Bernina Express Tours From Milan

The red Bernina train climbs from Tirano, among Italian vineyards, over a pass at about 2,253 m (7,392 ft) and down to St. Moritz. On the way it passes glaciers and a lake that stays white half the year. From Milan you can ride it in a single day, with a coach at each end. We compared five ways to do it, from the classic red-train day to the panoramic car and a small group of sixteen. Each one comes with its price and its catch.

  • The line runs all yearSnow on the pass in winter, golden larches in autumn, long green days in summer; cloud can hide the peaks in any of them
  • Pack your passportEvery tour crosses into Switzerland, and the listings ask for a passport or a valid EU ID card

In a hurry? Our top pick is TaoTravel's red-train day to St. Moritz: ~$155 a person for about twelve hours, with 100 minutes in St. Moritz and the train down to Tirano with the windows open. Book it here.

Book on Viator Book on GetYourGuide

Compare all 5 tours

If you only have a minute

Which Bernina Express tour from Milan should you book?

Say a friend heading to Milan asked us which Bernina day trip to take. Over an espresso near the Duomo, this is what we would tell them.

For most visitors the best Bernina day to book is TaoTravel's coach and red train to St. Moritz, from ~$155. It holds a 4.8 on both booking sites from thousands of reviews, gives you 100 minutes in St. Moritz, and puts you on the red train with windows that open. The whole day takes about twelve hours.

Want the glass-roofed panoramic car? Frigerio Viaggi's tour at ~$154 sells a guaranteed seat in it. Lake Como first? Autostradale's boat-and-train day costs ~$211. Rather travel with sixteen people than fifty? LUCAfromITALY's small group is ~$195, and Milano Art Discovery adds a stop at Alp Grüm for ~$166.

No tour can promise a cloudless pass. Check what each day costs once the extras are added and which train each tour puts you on, see how the hours are spent, then read the small print we pulled out before you pay.

Our pick

The Bernina day we would book: TaoTravel

It has the strongest scores of the five on both booking sites and the longest stop in St. Moritz of the big-coach tours. The group is a full coach, though. Much of the day is also spent on the road.

Travelers leaning out of the open windows of the red Bernina train on a grassy mountain stretch Our pick

Bernina Red Train, Swiss Alps & St. Moritz Day Trip, TaoTravel

★★★★★ 4.8 from 3,800+ reviews on Viator and 1,500+ on GetYourGuide · free cancellation up to 24 hours before

You meet the coach in Piazza Duca d'Aosta, the square in front of Milano Centrale, at the bus stop beside the Excelsior hotel. The road runs past Lake Como to a 20-minute break at Colico, then on over the Maloja pass into Switzerland.

In St. Moritz you get 100 minutes of free time by the lake. Then you board the red Bernina train in 2nd class, with windows that slide down, for about 2 hours 20 minutes over the pass and down to Tirano. The tour leader explains the route on board.

A coach waits in Tirano for the drive of about 2.5 hours back to Milan. On some dates the train runs from St. Moritz to Thusis on the Albula line instead, and the listing lets you choose that option when you book.

Duration
About 12 hours
On the train
About 2 h 20, St. Moritz to Tirano
Group
Up to 50 people
Route
Maloja, St. Moritz, Bernina pass, Tirano
Departure
Piazza Duca d'Aosta, by Milano Centrale
Free time
100 minutes in St. Moritz
Limits
Not for wheelchair users or people with altitude sickness
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
Price per person from ~$155 Coach · red train · St. Moritz
Viator GetYourGuide

Live availability and prices on GetYourGuide

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How the day runs, step by step

This is the order the listing gives. Traffic and weather can shift any leg, and the operator may run the whole day in reverse.

Out of Milan

  • Coach from Piazza Duca d'Aosta, by Milano Centrale
  • About an hour to Lake Como, which you pass on the road
  • A 20-minute break at Colico, then about 95 minutes over the Maloja

In the Alps

  • 100 minutes of free time in St. Moritz
  • The red Bernina train over the pass to Tirano, about 2 h 20
  • A 10-minute stop in Tirano, then about 2.5 hours by coach to Milan

What the price covers

The fare pays for the coach and the train ticket, plus the tour leader. Lunch in St. Moritz, where prices are in Swiss francs, is up to you.

