What do after Bernia Express?
 

We will be travelling from Chur to Tirano on 28th April. Further travel plan is not finalized yet. May be Naples (from Milan - Night Train) or may be Venice. Still confused what to do after reaching tirano at 1 pm, can't waste whole day travelling. Some options are:

1. Move to Venice (Complete day will be wasted in travelling)
2. Spend few hours at milan or como and catch night train for naples. (Milan or Como)
3. Come directly to milan from zurich, skip bernia express.

Any other options are also welcome. Please Suggest??

Why do you want to take the Bernina Express? It might seem obvious to you, but our answers would, I think, depend on knowing more about your interests.

Will you be spending any time in the area around Chur? Why / why not?

What is the rest of your itinerary?

What are your interest in Naples, Venice, Milan, Como....?

Have you consulted any good guidebooks? I strongly recommend the Michelin Green Guide and Rough Guide. And if you haven't consulted one (or more), I strongly recommend that you do -- the cost will be nugatory in comparison to the cost of your trip, you will be MUCH better positioned to answer your questions, and you will learn things you never even knew you needed to ask.

Good luck!

For most travelers, Tirano is just a border stop where you change trains, coming or going from/to Switzerland. The scenic Bernina route ends there, and you pick up a regular Italian train to get down onto the flat lands.

But you can rent a car in Tirano or nearby Sondrio, travel through lovely valleys, staying in the mountains for a bit, maybe to Edolo and up to Bormio, or over to Trento and up to Bolzano, or down to the lake Garda and to lovely and historic Verona, etc. etc.

Or simply take the train - these are the stops on the way to Milan.
Tirano
Tresenda-Aprica-Teglio
Sondrio
Morbegno
Colico
Bellano-Tartavalle Terme
Varenna-Esino
Lecco
Monza
Milano Centrale

Varenna-Esino is a very nice vacation spot on the lake Como, very popular so you might want to book ahead if you choose to stay the night. It's only about 85 minutes out of Tirano.

So it's up to you. Look up the trains at www.trenitalia.com

Listen to the above advice from both. To ride the BE, you need to make a time sacrifice. I have ridden twice and enjoyed it very much. You sound like you don't want to invest the time so choose another option.

In August, I am landing in Zurich and will train to Innsbruck for 2 nights prior to my arriving in the Dolomites. But I choose to invest the time involved. If time is short, skip the BE.

H

If you honestly think any of this travel is "a waste" then there is a problem. Since you say you haven't finalized the rest of your travel I'm honestly not sure how much we can help you.

Some people consider a day spent on a train going through beautiful scenery as a day well spent. Other people who do not get the same amount of pleasure out of just looking at scenery out of a train window and would rather be up those mountains hiking or something, consider a day spent on a train just moving from A to B as time wasted. I don't think that should be hard to understand Dukey1.

I have travelled all over Switzerland by train, including the Bernina Express and although I enjoy the scenery, I do consider the time spent on a train to be largely wasted when I could instead by spending my day up in the mountains hiking.

However, I also agree with Huggy, you do have to decide what you want to spend your time doing. If you want to go to Naples or Venice, then there is no way to avoid 'wasting' the time getting there.

If you will be in Chur and do not want to 'waste' a day getting to Naples or Venice, then don't plan to go to those places on this trip. For example, from Chur, you could be in Davos in very little time and still have time after checking in to a hotel to take a cable car up the mountain, hike to Klosters and return to Davos by train (for free with a Guest Card) in time for dinner.

Or a radical thought - book a hotel at one of the Bernina Railway's summit stations get off the BE and spend the night in this awesome scenery - take an easy hike around a lovely Alpine lake to a nearby glacier and just chill - literally perhaps.

Next day plus onto Venice.

pictures of hotel at Bernina Ospiz and summit area:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bern...HXWgAj4QsAQIHA

for lots on Bernina trains and trains in general check www.ricksteves.com; www/budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com.

What would be the option if the OP doesn't take the Bernina Express?

Take a different train?

Fly?

Drive?

On TA, the recommendation is to take the BE, not drive through the pass.

Night trains in Italy are terrible. Don't take it.

What would be the option if the OP doesn't take the Bernina Express?

Take a different train?>

maybe talking about regular Bernina Pass trains? Or more likely alternative to trains over Bernina Pass route - the only other option is to return via the same bus route.