Milan to Switzerland (day trip)

You can get from Milan to either Bern or Interlaken by train in about 3 hrs or to Grindelwald in about 4. When you add time for sightseeing it makes a full day but the scenery is spectacular. Since Switzerland is a Schengen country they won't check your passport but you should always have it with you when you travel.

In order to take the Bernina Express you first have to travel from Milan to Tirano; in Tirano the Swiss station is a few steps from the Italian station. As Switzerland is in Schengen area but not in European Union, there should not be immigration checks but only custom checks (done on trains on major lines and in Tirano for the Bernina line); but in real life passport checks are frequent anyway. Check schedules carefully - the last time I checked, a round day trip over the Bernina to St. Moritz and back to Milan was possible only leaving at a very early time. Over the Bernina line ordinary trains travel in the same landscape of the express and are cheaper - I do not see the need for a guided tour anyway when you are in a railway car.

Another round trip, I have searched a sample schedule:

Milan 8.25 - Brig 10.16 (over the Simplon tunnel)
Brig 10.23 - Andermatt 12.20 (over the Furka tunnel)
have lunch in Andermatt
Andermatt 14.28 - Goschenen 14.42 (over the Schollenen gorge, sit on the right)
Goschenen 14.50 - Bellinzona 15.53 (over the Gotthard tunnel)
Bellinzona 15.59 - Milano 17.35

Connections look tight but aren't by Swiss standards. The only tight connection is the one in Brig where you have to walk out of the station with the big trains and board the tiny (well, sort of) train to Andermatt out of the station building. Andermatt is not very known but it is in a glorious landscape surrounded by high mountains. Expect the weather to be very chilly in December as you will be at quite high elevation.

A caveat: all these trips, including the Bernina one, are better done in clear weather.

Stacy,

The Bernina Express is going to be a "stretch" as a day trip from Milan, so I'd suggest choosing a closer location. You might consider a trip to Lugano (about an hour from Milan) or even Locarno (also relatively close).

One trip that you could consider would be to travel to Domodossola via "regular" train, transfer to the scenic Cento Valli railway to Locarno, and then return to Milan (about 2.5 hours, usually one change).

Happy travels!

Great suggestions - I will do some research on the different routes and put together a schedule.
I appreciate your assistance!

Definitely carry your passport. I've been across the Swiss/Italian border by train several timnes in the last couple of years and even though both countries are Schengen I have always seen border police join the train near the border and examine several passports or many passports. The train is usually stopped for several or many minutes and that is built into the schedule. Arrivals in Milan and Swiss cities have been on time.

The high-end sky resort town of Zermatt might be a day trip destination.

Milan to Brig by Eurocity train, Brig to Zermatt via local trains run by MGB company (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn)

Trains have to be stopped at borders as crews have to be changed. Also, Swiss and Italian rail networks use different electric and signal systems; in past times engines had to be changed, now they just have to stop and reinitialize all train systems under the new network. Usually immigration crews board the trains before borders and run random checks on travellers. The only exception is the Bernina line as in Tirano the Swiss and Italian stations, while close, are physically separate.

Hello,
this trip any idea who would be best to book through?
having troble finding all these connections from Australia without huge bookin fees
Ta
Gina

Milan 8.25 - Brig 10.16 (over the Simplon tunnel)
Brig 10.23 - Andermatt 12.20 (over the Furka tunnel)
have lunch in Andermatt
Andermatt 14.28 - Goschenen 14.42 (over the Schollenen gorge, sit on the right)
Goschenen 14.50 - Bellinzona 15.53 (over the Gotthard tunnel)
Bellinzona 15.59 - Milano 17.35

@ Gina, simply go to www.sbb.ch, and buy your tickets online. No fees. Print your tickets at home.
You might want to start a new thread, rather than tag on to an old one.

Will do thanks Sam