Hi,
I am interested in taking the Bernina Express between Tirano and St. Moritz while I am staying in Milan.
I would like to leave early in the morning from Milan and return in the evening.
Can I reserve a seat on the regional train from Tirano to Milano Centrale Station? I don't feel like keep standing for 2.5 hours.
Also, I'd be grateful if I can find the current timetable for that route. Thanks!
You cannot reserve a seat on that train. I suggest you get to the station 30 minutes early so you can get to the platform as soon as it is announced so you can be one of the first on board and get a seat.
Schedule at https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
This would be a very long day. It is about 2 hours from Milano to Tirano, oneway. And from Tirano to St. Moritz another more then 2 hours, oneway. So you'll sit on the train about 9 hours that day.
If you board that train in Tirano it is unlikely that you will not be able to sit. It may be that the train leaves Milano Centrale full, but most people that board in Milano will not be going all the way to Tirano so seats will free up.
You will also be traveling against the flow. These are commuter trains and in the morning people will mostly be going towards Milan, and in the evening the other way. That Trenord runs trains against the direction of commuting peak (something US commuter railways often don't do) is because if you have the trains you can as well run it. A train makes no money if it stands still..
So don't worry...
What time of year? If you're taking this train around a holiday, it will be jam-packed, SRO until Varenna, Lake Como. We experienced this around the May 1 holiday, 2025. There is a supposed first class, but that's a joke , with no reserved seats, and no enforcement. I'd arrive more than 30 min early. We also found the schedule to be just a suggestion, as these regional trains are canceled and delayed frequently.
But the Bernina Express route is beautiful, and the regional trains on the BE route are very nice, and offer more flexible schedule options than the panoramic trains. Have a great time.
I see. Going there early is the key.
Thanks for all useful responses!
In 2024 I spent a day riding trains in Switzerland, including the Bernina Express route (not on one of the panoramic trains). It was a lot of time sitting on trains, but the scenery was beautiful and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. What made it worthwhile for me was buying a Saver Day Pass so all my travel that day cost just CHF 52. That's the initial price of an SDP when a date goes on sale; the price escalates pretty rapidly. If you're traveling soon, that will not be a useful option.
I haven’t taken that train in decades, but regional trains are basically commuter trains and I doubt they would be packed to the point of having no available seats in the reverse commute direction in the early commute hour. I presume they would be pretty full in the direction of Milan in the morning, maybe in the segment between Lecco and Milan, and especially between Monza and Milan, but not necessarily in the opposite direction.
