Can the Bernina Express be booked out?
A traveler named BarSal is planning a scenic trip on the Bernina Express from Chur to Lugano for September, but is frustrated because there are only a few backward-facing first-class seats left. They are seeking advice on whether more seats will become available and if there are better options for booking.
- Book your train reservations as soon as they open since popular routes fill up quickly.
- Consider alternative routes, like regional trains, which don’t require reservations and allow you to sit wherever you like.
- Look into the Swiss Travel Pass if you plan to travel extensively; it often offers discounts and flexibility.
AI-generated summary-
It’s 90 days out from our trip and reservations have opened for the Bernina express but it says only 3 seats left in first class all on the LH side of the train travelling backwards. Do open up more carriages as they go?
-
Yes, they can book out quite quickly – a very popular route and tour groups book it up as well.
You’re looking for September 11? There are lots of seats from Chur to Tirano still. What direction and date are you wanting? Do note, the direction of travel is not guaranteed in any case.
Hi Lucas – I raised concerns back in Feb about travelling on Saturday 1st Sept as it was the last weekend of school holidays and even though the forum said not to worry I flipped our itinerary around so we would travel a week later. Saturday 8 Sept and miss the school holidays. Chur to Lugano.
Found out I was able to book 90 days out. Counted 90 days and thought today was the day – only to find only three seats in first class, all facing backwards (I get sick!) and couldn’t believe the train could be booked out immediately! I have bookings around this I can’t cancel. Do they add extra carriages or is that it!?
The only thing I can think of is to go from Wengen to Lugano and reverse the trip and miss the Gotthard express to Lucerne. Sad face.
Hi BarSal,
They may not show all seats for independent travelers. I’m not sure but that could be the case. I’d try to book through https://www.happyrail. com/en/pass/europe/swi tzerland/passholder-fares-bernina-express and see if they can get you the seats. You’ll know within 24 hours, probably sooner. With 3 seats it’s likely one of them will be forward facing.
Hi BarSal,
It can be tricky sometimes – just bad luck if a tour group is the reason for the lack of seats. Try HappyRail for sure. Again no guarantee on which way you face when booking so don’t lose hope.
I don’t love facing backwards either but don’t often have trouble unless the carriage is quite warm. 90 days out from today is September 9. So September 1 would have opened a week ago (still quite quick to book up). Be sure to book what you can asap.
I changed my booking from the first and re-routed our whole trip to go on the 8th (90 days yesterday) to miss school holidays. When I went to make reservation all seats were booked except 3.
We only need 2 Arno and the 2 together are rear facing. I’ll look at Happy rail. They charge 86 CHF for 2 reservations chur to Lugano. Rhaetian charge 56 – but at this point the dollars are irrelevant.
Reservations are not changeable nor refundable. I felt I had no choice but to book the last 2 seats (56 chf). But will probably throw that money away.
Looking at changing completely and going from Wengen to Lugano via Zermatt and after our 5 days there doing the Bernia in reverse a week later. Will lose our booking fees and our hotel in Chur. Not sure if I can change dates in Lugano.
Ill check happy rail. Do different companies get an allocation of seats? Or if RHB sell them that’s it?
Thx Arno
happy rail says – ‘This connection is not yet bookable online, but “offline” most likely – Ask for a quote’
Rhb says it’s full in first class.
Try the contact link in the bottom of the Happyrail site to try and arrange for front facing seats “off line”. Staff can check if there are still seats. I haven’t heard of companies getting blocks of seats for themselves to use – but it is possible (it does happen in the hotel industry for example).
A less expensive option is to look at taking a regional train between Tirano and Chur rather than the Bernina Express train (same route taken). You can sit wherever you like (no reservations) and not lose any hotel deposits etc.
Thx Lucas .. it is a bizarre twist of fate for first class to be booked out at the 90 day mark – and having planned so far ahead it was disconcerting. I did consider the regional train (good idea!).
Not to be phased, I looked at what was set in concrete (pre-paid apartment in Wengen and pre-paid Hotel in Lucerne) and moved the days in-between. **Note to anyone reading this … avoid locking in hotel bookings – pay extra for a flexible bookings – till all your travel (and train bookings!!!) are set in stone.
We were going Wengen to Chur on 6th, then on Bernina to Tirano/Lugano on Saturday 8th; 5 nights in Lugano and then Gotthard Express to Lucerne.
NOW … taking train from Wengen to Lugano on the 6th; taking Bernina bus to Tirano and getting the Bernina Express from Tirano to Chur at 14:25 on the 11th (booked good seats).
Had to change hotel in Chur (from ABC to Romantik), then train from Chur to Lucerne to connect with our pre-paid hotel. Lost our ride on the Gotthard Express but will be in Lucerne earlier (Chur to Lucerne shorter) so can spend the day on Lake Lucerne (even go to Fuelen if we want).
Had to pay Bernina booking fees twice (!!) as they are not changeable or refundable. A bit of ‘Bah Humbug’ – but I think its sorted.
Really bad luck and just unfortunate yes.
Glad it is sorted and hope for the best on your trip!
Doing the Bernina in reverse to the description on the Swiss alps site, does anyone know if the train turns around in Ticino or simply ‘reverses’. Is the best side from Chur to Tirano the same, or the opposite, when returning to Chur?.
Bus is pretty obvious … but trains – this specific train? Any ideas?
Dah! Tirano .. not the region Ticino!
Typically it just reverses yes.They also don’t typically (or at all) guarantee direction of travel on those trains.
Thx Lucas
Most importantly I have a pair of single seats facing each other so we can swap around. Bit of a hassle but I think it’s sorted and a good lesson about locking things in either side of a train that is yet to be booked!
Straight from a week in a chalet in Wengen, to five nights on the lake in Lugano might be a serious change in weather – shake things up a bit!
2 of the best areas in the country! Enjoy. 🙂
Thx Lucas. Pretty sure something unusual happened as I asked Rhaetian for a refund of my first reservation and they say no refunds or changes …. but they did it. Think they were desperate to get those last 2 seats back! Or they knew it was an unusual circumstance. All good – back on track. So to speak. 🤔
It never hurts to ask!
- The thread ‘Can the Bernina Express be booked out?’ is closed to new replies.
