  Go to the Swiss Federal Railways website www.sbb.ch, and buy a ticket between Zurich and Tirano (or between Chur & Tirano, but here I'll assume you're starting in Zurich).

  Tickets go on sale 60 days before departure.

  Change Deutsch to English at the top and run an enquiry from Zurich to Tirano (if going southbound) or Tirano to Zurich (if going northbound).  Before running the enquiry, click Add via+ and enter Chur.  This simply stops it showing irrelevant journeys via Lugano.

  In the search results, look for a journey with 1 change at Chur which corresponds with the times shown above.  By default, the SBB website shows tickets with a Half Fare Card discount, most Swiss citizens have one but you probably won't, so make sure you switch it to full price.

  You'll see one of three possible types of fare on this route, according to availability:

  1. Regular fare:  This is good for any departure you like on the date you buy it for.  The regular fare has unlimited availability, the price is the same whether you buy in advance or buy on the day.  You can buy one at the station 10 minutes before the train leaves if you like, they cannot sell out.  But they are expensive!

  2. Supersaver fare.  This is a cheaper limited-availability advance-purchase fare only good for that specific departure, no refunds.  It will be shown if available, the price varies dynamically, just like a budget airline fare.  If available, it'll save money compared to the regular price.

  3. Saver Day Pass.  A Saver Day Pass is good for any train on this route that day, in fact it gives unlimited travel all over Switzerland that day.  The price varies dynamically, it will only be offered if it's available at a cheaper price than the regular fare.  A good and flexible ticket to buy.

  Click through to buy the ticket.  You can print it out or show it on your phone.

• Step 3, buy a ticket between Tirano & Milan Centrale.

  Buy this at www.thetrainline.com by running a Tirano to Milan enquiry.  You print your own ticket.

  This is a local train with inexpensive fixed-price tickets which cannot sell out, seat reservation is neither necessary nor possible, you can safely buy a ticket on or close to departure date, no need to commit money in advance.  You can buy a ticket at the station on the day if you like.

  Online booking normally opens 2-4 months ahead, but much less than this (sometimes only a few weeks ahead) when the timetable changes come up on the 2nd Saturday in June and 2nd Saturday in December.  So if you don't see any trains in the search results, just wait and check times close to departure date, these local trains run every day all year round.

  Online tickets are non-refundable and valid for the specific time you book and 4 hours afterwards - so if you miss the planned train, you can take the next one.  Online tickets don't need validating, you can just board the train.  You can also buy online at www.trenord.it.

  In Tirano when going southbound, you can buy Tirano-Milan tickets in the Italian station's cafe-bar when the ticket office is closed (in €, cash only).  Or you can buy Tirano-Milan tickets from the RhB ticket window in the Swiss station as you walk past it coming off the Bernina Express, which is probably the easiest option as the Italian station ticket office is closed in the afternoon.  Tickets bought from the ticket office are good for any train that day, but remember to validate them in the little green machines on the platform.

  In Milan when going northbound, it's easiest to buy from the Trenitalia self-service machines which have a touch-screen and English-language facility.  Tickets are good for any train that day, but remember to validate them in the little green machines on the platform.

• Step 4, buy a ticket between Milan Centrale & Florence SMN, Venice Santa Lucia, Rome Termini, etc. if you need one.

  Italian high-speed trains are all-reserved and have airline-style dynamic pricing, cheaper in advance, more expensive on the day.

  You can buy tickets at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $), www.italiarail.com (also easy to use, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own site www.trenitalia.com (uses Italian-language place names and has a few quirks especially when booking sleepers, but no booking fee, see this advice on using it).

  For Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca & InterCity trains it's ticketless, you simply quote your booking reference on board.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, depending on the train.  Advice on train travel in Italy.

How to make a Bernina Express seat reservation

• If you want to sit in the special panoramic cars of the Bernina Express, you need to make a seat reservation.  This costs CHF 10, 24 or 26 depending on the time of year.  You can make this reservation at the RhB website, which allows you to pick exact seats from a plan.

