Bernina vs Regional Trains Tirano to Chur?

I edited your spelling, assuming that you meant Tirano. I have only done this route on the regular train and was quite happy with it, despite fall weather. The train car wasn't very full, so I could easily move to a seat on the other side if the view looked better over there. (Panorama windows basically help you see better out the opposite side of the car, more than where you're sitting.) The several train connections that I made were very smooth, with the next train always waiting nearby. But if you want the branded train departure, especially the afternoon departure with no connections, then the seat reservation fee is 14 CHF per person with a rail pass.

marty,

The scenery is the same whether you take the panoramic car or the regular one. One disadvantage of the panoramic cars is that the windows create glare so getting good pictures of the gorgeous scenery is a bit difficult at times. Some of the regular cars may have windows that open, which avoids that problem. As I recall, they may also run "open" cars in the summer, which provides the best view for photos.

Using the regular trains also provides a wider range of departure times. As I recall, there's only one departure per day in each direction on the panoramic cars.

Are you planning to stay the night in Chur?

We stayed in Lugano at the Hotel Dante Center. Then we boarded a bus that was the beginning part of the Bernina Express. We rode around Lake Maggiore.. It was a beautiful ride. Then we got on the Bernina Express Train. We continued through the Alps and ending in Zurich. We loved the Bernina Express so much we want to do it again next year.