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Bernina Express

Connecting Switzerland and Italy via the highest mountain railway in the Alps, the Bernina Express train rises to the challenges presented by snow, ice and the steepest gradients to delight passengers with a four-hour journey of breath-taking beauty through this iconic mountain range.

Beginning in the north at Chur, capital of the canton of Graubünden and the oldest city in Switzerland, the narrow-gauge railway that carries the scarlet-liveried  Bernina Express winds its way south-eastwards through the Alps, crossing into Italy shortly after Poschiavo, to its destination in Tirano.

Highlights

The Alpine passage that the Bernina Express makes from Switzerland to Italy has been acclaimed as Switzerland's most scenic journey, and passengers have much to admire from the train's panoramic windows.

The first part of the route from Chur passes through the area of Switzerland most populated with castles. As the train ascends into the glacier-dominated region of Bernina itself, the scenery becomes increasingly breath-taking. However, the views are at their most magnificent at the mountain-ringed Lake Bianco, whose placid waters mirror the sky above.

Of the 55 tunnels and 196 bridges that help the train negotiate the trickier natural elements of the route, Solis Viaduct and famous Landwasser Viaduct are particularly spectacular.

 

 

Landwasser Viaduct

 

 

 

17 results matching: Bernina Express

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Classic Glacier Express
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4.6 stars(227 reviews)
2024AprMayJunJulAugSep
9 days from
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Glacier Express
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4.6 stars(233 reviews)
2024MarAprMayJunJul...
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Glacier Express & St Moritz
4.2 stars(73 reviews)
2024MayJunJulAugSepOct
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Glacier Express in Winter (Chur-Kandersteg) 2016
Small Group
4.6 stars(59 reviews)
2024JanFebMar
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  • DestinationSwitzerland
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Engadine Valley
4.4 stars(40 reviews)
2024MayJunAugSepOct
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£3,095 pp
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Glacier Express All Inclusive
Rail Discoveries
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2024AprMayJunJulAug...
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Rail Discoveries
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Grand Alpine Explorer
4.5 stars(16 reviews)
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  • DestinationAustria, Germany, Switzerland
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Our customers love our Bernina Express tours
Traditional Glacier Express
30/Oct
Alec
5 stars
“Great views and great travel experiences. Guide was first class in planning and cummunicatopin.
Collected by Trustpilot
Mountaintops of Switzerland
16/Oct
T Yeoman
5 stars
“Good choice of hotels in interesting places. Excellent tour guide.
Collected by Trustpilot
First-Class Glacier Express, Zermatt and Matterhorn
10/Oct
PorkBelly Ventures, LLC
5 stars
“It was the best trip we have ever taken. Of course, we have perfect weather throughout the trip, a great group and the BEST Tour Director in Patricia Issac.
Collected by Trustpilot
Traditional Glacier Express in Winter
1/Apr
Nick
5 stars
“A wonderful holiday made especially good by our tour guide Lydia. She was fantastic.
Collected by Trustpilot
Classic Glacier Express at Christmas
16/Jan
David Rose
5 stars
“As ever with Great Rail, this was a super trip with a very good tour manager - Linda. The hotels were very nice with some excellent meals. Glacier Express and Bernina Express were wonderful ways to see Switzerland. We really enjoyed the experience but a note to anyone going on a rail trip across Europe - you will have to change trains at various cities and be able to manage yourself and your bags across busy stations. We enjoy the excitement of rail travel but some folks seem surprised that a good level of mobility is required.
Collected by Trustpilot
Classic Glacier Express
17/Oct
Susan
4 stars
“The rail tour was an excellent experience and the tour manager we had was very good at making sure we knew exactly what we were doing every day and managing any small issues that arose. The hotel accommodation and food on the whole did not match the quality of the rail journeys.
Collected by Trustpilot
Grand Alpine Explorer
5/Oct
Roger Wicker
4 stars
“Stunning scenery, excellent excursions, overall good holiday
Collected by Trustpilot

A touch of class

Bernina Express trains typically comprise two or three First and Second class carriages separated by a bar and services carriage at the train's centre. The carriages in both classes are spacious and offer air conditioning, panoramic windows, comfortable seating and an at-seat trolley service providing light refreshments.

Second Class carriages are designed to carry more passengers and are configured with two rows of tables, one each side of the carriage, each of which provides seating for four people.

First Class carriages comprise one row of four-seater tables and one row of double seats. Carrying fewer passengers than Second Class carriages means that First Class passengers enjoy more space and greater legroom and larger, leather-upholstered seats. Fewer seats in First Class also mean that the views from the carriages' larger panoramic windows are less obstructed.

 

 

Bernina Express Interior

 

 

 

The section of the Bernina Express's route that passes through the Albula and Bernina regions between the Swiss Town of Thusis and the Italian town of Tirano became a UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2008.

This prestigious status recognises the supreme feats of engineering that were achieved by railway builders in the early twentieth century in overcoming natural obstacles to connect remote Alpine settlements whilst simultaneously minimising the impact upon the stunning landscape.

Passengers can learn more about the route, its history and its highlights courtesy of an on-board commentary during the journey.

From the train's terminus in Tirano, the connecting Bernina Express allows passengers to continue their journey by road along a route that follows the shores of Lake Como and Lake Lugano to the city of Lugano itself on the Swiss/Italian border.