Jessiedeexx

Does anyone have any experience with the Bernina express? I was thinking about just doing that through switzerland before heading back up to Amsterdam and possibly just staying at one of the cities along the route or in Chur. Is it worth it?

This is probably a stupid question but it says that regular trains do this route as well… I don’t get it.. why pay extra for the bernina express and not be able to get on and off? Or is it the same route, but different tracks with different scenery? Is the bernina express just good because the panoramic cars…or cause it goes slower? Also if it’s available, should I take the cars with the removable top, or is it a better ride with air conditioning haha…

If I decide to take the Bernina express which city at the end should I get off at and stay in?

Or if I decide to just take one of the regular trains, which towns along the way do you find to be the best? If I want to explore just for a few hours or so, are there any stops along the way that are notable? Or a small town that would be nice to stay in.

Thanks!

swandav2000

Hi Jessiedeex,

Yes, I've done part of the Bernina Express route and thought it was gorgeous. I returned on a regular train.

The trains designated as the BE benefit from marketing aimed at tourists, and they have the larger, panoramic windows. Why pay extra?? No need to. I would just get the scheule from the Swiss rail site

www.rail.ch

and do the route when it fit my schedule. The scenic part is from Pontresina to Poschiavo that goes over the Bernina Pass. I would stay in Pontresina or maybe in one of the smaller towns on one of the lakes nearby, like Sils or Silvaplana.

Have fun!

s

Jessiedeexx

So you did the bernina route? Or you did the actual train? Will it be the exact same tracks or will it be different?

swandav2000

Yes, same tracks. Only difference is the larger windows on trains designated BE. Did the actual BE going, regular train coming back.

s

kleeblatt

Actually, there are regular trains on all advertised tourist routes. You'll have a bit more comfort and more windows with the special trains but if you are looking for staying on a budget or having more choice of train schedules, go with a regular train and choose from 1st or 2nd class. Even here, second class is fine. Flying economy on planes is worse.

Dukey

The windows in the panorama coaches are MUCH MUCH larger than the windows in the regular coaches. The trains which are designated as "The Bernina Express" as opposed to the so-called 'regular' trains on the route go over the entire route..they do stop but they go from one end to the other and there is no need to change. Other than that there are no advantages. Be aware that on the Bernina Express itself you don't HAVE to be in the panorama coach..there are other cars with somewhat smaller windows.

I have added a link to the Rhaetian Railway site which will give you some further information

http://www.rhb.ch/Bernina-Express.33.0.html?&L=4

valtor

We took Bernina express from Tirano to St. Moritz. The windows can not be compared with these of a "normal" train. The views are spectacular.
We made this trip after I saw here in Fodors, what Bobthenavigator (if I remember his correct name) wrote and we were very glad that we did this.

Palenque

I have done both the regular trains and official Bernina Express trains several times and i myself prefer the local trains simply because the BEx trains are invariably chock full and the locals are not so i can bop back and forth from side to side as the scenery dictates and not be stuck in a seat in a full car.
And in summer there are even open-air flatbed cars that i once lucked out to take - like levitating the whole way - these cars are only on regular trains and actually IMO they should charge extra for these!
The Bernina Pass rail route is to me one of the very top scenic trains in Europe if not the most - the only train line to traverse the Alps north to south and not use tunnels like all other routes do - at the summit is a Top of the World scenery - Alpine lake girdled by glaciers and rugged peaks.
For lots on Swiss trains i always highlight www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free European Planning & Rail Guide as their Switzerland chapter has a lot of details on the Bernina Pass route with best places to get off, etc. But yes IMO Bernina Pass rail route is well worth going out of your way for and a great way to go between Italy and Switzerland.

Byrd

We took the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano and back several years ago.

I don't know about the regularly scheduled trains, but the panoramic windows on the BE were wonderful for the spectacular scenery.

We stayed at Chur for two nights, and really enjoyed the town.

Byrd

scatcat

I took the Bernina Express last September from Tirano to Chur. I loved it. The only thing I would do different is to go 1st class next time. The second class seats were 2 facing 2 with little leg room. I have long legs and the two people opposite of me were large people. Just not very comfortable.

gregs317

So does the Bernina Express from Tirano end in Chur or St. Moritz? Or can you get off at either location? Thanks, Greg

Palenque

Some Bernina Express trains end in St Moritz but others end in Chur (or maybe even Davos though i believe that is the Heidi Express to St Moritz) - they stop a lot so you can get on and off at many places. The regular local trains run over the same exact tracks - and going south on regular trains you always have to change at Chur to keep going south because the Bernina-St Moritz/Pontresina-Chur tracks are narrow-gagued and from Chur on south is the mainline wider-gauged tracks so trains cannot physically go on.

Trains going west from Chur/Reichenau from St Mortiz like the Glacier Express can keep going because all the way from St Moritz to Brig to Zermatt is narrow-gagued, better suited for mountainous terrain.

Jessiedeexx

But I thought you weren't able to get on and off with the bernina express? Can you just not sleep over night in one of the towns. I'm having a hard time deciding between the two.

I'd really like to stay in a town but the panoramic views seem pretty sweet. If I use a local train will I have to switch trains to stay on the route. And if so, where is it at? Is it atleast somewhere I can walk around for a few hours and enjoy myself.

Does anyone know how easy it is to get from Venice to Tirano? How many train changes? And once I'm in chur how hard is it to get back to amsterdam? If I decide to stay in one of the stops along the way once I get into Chur will I have to change trains no matter what?

Thanks for all the help.

Jessiedeexx

Another random question. Do any of the trains in Europe have Wifi? And if so, how expensive is it? hah

swandav2000

Hi again,

If you use the site I gave you waaay above, in the first reply to this thread, you can get all the schedules you need. Just enter your departure town and your destination town, and you'll see all the connections that are possible for the day and time you want, and all the changes you'll have to make.

If you do not have reservations, you can hop on and off as much as you want; tickets are good all day.

That site also has the schedules for all European trains, so it will give you information for travel to Tirano and to Amsterdam as well.

If any of the trains have the panoramic windows, they will be designated as "Bernina Express" on the column on the right-hand side of the page.

Some trains do have wifi; here's a link with a lot of information, including rates and payment:

http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...ine-im-zug.htm

Have fun!

s

Dukey

You are going to be using WiFi on the Bernina Express? Sorry, but IMO that is a WASTE

Jessiedeexx

hahahahah. I'm going to be traveling for 20 days. I didn't mean the bernina express! =) That's why I said any of the trains.

Palenque

Few trains yet have WI-FI in my experience - some in Britain do and more and more high-speed trains do - sometimes it is free in first class and a charge in 2nd class (British trains that have it seem to do this)

But i would not count on it on any train so far though this can rapidly change.

altamiro

WiFi is available on ICEs between Munich and Cologne (and others which run parts of the same route), as well as on Thalys. I can't say what it costs though.

There is WiFi on some mainline trains in Switzerland as Swandav wrote - basically on major intercity commuting routes.