The Bernina Express: Experience the most scenic train ride in Switzerland

The best scenic way to travel in Switzerland is by train. No matter where you go, you’ll find gorgeous scenery of lush green mountains, waterfalls, rivers, and lakes. Cows are also a staple of Swiss scenery adding to the fairy tale view. Rhaetian Railways (RhB) offers panoramic train rides with one of the most famous ones being the Bernina Express, a breathtaking train ride through the Alps. This approximately 7-hour roundtrip ride departs from Chur and currently travels until Tirano, Italy.

The Train

7 hours on a train might sound like a tedious trip but although the Bernina Express train maintains a vintage look on the outside it offers a variety of amenities including free Wi-fi. Once you’ve logged into the train’s Wi-fi you’ll be able to follow the route, which is also narrated on the speakerphone in German, Italian, and English. For those who prefer to disconnect from technology during this amazing trip, the route is also drawn on the tables in front of every seat.

Wherever you seat, you’ll enjoy a full view of the changing panaroma.

The best part Bernina Express train is the large windows that allow for a 180-degree view of the scenery. Starting with the city, moving to the many waterfalls, lakes, rivers, bridges, and landmarks seen along the mountains, and valleys, no matter where you sit you’ll get a full view of the changing panorama.

As with all trains in Switzerland, every wagon has a restroom so no need to worry about enjoying a coffee, glass of wine, or beer during the trip. The attendant will share a menu with you and bring any requested items to your seat. It is also allowed to bring your own food. Since I try to make every trip as thrifty as possible, I brought my own sandwich, snacks, and a travel-size bottle of red wine.

the Bernina route

The Bernina Express departs from Chur’s train station. If your starting point is a different city, you’ll need to purchase your connection and allow enough time for arrival. The train continues onto Tiefencastel known for its many castles but one of the most important landmarks appears right before Filisur. The Landwasser Viaduct built in 1901, this UNESCO World Heritage landmark is 142 meters (466 ft) long and 65 meters (213 ft) high. It extends in a curve over the Landwasser Valley and inside a tunnel, the entrance of which is on a vertical rock wall.

The first stop is at St. Moritz train station where you’ll find an alpine resort town in the Engadin valley. This is a short stop to pick up passengers. Not long after St. Moritz and before Ospizio Bernina, we’ll reach the Morteratsch glacier and the highest peaks of the canton of Graubünden. This is where the ascent up the Bernina Pass begins.

The next stop was one of my favorites! As a California girl, I don’t get much fun in the snow, so having those 40 minutes to get out and explore in Alp Grüm made me feel like a kid again. At an altitude of 2,091 meters (6,860 ft), you’ll get to breathe fresh air and take pictures with the Alps in the background.

We’ll now begin our descent toward the Poschiavo Valley. The train ride ends in Italy but since I took this ride during COVID border restrictions, our last stop was at the Swiss-Italian border. The official language becomes Italian rather than German. If you book the same-day roundtrip you’ll have approximately 3 hours until the train ride back. Just enough time to explore the town and have a delicious Italian meal. The ride back is at least one hour faster without any stops so you’re free to take a nap free of FOMO.

The Bernina Route in Short

The Bernina Express train crosses the entire Graubünden canton and the Bernina pass through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, including the Albula tunnel. The Ospizio Bernina marks the highest point of the route, at 2,253 meters (7,392 ft) over sea level. Here you could stay at Albergo Ospizio Bernina which offers affordable lodging and located it’s located a short walk from the railway.

The train’s large panoramic windows offer amazing views from every seat making this an unforgettable trip for the whole family. I recommend visiting in the Spring since this is when I got to experience the diverse panoramas from green lush mountains to the snow-covered Alps all the way down to the Italian scenery of Poschiavo. Learn what to pack for this or any European trip with this complete list. Whether you’re cruising in the panoramic train or enjoying a delicious Italian meal, always BE PRESENT!