Hi, I've bought my plane tickets. I'll be flying to Zurich direct from NYC, and I arrive around 7 am in the morning on a Saturday. Sometime on Sunday I plan to make it to Bellagio, where I'll stay for two nights.

The question is what to do from Saturday after arrival to Sunday. I plan to take the Bernina Express and break the trip down to two parts. On Saturday I'll stop in St. Moritz. Then the next day I'll go to Tirano and connect via train to Varenna and take the ferry to Bellagio.

1. I understand that there're special trains on this route and local trains. Which ones are the ones with the open top view? I know that St. Moritz to Tirano is the most exciting part of the trip.

Are the special trains the ones on this webpage?

http://www.rhb.ch/berninaexpress/berninaexpress.e.php

What should I do in terms of reservations for the special trains?

Can someone comment on the local vs. special trains in terms of views, etc.?

2. The Bernina Express stops at the cable car station for Diavolezza and also at Alp Gruem. My Michelin Europe guide praises these highly.

Do people break their journey here for a rest and continue on later?

3. There's another cable car that goes to Piz Corvatsch from Surlej, and I've checked that there's a bus that runs from St. Moritz to Surlej. How's this cable car ride compared to the one at Diavoleeza? I assume that they're similar, and it's probably enough to do one.

4. Feel free to make other suggestions about what to do on Saturday and Sunday. I don't have a whole lot of time, of course, but I hope to get a thing or two in.

I've read about alternative accommodation suggestions apart from St. Moritz. I've not looked for a hotel yet, but I think that I'll still plan on St. Moritz, but I can consider other options if they are more convenient.

Thanks!

Hi,

1. no, these are panoramic cars that have the large windows. Only regional trains have the open top. These 'convertible' cars are added to regional trains in summer months on the portion St. Moritz - Poschiavo. I rode them a couple of times and can say it's a unique experience. Be prepared that it can be quite cold, though.

I personally would not want to take the official 'Express' trains. Try the regional trains. No reservations required, no surcharge and you have the chance to sit in an open top car. The views are the same (only from the open top cars you have the *real* panoramic views.

2. As far as I know not every 'Express' train stops at Bernina Diavolezza and/or Alp Grüm. Get your schedule from sbb.ch and click on the train No. and it will show. Regional trains stop at both stations.

Both are highly recommended stops. I personally think that Diavolezza is much more spectacular. You need to take the cable car from there up to the mountain, though. The return cable car ride is about 30 Sfr. per person and absolutely worth the money. The views from the top are gorgeous - glaciers! Have lunch at the terrace there. You must calculate about 1.5 hours for the stop, though.

Alp Grüm offers very beautiful views, too, but IMO is not nearly as spectacular. And you can get an impression (short, I concede that) by just passing by on the train. However, if Diavolezza takes too much time for you then Alp Grüm is a good choice. Again, lunch on the terrace there is highly recommended.

3. Have done the Surlej - Piz Corvatsch cable car ride numerous times, too. The views are totally different. The views from Diavolezza are about the glaciers vis-a-vis and below. On Piz Corvatsch you can walk on a glacier (not sure if they maybe have an ice cave shaped out, I heard about that) and see dramatic mountains/glaciers on one side, the lakes in the valley on the other side and if the weather is co-operating you can even see the Bernese Alps and the Matterhorn in the far distance (not *that* impressive from 120 km distance, lol). I think it's enough to do one, though. Especially if you only have two half days in the Engadin.

4. On Saturday, depending on the time you arrive, I recommend a short bus ride to Sils, walking through the village and to Lake Sils, maybe around the peninsula Chasté. Have dinner there (back by bus) or at your hotel in St. Moritz. Btw, I recommend 4star Hotel La Margna right vis-a-vis from the railway station. Ask for a room with lake view.

Or take bus or train to Punt Muragl, take the funicular up to Muottas Muragl, a mountain hotel with spectacular views where you can have dinner overlooking valley and mountains (sunset! reservations!) and walk around a bit before dinner. The funicular operates till 11 pm. The night bus costs a small surcharge, but takes you back to St. Moritz (or take a cab, it's only 4 miles).

