9 day itinerary by train

I am not sure what you are asking. It is a reasonable schedule.

I would look at the Bernina Express train, which goes from Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy. Said to be one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. Take the train from Lucerne to Chur (or nearby) and spend the night. Take the Bernina Express the next day. Do a search for Bernina Cpress and you’ll get tons of results.

From Tirano you can continue on to Varenna on Lake Como.

Keep in mind that there may be snow in May in the alps if you intend to do any hiking. Also check that the lifts are open in the areas you want to visit.

I guess I am asking if this looks reasonable, and you said it did. So that is a good thing.

I am aware we may run into snow, so any hiking we do will have to be flexible and depend on the weather that day.
I saw the Bernina Express that goes from Chur. I was just wondering about the one to St Gallen and if that would be the better choice since it went to Como without our having to change again in Tirano.

Thanks for your thoughts

The train from Lucerne to Como does not go through St. Gallen at all. I would skip St. Gallen.

The easiest scenic route from Lucerne to lake Como is probably the Gotthard Panorama Railway to Lugano, followed by bus to Menaggio (for Varenna and Bellagio), or local train to Como town. The same route can also be travelled by regular trains: "Treno Gottardo" to Bellinzona, followed by local train to Lugano or Como town.

The Bernina Railway is also an option: you would need to travel from Lucerne to Chur, then Chur to Tirano, then Tirano to e.g. Varenna on lake Como.
In such a case I would opt to spend the night in Chur, it is a lovely town.

thanks balso. Is the Gotthard train as scenic as the Bernina? Staying in Chur sounds like a good idea. if we go that way as I don't particularly want to be on a train traveling all day.

Youtube is full of train vlogs, dozens on the Bernina Express alone. Along with the infamous Glacier Express.

You can easily watch a few and judge what appeals to you.

The Bernina Express is a bit more scenic than the Gotthard Railway in my opinion. It adds a few hours of travel time, but is still reasonable in your time frame.