  You can see how each panorama car is laid out in this seat numbering plan.

  Reservations normally open 60 days ahead, but RhB now open seat reservations up to 6 months ahead for the summer.

• Step 1, go to the Bernina Express booking page on the Rhätische Bahn website, shop.rhb.ch/en/catalog/product/view/id/18.

  Please let me know if that link stops working (if it does, go to www.rhb.ch, change de to English top right then click Bernina Express then Buy)

• Step 2, run a Chur to Tirano or Tirano to Chur enquiry for the date you want in the class you want.

  Tip:  You need to reserve a seat in the same class (1st or 2nd) as your ticket.  Obvious, I thought, but I've known several people reserve a 1st class seat when they only had a 2nd class ticket because they saw it was the same price.  The cost to reserve a seat is the same whichever the class, but you still need a 1st class ticket to sit in a 1st class seat!

• Step 3, enter the number of passengers, select your Bernina Express departure, and choose your seats from the plan.

  Tip:  Before you ask, the reservation system doesn't know which way round the carriages will run, so you can't tell which seats face forwards, or which seats will be on which side of the train.  If you're a couple, I recommend face-to-face seats by a window.  If a family, book a bay of 4 seats.

• Step 4, at this stage it's showing the total price for a seat reservation and a ticket, so you must tell it you only want the reservation as you'll be buying the ticket separately.  So on the next page, change the drop-down Reduction box for each passenger from No discount to Reservation only. This removes the ticket leaving just the seat reservation.  You should see the price drop to CHF 10, 24 or 26 depending on the time of year.

  Tip:  A few years ago the Reservation only option disappeared for a while, if it happens again select Interrail pass, that does the same thing.

Using a Eurail, Interrail or Swiss Pass

• If you have a Swiss Travel Pass or Interrail or Eurail global pass, this gives unlimited travel on the Rhätische Bahn including all trains on the Bernina route.  You can hop on any of the hourly local trains or you can use the unreserved seats in the Allegra unit hauling the Bernina Express without any seat reservation.

  If you want to use the Bernina Express panoramic cars you must pay the Bernina Express reservation fee, see the reservation cost above.

  You can make a reservation for the Bernina Express panoramic cars online at rhb.ch as explained above.

• Interrail & Eurail global passes also cover the Tirano-Milan trains, which are run by Trenord, a joint venture of Trenitalia and local private operator Le Nord.  Passes give unlimited travel over Trenord routes which are Trenitalia-owned which includes Tirano-Milan.  No seat reservation is necessary or even possible, just hop on any train and sit in any empty seat.

The clever way to buy Bernina Express tickets...

• There's a perfectly legitimate way to pay as little as €29.90 2nd class or €39.90 1st class between Zurich & Tirano.

  Kids under 15 go free if you add them to the booking, too, although you still need to buy them a Bernina Express seat reservation.

  It's far cheaper than the €90+ regular price and usually significantly cheaper than even a Saver Day Pass.

  German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) offer cheap advance-purchase Sparpreis tickets between Germany & Switzerland from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Limited availability, limited or no refunds, only good for the specific trains you book, no changes to travel plans.

  So you buy a Sparpreis ticket from the last main stop in Germany to Tirano from €29.90 and simply don't use the bit between Singen & Zurich.  This is perfectly legitimate, nobody cares whether you do or don't use the Singen-Zurich part of the ticket.  Singen (Hohentwiel) is the last major stop in Germany before the Swiss border, so that's the place we'll use.  Incidentally, these cheap tickets aren't new, they've been around for years now and are tried and tested.

  The only disadvantage is that tickets have to be sent by post from Germany, to any address worldwide for a €5.90 fee and can take up to 2 weeks to arrive.  You have to allow for that.  And it's only regular mail, it's not tracked or anything.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  The price varies like air fares, so book as early as you can.

