Marketed from Milan as a day-trip adventure, the Bernina Express is the famous Alpine train route that climbs from Tirano in northern Italy across the Bernina Pass into Switzerland, ending at the elegant ski resort of Saint Moritz. The line was built between 1908 and 1910 and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 as part of the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula and Bernina Landscapes. The route is operated by the Rhaetian Railway, with its red panoramic carriages that have become a symbol of Swiss railway tourism. The full Bernina Express from Tirano climbs almost two thousand metres over a hundred and forty-four kilometres of narrow-gauge track, with adhesion-only working that makes it the highest unassisted railway crossing of the Alps. Tour operators based in Milan typically offer a day-long package that combines a coach ride from the city to Tirano, a Bernina Express seat over the pass to Saint Moritz, a few hours of free time at the resort and a coach back, all within a single twelve to thirteen-hour outing. The total package usually starts at around a hundred euros per person. The scenic highlights along the line include the famous Brusio Circular Viaduct on the Italian side, the climb past the Palu Glacier, the three small lakes of Lej Pitschen, Lej Nair and Lago Bianco at the top of the pass, and the long descent through the Engadin valley toward Saint Moritz, threading more than fifty tunnels and almost two hundred bridges along the way. Independent travellers can do the route just as easily, taking a regional train from Milano Centrale to Tirano in around two and a half hours, then walking across the small square to the Rhaetian Railway station for the connecting Bernina Express, with reservations recommended in season. Either approach makes for one of the most spectacular day trips available from the Lombard capital, swapping the gritty energy of central Milan for snow-capped peaks, glaciers and fashionable Alpine villages, all in time to be back in the city for dinner and an evening on the Navigli.

Type: Activity

Address: Milan, Italy

Website: https://www.rhb.ch/en/panoramic-journeys/bernina-express

Opening Date: 05/07/1910