Munich to Venice via Bernina Express

Going that route, you might consider Varenna on Lake Como. From there, you are only one hour by train to Milano Centrale for a change to Venice.

Sam has an excellent suggestion. Skip the bus part of the Bernina Express. Instead, train from Tirano to Varenna to spend the night. The next day, train to Milan and then to Venice. If you catch the 10:37 from Varenna, you will arrive in Venice at 14:40. That's about right in terms of check-in at your hotel. There are earlier options from Varenna if you need one.

Thanks to both of you for your reply. Do either of you have a suggestion for where I should go for a couple of nights after Munich? (Before the Bernina Express)

A few rookie questions: So Varenna in October is nice? Is it just a lovely town to walk around in? Luzerne? I know nothing of it, but will research it today. The Bernina Express, I thought it went from Chur to Tirano? What is the "bus portion" you speak of? If I'm coming down from Munich to see Fussen and/or Reutte, can I still get to Luzern the same day? It looks far on my map. Any suggestions on favorite places to stay in Munich, Luzern, Varenna? You have both been an enormous amount of help!!!! Thanks so much!!!

I would suggest spending an extra day in Varenna. Otherwise, Lindau/Bregenz on Lake Contanz is on the way to St Moritz.

Coming from Munich and heading to St. Moritz for the Bernina Express, you have several good options, depending whether you want to stay 2 nights in one place, or keep on the move. The simplest would be to take the direct train from Munich to Zurich, change there for the train to Luzern, and spend 2 nights. Luzern is about 4.5 hours from St. Moritz.
Or you could, as Sam suggests, take a non-direct train and spend a night at Lake Konstanz on the way to Zurich, and then one at Luzern. Or spend one night at Luzern and one up on Rigi, with a boat and cable-car ride to get there. The next day, continue down the backside of Rigi to Arth-goldau and heat to St. Moritz from there. This would add about an hour to your travel time to St. Moritz that day.

OK, I'll start. Varenna in October? There are no guarantees. This is on the southern side of the Alps, where the weather is generally nicer late in the season than the north side. (The Upper Engadine, around St. Moritz, is reputed to have some of the best fall weather in Switzerland). So it could be lovely, but it also could be rainy. I am hoping for good weather as we will be in the area ourselves at that time! As for what to do there, it is just a tiny, charming lakeside town with not much to do but walk the waterfron promenade and gaze at the scenery. There are some short hikes up to a castle and to a small river. But there isn't much to the town in terms of shops, museums, etc., just hotels and restaurants, and some fancy villas behind walls. Luzern, by contrast, is a lakeside city with lots of cultural and historical sites. I think Rick has some recommendations on what to see and do there. But if you are coming from Munich with a stop at Reutte and/or the castles, it would make a long day to get there. Better to stay on Lake Konstanz/Bodensee. The "bus portion" of the Bernina Express connects Tirano with Lugano so the trip ends in Switzerland (and is covered with a Swiss pass). It goes through Italy from Tirano, via Menaggio on Lago di Como, and ends at Lugano. There is no need to do it, as the spectacular part of the Bernina Express is the train ride between St. Moritz and Tirano.