If you stay only one night I would not bother to stay elsewhere. The hotel I recommended is very central and convenient (and good, old world charm). You don't need to go up to quite ugly St. Moritz town and stay down by the lake and railway station.

I wouldn't have wanted to be in an open carriage when we did the trip, both ways, in April 2002. But if you are doing it in summer or early autumn - and you're well-rugged up at the top of the Pass - the open carriage would give you much better photo opportunities. The panoramic carriages are great but you do get reflections.

Thanks very much for your detailed message, Ingo!

Do all the regional trains have the open top cars?

Is there a left luggage facility somewhere? I'd love to take the cable car in Diavolezza, but I don't know where I can put our bags when we're there. Otherwise we'd have to take the train there and back to St. Moritz and then back out again, which is a bit silly.

I looked at La Margna's website. The range quoted is 270-330 CHF. It's a bit pricey. I may look some more for something cheaper. But I don't know if this is just expected of hotels in St. Moritz. Also the weak dollar does make everything seem more expensive.

By the way, how do the open top cars work? Are you literally surrounded by the scenery? I mean, how much of the car is actually exposed to the open? Is the feeling the same as sitting on the top deck of a ferry boat or a double decker tour bus, say?

Just trying to imagine this, thanks!

In late May we took a regional train, which was pulling the fancy panoramic cars of the Bernina Express. The fancy cars were packed and we had a whole car all to ourselves. I could go back and forth from side to side and open the windows and take pictures to my heart's content! I had read about this on this website and I found it to be the very best answer!

You're welcome.

No, not all of the regional trains have the open cars. I am not sure if you can find this out in advance, but in general I can say almost all the regional trains that leave in the morning (before noon) have these. They run to Poschiavo and from there the open cars run back to St. Moritz in the afternoon. When you arrive at St. Moritz you can pick up a printed schedule flyer and there you see a special sign for the open cars printed behind those on the flyer. Or ask at the station.

Yep, it's like sitting on the top deck of a ferry. Really panoramic.

There is a less expensive 2star hotel next to the train station. It should be okay for one night: Hotel Bellaval.

Luggage at the Diavolezza station ... hm, I don't recall that I saw any lockers. The train stop really isn't a building. But the station of the cable car is manned and you should be able to leave your luggage there for the ride up. You should either email them or call them. www.diavolezza.ch if I'm correct is their website and they should have an email account listed on this site.

Great, thanks again.

The open top trains sound fantastic.

I'll try to book a hotel by calling tomorrow. I'll also check with the Diavolezza cable car folks.

I've booked Eden Garni via sbb.ch (Swiss Rail). It was an odd experience. I couldn't see "USA" among the list of pulldown countries so had to call to book, but it was irrelevant anyway becuase the confirmation is sent via e-mail.

They suggested an alternative stc.ch, where for the same hotel the rates were higher, for whatever reason -- the same as the hotel on their website.

I booked a superior room for 209 CHF, prepaid. Looks like rack rate from hotel is 250 CHF. Cheapest on their website listed at 190 CHF, so I figured that 19 CHF was a good insurance plan since my reservation specified "lake side." I called the hotel and 190 CHF has no view.

I'll check on the Diavolezza cable car station for luggage later.

Thanks!

bookmarking

Hi, does someone know if a Swiss pass of some sort will be worthwhile? I don't think that I'll have enough rides, but I thought that I'd ask just in case. I wonder if they cover cable car rides as well?

In 2000, I was in the Bernese Oberland. I ended up buying a lot of point-to-point tickets, including the ride to Jungfraujoch, which was very expensive. In the end I was upset that if I had bought some kind of pass, I'd have come out ahead. But to my surprise, when I showed all my ticket stubs, they actually gave me some money back.

I thought that that was the sort of thing that can only happen in Switzerland!

