The Bernina Express Alpine Train
My husband had been wanting to ride through the Alps on The Bernina Express for years. It’s renowned for being one of the most scenically dramatic train rides on the planet. The train winds it way through mountain forests, past glaciers and quaint hillside villages. The route traverses over soaring bridges and into dark tunnels. The cars are designed for optimal views and have large picture windows. Factoring all that in, I was easily swayed and put together a trip bookending the Bernina trek with visits to Zurich/Lucerne and Lake Como. It was still a little bit out of the way, but well worth it.
We took a car service from Lucerne to Chur (about 75 minutes), the start of the Bernina Express train route. Once we got to the other end of the 5 hour train ride, across the border in Tirano, Italy, we took another pre-arranged car service from Tirano to the ferry station in Varenna (75-90 minutes depending on traffic), on the east shore of Lake Como. From there it was a quick 15 minute ferry ride across the lake to Menaggio on the west shore. Our hotel picked us up there for the 15 minute ride to Musa Lago di Como.
Arranging tickets for the Bernina Express is a two-step process:
1. Months in advance, you’ll need to make a “reservation” on the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) website (https://www.rhb.ch/en/home). Here you’ll chose your class of travel and your seats. You can choose First or Second class. We recommend First, especially if you’re a couple, as you can book two seats (facing each other) by yourselves on one side of the aisle — which means there are fewer people vying for the views! You’ll pay for this reservation on RhB.
2. 90 days prior to your trip, you’ll need to purchase your actual tickets. Go online to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) website (https://www.sbb.ch/en).
GT Tip: We recommend reserving First Class seats, especially if you’re a couple, as you can book two seats (facing each other) by yourselves on one side of the aisle — which means there are fewer people vying for the views (though since the windows are so large this usually isn’t a problem).
*This was part of a 13-night trip to Zurich, Lucerne and Lake Como that included a ride on the 5-hour Bernina Express Alpine Train. To see our complete Switzerland/Italy trip itinerary click here.
