Zermatt-Italy with Glacier and Bernina Express
A traveler is planning a week-long trip to celebrate their son's 30th birthday, starting in St. Moritz and taking the Glacier Express to Zermatt in February. They want advice on continuing to Venice via the Bernina Express and how to get from Prague to St. Moritz, while also considering the practicality of their winter itinerary.
- Consider getting an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass for convenience if you plan to take multiple train trips.
- You can board the Bernina Express in St. Moritz or nearby Pontresina, even though it officially starts in Chur.
- For the trip from Tirano to Venice, travel via Milan to find train connections.
- If possible, arrive in St. Moritz a few days early to enjoy winter activities and create a better itinerary.
AI-generated summary-
AFTER booking the Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt for this coming February, I read about the Bernina Express and would like to try to take it to Venice (or at least as far as I can and then transfer to another train or rent a car?) I’m not sure how to get from Zermatt to Chur and it looks like that is where I would pick up the Bernina Express? And how to get from Turino to Venice? We are planning to get a Swiss Rail Pass. I only have one week so maybe this is too much – especially in winter? I’d be so grateful for any advice. My husband and I are bringing our son to celebrate his 30th birthday. Thank you!!
PS – any suggestions on the best way to get from Prague to St Moritz? We were thinking overnight train, but via what Swiss city? Thank you!! 🙏🏻♥️
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Hello BLINGRAHAM, thanks for joining MySwissAlps.com!
This sounds like great present for your son!
If you’re traveling in Switzerland for a week, certainly look into an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass. It’s the easiest option if you’re planning lots of train trips.
It’s hard to tell if your overall itinerary is doable for one week. If you’re hesitant about that and would like some input, you can list a (summarized) overview of your day-to-day plans here. There is a lot you can see and do in one week if you plan well. If you love scenic train rides, this sample itinerary may provide some input: http://www.myswissalps.com/plantrip/doityourself/sampleitineraries/scenictrainswinter.
As for your specific questions:
- You can just make the full Glacier Express ride from Zermatt to St. Moritz: https://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress. You can then continue to Tirano in Italy by Bernina Express. Even though the Bernina Express officially starts (or ends) in Chur, you can board it half-way in St. Moritz or in nearby Pontresina: https://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress/gettingthere.
- Do you mean to ask how to travel from Tirano to Venice? That would be via Milan. You can find connections in the Swiss timetable: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable. If you mean Torino: those connections too are listed in the Swiss timetable, even though the entire trip is in Italy :-)!
- Yes, you could take a EuroNight train from Prague to Switzerland. You’d travel via Frankfurt in Germany (https://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/germany), and then you’d pass the Swiss cities of Basel (https://www.myswissalps.com/basel), Zurich (https://www.myswissalps.com/zurich) and Chur on your way to St. Moritz. The timetable will provide all details. This isn’t an obvious choice if you want to travel to St. Moritz by Glacier Express from Zermatt though.
I hope this gets you started. Feel free to get back with further questions, we’re happy to help.
Even though the Bernina Express officially starts (or ends) in Chur, you can board it half-way in St. Moritz or in nearby Pontresina:
May I suggest that you don’t use this phrase as it may be confusing.
Remember that the Bernina Express (like the Glacier Express) is not a single train. Rather it is a ‘concept’ or ‘brand’. And calling St Moritz ‘half way’ adds to the common confusion that the Chur – St Moritz railway is the Bernina Railway, whereas it is in fact the legendary Albula Railway
In the 2023 timetable there are ten separate trains (five pairs) designated ‘Bernina Express’, as follows:
PE 951/952 (all year round Chur – Tirano am, Tirano – Chur pm)
PE 950/955 (15 May – 22 Oct): Tirano – Chur am, Chur – Tirano pm
Plus , on the ‘true’ Bernina Railway, there are three St Moritz – Tirano out and back services:
PE 971/974 and PE973/976 (13 May – 22 Oct)
PE975/972 (7 April – 22 Oct)
You need to check a rail map of Europe and one of Switzerland, and reassess your actual itinerary.
If I am correct – you are wanting to go from Praha (Czech Republic) to Switzerland, then from Switzerland to Venezia (Venice)
According to what you have written so far you want to try and travel on the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express, if so your best route would be as follows:
Praha – Basel (Euronight EN458 overnight train via Germany), then Basel – Visp (SBB intercity), then Visp – Zermatt (MGB railway). Overall journey 15 hours with 3 changes
Zermatt – St Moritz (Glacier Express), then St Moritz – Tirano (Bernina Express or regional train). 1.5 days journey overall
Italian regional train: Tirano – Milano, then Italian Inter city train Milano – Venezia (1 day)
Long distance international journeys are best researched using the original best European travel planner operated by the Germans, (who in fact invented the online rail planner)
Thank you! All of this is very helpful. Unfortunately, I already booked the Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt because there were not three seats together via the reverse route. So we will end up in Zermatt on a Tuesday night. There are so many choices of things to see and do around Zermatt, I think we should just create an itinerary in Switzerland and not try to fit in Venice. So far all I am locked into is the Glacier Express beginning in St Moritz and ending in Zermatt. So I need to get to St Moritz from Praha. After that, what are your favorites? Thank you for your time and expertise!
Great decision! I once went to Venice and didn’t like it much (hot, humid, smelly canals) so turned around and got the first train into the Italian Alps!
Some options for Praha – St Moritz:
1) Praha (07.43) – Munchen, Munchen – St Margrethen (17.10) , St Margrethen – Chur, Chur – St Moritz. This is possible in one day as you can see
2) Praha – Basel as previously explained, Basel – Chur, Chur – St Moritz
3) Praha – Wien, Wien – Buchs SG, Sargans or Zurich, then to Chur
Hi again!
Right, I now see you’ve booked the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt and not the other way around. I agree that dropping the Italy plans is a good choice, but of course I’m heavily biased :-).
Would you be able to schedule your incoming trip from Prague a few days earlier? That would allow you to spend some time in or near St. Moritz before you head on to Zurich. The Upper Engadine, in which St. Moritz is located, is one of the very best places for a winter stay in my opinion. You can read about it here:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/wheretogo/winter
- https://www.myswissalps.com/stmoritz
- https://www.myswissalps.com/upperengadine
If you’d spend a few nights here, you would even be able to make a day trip over the Bernina Express route to Tirano and back.
If you then add several nights in Zermatt (https://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt), you’ll already have a great winter itinerary. From which town and in which direction will you be leaving Switzerland? Maybe you could add one more destination on that route if you want.
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