Gotthard Panorama Express with Bernina Express

  • Hbvance
    Participant
    3 posts
    19 August 2020 at 19:03:32 #825655

    I am looking to combining the Gotthard and Bernina Panoramic Express trains. I would begin in Lucerne, taking the Gotthard to Lugano. Spend an additional day in Lugano, then bus/train from Lugano to Chur. From Chur I would catch a regular train back to Lucerne.

    Is this realistic? Has anyone seen any offers combining these into a three day, two night itinerary?

    Thanks for any suggestions or recommendations.

    Chip

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    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 August 2020 at 0:02:48 #934133

    More than realistic! Absolutely no problem with that. (but I don’t think you’ll find much in the way of ‘offers’ for that short round trip, especially as the Bernina Express is run by the Rhätische Bahn and the Gotthard is (for short while still) an SBB operation.)

    Staying a night in Lugano means you are on the spot to take the Bernina Express bus Lugano – Tirano which departs Lugano in the morning. However I am not a particular fan of the Gotthard Panorama Express – see below.

    Gotthard Panorama Express – a personal view

    This is ‘take it or leave it’ advice:

    Personally I am sceptical of the attraction of the Gotthard Panorama Express. It is an attempt to keep some tourism going on the Gotthard ‘mountain route’ since the rest of the fast trains now go through the base tunnel. However, you see mainly valleys not high mountains. Also it is reservation obligatory and first class only.

    Also, the train gets rather lonely – part of the ‘romance’ of the Gotthard route previously was that your train competed for space on the line with huge long international long-distance trains carrying 000s of passengers a day between northern and southern Europe, and those passenger trains interacted and weaved in between dozens of heavy freight trains lumbering back and forth across the Alps.

    The curiosity was seeing another train high above you one minute then a few minutes later passing by your train on the same level, then perhaps seeing it again below you a few minutes after that. It is this that no longer happens as there are so few trains left on the line.

    (It could also be argued that it is just a way of finding a use for very expensive panorama cars that Swiss Federal Railways bought but don’t have now have any other use for them…)!

    More economical might be for you to take any boat Luzern – Fluelen. Then take the train Fluelen – Erstfeld. Change at Erstfeld into the regional train that takes the same old mountain route but at no extra cost, and runs direct through to Como (and Milano)

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 August 2020 at 5:30:21 #934134

    Hi Chip and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    Yes, you can combine the Gotthard Panorama Express and the Bernina Express. Read about their routes at http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/gettingthere and http://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress/gettingthere.

    For a combined package check these offers: http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/packages.

    More information about Lucerne and Lugano can be found at http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne and http://www.myswissalps.com/lugano.

    I hope this helps,

    Ildiko

    Hbvance
    Participant
    3 posts
    21 August 2020 at 18:27:25 #934135

    Thanks for your advice. I will have to think about it – but I like the idea of using the regular rail options so I can have a little more flexibility.

    Hbvance
    Participant
    3 posts
    21 August 2020 at 18:30:19 #934136

    I like some of the combined packages, but I am still on the fence – see my reply to 1960man. Since it is looking like I will have to push back my trip to October I will have a little more time to decide the best fit.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    25 August 2020 at 16:15:54 #934137

    Just to let you know that the Gotthard mountain route passenger trains will change in December 2020. The new trains (as already operating on the Voralpen Express route) will be operated by the SOB railway company and dubbed Treno Gottardo. They will run through and therefore no change of train will be required in Erstfeld. They will be more like long distance train carriages than the current local service units which are glorified commuter trains.

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