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Hi Birches25 and welcome to MySwissAlps!
There are some great towns, big and small in the Graubünden region and you can read about them on our site here: http://www.myswissalps.com/gr aubunden.
Hiking at higher altitudes will be limited or unavailable in early May though (winter is still in effect typically). But the weather can be nice and pleasant in and around most towns.
Have a read through when to visit for some more details: http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisit
Do note that if you take the Bernina Express panoramic train you need to make reservations for each leg you do (depending on how many stops you make). Read more about the train, and links for reservations and route details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/be rninaexpress
72625 posts
The Bernina Express train is normally done on one go as a day trip.
You can ride at will up and down the Bernina line on any train if you have a rail pass, and hike on any of the paths.
It’s easier to do this from a single base – nowhere is all that far from anywhere else in Switzerland…
There is a Graubünden Pass covering all of the Rhätische Bahn (RhB), which is Canton Graubünden’s ‘national railway’
You can buy paper maps in bookshops with all walking paths shown in red, and use this web site to see the paths (green lines) in relation to railways (red lines):
Main page:
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /hiking-in-switzerland.html
Preda spirals (Albula line)
map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en&land=wanderlan d&route=all&bgLayer=pk &layers=Wanderland%2CS tation&season=summer&r esolution=5&E=2776979& N=1163587
Bernina summit area:
map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en&land=wanderlan d&route=all&bgLayer=pk &season=summer&resolut ion=5&E=2797191&N=1144 424&layers=Wanderland% 2CStation
72625 posts
Thank you very much for your advice. Will remember to reserve sets on Bernina Express. Apparently there are local trains too along the same line. The hiking map is very useful. You mentioned that it may be a little too cold in May, hopefully we can still do some short hikes. Will carry thermal gear! thanks a lot.
72625 posts
It is more the snow blocking hiking trails, rather than it just being cold that will stop you from hikes in higher elevations. There should be lots of options, just be sure to check with the local tourism office to see what is open. 🙂
72625 posts
Just to clarify my earlier point, you do not have to travel on the Bernina Express, any local/regional train is free to board in Graubünden if you have the right valid pass. If you are accessing hiking opportunities, local trains are better, the Bernina Express (and Glacier Express) are aimed at tourists travelling the whole way on the train and looking at the views rather than hopping up and down between hikes.
Also it is not clear if you thinking the Bernina Express is all the way from Chur to Tirano.
It is important to understand the difference between the ‘Bernina Express’ and the ‘Bernina Railway’. The Bernina Railway is the (originally independent) railway line from St Moritz to Tirano – it became part of the RhB in 1943.It has regular ‘normal’ train services :
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/ fileadmin/fap_pdf_fiel ds/2018/950.pdf
The Bernina Express runs through once a day from Chur, but the line from Chur as far as Samedan/Pontresina/St Moritz is the Albula railway not the Bernina railway. The Albula railway is also superb as a jumping off point for hikes. I did lots this August just gone.