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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

 

 

 

15 results matching: Bernina Express

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Classic Glacier Express
Small Group
Last-Minute Savings
4.6 stars(145 reviews)
2023JunJulAugSepOct
2024AprMayJunJulAugSep
9 days from
£2,395 pp £2,095 pp
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Last-Minute Savings
9 days from
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£2,095
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  • DestinationSwitzerland
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationHotel
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Last-Minute Savings
9 days from
£1,549
£1,399
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  • DestinationSwitzerland
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Varenna
Small Group
Last-Minute Savings
3.9 stars(56 reviews)
2023JunJulAugSepOct
10 days from
£2,095 pp £1,995 pp
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10 days from
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  • DestinationItaly, Switzerland
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
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  • TransportRail, Coach
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Glacier Express & St Moritz
Small Group
Last-Minute Savings
4.4 stars(50 reviews)
2023JunJulAugSep
2024MayJunJulAugSep
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£2,595
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  • DestinationSwitzerland
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Glacier Express
Small Group
No Single Supplement
4.6 stars(166 reviews)
2023JulAugSepOct
2024MarAprMayJunJul...
8 days from
£1,995 pp
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No Single Supplement
8 days from
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  • DestinationSwitzerland
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Engadine Valley
Small Group
Last-Minute Savings
4.5 stars(22 reviews)
2023JulAugSepOct
9 days from
£2,895 pp £2,695 pp
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Glacier Express in Winter (Chur-Kandersteg) 2016
Small Group
4.6 stars(59 reviews)
2024JanFebMar
8 days from
£1,895 pp
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Classic Glacier Express at Christmas
Small Group
4.8 stars(8 reviews)
2023Dec
9 days from
£2,795 pp
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  • DestinationSwitzerland
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9 days from
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Grand Alpine Explorer
Small Group
4.6 stars(9 reviews)
2023JulAugSep
14 days from
£3,495 pp
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  • DestinationAustria, Germany, Switzerland
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International / London Heathrow
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Klosters
Small Group
3.8 stars(14 reviews)
2023Sep
9 days from
£1,995 pp
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Our customers love our Bernina Express tours
Classic Glacier Express
21/May
DAVE
5 stars
“Excellent hotels, well organised trips, great tour manager, wonderful scenery and trains. Sending suitcase ahead great help, but takes a long time.
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
Mountaintops of Switzerland
30 Oct 2022
Mr Clive Andrew Richardson
5 stars
“Well organised
Collected by Trustpilot
First-Class Glacier Express, Zermatt and Matterhorn
14 Oct 2022
Dr Robinson
5 stars
“Fantastic service and a wonderful destination
Collected by Trustpilot
Grand Alpine Explorer
08 Sep 2022
Ian Rowe
5 stars
“Leaving by Eurostar remains a pleasure compared to a busy airport. First class rail travel between centres worked well. Good to excellent hotels en route. Affable small group and our friendly tour guide kept everything moving to schedule. Stunning locations.
Collected by Trustpilot
Traditional Glacier Express
24/May
David Prior
4 stars
“Wonderful holiday, with a brilliant tour manager. Fly in the ointment was poor luggage carrier service.
Collected by Trustpilot
Lake Como and The Bernina Express
16 Oct 2022
Susan Atkins
4 stars
“The Grand Hotel Cadenabbia is a delightful place to spend a lovely week, and the Lingotto Hotel is a very good and interesting stopover. However, because the long tedious waits for trains and coaches made the travel exhausting, plus long coach journeys on some excursions, I can't quite give it 5 stars. The Tour manager was brilliant and deserves 6 stars! The itinerary needs to be re-thought.
Collected by Trustpilot
Klosters and The Glacier Express
01 Oct 2022
Denis Long
4 stars
“St Pancras a nightmare. Train travel great wonderful scenery. One day too energetic when walk instead of taxi/ bus. Manager excellent particularly when medical emergency affected our family.
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.