Included
  • The round trip from Milan by air-conditioned coach
  • A 2nd-class ticket on the red Bernina train
  • An English-speaking tour leader
  • Explanations on board the train
Not included
  • Hotel pickup or drop-off
  • Food and drinks
  • Tips
  • A promise of clear skies

Between us, before you go

A word from one traveler to another. The listing wants a paper passport, or an ID card if you are a Schengen citizen, and the coach crosses the border either way. Space for luggage on the bus is not guaranteed, so travel light.

The 100 minutes in St. Moritz pass quickly. Decide before you arrive whether you want a sit-down lunch or a walk by the lake, because there is rarely time for both. How to use the time in town.

Why it beats the panoramic car

The panoramic Bernina Express has a glass roof, but its windows stay shut and the glass catches reflections. On TaoTravel's red train you can slide the window down and photograph the viaducts with nothing in between. Its scores are also higher, a 4.8 on both sites against Frigerio's 4.5 and 4.3. The two trains compared.

What you give up is the roof view and a reserved seat. In the busiest weeks the red train can be full, and you sit where your group finds room.

Who we would not send on it

Anyone who wants a small group, who will be happier with LUCAfromITALY's sixteen seats. Travelers who dream of the glass-roofed car, for whom Frigerio's panoramic option exists. And anyone who suffers from altitude sickness, whom the listing itself turns away.

Book it if

You want one well-run day with the train as the main event. Ride the line with the window open, see St. Moritz in passing and be back in Milan the same night. It suits couples and friends, as well as older children who can manage a long coach day.

Skip it if

Ready to ride the red train?

The tour is on Viator (4.8 from 3,800+ reviews) and on GetYourGuide (4.8 from 1,500+). Both let you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can check the mountain forecast before you commit.

Viator GetYourGuide

The day itself

How a Bernina Express day from Milan works

Every tour on this page answers two questions differently. Which train do you ride over the pass, and how much of the day goes on the road before you reach it?

Style · the red train, windows down

Coach to the Alps, regional train over the pass

TaoTravel, Autostradale, LUCAfromITALY, Milano Art Discovery

11–13 habout two hours on the train, 90–100 minutes in St. Moritz

The red regional train shares the Bernina Express line, and you ride it in 2nd class with windows that open. You get the same viaducts and glaciers with fresh mountain air on your face. The trade-off is ordinary seats and no glass roof.

Style · the panoramic car

A seat under the glass roof

Frigerio Viaggi

About 12.5 hthree hours by coach, around two in St. Moritz, two on the train

The panoramic Bernina Express has curved windows reaching into the roof, so you see the peaks above as well as the valley below. The windows do not open. Frigerio guarantees a seat in that car only if you choose the panoramic option at booking.

St. Moritz weather and daylight across all twelve months

  • Hours of daylight, roughly
  1. Jan-2°C high28 °F

    Deep snow on the line, short days

  2. Feb-1°C high30 °F

    Snow and often clear, cold air

  3. Mar3°C high37 °F

    Late winter on top, spring in Tirano

  4. Apr7°C high45 °F

    Melting snow, a quiet resort

  5. May12°C high54 °F

    Lago Bianco may still be frozen

  6. Jun16°C high61 °F

    The longest days, green valleys

  7. Jul19°C high66 °F

    Warmest weeks, the busiest trains

  8. Aug18°C high64 °F

    Summer crowds, afternoon clouds possible

  9. Sep14°C high57 °F

    Calmer trains, crisp mornings

  10. Oct9°C high48 °F

    Larches turn gold, first snow on top

  11. Nov3°C high37 °F

    In-between season, some shops shut

  12. Dec-1°C high30 °F

    Snow returns, the earliest sunsets

Temperatures are rough daytime highs in St. Moritz; at the top of the pass it is colder, and in Tirano much warmer. The bars show roughly how many hours of daylight there are. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick. The season in detail.

