Lake Como by boat, then the Bernina red train, in one long day
Autostradale fits a boat ride on Lake Como into the same day as St. Moritz and the red Bernina train. At about 13 hours it is the longest day on this site, and it costs ~$211. Below is the order of the day, and what the extra stop takes away.
How the day runs
Autostradale's Lake Como and Bernina day at ~$211 starts at Piazza IV Novembre 1, the Autostradale stop next to Milano Centrale. From there the coach heads north to the lake for the first stop.
- Coach from Milan to Lake Como
- A 45-minute morning cruise on a private boat
- Coach over the Maloja pass to St. Moritz
- About 1.5 hours of free time in St. Moritz
- The red train for about 2 hours, in 2nd class with windows that open
- Coach back to Milan
The whole loop takes about 13 hours. A guide speaks English and Spanish, and the group can reach 50 people.
The boat on Lake Como
The cruise lasts 45 minutes on a boat reserved for the tour, not a public ferry. From the water you see villages such as Bellagio and the old lakeside villas with their gardens running down to the shore.
You do not land in Bellagio or walk through a village. It is a look from the water, which is the trade for fitting the lake into a day that ends in the Alps.
Sit on the open deck if the boat has one and the morning is dry. The light on the water is softer early on, and the villas face the lake rather than the road, so this is the side of them you would never see from a car.
The guide uses radio headsets on this tour. Hand yours back at the end, since the listing charges a 50-euro fee for a lost one.
Over the Maloja to St. Moritz
After the lake the coach climbs into Switzerland over the Maloja pass, a road of tight bends that drops into the Engadin valley. The town of St. Moritz lies on its own lake at about 1,856 m (6,089 ft).
Here the free time comes before the train, around 1.5 hours. Since you arrive late in the morning after the boat, lunch competes with a walk by the lake, and our St. Moritz guide suggests how to split that time.
A lake cruise before the red train
Autostradale's 13-hour day with a private boat on Lake Como, free time in St. Moritz and the red regional train with windows you can open. The guide works in English and Spanish.
The red train down the line
The train ride lasts about 2 hours in 2nd class on the regional red train. The windows open, so you can photograph the glaciers and the spiral viaduct without glass in the way.
This is not the panoramic Bernina Express car, whatever the headline suggests. Our guide to the two trains sets out the difference, and the route guide lists what passes the window.
On some dates the train runs to Thusis on the Albula line instead of Tirano. The Thusis or Tirano guide explains how that changes the afternoon.
What reviewers say
On GetYourGuide the day holds 4.6 from 6,200+ reviews, one of the largest review counts of any tour here. Its Viator twin is weaker, at 3.9 from 76 reviews.
The complaint that comes back most is the pace. Fitting a boat ride and a mountain railway into one day leaves little slack, and several reviewers describe feeling rushed.
Eat a proper breakfast in Milan and pack a snack. With the boat in the morning and St. Moritz before the train, a sit-down lunch is hard to fit.
The catch, said plainly
- Thirteen hours is long, with a lot of it on the coach
- The lake is seen from a boat only, with no time ashore
- St. Moritz comes before the train, so lunch is squeezed
- Up to 50 people share the coach and the guide
- Some dates end at Thusis rather than Tirano
It costs more than the classic coach days, which skip the lake. Our price comparison puts the five fares side by side.
The other way to add the lake
LUCAfromITALY's small-group day at ~$195 also passes Lake Como, where a lakeside town gets a short walk if the schedule leaves room. It holds no more than 16 people and spends an hour in Tirano for lunch.
That walk is on land rather than water, and the smaller group moves faster. The small-group guide covers that day in full.
Set against the classic coach day
TaoTravel's day skips the boat and passes Lake Como by coach instead, with a 20-minute break at Colico. In return you get about 100 minutes in St. Moritz and a slightly shorter day.
Autostradale costs more and gives the lake its own slot on the water. The train ride is similar on both, in 2nd class on the red regional train with windows that open.
If you have two free days in Milan, a classic Bernina tour plus a separate day on Lake Como gives each place more room. It needs more planning, but neither day feels squeezed.
Who should book it
Book Autostradale if you have only one day for both the lake and the mountains, and you would rather see two places briefly than one at leisure. It suits travelers who do not mind long coach legs.
If St. Moritz or the train matters most, a classic day such as TaoTravel's gives more time in town for less money. Lake Como also makes an easy separate day from Milan by regional train.