Hello all,

My daughter who is 22 and I will be travelling to Europe in September 2013.

We plan on taking the Bernina express Train in Milan, Italy we would love some info on this trip. Does the train make stops where you can get off to take pictures, or even stop in a town and get back on. Anyone who has done this trip I would love the information. My daughter and I are not into shopping or wine, we are into sightseeing and nature. Is it also possible to start this train trip in Switzerland?We heard Switzerland is a lot more expensive to stay in than Italy.our preference is to take it from Switzerland and tour Switzerland but we have a budget.Any ideas are welcome, it would be great to hear from fellow travellers who toured Switzerland on a budget.

The Bernina Express goes from Tirano ,Italy( east of Lake Como, Italy) to Chur, Switzerland. You could get to Lugano ,Switzerland by train from Milan, then take a bus to Tirano, Italy from Lugano.
Switzerland is very beautiful but also quite expensive for even the most common things. You will have to decide what your budget allows. Look at hotels in the Berner Oberland for the most picturesque area.

Budget and Switzerland don't belong in the same sentence. What is your budget? How many nights do you want to spend in Switzerland and where?

Switzerland is a gorgeous county - but you need to assume prices are about double what they would be in the US. (Way more than the NYC prices I am used to - for anything, from transit to food to lodging).

If you want to do this give us an idea of your budget so we can let you know how realistic it is.

Not sure why you are going to Milan at all - based on what you want to do.

Hi dawn7,

Congratulations -- the Bernina Express is one of the most scenic of all the scenic routes in Switzerland; I think you'll have a fabulous time!

Yes, of course the train stops at many towns and cities on its route. You can stop for a day or a few hours -- just make sure that the station will have luggage lockers where you can store your bags.

Check the Swiss rail site to see how often the trains will comd by, so you'll know how long you can stay at each stop. The Swiss rail site is at

www.rail.ch

Also, every train that runs over those tracks is just as scenic as the Bernina Express, of course!! The BE simply has larger windows.

Here's more information from Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernina_Express

Have fun as you plan!

s