How each day is spent

  • On the road
  • Off the coach (train, lake, town)
  • May run longer

Hours count from the start and come from the listings; the split between road time and the rest is approximate. Traffic around Milan in the evening can add an hour to any of them, and several operators may run the day in reverse.

  1. Pick your trainThe red regional train with windows that open, or the panoramic car with a glass roof. The two compared.
  2. Choose your seasonSnow from about December, gold larches in October, long green days in June. The best season.
  3. Go early in your stayIf the forecast shows thick cloud on the pass, a spare day in Milan lets you move the trip. When the route changes.
  4. Pack for the topYour passport and a warm layer even in summer. Bring Swiss francs or a card too. What to bring.

There is a way without a tour. An Italian regional train reaches Tirano from Milano Centrale, and the Swiss line starts across the square. Doing the Bernina line on your own sets out what you gain and what you take on.

How to choose

How to pick the right Bernina tour

The mountains are the same on all five. What differs is the carriage you sit in and the size of the group. So does the share of the day spent on the road rather than on the train or in town.

Train

Four tours use the red regional train with opening windows. Only Frigerio sells a guaranteed seat in the glass-roofed panoramic car. Panoramic or red.

Group size

LUCAfromITALY takes sixteen people in a minivan. The other four fill a coach of about 50. Small group or big coach.

Lake Como

Autostradale adds a 45-minute morning cruise on a private boat; the small group stops for a walk in a lakeside town. The lake combinations.

Budget

From ~$154 for Frigerio's day to ~$211 for the Lake Como cruise. Food is extra on every tour. Every price in one table.

St. Moritz

Ninety minutes to a little over two hours, depending on the tour. Every listing's reviews ask for more. Using the time well.

A walk on top

Milano Art Discovery breaks the train ride at Alp Grüm, where a short trail faces the Palü glacier. What you see from the train.

Everything else to do in Milan

The 5 tours

Five ways onto the Bernina line, side by side

We read the Bernina listings from Milan on both booking sites and kept one of each kind of day. Each card gives the price and the length next to the tour company's name. It also names the catch, with a button for each site that sells it.

The red Bernina train curving across the stone spiral viaduct at Brusio Our pick

Bernina Red Train, Swiss Alps & St. Moritz Day Trip, TaoTravel

The one we would book for a first ride on the line.

About twelve hours from Milano Centrale. The coach takes you over the Maloja to St. Moritz for 100 minutes by the lake, then the red train carries you over the pass to Tirano with the windows down. The coach is waiting there for the drive home.

  • Rating4.8 from 3,800+ reviews on Viator
  • DurationAbout 12 hours
  • Tour companyTaoTravel
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsTop scores on both sites; the most time in St. Moritz of the coaches
  • Ideal forCouples and friends on a first visit

Good to know: Up to 50 people and long stretches on the coach. On some dates the train ends at Thusis instead of Tirano, and the itinerary may be reversed. Why the route changes.

~$155per person
Viator GetYourGuide
The panoramic carriages of the Bernina Express passing golden larches under a cloudy sky Panoramic car

St. Moritz and Panoramic Bernina Express Tour, Frigerio Viaggi

The glass roof, with a seat you can count on.

The coach leaves Piazza della Repubblica for about three hours to St. Moritz, where you have around two hours. Then you board the panoramic Bernina Express to Tirano past the Morteratsch glacier and the Montebello curve. A short stop in Tirano comes before the coach home.

  • Rating4.5 from 4,000+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 12.5 hours
  • Tour companyFrigerio Viaggi
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsThe only guaranteed panoramic seat; guide in Italian and English
  • Ideal forTravelers who want the real Bernina Express carriage

Good to know: The panoramic seat is guaranteed only with that option, and seats are not assigned in advance. The windows do not open. A Diavolezza lunch option replaces your free time in town. Glass roof or open window.

