horacemann4152

Hi there ,

We're trying to do this in one day as have to see the Bernini route (yes, I know it's best to stop but this is last leg of a 2 week trip and now can't change other parts). Question is whether this is feasible? The Italian train schedules can't even be brought up online, and wondering if the trains actually run on time in Italy? My recollection is that this isn't always the case. Is there a reliable web site to check these train times?

And any tips or experience on this route appreciated!

PalenQ

Is there a reliable web site to check these train times?>

Yes the German Railways official site - www.bahn.de is reliable for schedules of all European trains- for a very detailed explanation of how to use bahn.de go to the home page of www.budgeteuropetravel.com and there click on the box about www.bahn.de and they give you tons of tips to fully use this Wunderbar site that may not be apparent at first encounter.

You can do this as one long day -
Venice to Milan - 2.5 hours
Milan to Tirano - 2.5 hours
Tirano to St Moritz via Bernina Pass - 2.5 hours
St Moritz to Zurich- 3 hours

4-5 simple changes of train (except in chaotic at first glance Milan Central).

From bahn.de I figured out that you could get any of the last trains from St Moritz to Zurich - they leave at 18:57; 19:57 and get to Zurich about 10 pm- earlier if you can catch earlier trains.

That said www.bahn.de for some reason will not give Milan-Tirano-St Moritz schedules but routes you a more direct route via buses to Chur- but your itinerary is possible though a long one and enough time in between trains to comfortably get thru I think.

Milan to Tirano is run by Nord de Milano railways not Trenitalia.com so maybe Google their schedule site?

I'll try to decipher exact times for each station later today to be sure that you can do it in one day - seems like it at a quick glance anyway.

Note you can take any train Tirano to St Moritz/Chur - same tracks as the official Bernina Express which must be booked very early as it fills often with groups but local trains Tirano-St Moritz- Chur can be hopped on any time - no reservations possible - buy the ticket at Tirano's Swiss station - across the square from the Italian train station.

PalenQ

OK- from bahn.de/en

Venice Santa Lucia EC train lv 8:50 ar 11:25 Milano Centrale

Lv Milano Cle 12:20 - ar Tirano 14:52

Lv Tirano Swiss station - one minute walk from Italian station at 15:00 - arrive in Zurich 20:23 - all via Bernina Pass Railway

and you can leave Tirano at 15:40; 16:06 and 17:00 - last train and get to Zurich 5.5 hours later.

So very doable - book Italian tickets at www.trenitalia.com - www.sbb.ch for Swiss trains. See if in Venice you can buy all those tickets in one fell swoop - probably not but worth a try if you don't pre-buy online as most would.

No railpass, etc would be useful on this train trip.

horacemann4152

Thanks so much PalenQ. Is this the regular regional train and not the one with the enclosed panoramic glass (yes, touristy I know, but we are tourists for that matter)? Because I wa sof the impression you'd need to change at Chur to get the train to Zurich?

PalenQ

Not sure what trains those are but will check later - but yes you always have to change at Chur due to a track width difference - narrow-gauge from Tirano-St Moritz-Chur - standard or normal gauge Chur to Zurich - get off one train and onto another.

One of those trains is the official Bernina Express - details on bookings:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bern...hrome&ie=UTF-8

In summer some regional trains have open-air flatbed rail cars in 2nd class and this is the ultimate observation car IMO - I rode one once and it was awesome!

PalenQ

Again go to www.bahn.de/en and put in Tirano to St Moritz and then click on details for that train - if a D type train turns up it has Panoramic cars on it - details should also say that. It appears that in June at least on a random date I check the last observation car BEX train leaves Tirano about 14:30 - it's kind of fun thinking about this fabulous train that to me is Europe's most dramatically scenic train - the only real actual railway to cross the Alps north to south without use of long long tunnels - or mainline railway.

You can check on leaving Venice much earlier and then it may be possible. But to me the observation cars are nice but if can't get one the scenery is just as awesome.

The flat bed rail cars you can just hop on - no reservation needed - just a regular ticket - bundle up however even in summer as the train goes to a high altitude at the summit.

PalenQ

It appears that after a quick check for trains in June that it is impossible for you to get from Venice to Tirano in time to catch the last Bernina Express train of the day - but of course you can take several regular trains- but check for your actual date - look for trains Tirano-St Moritz marked a "D" trains and the bahn.de site should say 'Panoramic cars" on its notes.

Cheers!

PalenQ

If you have a day to spare somewhere you could yes go to a place after Milan - like Varenna-Esino on Lake Como - a gorgeous lakeside town - and then be able to take the official BEX around noon.