2 nights St. Moritz & trip with panoramic train

Heloo!

We are a group of 11 people (6 adults and 5 youth - 13 to 16) traveling from Italy to Romania. We come in Switzerland with our cars from 31.08.2016 (late afternoon) to 02.09.2016 and we want to stay in St. Moritz (2 nights). On 01.09.2016 we want to travel in one of the panoramic train (Glacier or Bernina), round trip. Because we have just one day for that, we need only part of the intinerary. For example, with Glacier Express I found St. Moritz - Disentis (8.57 - 12.27), retur 14.27 -18.03), or, with Bernina Express, I found St. Moritz - Tirano (09.30 - 12.00), retur (14.03 - 16.20). We don't have any reservation (hotel or train).

What's your advice regarding the hotel in St. Moritz and most important, the intinerary (round trip, same day) and the tikets for the panoramic train ( Glacier or Bernina)? Do we need any kind of swiss pass just for that? I saw that same hotels in St. Moritz give free access to local transport, and we have our cars if necesary.

Thank you.

Simona Vraciu, Romania

Hi Simona, thanks for signing up with us!

You'll find our hotel suggestions here: myswissalps.com/ stmoritz/ hotels.

As for the train trip: both routes are wonderful, but you may see part of the St. Moritz - Tirano route while driving to St. Moritz. So that could be a reason to pick the Glacier Express to Disentis. A regular return ticket costs CHF 124 excluding seat reservations. Most drivers pick a Swiss Half Fare Card to get discounts on train trips and lifts. But you may stay too short to make that worth it, and the card provided by your hotel will indeed provide a few trips for free as well (not the Glacier Express).

Hi Simona,

If you can afford the time to take an extra hour on this trip, I would highly recommend taking the Glacier Express as far as Andermatt. Going over the Oberalppass, the highest point of the route, is worth it, and the descent into Andermatt from high on the mountain (and the climb up the mountain on the way back) is really quite something.

I have attached some pictures showing the profile of the Glacier Express route, and a panorama of the area between Disentis and Andermatt to give you an idea of what you would be missing if you only went as far as Disentis :-)

The train trip to Andermatt and return would be an extra 1 hr 13 each way, compared with only going to Disentis, but the trip as a whole would only be 1 hour longer, because you would spend less time in Andermatt before taking the return trip.

When the train reaches the highest point of its journey, at Oberalppass, you will see a lighthouse. Rather strange, so high in the alps - no ships here!

It's all to do with the river Rhein/Rhine. By the time you get to Oberalppass, you will have been travelling along the Rhein, and through the wonderful Rhein Gorge with its white cliffs. Not too far from Oberalppass, in a lake called the Tomasee, is where the Rhein has its source. The lighthouse is a scale model of a lighthouse that formerly stood near the mouth of the Rhein in the Netherlands.

Enjoy the trip!

Alpenrose

That's a really good tip! It will take all day anyway, so why not include that scenic leg as well.

Great tip! We'll do that! Thank you! :)