Bernina Express & Glacier Express & overnight stay

Hi there

Thanks if someone could advise which of the following is better if I plan to take Normal train to Lugano - overnight in Lugano - next morning around 9 plus starts the bernina express from Lugano to

A) Chur - stay one night in Chur and next morning take the Glacier Express to Zermatt or

b) St Moritz - stay one night in St moritz - next morning take glacier express to zermatt.

I would also like to know whether I miss any interesting scenic view if I skip the portion between St moritz and chur?

Thank you.

Hi Holiday and welcome to MySwissAlps,

You sure picked a relevant nickname! I hope our website will help you planning the perfect holiday.

Chur has a pretty historical town center. It is not in the mountains. The town of St. Moritz is not as pretty, but the area and views are wonderful. You'll be surrounded by mountains and you can have a pleasant short walk around the lake. I'd probably pick St. Moritz because it's in the mountains.

You can't skip the St. Moritz to Chur portion as that's the Glacier Express route you intend to take. And 95% of it is also part of the Bernina Express route if you decide to skip St. Moritz and stay in Chur. It's really scenic, apart from the last 10 minutes or so. Perhaps I misunderstood that question?

Hi

Thanks for the quick reply. I am a bit confused over the route cover by bernina express. There are few type of tickets under this bernina express. If starting point is from Lugano I understand that i can either buy ticket that end at St moritz ie i alight here instead of continuing to chur or i can buy ticket that travel all the way to chur.

We would like to see both st moritz and chur but unsure which is better as more convenient to continue with glacier express.

Hi Holiday,

I'd recommend to first pick the route you like. There are tickets for whatever plan you have, that's no problem. You may not even need tickets. You'd better first have a list of all your travel plans before committing to tickets. This page helps you pick the cheapest option, and you may find out a rail pass works better. In that case you don't need tickets at all, just seat reservations.

The route may confuse you because the full Bernina Express (Tirano - Chur) does not pass St. Moritz at all. It runs a few km east of it. There's a shorter version of the Bernina Express which starts in Tirano and ends in St. Moritz. This used to be the "original" Bernina Express once. Either way, you can travel to Chur or to St. Moritz, either by a Bernina Express or regular train on the same route. The Glacier Express starts in St. Moritz and stops in Chur as well, so convenience wise there's no difference. Detailed maps are on the Bernina Express page and Glacier Express page.

Could i know how long it takes for bernina express from Lugano to chur.

Fom chur, I take normal train to st moritz for one night. Would it be difficult to get train ticket here and how long is the journey?

From st moritz I start the glacier express.

Hi Holiday,

It would not make sense to take the Bernina Express to Chur, then travel back to St. Moritz, and cover the same leg again next day on the Glacier Express. You will see the same 2 hour portion 3 times. That's 4 extra hours you can also spend in either St. Moritz or Chur. If you like to see Chur, then travel to Chur the first day, and take the Glacier Express from there the next day. You will see all the scenery once and also have some time for sightseeing. Traveling times are in the timetable. Be sure to enter Lugano to Chur, and once it shows connections, add Tirano as a via-station to make sure it shows your desired route only, and not another quicker alternative.

Would this work for you?

Hi

As one of my members who only interested in bernina express is leaving early, hence, the need to start with this bernina scenic ride first.

Your advice above made sense, so she probably would have to sacrifice the leg between chur and st moritz😅

I see. But, scenery wise, the others wouldn't miss anything. You will either cover that leg on day 1 in the Bernina Express if you stay in Chur or on day 2 in the Glacier Express if you stay in St. Moritz. It's just a matter of where you'll stay for the night.

If the early leaving member is going to Zurich on day 2 she can even join you on the Glacier Express from St. Moritz and get off in Chur to change for Zurich.

It will be a very nice trip!