~$154per person
GetYourGuide Viator
The side of a red Rhaetian Railway carriage running through deep snow under a blue sky Most reviews

Lake Como Cruise, St. Moritz & Bernina Red Train, Autostradale

Lake and pass, two famous views in one long day.

The coach drives to Lake Como for a 45-minute cruise on a private boat. Bellagio and the lakeside villas are seen from the water. You continue over the Maloja to St. Moritz for about 1.5 hours, then ride the red train for about two hours before the coach brings you back.

  • Rating4.6 from 6,200+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 13 hours
  • Tour companyAutostradale
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsA boat on Lake Como; guide in English and Spanish
  • Ideal forTravelers with one day for both the lake and the Alps

Good to know: The longest day here, and reviewers say the pace feels rushed. The Viator listing has only 3.9 from 76 reviews. A lost radio headset costs a 50-euro fee. The lake-and-train day.

~$211per person
GetYourGuide Viator
The red Bernina train rounding a curve above a snowy, rocky mountain slope Sixteen seats

Scenic Alps Day Trip with Bernina Train Ride, Small Group, LUCAfromITALY

The same pass with no more than 16 people.

You meet the guide inside Milano Centrale and travel by regional train or minibus to Lake Como for a short walk in a lakeside town. A minivan crosses the Valtellina to Tirano for about an hour of lunch, then the Bernina train climbs to St. Moritz and you drive back over the Maloja.

  • Rating4.9 from 700+ reviews on Viator
  • DurationAbout 12.5 hours
  • Tour companyLUCAfromITALY
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before
  • StrengthsSmall group; lunch time in Tirano; the highest score here
  • Ideal forTravelers who want a guide's attention on a long day

Good to know: English only, and not for children under 12. Food and drinks are not included. The second-highest price on the page. Small group or big coach.

~$195per person
Viator GetYourGuide
The red Bernina train in a snow-covered valley with white peaks behind Glacier stop

Bernina Red Train & St. Moritz with Alp Grüm, Milano Art Discovery

The only tour that gets you off the train on top.

The coach heads for Tirano with a break at Colico, leaving 45 minutes in town. On the way up you leave the train at Alp Grüm and follow a marked trail with the Palü glacier in front of you. After about 1.5 hours in St. Moritz, partly guided, the coach returns over the Maloja.

  • Rating4.8 from 4,900+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 11 hours
  • Tour companyMilano Art Discovery
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsA walk at Alp Grüm; the shortest day; an audio guide
  • Ideal forWalkers who want to stand on the pass, not just pass it

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. Up to 51 people, not for children under 6, and the walk asks for decent shoes. The line from the window.

~$166per person
GetYourGuide

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Before you go

Eight things about Bernina tours that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page. Each one can decide whether your day ends with a phone full of glaciers or a long coach ride you half regret.

What you should know

  1. "Bernina Express" often means the red train. Most tours ride the regional train on the same line, in 2nd class. Only Frigerio sells a seat in the panoramic Bernina Express car. Which train you get.
  2. The coach is most of the day. Around seven of the twelve hours are road time, most of it spent getting from Milan to the mountains. Bring water and snacks, plus a charged phone.
  3. Your time in St. Moritz is short. The listings give 90 to 100 minutes on most tours, and every review summary asks for more. Planning the stop.
  4. The route can flip or change. Several operators run the day in reverse or end the train at Thusis on the Albula line instead of Tirano. What that means for you.
  5. You cross a border twice. Every listing asks for a passport or an EU ID card, and TaoTravel wants a paper passport. What to bring.
  6. No tour includes food. Lunch is your own, in Swiss francs in St. Moritz or in euros in Tirano. Frigerio does not allow food on its coach.
  7. The headset has a price. Autostradale hands out radio sets for the guide and charges a fee of 50 to 70 euros if one goes missing. Hand it back before you leave the coach.
  8. Sit where the view is, then move. Reviewers disagree on the better side of the train, because the line curves back on itself. Both sides get their turn. The line from the window.

