Hello!
I'm planning on taking the Bernina Express from Zurich to Tirano in Mid December and then back again the following day. Any suggestions for the best place to stay overnight? I'm open to anywhere, Tirano, Lugano, etc.
Also, is it cheaper to just take a regional train on the return journey, or is it worth it to take the Bernina?
Thanks!
Kim
The Bernina Express has a mandatory reservation fee. No real reason to pay it on the way back, unless you really like the panorama cars.
St Moritiz or Pontresina?
Depends on what you want to see/do and pricing. You could spend the night in Italy, or back track taking the 3:00pm train to St. Moritz, or all the way back to Zurich or points inbetween.
We did Bernina Expess out and back from Klosters. Arrived in Italy about 1pm for lunch, walked around Tirano and enjoyed a gelato before returning on the 3pm back to Klosters in time for dinner. Benefit of an out and back the same day is not carrying our luggage. Note that the 2nd Class Bernina Express has a somewhat minimal luggage storage area at the end of the car and no overhead shelf that would obscure the view.
Kim, The Bernina Pass route runs from Chur to Tirano. Coming from Zürich you will need to change trains in Chur. The Bernina Express runs all the way from Chur to Tirano. If you take the normal regional train you will have to change trains again at least once between Chur and Tirano. But this is not a problem, the trains connect, you only have to walk across a platform, if that.
Whichever train you take (regional or Bernina Express) you see the same mountains, they all follow the same route.
For an overnight stay, St Moritz, Pontresina or Poschiavo. Not Lugano, that is nowhere near the Bernina Pass route.
Thanks so much!
Kim,
As mentioned previously, the Bernina Express route runs from Chur to Tirano. As I recall, the panoramic trains only travel once a day in each direction. You can easily take any of the regional trains instead of the Panoramic coaches, and you'll be traveling the same route and seeing the same scenery.
I haven't worked out the travel times, but you could go from Tirano to Varenna for the night. It's a wonderful smaller town on Lago di Como (although I'm not sure how much will be open in December), but it would be a shame to only spend one night there. The easiest solution for a quick overnight trip would be to simply stay in Tirano. Getting to Lugano might be difficult as the Bernina Express bus only appears to operate from about 15 February 2018 to 25 November 2018 (not sure about 2019?).
Check this website for all the details - https://www.rhb.ch/en/panoramic-trains/bernina-express?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0eaVn9uG3gIVBbvsCh0rcAaeEAAYASAAEgKhkvD_BwE .
