Would like to take Bernina express from Chur to Milan.
Interested in taking the Bernina express for it's noted panoramic windows and scenic views. However, wanted to stop over someplace along the way and since I am traveling summer schedule it looks like there is no stop in St. Moritz. Would I be better off taking a regional train or can anyone suggest another stop over along the Bernina route - Pontresina?
You can travel Chur to Milan with a stop over in St Moritz no problem. Leave Chur at 10:58 am on a train that has observation coaches to St Moritz. It actually follows the tail end of the Glacier Express Route, going over the famous Landwasser viaduct and a spiral tunnel, arriving at 12:58 pm. Spend the night in St Moritz, then taking the Bernina Express train the next day at 11:22 am, arriving Tirano at 1:26 pm. In Tirano, you will need to walk the short way to the Trenord station. The next train to Milan is at 3:10 pm and takes 2 1/2 hours.
If you must have the panoramic windows then you indeed are limited to the infrequent named trains. I've never taken the hermetically sealed named trains but have loved my rides on those lines. I use the frequent un-named local trains which run on the same tracks and take just about the same time, but have opening windows, lots of people in second class (like me), better photo ops, and big but not panoramic windows and no tilting wine glasses.
You can check the timetables online, and mix and match trains. If you don't use the reserved seat panoramic cars named trains, you can pop off at an interesting station and get on a later train to continue but not if you are on the posh trains.
It may look when you look at the timetables that the named trains make fewer stops. The line is only a single track with passing places at the intermediate station. The first train to the passing point will wait for the other to arrive, the named train sometimes just sitting there in the sun, the stopping train will call at the station.
A few years ago, we took the Wilhelm Tell out of Lucerne. First we were on a boat. Then we boarded a train and ended up in Lugano. We spent five nights there, at a lovely hotel. We then did day - train trips to Lake Como, Milan and Lake Maggiore, while staying in Lugano. Then when we left Lugano, we boarded the Bernina Express bus in Lugano. The bus took us on a lovely long trip around Lake Maggiore. We then boarded, I believe, two different trains (part of the Bernina Express). The Bernina Express was very beautiful and picturesque. We absolutely loved the ride. We then ended our day in Zurich. Both the Wilhelm Tell and the Bernina Express routes were breathtaking.
I, too, want to travel from Chur to Milan but in a single day. Any advice?
I'd start a new thread rather than tag on to an existing thread. But to answer your question, yes, easily done.
