Bernina Express from Triano as a day Trip
 

I've been reading some posts that mention the Bernina Express and traveling from Triano to St. Moritz.
Can you do this as a day trip? We will be in Varenna this September and planned to take one day to do this and come back. We're fine with taking a regular train back and I don't mind if its a long day, but most posts mention staying over night.

Thanks for any information

I think you might mean Tirano.

If you look at trenitalia.com it will provide timetables from Varenna to Tirano. And sbb.ch/en will provide timetables between Tirano and St Moritz. There are also buses between St Moritz and Chiavenna and trains between Chiavenna and Varenna.

<I think you might mean Tirano>

I did - thanks. We will have a car in Varenna and thought we could drive to Tirano. I''m just wondering if it too long of a trip for just the day. I will look at the timetables - thank you.

I would actually make this a round trip - which means no need for the car.

Take the train from Varenna to Tirano, hop on any regional train from there to St. Moritz (no reservation needed, unlike for the Express trains). You could even stop somewhere along the way for lunch break - Alp Grüm highly recommended - and hop on the next train an hour later.

From St. Moritz take the postal bus to Chiavenna, where you can catch another train (with change) back to Varenna.

The scenery is gorgeous and very different on the train vs. postal bus legs.

We've traveled from Tirano up the Bernina Pass to Samaden, a few stops before St. Moritz many. My cousin lives there with here family and we stay with them every two years. We discovered Tirano many years ago because our train from Milano was ten minutes late and we missed the last train. Missing the train and being stranded in Tirano turned into a really good experience.

The trip from Tirano to St. Moritz should take a little over 2 hours through some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. Last summer we stopped at the Hotel Prese for a lunch along the shore of Lake Poschiavo. Everything was gorgeous.

St. Moritz is really a high end destination. The Hotel Badrutt Palace has a new Rolls Royce as their hotel shuttle.

Your trip from Varenna to St. Moritz may be long, but it will be beautiful.

Go and have fun.

Buon viaggio.

Rbciao is correct re timings but that is IF you take the actual "express" rather than a series of regionals requiring connections.
I agree the scenery is spectacular; St. Moritz, the village, about as sterile in some parts as poured concrete can be.

IMO the ONLY "downside" of this whole thing is whether or not you mind repeating that exact same spectacular scenery on the way back to Tirano.

As always, Ingo has given you a perfect option.... :-)
(No offense, rbciao.)

None taken. The Chiavenna idea is a cogent strategy and it eliminates backtracking. We were through Chiavenna last summer after leaving Samedan and going to Milano to drop off our car.

Either option is good.

Buon viaggio,

Thank you all for your help

Ingo - I think this is the way we will go. Train up and bus back.
I will have to read up on the logistics of this plan.

Is there a special fare that allows you to get on and off the train or just the one way from tirano to St. Moritz?

I looked at the timetable on SBB.CH and it looked like there were five stops between Tirano and St. Moritz. Dukey1 mentions "connections"; will we have to change trains?

Lastly, where would I find information about the bus to come back?

Thanks

When we had to change trains in the Bernina Pass it was always at Pontresina and we only had two minutes. Generally, we had to hustle downstairs through the under passage and then back upstairs to the next track. The station is small and they only have two or three tracks. Pontresina is a nice place, as well and the Station Restaurant is first rate.

Buon viaggio,

Hourly standard trains stop at much more than 5 places. Most spectacular side trips:
gondola from Bernina Diavolezza to Diavolezza hat and back
rope railway from Punt Muragl to Muottas Muragl and back
rope railway and gondola from St. Moritz to Piz Nair and back
gondola from Silvaplana Surlej to Corvatsch and back.
You may also do the Sils Maria - Maloja leg by boat.
http://en.graubuenden.ch/region/enga...tz-summer.html

With only one day for the whole loop you'll hardly have much time for side trips, unfortunately. You can hop on/off regional trains at every stop, no special ticket required. As mentioned before, Alp Grüm is a very good idea for lunch break (if it fits in the schedule, they have lunch specials that are inexpensive compared to regular food prices in Switzerland), best enjoyed on the terrace with gorgeous views of the Palü glacier and the turquoise lake.
http://www.daprimo.com/ch/restaurant-alp-grum/

The regional trains Tirano - St. Moritz run on an odd schedule, departures are 9 am, 9.40 am, 11 am, 11.40 am, 1 pm, 1.40 pm etc. If you catch the 9.40 am train you'll be at Alp Grüm a bit early for lunch (11 am), with the 11 am train you'll be there at 12.12 pm. The latter would leave you 50 minutes for lunch, should be fine.