	This is what you're looking for in the search results!  Remember departure from Zurich is the day after departure from Singen.  Click for larger image

To buy southbound tickets from €29.90:

• Step 1, first make a Bernina Express reservation as shown above.

  If you intend to use the unreserved seats in the Allegra unit you can skip this step.

• Step 2, to buy a southbound ticket from Zurich to Tirano, open this special link to the German Railways website.

  Leave the origin, destination, departure time & stopover details alone, I have set those up for you.

  Enter the number of adults and children and select class of travel. 

  Important:  Now set departure date, entering the date before the day you want to leave Zurich for Tirano.

  Why the date before?  It's not rocket science!  If there was a 2am train from Singen to Zurich that connected with the 07:07 from Zurich, you could enter your actual date of travel.  But there isn't.  So I've set up the special link to look for a late afternoon train from Singen to Zurich, then include an overnight stopover with a duration carefully calculated to bring up the 07:07 from Zurich next morning.  That means you need to set departure date from Singen as the day before you want to leave Zurich.  Got it?  Good!

  Incidentally, if you plan to overnight in Chur rather than Zurich, you can change the stopover location to Chur before running the enquiry, adjusting the departure time from Singen and the stopover duration to get whatever trains you want either side of Chur.  Then you'll get a ticket which covers your Zurich-Chur journey on day 1 and your Chur-Tirano journey on day 2.

• Step 3, in the search results, identify & select the correct journey option, it will look like this.

  It's the option with only 2 changes with train numbers IC 911 & PE 951.  PE 951 is the Bernina Express.

  If you don't see any €29.90 fares, remember the price you see is for all passengers, not per person, and fares are dynamic.  If the €29.90 fares have sold out, even a €39 or €49 ticket saves money over the €87 Swiss regular fare.  Tip:  If you don't see the cheapest €29.90 or €39.90 rates for Singen-Tirano, try re-running the enquiry from Freiburg (Breisgau) to Tirano, fares on this route might still be available.

  If you're booking more than 5 people, split your booking into smaller groups, maximum 5 tickets in one transaction.

  If you have problems booking kids, and your party includes a child of 13, 14 or 15, try adding a year or two to the age of your kid.  They can travel on a ticket for an older person, just not necessarily on a ticket for a younger one.  A problem can arise because of a difference in Swiss & German child age limits, if your kid is a child in one country but an adult in the other, the system is incapable of selling a hybrid child-adult ticket.  If you add a year to their age so that they're an adult in both countries, problem solved!

• Step 4, the online ticket option is usually greyed out, so select tickets by mail.  Tickets are sent by post to any address worldwide for a small fee.  It takes up to two weeks for tickets to arrive, so allow for this.  If you're happy using the regular local trains on the Bernina route which run every hour, simply adjust the stopover time in Zurich and re-run the enquiry to get a later Zurich or Chur to Tirano departure.

  Decline the option to add any seat reservations. 

• Tip:  A cheap Sparpreis fare is only good for the train numbers specified in the routing panel on the ticket.  However, it'll usually specify IC911 from Zurich to Chur, followed by NV.  NV stands for a German phrase which means by any train... so your ticket is technically valid by any train from Chur to Tirano that day, not just the one you booked.  You never know, that fact may come in useful!

	This is what you're looking for in the search results!  Click for larger image

To buy northbound tickets from €29.90:

• Step 1, first make a Bernina Express reservation as shown above.

  If you intend to use the unreserved seats in the Allegra unit you can skip this step.

• Step 2, to buy a northbound ticket from Tirano to Zurich, open this special link to the German Railways website.

  Leave the origin, destination and departure time alone, I have set those up for you.

  Enter the number of adults & children, enter departure date, select class of travel.  Run the enquiry.

• Step 4, in the search results, identify & select the option with the Bernina Express, it'll look like this.

  The times will match the times given above, it'll have only 2 or 3 changes not 4 or 5 and will inlcude the train numbers PE 952 and IC 936.  PE 952 is the Bernina Express.

  If you book 2-6 months ahead you'll see Saver fares from €29.90 upwards, or from €39.90 in 1st class.

