From Milan: Scenic Alps Day Trip with Bernina Train Ride

About This Experience

You meet the guide at Milano Centrale. The first leg to Lake Como is by regional train, about an hour, or by minibus on some days. After a short walk of about 30 minutes in a lakeside town, a minivan drives about 1.5 hours along the lake into the Valtellina, with a coffee stop at a village, café or winery. In Tirano you get about an hour of free time for lunch, paid for yourself.

From Tirano you ride the Bernina line uphill for about 1 hour 45 minutes, through Val Poschiavo and up toward the Bernina Pass. The listing sells a Bernina train ticket and never mentions a panoramic coach or a seat reservation, so expect the regional train. You do not ride all the way to St. Moritz. The group leaves the train at one of the high points of the line, and the van covers the last stretch, about 25 minutes by road.

In St. Moritz the guide shows you around, with about an hour on the itinerary and 30 to 45 minutes in the description. The van then drives back over the Maloja Pass, about 1 hour 45 minutes, with a short snack stop, and on to Milan in about 1.5 hours. You spend roughly five hours in the van, about an hour on the Milan–Lake Como train and 1 hour 45 minutes on the Bernina line.

Groups stay at 18 or fewer, the tour runs in English only, and you see more of Lake Como and the Valtellina than on the big coach tours. It is not for children under 12, pregnant women, people with heart or other medical conditions, or travelers with low fitness. If you want the whole line down to St. Moritz, pick another tour.

Highlights

• Travel in a small group of up to 18 people
• Walk a lakeside town on Lake Como before heading into the mountains
• Stop for coffee in the Valtellina and lunch in Tirano
• Ride the Bernina line uphill from Tirano toward the Bernina Pass
• Return over the Maloja Pass after a guided look at St. Moritz

What's Included

• ✓ Small-group guided tour in English (maximum 18 people)
• ✓ Transport by minivan or small bus
• ✓ Milan–Lake Como leg by regional train or minibus
• ✓ Bernina train ticket from Tirano to a high point of the line
• ✓ Guided walk in St. Moritz
• ✓ Stops at Lake Como, in the Valtellina and in Tirano

Not Included

• Food and drinks, including lunch in Tirano
• Tips
• A seat on the panoramic Bernina Express
• The train section into St. Moritz (the van covers it)

What to Bring

• Passport
• Comfortable shoes
• Jacket (a heavy one, scarf and gloves in winter)
• Weather-appropriate clothing

Good to Know & Caveats

• Every passenger must carry a valid passport; the tour crosses into Switzerland.
• The tour is for English speakers only.
• The train covers Tirano up to a high point near the Bernina Pass, about 1 hour 45 minutes; the last stretch to St. Moritz is by van.
• The listing does not mention a panoramic coach or seat reservation, so expect the regional train.
• The Milan–Lake Como leg uses a public regional train or a minibus, and public-transport delays can affect the day.
• Bring a light sweater in summer and a heavy jacket, scarf and gloves in winter.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.

Meeting Point

Milano Centrale, Piazza Duca d'Aosta, where you meet the guide; the day ends back at the same square.