So this time, ahead of time, I should find out if there're any money-saving options. Unlikely, I'd think, since I'm arriving from Zurich on Saturday and then leaving the area on Sunday. But you never know.

Thanks again!

For a list of passes available, see: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Will....html?&L=2

There's a sbb office near the train platforms at the airport. You can purchase your passes there or get any questions answered.

Thanks. I'll check the Swiss Pass options.

Diavolezza has a room where you can leave your luggage. I just phoned them.

Is the cable car station near the train station?

Thanks.

It's only 100 meters away, a bit ascending, but not much. Biggest problem are probably the 20 or so stairs leading up to the floor where the cash desk is and the cable car leaves.

Have a great trip! Weather forecast is quite good for the weekend.

Ingo

Thanks for the tip and again for all your suggestions. Sounds like we should be ok. Looking forward to it!

Hi, while going from Zurich to St. Moritz does it matter which transfer point I use? One route goes through Landquart. The other through Chur, which is the Bernina Express route.

Is one more scenic than the other? My impression is that the best part of Bernina doesn't come until later.

So is it ok to take either route?

Thanks!

The direct route from Zurich to St Moritz will take you through both Landquart and Chur. Perhaps you mean you have to choose a change of trains in one or the other. Between Chur and St Moritz you pass over the spectacular Landwasser Viaduct!

Thanks. When I looked at sbb.ch one said to change in Landquart while the other in Chur. But then I looked at the schedules again, it looks like most of the trains I can take will want me to switch in Chur.

So Chur it is, thanks!

Hi, I just got back. I want to thank Ingo especially for the extremely detailed suggestions, which I followed. I'll some of my own tips.

1. This was a bit of a mistake, and it could be very costly for someone else.

Some hotels offer a combo package where you get accommodation and all tickets for the region if you stay for 2 nights or more.

I didn't know this until I arrived. My tickets easily added up to the cost of a second hotel night. But I was only there for one night. Still there could have been a more economical option of booking a hotel that offered this for two nights.

For example, Bellaval, suggested by Ingo, offers this package.

There're also discounted tickets. I bought a 6-ride discounted package for rides and lifts. Also I think there're discounted passes for trains and buses, which I didn't buy.

Still I think the hotel combo option is the best option. But maybe it's only around for the summer.

2. We stayed in Eden Garni. That was fine. But my mom didn't really like the walk uphill. Though it seems close to the train station on the map, there's no direct path to the hotel and you need to get there in a more roundabout way.

Ingo was right on the money with a suggestion like Bellaval.

3. Open-top trains. Terribly unclear to me which ones actually offered this option. I checked at the station and looked at the schedule. In the end, for that day we traveled to Tirano, I know the 10:45 departure from St. Moritz did offer the open-top carriages.

But when we tried to get on from Diavolezza, we couldn't because that carriage was closed to a private group.

By the way, on that train, the carriages come at the end. So if you want to get on at an intermediate stop, you may want to be sure to position yourself correctly.

4. Dinner at Muttoas Muragl. I really liked Punt Muragl, but I thought the restaurant was pricey. I think that I ordered some shrimp dinner and it had 6-7 shrimps. Cost of that was around 45 to 50 CHF.

5. I think we should have stopped in Alp Gruem. We had enough of a layover in Tirano. I didn't really think of this until we had passed that stop.

We took the 8-ish (I think) departure from St. Moritz. Stopped in Diavolezzza first.

6. Indeed Diavolezza offers a left luggage room. That wasn't a problem.

7. We went to Piz Corvatsch, Muttoas Muragl, Diavolezza. The last was especially stunning because there're almost no physical barriers between you and the alpine landscape. I think people actually hike along or down to the glaciers.

Thanks again! I'll be happy to answer any questions or provide tips when they occur to me.

Hi 111,

You've been to parts of the Engadine I've never been. Thanks for the report.

My aunt was telling me that since many of Engadine's lifts no longer accept the Swiss half fare cards, hotels now offer lift combos to attract visitors.