  If you don't see any €29.90 fares, remember the price you see is for all passengers, not per person, and fares are dynamic.  If the €29.90 fares have sold out, even a €39 or €49 ticket saves money over the €90+ Swiss regular fare.  Tip:  If you don't see the cheapest €29.90 or €39.90 rates for Tirano-Singen, re-run the enquiry from Tirano to Freiburg (Breisgau) as cheap fares on this route may still be available.

  If you're booking more than 5 people, split your booking into smaller groups, max 5 tickets in one transaction.

  If you have problems booking kids and your party includes a child of 13, 14 or 15, add a year or two to the age of your kid and try again.  They can travel on a ticket for an older person, just not necessarily on a ticket for a younger one.  A problem can arise because of a difference between Swiss & German age limits, if your kid is a child in one country but an adult in the other, the system cannot book a hybrid child-adult ticket.  If you add a year to their age so that they're an adult in both countries, problem solved!

• Step 5, the online ticket option will be greyed out so select tickets by mail.  They'll send to any address worldwide for a few euros fee.  Tickets can take up to 2 weeks to arrive, so allow plenty of time.

  Decline the option to add any seat reservations.

• Tip:  A cheap Sparpreis fare ties you to the specific trains you book.  It's only good for the train numbers specified in the ticket routing on the ticket.  However, it'll usually say NV to Chur,  NV stands for a German phrase which means 'by any train...' so your ticket will technically be valid on any trains from Tirano to Chur that day.  You never know, that fact may be useful!

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Route map

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Travel tips

• What time of year is best?

  The Bernina Express runs all year round, so you can go any time.  Indeed, you really need to do it twice, as it's a totally different experience through a snowy wonderland in the depths of winter compared to a summer jaunt through lush green Swiss meadows.

• Is northbound or southbound better?

  Either is fine in summer, but in winter the northbound Bernina Express will run the last couple of hours in darkness, making a southbound run preferable.

• Should you go first or second class?

  The scenery is exactly the same, the only difference is the seating layout, see the photos above.  As you can see, 2nd class seats are arranged 2+2 across the car width, 1st class seats are arranged 2+1.  So 1st class seats offer more elbow room and fewer passengers per car.  It also means that there are tables-for-two on one side of the aisle, which are nicer for couples than sharing a 4-seater section in 2nd class.  But there's no difference in on-board service, all you're paying for is the lower-density seating.  2nd class is absolutely fine, so you don't need to go 1st class unless you really aren't bothered by the extra cost.

• Seating plan:  This seating plan of the panorama cars shows the train formation and how 1st & 2nd class seats are arranged and numbered.

• Which side of the train to sit?

  Going South, the best views are on the right-hand side of the train, going north it's the left-hand-side, including the best views of the Brusio Spiral, the Ospizio Bernina area and the Landwasser Viaduct.

  However, when booking you can't tell which way round the carriages will be, so unfortunately you can't reserve a seat on a specific side.  But feel free to move if seats are free, and if there's four of you, you could reserve the two window seats on both sides.

• Luggage on the Bernina Express

  Like any other European train, you take your luggage on board with you and within reason you can take whatever you like, suitcases, backpacks, whatever.  You can put your bags in the large luggage vestibule at the opposite end of each carriage from the entrance door.  There's plenty of space in both classes.

• Food on board

  There's no catering car, but a refreshment trolley comes down the train selling tea, coffee, snacks and souvenirs.  Or you're free to bring your own picnic and even wine on board, as on other European trains.

• Do the windows open?

  The big panoramic windows don't.  But there's a small opening window in the luggage vestibule at the opposite end of each car from the entrance door which is ideal for taking photographs without reflections.  The video on this page was mostly shot through this window.  The Allegra electric trains used on the hourly local services over the Bernina route have large opening windows, which is why some travellers actually prefer these normal hourly local trains to the panoramic cars of the Bernina Express.

