Bernina Express day trip from Varenna - Lake Como

twg,

It is possible to take a day trip on the Bernina Express from Varenna, but it will be a long day. The trip from Varenna to Tirano is very straightforward (1H:28M direct) and you can easily buy tickets for that when you arrive in Italy. That's a Regionale train so there won't be any discounts for advance purchase. Current cost for tickets is listed at €7.30 PP each way. DON'T forget to validate your tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel or you'll risk hefty fines!

It will be necessary to buy advance tickets for the Bernina Express however, as they have compulsory seat reservations. You can buy tickets on the Rhaetian Railway website and I believe also on the SBB (Swiss railway) website.

As I recall, there are two stations in Tirano and you'll have a short walk from the local station to the B.E. station. I believe there's only one departure per day in each direction of the panorama cars. One point to note is that while the floor-to-ceiling windows provide a fantastic view of the incredible scenery, they also add glare to photos.

Yes, you should be able to go just to St. Moritz and not all the way to Chur. You'll take a regular train back to Tirano and then connect with the Regionale back to Varenna.

Hope this helps.

I did this trip in late June 2014. We bought our tickets at the travel agency in Varenna. (which I believe has moved into the train station)

Besides taking the train that offers the panoramic carriages with assigned seats, there is a regional train as well. It goes more frequently and you can sit where you like.

Check out the Swiss train site for the timetable. Once you enter date an time (Tirano-->St. Moritz) " BEX" is the train with panoramic carriages and R is the regional train.

If you buy the regional train ticket, you can hop off before St. Moritz if you like and then get back on.

As mentioned in the previous post, take the regional train to Tirano, then you walk less than 200 yards to other train station.

Restaurants in St. Moritz are really expensive, plan accordingly. You must bring your passport and I would recommend a sweater. Even in June it can be cold.

Also make sure your camera batteries are fully charged! My husband took some amazing photos.

You really do not need to buy the Bernina Express train ticket in advance, the reservation fee is really just a supplement for the panorama cars. You can also take one of the hourly regular trains with windows that open so you don't get reflective glare off the panorama windows. The Rhaetianbahn station is directly across the piazza from the Trenord station. They do require a change of trains at Pontresina to get the short leg to St Moritz.
If you do not want to come back the same way, you can get a bus from St Moritz to Chiavenna over the Maloja Pass. At Chiavenna, you can take the Trenord train back to Varenna with one train change.

The route from Tirano to St. Moritz doesn't require changing trains.

Thank you for your help, everyone.

We want to take the panoramic car Bernina Express.

We don't want to take a bus back on the return.

If I am understanding correctly, we would only be able to take the panoramic car Bernina Express from Tirano and then we would have to take a regional train on the return train back to Tirano? Is that what was said above?

I emailed the travel agency about a month ago and never got a response.

When will June tickets go on sale?

Thanks!

Well no, you can take any of the trains without panoramic cars, but the ones with panorama cars are marked BEX on the schedule.

www.sbb.ch is showing a BEX to St Moritz at 10:03 am arriving at 12:23. There is a return BEX at 3:12 pm getting back to Tirano at 5:32 pm.

You might want to take the 7:24 am Trenord train from Varenna that arrives at Tirano at 8:52 am. The 8:24 am train only gives you 11 minutes to cross the piazza to the RB station. The Trenord return is at 7:08 pm getting you back to Varenna at 8:36 pm.

You can get the tickets and reservations at www.rhb.ch for the Bernina Express. The Trenord connecting train is an Italian regional train which does not have reservations, but you should have the tickets in hand as there is no ticket desk at Varenna-Esino station. You can buy tickets elsewhere in Italy or at a travel agency in Varenna. These are open tickets, so you MUST validate them in the stamping machine at the station platform.

I'd be surprised if any local travel agency in the US would have a clue about getting reservations for the Bernina Express. They'd much rather sell you a cruise.

Thank you, Sam for your very helpful information. I really appreciate it!