Janetd5

Sue, no way getting around the hassle of luggage and train travel, just something to power through! All villa gardens charged a fee from 4 - 9€. If I had to choose my favorite - Carlotta, Monastero, and Melzi. FYI - dinner was delicious at Il Cavatappi - I was ready for a change from seafood and pasta, so had grilled veggies and steak!

neckervd

Varenna - Jungfraujoch would be cheaper and faster via Milan than via Bernina.

PalenQ

they are taking group tours to Jungfraujoch from Zurich and want to go the more scenic route via St Moritz and Chur to Zurich.

Those changes of train need not be that much a worry - at Tirano, Italy you do have to walk across the square to the Swiss train station for the Bernina trains but that is a small sleepy station no big hassle - buying tickets or whatever.

Then you can get a Bernina Express train that goes straight to Chur where everyone gets off one train and onto another - due to track width gauge changes - again a small station - no huge mobbed train stations like MIlan Centrale to negotiate.

suetibu

Hi! Thank you again.. This is great info again..So it looks like
1) Varenna to Tirano
2) Tirano to Chur (Bernina Express)
3) Chur to Zurich.

Bookmarking all the restaurants and gardens..

Can't wait!!

Thank you all..

PalenQ

If you take the official Bernina Express you must make a reservation - and do so far in advance as tour groups do book these up in either class. There are local (regional) trains running over the same route and of course scenery as well and their windows are large and usually clean.

PalenQ

I actually prefer the local trains that with a valid ticket you can jump on and off - no reservations even possible to my knowledge and I like those because I can hop back and forth as the scenery dictates since they are often not very full. they do marginally take a bit longer but not bevcause they don't go as fast but because they do stop at every little station whereas the official BE does not. But fairly comfy trains with large windows, etc.

suetibu

Great info again. I will be back if I have more questions..Thanks!!

PalenQ

In warm weather one of the local trains actually has to me the ultimate observation car - an open-air flat bed car with railings but no windows = just like floating thru such dramatic scenery - I loved it (until I got too cold and moved inside!)

lynnalan

bookmarking thanks

dhack

bookmarking - thank you!

Dukey1

I would NOT do the entire Bernina route as a "day trip." Why? unless you want to repeat the route or take some cicuitous route back forget that idea.

Luggage? does it have wheels?

The biggest "issue" is probably that walk between stations in Tirano and since they are about one minute apart on a flat surface I'd say your plan to do this ONCE is a good one.

Oh, and in terms of the scenery on the Bernina vs the other route suggested, once you've done the Bernina I think you'll see why it is worth the trip.