Everything in one table

Five Bernina tours, catch included

The five tours side by side. Each row sets the strength of a tour against its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Tour company and rating Strength and catch Book
TaoTravel, red train and St. Moritz (our pick) A first ride on the line ~$155per person About 12 h Piazza Duca d'Aosta, Milano Centrale TaoTravel
4.8 on Viator and GetYourGuide		 Top scores, windows that open, 100 minutes in town. A 50-seat coach and long road legs.
ViatorGetYourGuide
Frigerio Viaggi, panoramic car The glass-roofed carriage ~$154per person About 12.5 h Piazza della Repubblica 5A Frigerio Viaggi
4.5 on GetYourGuide		 Guaranteed panoramic seat with that option. Lower scores, windows that do not open.
GetYourGuideViator
Autostradale, Lake Como and red train Lake and Alps in one day ~$211per person About 13 h Piazza IV Novembre 1, by Centrale Autostradale
4.6 on GetYourGuide		 Private boat on Lake Como, the most reviews. The longest, most rushed day.
GetYourGuideViator
LUCAfromITALY, small group Sixteen people, not fifty ~$195per person About 12.5 h Inside Milano Centrale, upper floor LUCAfromITALY
4.9 on Viator		 Minivan, lake walk, lunch in Tirano. Higher price, no children under 12.
ViatorGetYourGuide
Milano Art Discovery, Alp Grüm stop A short walk on top ~$166per person About 11 h Centrale FS, Piazza Duca d'Aosta Milano Art Discovery
4.8 on GetYourGuide		 Stop at Alp Grüm facing the Palü glacier. Not on Viator, 90 minutes in town.
GetYourGuide

Prices are regular "from" rates per person in US dollars and can change; GetYourGuide often shows a discount on top. The booking page always has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who rode the red train

Fourteen travelers, some who had blue sky over the glacier and some who rode through cloud, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Red train + St. Moritz

We met the coach in the square outside Milano Centrale and were at the Colico stop before the city had properly woken up. The road climbed over the Maloja and suddenly there was snow on the verges. St. Moritz gave us just enough time for a walk along the lake and a hot chocolate. The best part came after, on the red train down to Tirano, leaning out of an open window as it wound round the spiral viaduct.

HBHannah B. · Leeds, UKClear views
★★★★★Red train + St. Moritz

Window down, cold air, the glacier right there. Our guide pointed out every curve before it came.

DKDaniel K. · Haifa, IsraelClear views
★★★★☆Red train + St. Moritz

A long day in the coach, as everyone warns. The hundred minutes in St. Moritz went fast and we ate a sandwich standing up. Still, the train ride over the pass was what we came for, and it delivered.

MFMarta F. · Kraków, PolandCloud on the peaks
★★★★★Red train + St. Moritz

Clear sky over Lago Bianco and the tour leader timed the photo stops well. A full, happy day.

JLJorge L. · Guadalajara, MexicoClear views
★★★★★Panoramic car, St. Moritz

We chose the panoramic option and the seat was waiting for us, though not a numbered one, so we sat where there was room. The glass roof showed the peaks above as well as the valley below. Our guide spoke Italian and English all day and knew the line by heart.

ATAkira T. · Osaka, JapanClear views
★★★★☆Panoramic car, St. Moritz

Lovely panoramic car, but the windows do not open and the glass reflects. Fine for looking, harder for photos.

SVSanne V. · Utrecht, NetherlandsCloud on the peaks
★★★★★Panoramic car, St. Moritz

Three hours on the coach to St. Moritz felt long, so we were glad of the café break. In town we had time for a slow walk by the lake before boarding. Then the panoramic train down past the glacier, the white lake at the top and the curves above Poschiavo, with the sky open all the way to Tirano. We got back to Piazza della Repubblica late and very content.

CRClaire R. · Lyon, FranceClear views
★★★★★Lake Como boat + red train

The boat on Lake Como in the early light was a gift we had not expected. Calm water, villas along the shore, then the coach up to the mountains and the red train in the afternoon. A long day, but every part of it was different.

