dinomosin

My girlfriend and I will be staying in Milan, Italy for 5 nights between Christmas and New Years and we're hoping to spend a day taking a scenic train to see mountains. I have seen some pictures of the Bernina Express but can't really figure the best way to get from Milan to Tirano, Italy where the Bernina Express route begins. The train trip does not need to be the Bernina Express, as I am sure there are many beautiful mountains in this area. We would like to leave early one morning from our the hotel in Milan sometime between Dec 29-31st and hop on a train with a small carry-on, and spend the day seeing mountains from the warmth of a train, returning to our hotel the same evening/night.

Does anyone have any suggestions how we could best accomplish this?

yestravel

From the Milan Centrale (train station) take the train to Tirano. From there transfer to BE. The BE travels on the same route as the regular trains. The BE has special cars with windows on the ceiling. Read about the train journey & see photos here
http://www.seat61.com/BerninaExpress.htm#.VngS4DZJXOg
Have fun - it's a beautiful train ride.

PalenQ

You can also take hourly regular trains that may comport better with your day trip schedule - at Tirano waltz across the square to the Swiss Station and jump on the next train to the Bernina Pass - no need to go to St Moritz as the best scenery is up at the summit, about half way to St Moritz and you are in a hurry.

Check not only www.seat61.com for info but www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com also have good coverage of the Bernina Pass railway.

Regular trains have a flat fare so you can just buy a ticket when arriving in Tirano - BE official trains require reservations and a supplement and are often full IME with tour groups so book those really early.

But the scenery on the regular trains is just the same - same tracks same scenery rarely crowded.

thursdaysd

As PQ says, no need to pay a lot for the tourist train unless you really want to (plus the schedules may not work for what you want to do). I recently took the train from Zurich to Como (but it went on to Milan) over part of the William Tell route and had no trouble enjoying the scenery. Booking ahead that cost me all of 10 Swiss francs - booking ahead for exclusively Swiss trains doesn't help, they will be expensive either way, but for international trains you can sometimes save money.

neckervd

There is actually no snow below about 2000 metres in the Alps of Lombardy and Piedmont.
For day trips to snow mountains, you can go either to the Bernina area or to Macugnaga/Monte Rosa.

Timetables:
Milano C dp 6.20 or 8.20 - Tirano ar 8.53 or 10.52, Tirano dp 9.00 or 11.00 - Bernina 10.21 or 12.21 - St. Moritz ar 11.11 or 13.11. Stop over at Alp Grum or Bernina Diavolezza (with a gondola ride to Diavolezza). Trains between Alp Grum and St. Moritz every hr.
St. Moritz dp 15.08 - Maloja Pass - Chiavenna 17.01/17.26 - Colico 17.56/18.16 - Milano C ar 19.40
or
Milano C dp 7.23 - Domodossola 8.43/9.20 - Macugnaga ar 10.40. Go by gondola to Passo Monte Moro or Wengwald.
Macugnaga dp 16.05 - Domodossola 17.22/18.53 - Milano C ar 20.31

PalenQ

Alp Grum and Bernina Ospiz are summit stations - IMO on a short trip get out there- savor the scenery - perhaps do an easy walk on groomed paths and then hop next train back to Tirano/Milan.

Scenes from Alp Grum: https://www.google.com/search?q=alp+...HRXfBsIQsAQIGw

neckervd does that Maloja Pass Bus - a dramatically scenic bus ride IME - run in winter between Xmas and New Year's too? If so consider going onto to St Moritz and taking the Maloja Pass bus back to Milan - changing at Colico I guess to another train?

What a wonderful day - I did this from Lugano - exactly the same but in reverse - bus to St-Moritz then Bernina Express bus back to Lugano.

You need no reservations for the regular trains on Bernina line or Colico to Milan I believe nor Milan to Tirano as I believe these are all regional trains on which reservations are not even possible.

Byrd

Let me suggest another trip to see the mountains. In October we took the train from Milan to Brig, Switzerland, and then took the train from Brig to Zermatt, which takes one through really breathtaking mountain scenery. At Zermatt we took the cog railway up to get the spectacular view of the Matterhorn. (See my profile picture.)

This time of year, with the snow cover, it should be really amazing!

By the way, we took the Bernina Express from Chur several years ago, and also enjoyed it. However, we were more impressed with the Alps at Zermatt.

Be aware that there could be cloud cover (on either trip). We were lucky and had beautiful clear skies which afforded wonderful views.

Have fun!

Byrd

neckervd

Swiss Post Bus St. Moritz - Lake Silvaplauna - Lake Sils - Maloja Pass - Bregaglia Valley - Chiavenna: at least every 2 hrs between 7am and 7pm all the year round (more buses during the season).

Train Chiavenna - Colico: every 2 hrs
Connecting train Colico - Varenna - Milano: every 1-2 hrs
Boat Colico - Varenna - Bellagio - Menaggio - Como: 4 times daily during the season
Bus Colico - Menaggio - Como: about every 1-2 hrs from 5.45 until 18.05, less buses on Sundays and holidays.

Milan - Zermatt - Gornergrat is a very long and expensive train ride:
Milan dp 7.23 or 8.23 - Gornergrat ar 11.41 or 12.33
Gornergrat dp 16.38 - Milan ar 21.37
RT Fare 250 USD/pax
You can see similar mountains (without Matterhorn, however) from Macugnaga Monte Moro, the place I recommended above.

PalenQ

Byrd's suggestion of Zermatt is great but not practical for a day trip from Milan unless you want to get there, maybe see the Matterhorn if not shrouded by fog or clouds and turn around and head back. Great place to stay a day however

neckervd

According to the weather forecast, there will probably be no serious clouds around Matterhorn until New Year (it's now dry and sunny since mid November in this area).
Nevertheless a lot of other places like Macugnaga, Riederalp/Aletsch Glacier, etc. would be easier to reach.

PalenQ

I've been to Aletsch Glacier and though it is awesome it is a singular draw - not the majestic soaring peaks like found in Zermatt area or the top of the world atmosphere of the Bernina Pass - it is a unique site seeing the Alp's longest glacier from near its tip stretching up to the Jungfrau Massif but not nearly as the Alpine Wonderland picture so many folks have in their minds' eyes IMO.

Byrd

I agree that Milan-Zermatt as a day trip would be a hard day's travel, though we had been told that it could be done.


I should have noted that we actually stayed three days in Zermatt I'm sorry to be misleading. I guess I was just remembering what a great trip we had and left out some details!

Byrd

PalenQ

Yes Zermatt is awesome but for a few hours you'd be in Zermatt only and not have time to ascend the Matterhorn, it would not be worth the terrible expense but a few days there heavenly.

dinomosin

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I am the OP on this post and we decided to do a day trip from Milan on the Bernina Express to St. Moritz, Switzerland. Our concierge booked us on a train from Milan to Turino, Italy. There we switched trains and got on the 9am Bernina Express, which had panoramic windows, and arrivewd in St Moritz a few minutes after 11 am. We stayed in St Moritz for a few hours and just walked around the beautiful, picturesque town that sits above a lake. This day was the highlight of our 9 day trip to Italy. I will post some pictures once I have had time to download them to my computer.

yestravel

Thanks for reporting back & glad it worked out for you. It is a beautiful route.

thursdaysd

Thanks for the report, great that you had a good time.

Byrd

Sounds like a wonderful trip!

jangita

So glad you had a great trip. Are you sure you caught the train in Turino and not Tirano?

PalenQ

What time did you leave and when did you get back?

dinomosin

Yes, it was Tirano (not Turino) and we got back to the train station in Milan between 8 and 9 pm.