juddpillot

i will be in milan jan.1 2016, and want to take the bernina express to zermatt...see and stay in the alps...leaving milan on jan. 7th.
anybody have any ideas for a 6 day switz. trip? is the bernina express from milan to zermatt possible? ...or is driving an option? also, any hotel recommendations welcome.
thanks

Dukey1

Yes, from Milan you take a train to Tirano and change there to the Bernina Express services.

You take a Trenord train from Milan to Tirano and a Rhaetian Bahn train from Tirano northwward.

Be aware that it isn't always possible to take one train from Tirano all the way to the end; depending on timing you may have to change. Only certain timings carry the panorama cars.

www.trenord.it
www.rhb.ch

PalenQ

Though you can drive over the Bernina Pass in Switzerland in Alpine areas cars are useless once there and trains so so fantastic -the Bernina Express is IMO the most scenic train I've taken in Europe amongst dozens and dozens of them - you can easily do that in a day but consider stopping in the St Moritz area for a day or two and then perhaps take the Glacier Express to the Zermatt or Interlaken (Jungfrau region) - great sources of info on Swiss trains and passes - in six days even you may find a pass very useful: www.swisstravelsystem.com; wwwricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

PalenQ

6 day Swiss trip"

day 1 - St Moritz via Bernina Express;

day 2- Lucerne

day 3- Lucerne

day 4 - Interlaken area - the Jungfrau Region the essence of the Swiss Alpine Wonderland etched in many folks' minds - your hotel balcony will be often eyeball to eyeball with soaring cliffs thousands of feet high rising above lush cow-dotted meadows with glacier-girdled peaks all around - toylike trains and thrilling aerial gondolas going off in all directions:

https://www.google.com/search?q=jung...HV-vACUQsAQIGw

day 5, 6 Interlaken area

7 out to airport or wherever. (Zurich airport is about two hours by train direct to the airport (from changing in Bern from Interlaken) from the Jungfrau Region).

Lucerne is a gorgeous city on a gorgeous Alpine lake - one day do a boat tour of the lake (covered fully by Swiss Pass as would all your trains to wherever you would base in the Interlaken area - many love the smaller villages right up in dem hills - like Wengen or Grindelwald, all easily reached by trains valid with a Swiss Pass.

bvlenci

I don't think there will be lush cow-dotted meadows in January, and I don't know how much fun a boat trip on the lake would be at that time of the year, either.

PalenQ

Oops - failed to see January - was thinking of summer - thanks for correcting me.

neckervd

Timetables Milan - Bernina - Engadin Valley (Pontresina/Samedan/St. Moritz) - Glacier Express line - Brig - Zermatt (valid until Dec 10th 2016):

Milan dp 6.20 - Tirano 8.52/9.00 - Pontresina 10.52/11.02 - Albula line - Reichenau 12.51/13.05 - Oberalp Pass - Andermatt 15.22/15.37 - Furka Tunnel - Goms Valley - Brig - Zermatt ar 19.13

Milan dp 8.20 - Tirano 10.52/11.00 - Pontresina 12.52/13.02 - Albula line - Reichenau 14.51/15.05 - Oberalp Pass - Andermatt 17.22/17.37 - Furka Tunnel - Goms Valley - Brig 19.33/19.52- Zermatt ar 21.13

Milan dp 10.20 - Tirano 12.52/13.00 - Pontresina 14.52/15.02 - Albula line - Reichenau 16.51/17.05 - Oberalp Pass - Andermatt 19.22/19.37 - Furka Tunnel - Goms Valley - Brig 21.33/22.27 - Zermatt ar 23.36

Milan dp 12.20 - Tirano 14.52/15.00 - Ponresina 16.52/17.02 - Albula line - Reichenau 18.51/19.05 - Disentis 20.11/07.08 - Oberalp Pass - Andermatt 8.22/8.37 - Furka Tunnel - Goms Valley - Brig - Zermatt ar 12.13

Stop over in the Engadin Valley and travel from Andermatt via Schoellenen Gorge - Lucerne - Bruenig Pass - Interlaken etc. - Loetschberg to Brig.
If you like thermal spas, check Scuol, Bad Ragaz, Vals and Leukerbad.

In these days, it gets dark shortly after 4pm; sunrise around 8am, in mountain valleys later.
Scenic train rides are not scenic at all when it's dark.

PalenQ

In winter unless into winter sports I'd probably not recommend staying in Alpine villages like near Interlaken as they may be full with winter sports enthusiasts and the usual easy hikes may not be possible - and no lake boats, etc. May stay in Interlaken, at a lot lower altitude and more available hotels and do a day trip by train into the higher climbs/climes just to see how majestic the area looks.

After says 2 days there take the Golden Pass scenic train from Interlaken to say Montreux, on Lake Geneva and a much warmer climate than in the Alps and an area with lots to see and do in a short range. Fly out of Zurich or Geneva or go onto say France or Germany by train.

PalenQ

You could do part of the famed Glacier Express scenic train if going to the Lucerne area - from St Moritz take the GE to Andermatt and then a shuttle train down to Goschenen, on a main rail line to Zurich or Lucerne.