PSPriya S. · Pune, IndiaClear views
★★★★★Lake Como boat + red train

Our guide switched between English and Spanish without missing a beat. Remember to hand back the headset.

TMTomás M. · Valencia, SpainCloud on the peaks
★★★★☆Lake Como boat + red train

Thirteen hours is a lot. The lake cruise and the train were both great, but St. Moritz came before lunch and felt rushed. If I did it again I would bring food for the coach and accept that the day is about the views, not the town.

EWEmily W. · Denver, USACloud on the peaks
★★★★★Small group, max 16

Sixteen of us in a minibus, a walk in a little town on Lake Como, then an hour in Tirano for pizzoccheri before the train. Our guide knew which side to sit on and which café had the best coffee. It felt like a day out with a well-traveled friend rather than a coach tour, and the train ride over the top, with snow on the slopes, was the highlight of our week in Italy.

GNGreta N. · Uppsala, SwedenClear views
★★★★★Small group, max 16

Small group, no waiting around. Worth the extra over the big coaches for us.

BOBen O. · Auckland, New ZealandClear views
★★★★★Red train + Alp Grüm stop

The stop at Alp Grüm was the surprise of the day. We stepped off the train and walked a short trail. Then we looked straight across at the Palü glacier. Afterwards St. Moritz felt like a bonus.

LCLucía C. · Buenos Aires, ArgentinaClear views
★★★★★Red train + Alp Grüm stop

The bus left from the station square and by mid-morning we were in Tirano with time for a coffee. The audio guide on the coach filled the long stretches nicely. On the train the scenery changed every few minutes. Vineyards and chestnut trees gave way to bare rock and ice, with a frozen lake near the top. I have taken many scenic trains and this one stays with me.

KWKarl W. · Graz, AustriaCloud on the peaks

Been already?

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Share your day on the Bernina line, from the coach out of Milan to the last stretch back. We read every review before it goes up, and we publish the critical ones too.

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Window down

Book TaoTravel for your Bernina day

If you have one free day in Milan and want to ride the Bernina line, we would book TaoTravel's red-train day. It gives you St. Moritz by the lake, then the pass with its glaciers and spiral viaduct, seen from an open window. You are back in Milan the same evening.

You can hold a place now and pay nearer the day. Cancelling is free until 24 hours before, which leaves room to check the mountain forecast. Bring your passport and a warm layer.

~$155

per person · about 12 hours · from Milano Centrale

Viator GetYourGuide
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Train ticket and coach included
  • ✓ 100 minutes in St. Moritz

Good to know

Why the Bernina line is famous, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading makes the spirals, the white lake at the top and the change from palm trees to glaciers much easier to follow from the window.

The Bernina line of the Rhaetian Railway links St. Moritz in the Swiss Engadin with Tirano in Italy's Valtellina. It opened in 1910 and climbs without a rack, on grip alone, which makes it one of the steepest railways of its kind anywhere.

01A railway on the World Heritage list

In 2008 the Bernina and Albula lines were listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The reason is how the track follows the land with curves and loops on stone viaducts rather than long tunnels. The line, stop by stop.

02The spiral at Brusio

Below Poschiavo the train needs to lose height in a narrow valley. It does so on the Brusio spiral viaduct, a full circle of stone arches where the track passes under itself. It is the picture on half the postcards, and on this page too.

03From vineyards to ice

Tirano sits at about 430 m among vineyards and chestnut trees. The pass near the Ospizio Bernina is at about 2,253 m (7,392 ft), next to Lago Bianco, so the climb crosses several climate zones in about two hours. What to wear for the top.

The moment most people remember is the first glacier, close enough that the cold seems to come in through the open window.

04Glaciers in view

Near Alp Grüm the Palü glacier hangs across the valley, and further on the train swings through the Montebello curve with the Morteratsch glacier ahead. Both are easy to miss in cloud, which is why a flexible day helps.