• Open air carriages

  In summer, and depending on the weather, certain trains on the Bernina line get a few open-air carriages attached over a portion of the route.  However, there are never any open-air carriages on the Bernina Express itself.

• In Tirano, the Margi Bar is just across the square from both the Rhätische Bahn station and Italian station, handy for a beer or sandwich between trains.

• For a stopover on the Bernina route

  You could consider breaking the journey in the pleasant little town of Poschiavo.  The Restaurant Pensione Chalet Stazione is right next to the station with great reviews, or the Albergo Cruce Bianca short walk away.

  However, I recommend something special:  The Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl between Samedan & Pontresina is an amazing hotel opened in 1907, perched on a 2,454m high mountain with spectacular views over the Engadin Valley.

  To get there, take a local train to either Punt Muragl Staz between St Moritz & Pontresina or Punt Muragl between Samedan and Pontresina, see Muottas Muragl train route map.  It's a 250m walk from either of these two unstaffed halts to the lower station of the funicular railway which climbs up the mountain to the Hotel Muottas Muragl.  To check train times, simply use the journey planner at www.sbb.ch and run an enquiry from anywhere in Switzerland to Muottas Muragl, that's the name of the upper station of the funicular right next to the hotel.  The Bernina Express itself passes through Punt Muragl station non-stop, but local trains call there.

The Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl in winter, with views over St Moritz & the  Engadin Valley.  The upper station of the funicular railway up the mountain from Punt Muragl station is adjacent to the hotel.  See Muottas Muragl train route map.

Useful links

• Official Rhätische Bahn website:  www.rhb.ch.  Swiss Railways map:  Swiss rail map

• Wikipedia:  Bernina Express,  Albula Railway (Chur-St Moritz), Bernina Railway (St Moritz-Tirano), Landwasser Viaduct, Brusio Spiral Viaduct.

Google Streetview covers the Bernina line

• Google has 'streetviewed' the line between Chur & Tirano,  so you can look at the views on any part of the line, just as you would view a city street.

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Unreserved seats in the Allegra unit

• The Bernina Express isn't hauled by a locomotive, but by a powerful modern 3-car electric unit branded Allegra.

  The seats in the 3 Allegra coaches are all unreserved, you can sit in these seats without a seat reservation, with any valid ticket or railpass.  Reservation of seats in the Allegra cars is not even possible, all the seats are available to anyone, first come, first served.

  You sit where you like, so you're free to choose on which side to sit.  The best views are on the right-hand side of the train going South, left-hand-side going north, including the best views of the Brusio Spiral, the Ospizio Bernina area and the Landwasser Viaduct

• So if you want to save some money, or can't get a reservation in the panoramic cars, you can sit in the Allegra unit at the front of the train and enjoy the same journey without a reservation.  The scenery is the same, the windows are large and alternate windows open wide for fresh air & reflection-free photography.  For this reason, many travellers actually prefer the Allegra to the panoramic cars.

• There's another benefit of using the Allegra unit if you have a 1st class ticket:  There's a 12-seat 1st class section at each end of the 3-car Allegra, indicated by a yellow stripe above the windows (see the photo below).  Grab a seat at the front and If you're lucky the driver will leave the blind up and you'll get a wonderful forward view over their shoulder.  Better than sitting in a panorama car?  Some people think so!

• Will there be seats available in the Allegra unit?  Usually it's not a problem, though of course it can't be guaranteed, especially in summer.  But remember that at the beginning of its journey in Chur or Tirano, the train will pull into the platform from the sidings completely empty with all its seats up for grabs, first-come, first-served.  If you're amongst the first through the doors, you'll have your pick of the best seats!

This is the 3-car Allegra unit, coupled up to the panoramic cars of the Bernina Express (on the left).  The yellow stripe above the windows indicates 1st class, the Allegra has a 12-seat 1st class section at both ends.

