Bernina Express
Over the highest rail crossing in the Alps, Switzerland to Italy.
Route
Chur / St. Moritz → Tirano (Italy)
Duration
~4 hrs
High point
2,253 m
Reservation
Required (paid)
Pass coverage
Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card, and regional passes (reservation separate)
Best months
June, July, August, September
The Bernina Express is the most scenery-per-hour of all the Alpine trains, a four-hour run from the Swiss canton of Graubünden over the Bernina Pass and down to Tirano in Italy. It crosses the highest rail pass in the Alps without a rack railway, spirals down the famous Brusio circular viaduct, and travels a UNESCO World Heritage line. If you only ride one panoramic train, this is the efficient choice.
Is it worth it?
The best value of the panoramic trains, UNESCO scenery, a border crossing, and the Brusio viaduct, all in an afternoon. A standout even for people who don't think they like trains.
Insider tips
- Heading south to Tirano, the open Brusio circular viaduct loops below you near the end, a highlight
- You can ride the same line on ordinary RhB regional trains, covered by a pass with no reservation, for a fraction of the cost
- Pair it with a night in Tirano, or connect to the Bernina Express bus down to Lugano
- Summer departures sell out weeks ahead; book the reservation the moment your dates firm up, or aim for the first and last trains of the day
What you'll see
The signature sights of the line, roughly in the order you'll pass them.
- 1
The Landwasser Viaduct
On the northern approach, the iconic curved six-arch viaduct that vanishes straight into a cliff tunnel.
- 2
The Morteratsch Glacier
A long tongue of ice spilling off Piz Bernina, close enough to pick out the crevasses from your seat.
- 3
The Bernina Pass and Lago Bianco
The 2,253m crossing, the highest in the Alps without a rack railway, beside the milky turquoise dam lake.
- 4
Alp Grüm
A terrace stop where the view swings suddenly south, down the Val Poschiavo toward Italy.
- 5
The Brusio Circular Viaduct
The open spiral viaduct the train loops around to shed height near Tirano, the signature image of the line.
- 6
The crossing into Italy
Down through chestnut woods and vineyards into Tirano, where the Swiss Alps give way to Italy.
Bases on this line
Towns that make a natural start, finish, or overnight on this journey.
Questions, answered
- What is the Bernina Express route?
- From Chur, the train climbs the Albula line past the Landwasser Viaduct and the Bergün spiral tunnels, joins the Engadine near St. Moritz, then crosses the open Bernina Pass at Ospizio Bernina (2,253 m) beside the milky Lago Bianco. It drops past the Alp Grüm terrace into the Val Poschiavo, loops the Brusio circular viaduct, and ends among Italian vineyards in Tirano. Chur to Tirano runs about four hours; joining at St. Moritz cuts it to roughly two and a half.
- How much does the Bernina Express cost?
- The mandatory seat reservation runs from about CHF 28 in summer, less in the quiet months, on top of the fare. The walk-up second-class fare from Chur to Tirano is roughly CHF 60 to 70, but most riders carry a Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card, Eurail, or Interrail, which cover the fare so the reservation is all you pay. The unsung bargain is the ordinary regional train on the same rails: pass holders ride it for nothing extra at all.
- Which side of the Bernina Express should you sit on?
- Heading south to Tirano, the right side edges it: the Morteratsch Glacier and the great drops into the Val Poschiavo play to that window. The Landwasser Viaduct and the Brusio spiral swing to both sides as the train curls, so no seat misses everything; if the carriage is quiet, simply swap as the highlights come.
- What's the difference between the Bernina Express and the regular train?
- They run on the same spectacular line. The Bernina Express has panoramic carriages and requires a paid reservation; the ordinary Rhaetian Railway (RhB) regional trains on the route have normal windows you can open, no reservation, and are covered by a rail pass. Budget travelers often ride the regional train for the same views at a fraction of the cost.
- Does the Bernina Express cross into Italy?
- Yes. It starts in Switzerland (Chur or St. Moritz) and ends in Tirano, Italy, making it a genuine cross-border journey. Tirano connects onward to the Italian rail network and Lake Como, so it's a popular way to link Switzerland with northern Italy by rail.
- Do you need a reservation for the Bernina Express?
- Yes. A seat reservation is mandatory and charged on top of your fare or pass. A Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card, Eurail, or Interrail pass covers the fare itself, but you still book a reservation for a specific train and seat. It's a lighter fee than the Glacier Express, since the route is shorter, but the good summer departures sell out, so book ahead.
- Can you ride the Bernina Express as a day trip?
- Easily. At about four hours one way from Chur or St. Moritz down to Tirano, it works well as a long day out, especially from a base in the Engadine. A popular plan is to ride down to Tirano, have lunch over the border in Italy, and return the same afternoon, or carry on toward Lake Como and the Italian lakes. That shorter run is exactly what makes the Bernina easier to fit into a trip than the eight-hour Glacier Express.
More Alpine rail journeys
Zermatt → St. Moritz
Glacier Express
The slowest express train in the world, and one of the most beautiful.
Montreux → Interlaken
GoldenPass Line
Lake Geneva vineyards to the Bernese Oberland, in Belle Époque style.
Lucerne → Lugano
Gotthard Panorama Express
A paddle-steamer cruise and a historic Alpine crossing in one day.
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