In that case you'd be in St. Moritz (no changes) at 2.11 pm. The bus to Chiavenna departs at 3.08 pm, arr. at 5.01 pm. There are trains departing Chiavenna at 5.26 pm, 6.48 pm, 7.32 pm, 8.42 pm e.g. to Varenna-Esino, with a change in Colico. You could even have dinner in Chiavenna :-)

For schedules of trains and buses in Switzerland check www.sbb.ch, for trains in Italy www.trenitalia.com

PS: Diavolezza would also be a good place to break up the train ride over Bernina pass. Take the cable car up for gorgeous glacier/mountain views, the restaurant up there is also pretty good. But it takes time - calculate 2 hours, I'd say.

The SBB site I provided on my first (and seemingly invisible) response is s fantastic resource and provides timetables for trains, buses, boats, cable cars and more. I recommend it to you.

neckervd - thanks for the input, but there isn't enough time for a side trip

Ingo - Thanks so much for the detailed information. We just wanted to take a round trip to St. Moritz. See the scenery and maybe buy some Swiss chocolate. I love the idea of having lunch at Alp Grum. Do you think we need a reservation?

dreamon - thank you, again. Your response definitely was not invisible - I did not read the website properly- my bad. I think I have it all straight now.

No reservation needed, I think, but to be safe you could always make one - best is to send them an email. Have a great day trip!

"neckervd - thanks for the input, but there isn't enough time for a side trip"
Sorry, I thougt you would start before 11am

neckervd - I think we will start about 7:30 - 8:00. But, we have to get from Varenna to Tirano then onto the train ride. It just doesn't seem like we could do more than lunch. But, thanks again. I will save these suggestions for a future trip.

Taking a break at Diavolazzo would be a good way to spend a few hours on top of the mountain and have lunch at the restaurant, which is very good.

We spent a few hours there last summer when we were staying in Samedan.

Buon viaggio,

"neckervd - I think we will start about 7:30 - 8:00. But, we have to get from Varenna to Tirano then onto the train ride. It just doesn't seem like we could do more than lunch. But, thanks again. I will save these suggestions for a future trip.
"

May be it might be easier to have a look at the timetable:
Varenna dp 7.24 - Tirano - Bernina Diavolezza RhB ar 10.34
Bernina Diavolezza RhB dp 18.23 - Tirano - Varenna ar 21.36
Varenna dp 7.24 - Chiavenna - St. Moritz ar 10.51
St. Moritz dp 17.08 - Chiavenna - Varenna ar 21.36
Bernina Diavolezza RhB - St. Moritz: 40 min by train, trains every hr

neckervd - Thanks!!

We just wanted to take a round trip to St. Moritz. See the scenery and maybe buy some Swiss chocolate. I love the idea of having lunch at Alp Grum. Do you think we need a reservation?>

On official Bernina Express trains you do need a reservation and pay a supplement over the normal trains - official trains IME are typically chock full with tour groups but normal trains not really crowded and there are no reserved seats possible I believe though this may have changed but I would not worry about it - but in any case seat reservations are not required and on a regular ticket you can get on and off anywhere you want and board another train. In summer some local trains have open-air flatbed rail cars that are like levitating thru the Swiss Alps.

and usually at such restaurants like at Alp Grum no reservation is needed IME- certainly not to sit on the sun terraces.

Yes get off at Alp Grum or Bernina Ospiz - the stations near the summit and do the walk around the lake to the glacier - have lunch - buy chocolates whatever but I would spend time here and then perhaps just turn around and head back to Tirano (reservations on Tirano-Varenna-Esino are not even possible as on all Italian regional trains.

For lots on the Bernina Pass Railway check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Alp Grum: https://www.google.com/search?q=alp+...w=1745&bih=868

Bring a warm sweater or sweatshirt to wear if walking - if the sun is out sitting on the sun terrace of the hotel is neat.