1st class unreserved seats in the Allegra, blind down...		Forward view, blind up!  Photos courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com

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How to travel from London, Paris or Zurich to Italy by Bernina Express

The Bernina Express is no mere Swiss curiosity.  You can use it as the ultimate scenic route from London or Paris to Milan, Venice, Florence or Rome.  This section explains how to how to arrange this journey and buy tickets.  It's much slower than using a direct EuroCity train from Zurich to Milan via the Gotthard route, but you really won't regret taking the Bernina Express!

  Southbound train times London & Paris to Italy

  Northbound train times Italy to Paris & London

  How much does it cost?

  How to buy tickets

Southbound

Step 1, London & Paris to Zurich

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, departing London St Pancras at 13:31 (12:24 on some dates) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:47 (15:47 on some dates).  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Zurich by 320 km/h TGV-Lyria train, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 18:22 and arriving Zurich HB at 22:26.  Free WiFi, power sockets at seats & cafe bar.

• By all means catch an earlier service from London to Zurich so you arrive in Zurich in time for dinner, see the London to Switzerland page for details.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.  For something really special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station.  They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train.  For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the 4-star Hotel St Gotthard or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.  If you're on a tight budget you can book private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.

Step 2, Zurich to Milan by Bernina Express

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to Chur by Swiss InterCity train, then from Chur to Tirano on the fabulous Bernina Express, then Tirano to Milan by Trenord regional train, as shown in the timetable above.  You can either use the morning train all year round, or the afternoon train in summer.

• The journey from Zurich to Chur by Swiss mainline train is a scenic trip in itself, along the Zürichsee & Walensee lakes and into the mountains.  In Chur, you'll usually find the Bernina Express waiting for you on the other side of the platform, an easy cross-platform interchange.

• In Tirano, the Trenitalia and Rhätische Bahn stations are right next door to each other, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants near the stations.  You may have time for a beer at the Margi bar across the road, or you could have lunch and catch a later train to Milan.  You can use www.trenord.it to check schedules.  Bring your own food and drink if you want any, as there is no catering on the Italian train.  No reservation necessary or even possible for Tirano-Milan trains, just buy a ticket at the station and hop on, remembering to validate your ticket in the little validating machine at the platform entrance.  This is a pretty run, through more mountains and along the shores of Lake Como calling at Lecco, Bellano and Varenna (for the ferry to Bellagio), handy if you're staying in the Lake Como area.

Step 3, Milan to Florence, Venice, Rome...

• Day 2, change in Milan Centrale for inter-city trains to Florence SMN, Rome Termini, Verona Porta Nuova & Venice Santa Lucia - use www.trenitalia.com to find trains departing Milan Centrale any time at least 45 minutes after the scheduled arrival of the train from Tirano, to allow time for any delay.  A same-day connection is perfectly possible, although by all means stay overnight and travel next day.

Other options

• Overnight in St Moritz area instead of Zurich?  If you'd prefer to stay overnight in the St Moritz-Pontresina area, you can leave London on the 09:24 Eurostar (the exact time varies) and travel all the way to the St Moritz or Pontresina on day 1 as shown here. 

  I recommend the fabulous Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl, an amazing hotel perched on the top of a mountain.  Formerly the Muottas Muragl Berghotel, it's reached via the Muottas Muragl funicular railway (opened in 1907) from the little Punt Muragl station, half way between St Moritz & Pontresina.

  On day 2, there's a separate Bernina Express St Moritz portion leaving St Moritz at 09:29 and Pontresina at 09:52, arriving Tirano at 12:02 (for winter times see www.rhb.ch).  In fact, in winter, when the Bernina Express runs attached to a regular train, it will stop at Punt Muragl on request, just signal the driver.  Then carry on to Milan on the 13:10 local train arriving Milano Centrale at 15:40. 

  To reach the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl, simply use www.sbb.ch to search from Zurich or Chur or any station in Switzerland to a destination listed as 'Muottas Muragl', this will give you precise combined train+funicular times & prices.

• For a more leisurely journey, it could be spread over three days instead of two.  You could stop off for a second night at Poschiavo, a pretty town on the Bernina Express route.

