From Milan: Bernina Train and St. Moritz Day Trip

About This Experience

The coach leaves the Autostradale bus stop by Milano Centrale in the morning and heads north through the Valtellina to Tirano, the Italian border town where the Bernina line begins. The drive takes most of the morning, and Tirano sits right on the border, with the Swiss trains leaving from a station across the square from the Italian one. In Tirano you board the train with your guide, who speaks English and Spanish and talks to the group through radio headsets, so you can follow the commentary even in a crowded carriage.

The train is the regional Bernina red train in 2nd class. The listing is clear that it is not a first-class panoramic coach, and in return the windows open for photos. The ride takes about two hours, climbing from Tirano through Val Poschiavo, past the Diavolezza stop and the Morteratsch Glacier, to St. Moritz. The operator may change the train section: some days it runs from St. Moritz to Tirano, and on some dates it runs on the Albula line between St. Moritz and Thusis instead.

In St. Moritz the guide leads a short walking tour and then leaves you free time, about 1.5 hours for the whole stop on the itinerary. The coach then drives back to Milan over the Maloja Pass and down through Chiavenna. You spend well over half the day on the coach and about two hours on the train, so bring water and something to read. Several reviewers mention that the St. Moritz stop feels short, so decide in advance whether you want lunch or a walk.

This tour suits travelers who want the red train and a look at St. Moritz without the extra cost of a lake cruise. It is not suitable for wheelchair users, and infants under 2 ride free on a parent’s lap. If you want a glass-roofed panoramic coach, book a Frigerio tour; if you want Lake Como too, the same operator runs a version with a boat cruise.

Highlights

• Ride the regional red train from Tirano up to St. Moritz with windows you can open
• Climb through Val Poschiavo past the Diavolezza stop and the Morteratsch Glacier
• Take a guided walk through St. Moritz, then explore on your own
• Drive back over the hairpins of the Maloja Pass
• Start the train ride in Tirano, the Italian end of the Bernina line

What's Included

• ✓ Round-trip transport by air-conditioned coach from Milan
• ✓ Tour guide (English and Spanish)
• ✓ Radio headset to hear the guide
• ✓ Walking tour and free time in St. Moritz
• ✓ Pre-booked Bernina red train ticket from or to St. Moritz (2nd class)

Not Included

• Meals and drinks
• Tips
• First-class or panoramic-coach seats
• Hotel pickup (you meet at the bus stop)

What to Bring

• Passport or national ID card
• Jacket
• Rain gear
• Camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• A valid passport or European ID card is required on the day of travel; the tour crosses into Switzerland.
• The train is the regional red train in 2nd class with opening windows, not the first-class panoramic coach.
• The train section may run St. Moritz–Tirano instead, or on some dates on the Albula line between St. Moritz and Thusis.
• You cannot choose your seat side on the train. Many travelers suggest the right-hand side going south (St. Moritz to Tirano) and the left going north, but you take what is free.
• Infants under 2 travel free on a parent's lap.
• If you lose or do not return the radio headset, the operator charges a €70 fee.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.

Meeting Point

The Autostradale bus stop for Lake Como and Bernina tours by Milano Centrale; the coach returns there in the evening.