St. Moritz to Tirano Train

The train from St. Moritz to Tirano takes about 2 hours 15 minutes on the Bernina Express, according to RhB, and a little longer on most regional red trains. It climbs out of the Engadin past Pontresina and the Morteratsch glacier, crosses the Bernina Pass at Ospizio Bernina, 2,253 m, then drops about 1,800 m through Alp Grüm, Poschiavo and the Brusio spiral to Tirano in Italy. You can ride it on the hourly regional red train, with windows that open, or on the panoramic Bernina Express, which needs a paid seat reservation.

The stops in order

Southbound, these are the stations most travelers care about. Altitudes are station heights.

Between Alp Grüm and Poschiavo the train drops through Cavaglia in a series of curves, and after Poschiavo it runs along Lago di Poschiavo past Le Prese. The line climbs and descends without a rack, on gradients of up to 7%. Check the timetable for the stations you want before you plan a stop.

Red train or Bernina Express

The same track carries two different trains. The red train, or “trenino rosso”, is RhB’s regional service: ordinary coaches, windows that can be opened, roughly one train an hour, and an optional seat reservation of CHF 5 per person. The Bernina Express runs only a few times a day with panoramic coaches whose glass curves into the roof. Its windows do not open, and it needs a mandatory seat reservation, about CHF 32 for St. Moritz to Tirano, on top of the ticket.

In winter 2026/27 the Bernina Express from St. Moritz is PE 975 at 15:30, reaching Tirano at 18:00, which is close to dusk in November and December. From 13 December an extra PE 977 at 16:14 runs Friday to Sunday, and daily over Christmas and New Year. From 24 April 2027 the summer timetable adds PE 971 at 09:17 (Tirano 11:32), PE 973 at 13:17 (Tirano 15:31) and PE 977 at 16:14. The red train runs all day, so it is the one to take if you want a morning ride or stops along the way. Our Bernina Express vs regional train guide goes deeper.

Watch the names when you shop. RhB itself warns that some sellers call the regional train “Bernina Express”. The featured ticket on this page says clearly that it is the regional red train, not the panoramic one.

One-way or return

The St. Moritz to Tirano Bernina red train ticket (our breakdown) from Rigamonti Viaggi comes in four versions. A one-way starts at $75 in 2nd class and $127 in 1st. A return starts at $148 in 2nd class and $255 in 1st. Seats are not reserved, the seller’s fee is included, and you can cancel free up to 7 days before. It is rated 4.5 from 130+ reviews.

Its sample day leaves St. Moritz at 09:48, reaches Tirano at 12:23 and comes back on the 17:00, arriving at 19:11. That gives you four and a half hours in Tirano for lunch and the Madonna di Tirano basilica, covered in things to do in Tirano.

A one-way suits you if Tirano is a stage on a longer trip. From the Italian station on the same square, Trenord trains reach Milan Centrale in about 2 hours 30 minutes. A return suits you if you are based in St. Moritz, Pontresina or elsewhere in the Engadin. If you are starting from the Italian end, the Tirano to St. Moritz version of the same ticket costs the same, and our Tirano page covers that direction.

Buying from RhB is the other route. Third-party sources report a 2027 single fare of about CHF 35 in 2nd class and CHF 60 in 1st for St. Moritz to Tirano. RhB refunds unused tickets until the day before travel for a CHF 10 fee. The ticket prices guide sets the options side by side.

Getting off along the way

Getting off is the regional train’s big advantage. Trains run roughly hourly, so each stop costs about an hour. A good pattern for a return day from St. Moritz:

1. Take a morning red train and get off at Ospizio Bernina. Walk along Lago Bianco, the lake beside the station.
2. Ride the next train down one stop to Alp Grüm and look across to the Palü glacier.
3. Continue to Tirano for a late lunch, then ride back up in the afternoon.

Ask the seller whether your ticket allows breaks before you plan around them. The Visit Valtellina return day ticket from Tirano states plainly that you may leave and rejoin at any station. A Bernina Express reservation is for one train, so if you leave a panoramic train mid-route, plan to continue by regional train.

If you would like the glacier from above, the Diavolezza glacier lunch day trip from Milan (our breakdown) takes the cable car from Bernina Diavolezza to 2,978 m, then rides the train from there down to Tirano.

Which side to sit

You cannot choose. RhB says seat side and direction cannot be booked, because coaches can be added at either end. Most guides suggest the right-hand side heading south from St. Moritz to Tirano for the glacier views past Ospizio Bernina, though some regulars say it makes little difference. On a regional train with free seating, getting to the platform early gives you a better chance of picking your side. The best side to sit guide has the detail.

Before you travel

Carry a passport or ID card, since the line crosses into Italy before Tirano. Expect the busiest trains at weekends and on public holidays; Monday to Thursday is quieter. Third-party sellers also report that the line will close between Cavaglia and Tirano from 4 October to 25 or 26 November 2027, with replacement coaches. RhB has not confirmed it on its own pages, so check rhb.ch before you book autumn 2027.

Riding south from St. Moritz? Check availability for the red-train ticket to Tirano on your date.