• Travel London to Chur via the scenic Rhine Valley?  Again spreading the London-Milan trip over 3 days, how about a morning train from London to Cologne or Koblenz on day 1 (see the London to Germany page), spend an afternoon and night there, then on day 2 take one of the direct EuroCity trains from Cologne & Koblenz along the scenic Rhine Valley past the famous Lorelei Rock to Zurich with a connection for Chur, from €37.90 booked at www.bahn.de.  Stay in the little town of Chur overnight before taking the Bernina Express to Tirano in the morning on day 3.  This route also saves having to cross Paris.

• My own top choice for a journey from London to Italy spread over 3 days would be (a) London-St Moritz on day 1, taking a good book and an equally good bottle of red, (b) two nights at the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl giving a full day to wander around the area and relax, then (c) the fabulous Bernina Express into Italy on day 3.  If you do this, staying at the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl and use the Bernina Express, do email me to let me know how absolutely right you think I am (!).  See rail access map.

Northbound

Step 1, Rome, Venice, Florence to Milan

• Day 1, travel from Venice Santa Lucia, Verona Porta Nuova, Florence SMN or Rome Termini to Milan Centrale by high-speed train - use www.trenitalia.com to find trains arriving in Milan Centrale no later than 09:40, to allow for any delay.  If you take an early train, a same-day connection is perfectly possible, but by all means travel the previous day and stop over in Milan, it's a great city.

Step 2, Milan to Zurich by Bernina Express

• Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich using the 10:20 regional train to Tirano, the afternoon Bernina Express from Tirano to Chur and connecting Swiss mainline train from Chur to Zurich, as shown in the timetable above.

• The Milan-Tirano journey is a pretty run, half an hour out of Milan you're already passing through mountains and along the shores of Lake Como via Varenna (for the ferry from Bellagio), Bellano & Lecco (stops which are very handy if you're staying in the Lake Como area).  Bring your own food and drink if you want it, as there is no catering on this train.  Milan-Tirano trains run every 2 hours, no reservation is necessary or even possible on these local trains, it's really easy to buy a ticket at the station from one of the many self-service machines and hop on the next one - just remember to validate your ticket in the small yellow machine at the platform entrance.  You can check Milan-Tirano train times at www.trenord.it. 

• In Tirano, the Trenitalia and Rhätische Bahn stations are right next door to each other, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants near the stations.  If you take the earlier 08:20 train from Milan you can have lunch in Tirano, if you take the 10:20 you still have time for a baguette and beer at the Margi bar across the road.  Always allow at least an hour to connect in Tirano in case of delay.

• In Chur you'll find the Swiss mainline train to Zurich waiting on the opposite side of the platform where the Bernina Express arrives, an easy cross-platform interchange.  The journey is quite scenic in itself, along the Walensee and Zürichsee lakes.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.  For something really special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station.  They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train.  For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the 4-star Hotel St Gotthard or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.  If you're on a tight budget you can book private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.

Step 3, Zurich to Paris & London

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to Paris by high-speed TGV-Lyria train, leaving Zurich HB at 07:34 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:41.  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 14:39.

• If you'd prefer a leisurely breakfast and a later train from Zurich, there's an 09:34 TGV-Lyria from Zurich HB arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:38, see the Switzerland page for all Zurich to London departures.  Both TGV-Lyria and Eurostar trains have free WiFi & a cafe-bar.

Other options

• If you'd prefer to stay overnight in the St Moritz-Pontresina area, you can take a separate section of the Bernina Express leaving Tirano at 14:22 and arriving Pontresina at 16:26 and St Moritz at 16:39 (for winter times see www.rhb.ch).  Consider staying at the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl, a fabulous hotel perched on the top of a mountain.  It's reached via the Muottas Muragl funicular railway from Punt Muragl station, half way between St Moritz and Pontresina.  In winter, when the Bernina Express runs attached to a regular train, it will stop at Punt Muragl on request.  In summer when it's a separate train, you'll have to change at Pontresina for Punt Muragl.  Next day, travel from St Moritz to Paris & London as shown here.  To reach the hotel, simply use www.sbb.ch to search from Tirano or any station in Switzerland to a destination listed as 'Muottas Muragl'.  This will give you precise combined train+funicular times & prices.

