Bernina Express or Local Train
 

I am travelling from Chur to Zermatt. Is the Bernina Express worth the expense or do you see as much on the local train. Your advice is sought.

Hi beargirl,

I think you're talking about the Glacier Express, not the BE. The BE goes from Chur to St. Moritz and Poschiavo and on to Tirano in Italy; the Glacier Expess goes from St. Moritz to Zermatt.

Anyway, on either route, both the local and the tourist trains go over the exact same tracks. so the views are exactly the same.

The tourist trains have special, large windows that don't open; the regular train has regular windows that do open (this might be a factor in the summertime if the a/c is weak). Also, if you are talking about the GE, you'll have more train changes (I believe) on the local trains.

I travelled on both local and tourist trains on the BE route -- the tourist version one way and a local train coming back. I thought the large windows were not really all that big of a deal.

s

From chur to Zermatt IMO the fastest route via Zurich-Bern-Brig-Zermatt is just as scenic as the GE route, one of Europe's most overhyped scenic trains IMO

The Bernina Express yes is one of if not europe's top scenic train but it goes from St Moritz to Tirano, Italy

You would have to leave on the first local of the day from Chur, change twice and get to Zermatt late in evening by local trains - only the GE goes direct and charges a supplement of about $30 or so - up steeply after the whole train sets were completely refurbished last year

Thus the comfort is much better - fancy swivel chairs i think, etc. But scenery is the same - boring until you get to Brig IMO

I have got my trains mixed up sorry I did mean the Glazier Express from Chur to Zermatt. I am travelling on the Bernina Express as well.

Thanks for your help any more responses would be welcome.

Beargirl

I've done the Glacier Express a couple of times and the regular train a couple of times on the same route. I've come to the realization that I'd rather be on a regular train. We travel in the summer and those "wonderful" big windowed observation cars on the Glacier Express are absolute misery if you're sitting in the sun. You aren't really looking UP anyway, so I don't get the big deal about glass going up into part of the ceiling of the car. And frankly, the first class cars of the regular train are more comfortable and less crowded than those on the Glacier Express.