The Bernina Express Route, and Which Side to Sit On

The Bernina Express runs from Chur or St. Moritz in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy: about four hours from Chur, about two and a quarter from St. Moritz (rhb.ch). The section everyone comes for is the Bernina line, St. Moritz to Tirano, which is also the part every day trip from Milan rides. Heading north from Tirano, sit on the left; heading south from St. Moritz, on the right.

The two halves of the route

From Chur, the train first climbs the Albula line: through the Albula valley, over the Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur, through the spiral tunnels around Bergün and the long Albula tunnel to the Engadin. That half is UNESCO-listed too; the full route from Chur crosses 196 bridges and passes through 55 tunnels. From St. Moritz the Bernina line begins: up past Pontresina and the Morteratsch glacier to the pass, then down into Italy.

Most people do only the second half. If you have the time and are coming from northern Switzerland, the whole route from Chur is the classic journey.

St. Moritz to Tirano, in order

Altitudes for the pass and Tirano are from the UNESCO nomination file; Alp Grüm’s is its station’s. The drop from Ospizio Bernina to Tirano is more than 1,800 metres, and the line does it on gradients of up to 7% without a rack.

The most scenic stretch is the one around the pass, from Morteratsch to Alp Grüm. That is where the glaciers come close and the lakes sit beside the track. Below Alp Grüm the line twists down in loops you can see from the train, and Brusio’s viaduct comes near the end.

Which side to sit on

The usual advice from travellers is the left-hand side going north from Tirano and the right-hand side going south from St. Moritz. That keeps Lago Bianco, the Palü Glacier and the long views into Val Poschiavo on your side for most of the climb.

Two caveats. The Rhaetian Railway does not guarantee which way a carriage faces, so on a reserved seat you may find yourself backwards. And the line curves so much that the best view switches sides repeatedly. A reviewer on the return ticket has the simplest answer: take one side on the way up and the other on the way back. On a regional train you can also stand at an open window, which settles it.

Can you get off on the way?

On the regional trains, yes: a regional ticket lets you leave at any station and take the next train, and the return day ticket from Tirano is sold that way. On the Bernina Express you have a reserved seat on one train. On a day trip you stay with the group, though the Alp Grüm day from Milan builds in a stop there.

Luggage

If you are travelling on from St. Moritz or Tirano with a suitcase, the scheduled trains take it like any other train. On a day trip, leave the big bags in Milan: luggage space on the coach is not guaranteed, and on some tours it depends on whether the same coach does both legs.

How it fits into a day from Milan

Day trips ride the Bernina line in one direction and use the coach for the rest, usually St. Moritz in the middle of the day and the train in the afternoon. The Bernina Express from Milan page compares the itineraries.