• For a more leisurely journey, it could be spread over three instead of two days.  Why not stop off for a night at Poschiavo, a pretty town on the Bernina Express route?

• By all means go one way via the Bernina Express and the other by fast mainline trains, see the London to Italy page for mainline options.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £115 one-way, £199 return standard premier (1st class).

• Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria starts at €29 each way if booked well in advance.  Book early for the cheapest fares.

• Zurich to Tirano costs CHF 92 (€87) in 2nd class or CHF 161 (€153) 1st class.  Children under 16 half price. 

  However, if you book in advance it's usually cheaper to use a Saver Day Pass.  This varies in price depending on availability and how far ahead you buy it, the starting price is CHF 52 (€53) in 2nd class and CHF 88 (€90) in 1st class.

  To use the special Bernina Express panoramic carriages between Chur & Tirano, you must make a reservation.  This costs CHF 16 (€14) in summer June-September, CHF 14 (€13) in the shoulder period or CHF 10 (€9) in winter.

• Tirano to Milan by regional train costs €11.50 in 2nd class or €17.50 in 1st class.  Fixed price, unlimited availability.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, London to Paris & Paris to Zurich:  You can book from London or Paris to Zurich or Chur at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com, one-way or return in either direction.  Anyone from any country can use Raileurope or Thetrainline, international credit cards are accepted, you print your own tickets or can show a mobile ticket on your phone. There's a small booking fee.  Read these useful booking tips!  Who are Raileurope?  Who are Trainline?

• Step 2, Zurich - Chur - Tirano - Milan:  Buy tickets as shown above.

• Step 3, Milan to Florence, Rome or Venice:  Buy your onward tickets from Milan to Florence, Rome, Venice or anywhere in Italy at either www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Italian Railways' own website www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian-language place names and has a few quirks especially when booking sleepers, see this advice on using it first).  For Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca & InterCity trains it's ticketless, you simply quote your booking reference on board.  Booking opens 90 or sometimes 120 days ahead, depending on the train.  Advice on train travel within Italy.

Book it with Byway

• Byway is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a London-Italy journey via the Bernina railway as a package, including overnight hotels, starting from any British railway station you like.  They use ITX (inclusive tour) rates, not normal ticket prices.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

• They can build a trip to your requirements if you email them or use this contact form.  When you book, please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

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Tours, vacations & holidays on the Bernina Express

Railbookers

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can custom-make a European tour or short break to Switzerland with train travel, transfers & hotels all arranged for you, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.  They can easily book travel on the Bernina Express to or from Italy or as part of a tour of Switzerland.  They take good care of their clients, and I highly recommend them.  They are not ticket agents, they create a package for you and manage the whole process.

  UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

  US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com.

  Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com.

  Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website. 

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

Tailor Made Rail

• Tailor Made Rail can organise train+hotel packages from the UK to Switzerland based on your own requirements, one-way or round trip, with any stopovers you want.  They welcome complex itineraries!  As it's a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part of the trip, for example, a national strike.  They're TTA-protected - like ATOL, but not only for agencies that sell air travel.

• Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  See www.tailormaderail.com/trains/bernina-express-holidays.

Rail Discoveries, www.raildiscoveries.com, 01904 730 727:  Escorted tours

Rail Discoveries offers several train-based tours to Switzerland, with 3* hotels and travel from London by Eurostar and high-speed TGV.  Check details at www.raildiscoveries.com, then book online or call 01904 730 727.

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120:  Escorted tours

GRJ offers five-star inclusive tours to Switzerland, with 1st class train travel and 5* hotels.  Tours depart regularly throughout much of the year.  Check the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

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Hotels in Switzerland

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