how can we get to bernina train from lake como

Can you get to the regional rail line , and take to train to Tirano, where you can board the Bernina Express route ? I know the regional train stops at Varenna, don't know subsequent stops. Enjoy this beautiful experience!

The regional trains to Tirano run from Bellano-Tartavalle Terme station hourly at 30 minutes past the hour (7:30, 8:30, 9:30 etc.). At Tirano you walk from the Italian trains station a few yards to the Swiss side and board either the Bernina Express or a regional train. Take it as far as Pontresina and spend some time in the village to have lunch and maybe ride a lift, then return to Bellano the way you came.

If you want to ride the actual Bernina Express train, you need seat reservations as well as tickets. You can see the schedules and buy your tickets and seat reservations here:

https://tickets.rhb.ch/en/pages/bernina-express

Even if you ride the BE one way you can return by regional train, without the extra cost of seat reservations.

Use Trenitalia for schedules for the regional train from Bellano to Tirano. Use your actual travel date to look at the schedule, as right now there is a bus link in place from Colico to Tirano due to construction.

https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

Look here: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Bellano is the station after Varenna. Until Sept 9, you will have to get off the train in Colico and change to the train replacement bus to Tirano to get the Bernina Pass trains.

Thank you! Ive been on the Rome 2 Rio site and it didn't show a train...or give an opportunity to plug dates! this will work perfectly! What about global eurail pass? worth it?

That depends on what other train journeys you have planned. Generally, Eurail passes are problematic in Italy because mailine trains require seat reservations and you have to buy these separately. No worries for your train to Tirano as it is a regional train with no reservations and a ticket is only 8 EUR.

If you want the named Bernina Express, that requires a 36 CHF seat reservation, but you can travel on more frequent regional trains with no reservation fees but exactly the same scenery. A ticket to St Moritz is 33 CHF.

I just did this from Varenna-Esino. We rode to Colico, transferred to the waiting bus, and rode to Tirano. At the train station, we walked down the stairs and straight ahead to up the stairs, and to the Swiss train station ahead and on the left. We chose to take the regular train, as opposed to the special Bernina Express and loved being able to lower the windows. Pontresina is probably a good stop but we went on to St. Moritz and had lunch. Then we retraced our steps.

I had a Saver Day Pass for the Swiss trains, which was nice as we changed our plans mid-trip - and it enabled us to do whatever we wanted.

And the Italian trains were regional and cheap. Remember to validate them before your trip starts. I found the Trenitalia app worked really well.

Note that you can ride the Bernina Express without a reservation. The front two or three (depending on the consist) are normal cars that do not require reservations. You can just ride in those if you have a ticket. And they are often less crowded.

Regarding using rome2rio: That site is not the best place to do detail planning, as often data is missing. And when looking at dates months in advance you may run in to the issue that the timetable might not have been published yet. You should always try to find out who actually is responsible for the trains, and look up times there.