Day trip from Milan to St. Moritz
Are you planning to visit Milan, Italy? Hop on the famous red train, Bernina Express, and head to St. Moritz.
Milan’s position in Western Lombardy puts it within easy rich of several tourist destinations. The Alps are so close that you can see them from the roof of the Duomo.
Milan is the perfect base to explore, whether for day trips or continuing your travels.
A day trip from Milan to St. Moritz on a Bernina Express train is a unique experience, and the journey itself is an epic adventure. And seeing a glimpse of St. Moritz is enough to convince you to go back for an entire vacation in Switzerland.
Here is a travel guide for an epic journey from Milano Centrale Station to St. Moritz on a luxury Bernina Express red train.
Experience the Bernina Express Train
The luxurious Bernina Express trains with panoramic windows travel through the Swiss Alps and begin or end in Tirano, Italy. The trains cross the beautiful canton of Graubünden, and the journey from Chur takes about 4 hours. The route from St. Moritz takes about 2.5 hours, but it doesn’t include the north of Graubünden.
Plan your trip: Milan to St. Moritz
The journey from Milan to St. Moritz is long but worth it. Plan an early start of the day to make the most of it.
Your trip starts at Milan Central Station. Book an early train from Milan to Tirano, where you will board the red train. Aim for a direct line because it’s around a three-hour trip.
Travel tip: I’ve been using the Train Line app to purchase all train tickets. Train Line is an official distributor of hundreds of operators, and it compares the lowest prices for trains and buses, along with the shortest trips. You can search for app for the fastest train and lowest price.
In Tirano, you will board the Bernina Express train and experience the most spectacular way to cross the Alps. The route to St. Moritz takes about 2.5 hours. Buying tickets online at RhB Rhaetian Railway is the easiest, and you can also find more information on which tickets are valid for the journey.
Tickets for Bernina Express trains are priced just like regular regional trains operating on the same tracks. However, seat reservations are essential for panoramic trains.
Note: You need a ticket and seat reservation for this trip, two separate things. Make sure you have both before boarding.
Travel tip: Budget travelers may save by using the regular Rhaetian Railways trains on the same tracks.
Travel on the Bernina Express Train Switzerland
The Bernina Express trains cross the Swiss Alps twice in Graubünden. The trains reach an altitude of 2253 meters (7392 feet) above sea level and go through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, giving you excellent views across the landscape. The stretch from Tirano – Valposchiavo – Thusis is marked as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The UNESCO Listed Albula & Bernina Railway
The railways used by the Bernina Express are from the golden age of railway engineering. Switzerland completed these civil engineering masterpieces during the early 20th century in a way no railway would ever be built today.
The railroad from Tirano in Italy to Thusis in Switzerland is 122 km with 55 tunnels and 196 bridges. This part of the railway has been a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 2008. Bernina Express railway line crosses the Alps through the Albula line and the Bernina Line.
The Bernina Line is 61 km long and was completed in 1910. There are 13 covered galleries and 52 viaducts and bridges that allow trains to pass through the 2253 m high Bernina pass before descending 1140 m in less than 20 km to Poschavio. The line ends in Tirano, Italy, after the spectacular circular viaduct at Bruscio, where the trains make a full circle of climbing the maximum in the smallest space possible.
The Albula line stretches from the north of the Alps to the Engadin Valley (Inn River). This 67 km route was completed in 1904 and used 42 tunnels and 144 viaducts and bridges. The trains make six almost circular turns, mostly inside tunnels carved into rocks of the steep valley, and climb 400 meters in altitude over 12 km from Bergün to Preda. A final 6 km tunnel sees the trains emerge into the Upper Engadin.
Note: Starting your trip from Tirano, Italy, you’ll cross Bernina Line first and Albula Line second. On the train, you will get instructions to connect to the WiFi and follow a guided tour that explains every step of the journey in detail.
Riding the Bernina Express in the Swiss Alps
The luxury trains with panoramic views operate year-round. However, the operating schedules differ between summer and winter.
The Bernina Express summer schedule includes three primary routes:
- Tirano to Chur via Thusis and Filisur – the direct route that runs at least once per day year-round
- Tirano to Landquart via Klosters and Davos Plats – 4 hours
- Tirano to St. Moritz – 2.5 hour
From early May to late October, trains to and from St. Moritz run three times per day in each direction and usually once daily to Davos and Chur, respectively. Seat reservations before boarding are required.
The winter schedule has one Bernina Express train connecting Tirano and Chur in each direction. Travelers from St. Moritz may join the journey at Pontresina and Davos at Filisur.
Travel tip: During winter, the Bernina Express panoramic cars are attached to regular regional trains operating between Tirano and St. Moritz and Chur and St. Moritz. At this time, the reservation fee for the luxury seats is lower.
The term “express” in Bernina Express indicates the limited number of stops the trains make, and regular regional trains operating the same tracks have more frequent stops.
The exact station stops depend on the specific Bernina train you are taking. All trains stop at Poschiavo at the lower reaches of the valley, and most stop at Alp Grüm, Ospizio Bernina, Pontresina, and St. Moritz.
Express refers to the limited number of stops that the trains make – regular regional trains use the same tracks but stop more frequently.
The exact stations at which the Bernina Express stops depend on the specific train. All trains stop at Poschiavo at the lower reaches of the valley and most stop at Alp Grüm, Ospizio Bernina, Pontresina, and St. Moritz.
Exploring St. Moritz
Once you arrive in St. Moritz, you have around 4-5 hours to explore the town. That is enough time to get a glimpse of the famous town’s charm, just enough to return for more.
Something magical about St. Moritz is that it is an elegant, luxurious, and beautiful place, fashionable among Europe’s upper class. Its elevation is 1560 meters (5120 ft) above sea level and it receives approximately 5 meters of snow yearly.
You can stroll around St. Moritz village or the lake.
There are many exciting sights in the village, along with great restaurants and shops:
- Badrutt’s Palace and Badrutt’s Bronze Bust
- Chesa Veglia – old farmhouse from 1658
- Olympia Bob Run – 1722-meter-long ice channel from St. Moritz to Celerina (the only natural ice bobsleigh in the world still used for competitions)
Leaning tower of St. Moritz – a 12th-century leaning tower - Segantini Museum – a pavilion and memorial site for the artist Giovanni Segantini
- Mauritius Fountain – constructed in 1910
- Olympic Stone – all winners of the two Olympic games in 1928 have been immortalized in the Olympic Stone.
Another option is to stroll around the lake, sit on a bench, and enjoy the view.
Bernina Express Bus
A Bernina Express bus can take you from Tirano to Lugano, Switzerland, to see more of the southern scenery. Most of the bus route is on Italian soil, and you will see the Valtellina valley, Lake Como, and Lake Lugano. Check the timetable before you start the trip.
Travel tip: The left side of the bus provides the best views of the lakes.
If you are wondering whether this day trip from Milan to St. Moritz via Bernina Express Train is worth it, I’d say, yes, it is worth it!
Have you been on the Bernina Express train? What route did you take? Share in the comments.
If you are visiting northern Italy, there are so many options for day trips from Milan to explore this region.
