MySwissAlps.com includes Bernina Express route in two days on regional trains from Lucerne?
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Hello!
My husband and I are arriving into Zurich at 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17, planning to catch up with our travel partners in Lucerne on June 19 in the afternoon. With about two days to spare when we land, we are wondering if it is feasible to try to fit in a Bernina Express route to Tirano and back to Lucerne on regional trains (we know the BE is sold out.)
Since we are flying business class sleepers, we will hopefully be fairly rested. Once we land and go through customs, we could go to Chur directly from the airport and leave on the next available train toward Tirano but have read that it is really the early morning light that makes this best to leave early in the morning. Otherwise, we could visit Zurich on the 17th and in the evening take a train to the nearest recommended place (Chur? Other?) for early morning departure on Thursday, June 18.
We could spend the night of the 18th in Tirano (or nearby) and take very early 7:00 – 7:30 train to Lucerne on the 19th arriving around 2 or 3:00?? Is this a crazy agenda to try to make work? After two nights in Lucerne we will be spending about a week in Murren for day hikes.
Is Chur the recommended stay over? Other options?
Thank you for your valuable service to all of us visitors. You are much appreciated!
Kind Regards, Mickey
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Hello again Mickey
What you are suggesting in the section of your thread beginning with the words ‘Otherwise, we could visit Zurich on the 17th… ‘is clearly doable. But it is going to take a lot of LAST-MINUTE planning.
In particular you will need to get accommodation for the nights 17th and 18th.
You will also need to rethink the problem of which public transport passes you should invest in.
On this pass problem, I would now suggest that for maximum flexibility you INVEST in three day Swiss Travel Passes for the period 17th to 19th June (405 CHF first class per person).
Still also invest in Half Fare Cards and Berner Oberland Passes. Your BOPS can start from the day you go from Lucerne to Murren.
Accommodation on 17th and 18th
I am guessing that it will still be relatively easy to get accommodation in the Chur area or in the St Moritz area. May be morre difficult to get decent accommodation in or near smaller Tirano. I would suggest book two nights in St Moritz (or nearby Celerina, Samedan, Pontresina, Zuoz).
Procedure on 17th
‘Going through customs’ on 17th MAY be time and energy consuming because of the new European Entry Exit System (‘EES’). Once you are through the new processes travel from Zurich Airport to St Moritz changing at Zurich Hauptbahnhof and Chur. If you left Zurich Airport at 14 15 you would reach St Moritz at 17 55.
From Zurich to Chur sit on the left side of the train in the direction of travel. From Chur to St Moritz travel on the right hand side in the direction of travel. The famous curved Landwasser viaduct comes about ten minutes after Tiefencastel.
On the 18th have a leisurely round trip from St Moritz to Tirano and back. If your outward journey is early morning, you should avoid the crowds.
On the 19th Catch (say) the 08 47 RE7 from St Mortiz to Landquart via Klosters. At Landquart change to the 10 48 IC3 to Zurich Hauptbahnhof. From Zurich catch the 12 09 IR70 to Lucerne, arrive 12 51.
Best wishes
Roger
Hi Mickey,
A possible alternative would be to travel directly to Chur from Zurich Airport on June 17th and spend the night. Then next morning, take the regional Bernina railway train to Tirano using the Bernina Express route (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/bernina-express/). You could do it as day trip, taking the early morning train to Tirano and returning later in the evening. In the summer, the days are long so this is definitely doable. You could either spend another night (June 18th) in Chur (recommended so you don’t have to worry about where to store your luggage) or you could travel directly to Zurich. Then leave for Lucerne the next day on the 19th.
Best regards,
Anna
Thank you very much for the suggestions from Roger and Anna. I had not thought about doing the entire RT in one day from Chur. Thank you to Roger for confirming we need the Swiss Travel Pass as well as our Half Fare Cards as well as the BOP. We have reservations in Chur on the 17th so will have to decide our route for reservations for the 18th. I so appreciate your invaluable suggestions to the entire traveling community. Many thanks for all you do! Kind Regards, Mickey
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