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Bernina Express/regional train Southbound - when to time late afternoon trip in June

Posted by (Colorado Springs, CO) on

I am planning on taking the regional train along the same route as the Bernina Express to Tirano/Lake Como on June 9th. I'm going to be staying in Interlakken and taking a 6:00am train to Luzerne. I want to be able to spend as much time exploring Luzerne before catching an afternoon train to Churn. My question is, when is too late to take that trip before the scenery gets ruined by shadows/afternoon clouds/sunsets. Apparently trains run well past sunset and I'm really interested in taking lots of photos on the trip. When is ideal light on the route? When does it get too late? The sun sets at around 9pm that day.

The afternoon trips that day are the following (leaving Churn and arriving Tirano). Any input on which I should take?

1200-1615 /
1300-1700 /
1400-1815 /
1500-1900 /
1600-2000

Posted by
21139 posts

More important is how can guarantee a clear day. Can you hang out in Interlaken or Luzern for a few days waiting for good weather? The earlier the better. Not much time to explore Luzern.

Posted by
33810 posts

Interlaken and Chur (one k and no n) are the places. Lucerne with a c and an e is English, signs and printed timetables will read Luzern, with a z and no e, which is the German (local) spelling.

Is your train from Interlaken to Luzern via Brienz and Meiringen over the Brunig Pass (narrow gauge and exceedingly scenic) or via Bern (standard gauge and nowhere near as exciting)?

Luzern deserves more time.

Clouds can come in the mountains any day. Could be mist in the morning and clouds in the afternoon, or rain, or sun, or any combination - especially that early in the season.

What are you doing in Tirano? Continuing into Italy or returning some or all of the way? Samadan, Sankt Moritz, Chur, Pontresina?

To get on and off the train on the route and really enjoy your opportunities for photography, and to walk up to the rocks and glaciers, will take a long day or more. I have spent a very happy 2 days on the line between Chur and Tirano, and would have happily taken a couple more.

The Engadin Valley is fabulous.

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