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46.41° N · 10.02° E · Engadine

The Bernina train, from glaciers to palm trees without paying for the panoramic.

From St. Moritz to Tirano the train climbs to the Ospizio Bernina, passes Lago Bianco and the Palü glacier, stops at Alp Grüm and spirals down the Brusio circular viaduct into Italy. The Bernina Express does it, with panoramic carriages and a compulsory CHF 32 reservation, and so does the regional train, on the same track, with windows that open and an optional CHF 5 reservation.

Part of EngadineAlps

The Bernina Express train among mountainsBybbisch94 · CC BY 4.0
Duration2 h 15
Best timeAll year
StartSt. Moritz station
JourneySt. Moritz – Tirano, 2 h 15
TicketCHF 35 in 2nd class, one way; CHF 70 return
Bernina Express reservationCHF 32, compulsory
Regional train reservationCHF 5, optional

Who offers it

Companies that run it

Activity company · Chur

Rhätische Bahn

St. Moritz – Tirano ticket. CHF 60 in 1st. Return, CHF 70 in 2nd and CHF 120 in 1st. Prices without supplements

2 h 15

From CHF35 per person, 2nd class one way only Visit their website
Activity company · Chur

Rhätische Bahn

Seat reservation on the Bernina Express, St. Moritz – Tirano section. Compulsory for children too. With the Swiss Travel Pass or GA you can buy the reservation alone

From CHF32 per person Visit their website
Activity company · Chur

Rhätische Bahn

Seat reservation on the Bernina regional train. Optional. Only between St. Moritz and Tirano; if they sell out, you can travel without a reservation

From CHF5 per person per journey Visit their website

Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.

Step by step

How the route goes

  1. 130 minSt. Moritz – Pontresina – Morteratsch

    The train leaves St. Moritz, passes Pontresina and climbs the Bernina valley towards the Morteratsch glacier.

  2. 230 minOspizio Bernina and Lago Bianco

    The highest point on the line, beside the lake, among glaciers.

  3. 3StopAlp Grüm

    On the regional train you can get off here, look at the Palü glacier from the terrace and catch the next train.

  4. 41 hDescent to Poschiavo and Brusio

    The train winds down in tight curves to the Poschiavo valley and loops over itself on the Brusio circular viaduct.

  5. 5EndTirano

    Now in Italy. There is a bus to Lugano, or you can return by train.

The Bernina line has been a World Heritage Site since 2008 and is the most spectacular train ride in the Engadine. The regional train, the one the Italians call the Trenino Rosso, runs the same route several times a day, stops at every station and lets you get off to walk.

What it is

The Bernina line links St. Moritz with Tirano, in Italy's Valtellina, over 60.7 km of narrow-gauge track. It climbs to the Ospizio Bernina, at 2,253 m, and drops to Tirano's 429 m without a cogwheel, with gradients of up to 7%: it is the highest adhesion railway in the Alps. In a couple of hours you go from glaciers to chestnut trees and vineyards.

Since 7 July 2008 it has been a World Heritage Site together with the Albula line. It is operated by the Rhätische Bahn with two kinds of train on the same track: the panoramic Bernina Express and the regional train.

What you see from the window

  • The Bernina valley and Morteratsch: after Pontresina, the train passes the mouth of the Morteratsch valley, where the glacier trail begins, and the Diavolezza station.
  • Ospizio Bernina and Lago Bianco: the highest point, among lakes and glaciers, in an almost treeless landscape.
  • Alp Grüm (2,091 m): the station perched above the Poschiavo valley, with the Palü glacier opposite.
  • The descent to Poschiavo: tight curves and loops that drop more than a thousand metres from Alp Grüm to Poschiavo.
  • The Brusio circular viaduct: 143 m of stone in a spiral, where the track makes a full turn over itself to lose height.
  • Tirano: the train crosses the main street and stops beside the Italian station.

Bernina Express or regional

The route is the same. The Bernina Express has panoramic carriages with windows up to the roof, fewer stops and a compulsory reservation of CHF 32 per person, children included. The regional train runs more often, stops at every station, has windows that open for photos and its reservation, at CHF 5, is optional. The ticket from St. Moritz to Tirano costs CHF 35 in second class one way and CHF 70 return; the Swiss Travel Pass covers it on both trains.

Who it's for

Is it for you?

What to bring

  • Passport or DNI: Tirano is in Italy
  • Something warm for the stop at Alp Grüm or Ospizio Bernina
  • Sunglasses

More to do

More plans in Engadine

Trail towards the tongue of the Morteratsch glacier
Morteratsch Glacier Trail from the StationA 2.9 km, 50-minute walk from Morteratsch station to the glacier tongue, with 16 panels on its retreat. Free.
A Rhätische Bahn train on the Landwasser Viaduct
The Albula Line and the Landwasser Viaduct: the Glacier Express Stretch on a Regional TrainThe Albula section of the Glacier Express, with the Landwasser Viaduct and the spiral tunnels, on a regional train with no supplement.
Muottas Muragl, above the Upper Engadine
Muottas Muragl Funicular and the Panoramic Trail to Alp LanguardA century-old funicular from Punt Muragl to Muottas Muragl, 2,456 m, with a view of the Engadine lakes and a trail to Alp Languard. CHF 42.50.
Piz Palü seen from the Diavolezza
Diavolezza Cable Car, Facing Piz Palü and Piz BerninaA cable car to almost 3,000 m facing Piz Bernina, Piz Palü and the Pers and Morteratsch glaciers: CHF 44 return, dogs free.

Itineraries

Features in these plans

The facade of Hanselmann on the Via Maistra, with wooden shop windows and the painted house
Day itinerary Bernina train and dinner at Muottas Muragl Engadine · 4 stops
A Rhätische Bahn train on the Landwasser Viaduct
Itinerary · 3 nights Three nights in the Engadine by train from Zurich Engadine · 11 stops

Tips

Worth knowing first

  1. 1
    The regional train, for photos

    Its windows open. On the Bernina Express, with windows up to the roof, they don't.

  2. 2
    Reserve the regional in high season

    For CHF 5 you secure a seat on fine days and at weekends.

  3. 3
    With a Swiss Travel Pass

    The ticket is included; on the Bernina Express you only pay the CHF 32 reservation.

  4. 4
    Do just one stretch

    St. Moritz – Alp Grüm and back already shows you the best of the upper part.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is the Bernina Express worth it, or is the regional enough?

The route is the same. The Bernina Express has panoramic carriages and fewer stops; the regional runs more often, lets you get off wherever you like and the reservation is optional.

How much is the ticket from St. Moritz to Tirano?

CHF 35 in second class one way and CHF 70 return. On the Bernina Express the CHF 32 reservation is added.

Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover it?

The ticket, yes. On the Bernina Express you pay the reservation separately.

Do you have to reserve?

On the Bernina Express, always. On the regional train it is optional and costs CHF 5.

From CHF35 per person, one way in second class
2 h 15
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Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/graubunden/engadine/things-to-do/bernina-line