Seat reservations on the Bernina Express
-
I just wanted to share my experience with making seat reservations on the Bernina Express (BEX).
Seat reservations ARE mandatory to travel on the BEX. You can find out how to make reservations at http://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress/tickets.
If you scroll right down to the bottom of that page you will find some links under “More Information” to pages on the RhB (operators of the BEX) website. The second link takes you to the page where you can make seat reservations AND choose your preferred seats. None of the options higher up the page give you that option. They just try to group people together, but which side of the train you end up on is pot luck.
My experience with bookings for the BEX on the RhB website is that the seats at the top of the seating plan are on the right heading south. The location of the drivers seat used to be shown on the BEX bus. This was a bit of a giveaway as to direction of travel but is no longer shown. The gap in the middle of the new bus plan suggests that is the right side of the bus. I am pretty sure that seats 12/18 (the numbering system is weird) are directly behind the driver and therefore on the preferred left side of the bus heading from Tirano to Lugano. Seats 14/16 are the exciting seats with a driver’s eye view of the rapidly-appproaching, impossibly narrow gaps the bus squeezes through in in the latter stages of the trip.
If you are travelling with a 2nd Class Swiss Travel Pass but want to travel 1st Class on any particular trip (including the BEX) you can buy a Class upgrade at any SBB station or using the SBB Mobile App (bit.ly/2ICIUHi ) or here bit.ly/2rZEIXh. You need to buy a route specific class upgrade. If you buy on line you need to nominate a Half-fare Card reduction to get the correct price (using either website of SBB app). An upgrade will cost half the difference between 1st and 2nd class full-fares.
- The thread ‘Seat reservations on the Bernina Express’ is closed to new replies.