Milan to Zurich by train

a_p: soyons précis:
Milano Autostazione di Lampugnano M1 dp 7.15 - Aoste ar 9.45, dp 9.50 - Col du Gd St-Bernard Italie ar 11.02, Col du Gd St-Bernard Suisse dp 12.55 - Orsières ar 13.45, dp 14.09 - Sembrancher 14.17/14.18 - Martigny 14.35/15.20 - Aigle 15.42/16.03 - Les Diablerets 16.51/17.05 - Gstaad 17.51/18.27 - 2Simmen 18.54/19.03 - Spiez 19.46/19.54 - Bern 20.23/20.32 - Zurich ar 21.28.

Travel: may be it would be nicer to stay 1 hour at Ascona and to go on with the 15.05 boat up Locarno ar 15.35 and then by train dp 16.03 to Lucerne ar 18.41 (with 2 changes).

Thank you for all the information. I think we are leaning towards the bernina route and staying overnight in st moritz.

The proposed itinerary with the lake como trip means that the Tirano to sr Moritz leg is not on the Bernina Express, is this a problem for appreciating the view and scenery on the normal train? If so then we can skip the lake leg and make sure we get a BE coach from Tirano.

hello, need a piece of advice. i ve planned a trip between 1-4 december in italy -swiss and wanted to know if bernina express runs between those days. i would like to go milan,st moritz, zurich -brussels or skip zurich and go to strassbour instead. any opinions?

I have been reading with interest because we are planning a trip in which I would like to go from Milan to Zurich by a scenic route. This thread has been very helpful, but I still have a few questions:

1) I know the Bernina Express can go from Milan to Lugano with a bus to Tirano and then a train to Chur etc. BUT I would like to skip the 3-hour bus trip from Lugano to Tirano. I have read several comments that I can take a train from Milan directly to Tirano, but I haven't been able to find any on raileurope.com. Is ther such a route, and where can I find it?

2) I have also read about the panoramic cars of the Bernina Express, with suggestions to take the regular train instead. Is a regular train still considered the Bernina Express? Can you specify that when you make the reservations?

3) Does the Bernina Express have a charge over and above the Eruail Pass?

Thanks for your help.

BrendaMarg

Edited by: BrendaMarg

1. Yes there is. You can find it in the Thomas Cook Timetable or on bahn.com, sbb.ch, fsitaliane.it.

2. A regular train/s is not the Bernina express, but they use exactly the same route, so the experience is the same.

Arguments for taking regular trains:

• You don`t need a reservation.
• You can open the windows on same trains.(I`m not 100% sure about this because I was there 6 years ago and they might changed for newer trains.)
• A local train might be less full, than the Bernina Express, unless you travel in peak time.

Arguments for the Bernina Express:
- You don`t have to change trains en-route.

1. Yes, you must pay a small supplement [http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#supplements%20cost]

Bernina-Express: fully airconditioned train with wide panoramic windows (cannot be opened) running between Tirano and Chur. The journey goes from Tirano (420 metres above Sea level) to the Bernina Pass (2260m), down to Bever in the Engadin Valley (1700m), then up to the Albula Tunnel (1800m) and down to the Schyn Gorge and Chur (580m).
http://www.rhb.ch/The-World-Heritage.1070.0.html?&L=4
http://www.rhb.ch/Video-Bernina-eng.782.0.html?&L=4
http://www.rhb.ch/UNESCO-Clip-eng.1061.0.html?&L=4

Beside these touristic trains, there are normal trains along the same itineray between Tirano and St. Moritz and between St. Moritz and Chur.

Timetables:

Milano - Tirano:
Milan dp every 2 hrs from 6.20 until 18.20, plus 19.20
Tirano ar every 2 hrs from 8.50 until 20.50, plus 21.50, Fare: 11 EUR

Tirano - St. Moritz:
Tirano dp about every hour from 6.40 until 17.40
St. Moritz ar about every hour from 9.12 until 20.12
exact timetable: http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2012/950.pdf

St. Moritz - Chur - Zurich:
St. Moritz dp every hour from 7.02 until 20.02
Zurich ar every hour from 10.23 until 20.23, then 21.48, 22.48, 23.48

Shortcut Pontresina – Samedan:
If you are in a hurry, you may gain 1 hr if you change at Pontresina AND Samedan instead of St. Moritz.
Example: Tirano dp 9.40 – Zurich ar 15.23
However, it is highly recommended to travel via St. Moritz and to stop over there for a few hours or - better - a few days.

Thanks so much for the info. It seems I should have been looking on bahn.com or using the Cook book instead of looking at raileurope.com.

I was told that there are extra fees for making reservations. We're going at the beginning of June, though, ao I am wondering if I should

1) make reservations in the high-traffic areas, but skip them in less touristy places, or

2) forego the reservations, or

3) just to be safe, make reservations everywhere that I have a defined itinerary.

Make reservation only for trains where it`s compulsory!

How do you know that it`s compulsory? There is an R symbol in the Thomas Cook beside the train.

I believe bahn.com also indicates this.

For trains in Switzerland and Germany you don`t need reservations.

bristolnewbie said: Make reservation only for trains where it`s compulsory!

Is the same true for the trains in Italy? Before I adopted this "Do it yourself" technique, (which, thanks to all of you, is no longer "Do it yourself") a travel agent told me to make reservations whereever possible.

As you like!

FYI: On the Milano - Tirano trains reservation is not possible.