05Two trains on one track

The panoramic Bernina Express with its glass-roofed cars and the red regional trains share the same rails. The scenery is identical. What differs is the seating and the windows, plus the reservation rules. Panoramic or red.

06St. Moritz at the far end

At about 1,856 m (6,089 ft), St. Moritz has been a resort on its Engadin lake since the 19th century. Prices are in Swiss francs and in the quiet weeks of spring and autumn some shops close early. Using your time there.

2,253 mThe highest point, by Lago Bianco

55 / 196Tunnels and bridges, per Frigerio's listing

About 2 hOn the train between Tirano and St. Moritz

1910The year the line opened

Thinking of riding it without a tour? Our guide On your own or with a tour compares the two ways to go.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about Bernina Express tours from Milan

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a Bernina Express tour from Milan cost?

The five tours on this page start at ~$154 per person for Frigerio's panoramic day and ~$155 for TaoTravel's red-train day. Milano Art Discovery costs ~$166. The small group is ~$195, while the Lake Como combination is ~$211. Food is extra on all of them. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which Bernina tour should I pick?

TaoTravel's coach and red train suits most visitors, for its scores on both sites and its 100 minutes in St. Moritz. Pick Frigerio for the panoramic car or Autostradale to add Lake Como. LUCAfromITALY is the small-group choice.

Do the tours use the real Bernina Express?

A guaranteed place in the glass-roofed Bernina Express car comes only with Frigerio Viaggi, and only if you pick that option. The other four ride the red regional train on the same line in 2nd class, with windows that open. The two trains compared.

How long does the day take?

Between about 11 and 13 hours. Milano Art Discovery is the shortest at about 11 and Autostradale's Lake Como day the longest at about 13, with TaoTravel near 12. Roughly two of those hours are on the train.

How much time do you get in St. Moritz?

About 90 to 100 minutes on most tours, and around two hours on Frigerio's. Reviewers on every listing wish it were longer, so plan a quick lunch or a walk by the lake, not both. The time in town.

Do I need a passport?

Yes. Every tour crosses into Switzerland and back, so the listings ask for a passport (EU and Schengen citizens can use a valid ID card). TaoTravel asks for a paper passport. What to bring.

What is the best season for the Bernina line?

Every season has its look. Snow from about December to March, gold larches in October, long green days in June. Clear skies matter more than the month, so keep a spare day in Milan if you can. The season in detail.

Why might my train end in Thusis?

Some operators send the train from St. Moritz to Thusis on the Albula line on certain dates, instead of down to Tirano. TaoTravel sells this as a separate option. Check what you booked and the operator's message before the day. Route changes explained.

Which side of the train should I sit on?

Reviewers disagree, because the line curves back on itself and the best views swap sides. On the red train you can usually move to an open window when the view changes. On the panoramic car the roof gives views both ways.

Is food included?

No. None of the five includes meals or drinks. Frigerio offers a lunch option at Diavolezza in place of free time in St. Moritz, and the small group stops for about an hour in Tirano for lunch. Bring water and snacks for the coach.

Can children come?

On most tours, yes, though the day is long. LUCAfromITALY does not take children under 12 and Milano Art Discovery none under 6. On Autostradale's tours infants under 2 travel free on a parent's lap.

Can I do the Bernina line without a tour?

Yes. A regional train from Milano Centrale takes you to Tirano, where the Bernina line begins. You choose your own pace but plan the connections yourself, and the panoramic train needs a seat reservation. On your own or with a tour.

Is the trip suitable for people with limited mobility?

Not really. TaoTravel and Autostradale rule out wheelchair users, and Milano Art Discovery adds people with mobility impairments. There are steps on the coaches and trains as well as at the stations, and Alp Grüm has a walk on a trail.

Can I cancel a Bernina tour for free?

Yes. All five can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before, and on GetYourGuide you can reserve now and pay later. That lets you wait for the mountain forecast before committing.

Read before you travel

Guides to the red train over the Alps

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.