Zurich to Milan via Bernina Express

We will fly to Zurich in late April on our way to Italy. Our route, I think, is Zurich to Chur to Tirano to Milan. Should we get a rail pass if this is our only travel in Switzerland? If we go at a leisurely pace, where are good places to visit and stay?

Thanks, David

Thanks for joining us David!

Yes, that's the route. Although there's one more option: instead of doing Tirano to Milan by train you could take the Bernina Express bus for a scenic ride from Tirano to Lugano. Then, a train to Milan.

Which rail pass you need depends on the itinerary you'll decide on. If you have multiple days to complete this trip it's likely you will do day trips by trains or cableways from several towns en route. The Upper Engadine around St. Moritz is wonderful, although late April is not the best time as ski season is ending and many hiking trails will not be accessible yet because of snow. Chur is another option. It all depends on what you're interested in. Please see:

• myswissalps.com/ graubunden
• myswissalps.com /berninaexpress
• myswissalps.com/ plantrip
• myswissalps.com/ train/ticketspasses

Since we are due in Milan on April 30th, late April is our only option. The graubunden link was very helpful, but I could not tell what options - e.g. outdoor hiking or village walking tours - would work at that time of year. We appreciate any ideas for our couple of days traveling from Zurich to Italy.

Hi David,

It will depend on the weather of the season and of the day what your exact options are, but in general low altitude areas are better in April if you want to have more hiking options. Chur is considerably lower than St. Moritz, for example. The Rhine valley west of Chur should have plenty of hiking options around that time. The Poschiavo valley is another option. You may want to check with the local tourist office for more details, but my guess is that many trails below 1500 m should be accessible. You'll find a good map on map.wanderland.ch.