MySwissAlps.com includes Planning a day trip on the Bernina railway line
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The Bernina Line Problem
There have been a lot of enquiries to this forum about the Bernina Line.
Many would agree with me that the Bernina Railway is the most spectacular railway in the Alps. And if you have invested in Swiss Travel Passes, you can travel on the line for free, provided you use the regional trains and avoid the Bernina Express (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/bernina-express/).
The Bernina Line is stuck down in the south easter corner of Switzerland. A day excursion from Zurich to Tirano (there and back) is about TWELVE hours. Yes, I have done it several times. Most recently on December 23 2025. But I got back extremely tired.
From Lucerne area the round trip could be as much as about FOURTEEN hours. From the Berner Oberland it is impossible. From BERN itself the round trip is about FOURTEEN hours. (I did do that trip once – about thirty years ago. I was staying very close to Bern station.)
A solution to the Bernina Line Problem – Use Chur as a base
I have been casting my mind back over my fifty-five years of regular visits to Switzerland. In 1975 I had a fourteen day holiday based in Chur, going out on day excursions using my priceless Swiss [Travel] Pass. (It had a different name back then.)
I covered all the most spectacular train and BUS routes in south-east Switzerland. I also went to St Gallen and Appenzell in the north-east. And, even though it was before the opening of the Furka base tunnel (in 1982), I had a trip to Brig. (I went via Andermatt, and returned via Bern and Zurich.)
The solution to the Bernina Line problem is to base yourself in the CHUR (or Landquart, or Bad Ragaz or Sargans) for a few days. Invest in a Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/). Go out on day excursions, both by train and bus.
Obviously do the Bernina line, (but not on the Bernina Express).
There are a large number of spectacular bus routes accessible from Chur. The Jewell in the Crown is the the 811 bus from Zernez to Mals (in South Tirol). This is a spectacular bus route over the Ofen Pass which runs hourly 365 days a year (I have travelled on it on a New Year’s Day!) Arguably the 811 is just as scenic as the Bernina railway…..
Best wishes to everyone.
Roger
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Thanks, Roger! A great tip. I’ve added this to my notes app.
Yes, me too. Thanks, Roger. I will add this to my ‘Switzerland to do’ list.
Kind regards
Ali
This is a great tip Roger, thanks for sharing in the forum. I will mark and note this for my future Switzerland trips. This year we are doing round trip from Lugano (Bernina Bus -> Tirano -> Bernina Express ->Thusis -> Bus (171) -> Bellinzona.
Didn’t realized Chur has many day trips to offer apart from 2 scenic trains.
thanks again
Hello pvonk, alimac and Komal.
Thank you for your kind responses to my suggestion!
Hello Everyone
Komal’s solution is brilliant!
BUT it will only work if your holiday/vacation base is in Ticino canton (Lugano, Locarno, Bellinzona area). And it will only work in the anti-clockwise direction. You will leave Lugano at 10 00 and be back there at 20 58. (just before 9 pm).If you adopt my suggestion of basing yourself in Chur, the 171 bus route Chur-Thusis-Belinzona is a ‘must do’.
I would not recommend it, but you could leave Chur on the 06 58 route 171 and get to Lugano (changing to a train at Bellinzona) at 09 28. That would be in time for the 10 00 Bernina Express bus! You would get back to Chur at 18 31 (just after 6 30 pm).
Note that both the Bernina Express bus and the Bernina Express train require seat reservations.Kind regards
Roger
Thank you for this information Roger. I really appreciate the additional information. We are actually scheduled on the Bernina railway from St. Moritz to Tirano since that was how our itinerary made it work, but we weren’t able to get seats on the Bernina Bus. We’ll need to get alternate transportation from Tirano to Lugano. Is the regional train the only option or does that 811 also go there?
Hi Karen,
If the Bernina Express bus is booked out, the train via Italy is the best option to reach Lugano from Tirano. With one change in Monza, it’s perfectly doable. It’s not included in the Swiss Travel Pass, so you need an additional ticket, which is not that expensive: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-guide/italy-switzerland/
Thank you Roger for the excellent tips! And indeed Chur is a great base, with a lovely historical town center.
Hello again Karen
Thank you for your kind words in your reply five.
The Tirano to Lugano Problem if you cannot get on the Bernina Express Bus
(First note that the 811 bus route referrred to in my thread is of no help to you. It goes nowhere near Tirano.)
Arno’s advice to go through Italy via Monza is undoubtedly the solution to your problem. Italian trains leave Tirano at eight minutes past each hour. They are regional trains bound for Milan(o) Centrale. Sit on the right hand side of the train in the direction of travel for views over Lake Como, arguably the most beautiful of all the Alpine lakes.
If, for example, you caught the 14 08 train from Tirano, you would reach Monza at 16 26. You then would get the 16 53 ‘Tilo’ train (which has started from Milano) bound for Locarno via Como(city) Chiasso and Lugano. You reach Lugano at 17 58. (If you left Tirano at 1508 you would reach Lugano at around 19 00 (7 pm).Best wishes for your detailed planning.
Roger
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