Crossing the Alps and back again.
A breath-taking, scenic train ride through an UNESCO-part of the Swiss Alps. The Bernina Express is a train that travels from Chur (Switzerland) to Tirano (Italy), all the way through the Alps. It was my first time ever in the Alps and snowy Mountains in general (have you seen me walk? what good could come from me on skis?). Yes, I’ve lived in the mountains in Ecuador, but Andes and Alps are definitely NOT the same. It was Unbelievable. There was mostly only one rail track and if you’re afraid of heights, you would not want to be walking there (fortunately that is about the one thing I am not afraid of).
ITINERARY
Time: 2 days
Budget: CHF 160 – 180
Day 1.
10:37 Zürich – Chur
Chur – Samedan
Samedan – Pontresina
Pontresina – Tirano
Time in total: 5h42
Day 2.
14:26 – 18h20 / Tirano – Chur
18h39 – 19h53 / Chur – Zürich
5h10
IMPORTANT when choosing travel times: during winter, it gets dark at around 17h, meaning you won’t be able to see anything outside. Make sure you are travelling every part of the route at least once during daylight.
WHEN TO GO?
Winter: Snow! But not green.
Summer: green! But less snow.
It all depends on what you want to see.
The worst time to go is probably when it’s not green yet, but most of the snow is already gone. On the website rhb.ch you can find webcams, so you have an idea what the weather is like.
The Bernina Express starts in Chur and ends in Tirano, Italy. Alternatively, you can also start at Davos. It is a direct train.
The Bernina Express leaves at 8:30 in the morning from Chur. If you’re not by coincident staying in Chur, that means you have to travel very early from wherever you’re coming from. As I did not want to get up this early, I decided to travel with the local trains. It is the exact same route, but you’ll have to change trains twice. They also stop more often. However, in total, it would only be 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. The trains you have to change to are waiting for the train you’re on and you can just step out and step on the next one.
So, the first day I travelled by local trains to Tirano and the second day I came back with the direct Bernina Express.
Zürich – Chur
I didn’t expect much from the part Zürich – Chur, but Switzerland being Switzerland, I was pleasantly surprised! The train travels along the Lake of Zürich and past some snowy villages.
Chur – Samedan
The UNESCO-part starts in Thusis, a bit outside of Chur. The local train stops at several small stations and you get an incredible view of snowy mountains, villages and pine forests. The train travels at the edge of the mountains, over bridges and through tunnels.
The local trains, as well as the Bernina Express, are a burning red color. This results in stunning pictures of a white snowy landscape with a red train. I was also surprised by how well the train fit into the landscape.
Samedan – Pontresina
Takes only 7 minutes and goes through some winter holiday/skiing sites.
Pontresina – Tirano
Personally, I found this the best part. The trains starts its ascend through some pine forests. Then you come along another skiing piste, continuing along Lago Bianco (a frozen lake, white because of the snow). The train stops at some small stations, from which you can’t imagine someone ever being there, since there’s more than one meter of snow. You pass by Ospizio Bernina – the highest train station at more than 2000 meters above sea level. The landscape now, are snowy mountains or to summarize: everything’s white! It’s incredibly beautiful. Maybe for those of you who often go skiing, it’s not THAT impressive anymore, but I still think that the fact that an actual train passes through those snowed in mountains, is incredible.
The best stop: Alp Grüm – a spectacular glacier and lake midst of the Mountains.
Impressive is also the descend through the pine forests and the last part: the circular viaduct.
Tirano
Personally I don’t recommend staying much longer than one night in Tirano. You can walk around the town in less than an hour and maybe it’s better in summer; but I found there was not much to do. The highlight of the town (according to the internet, next to the Bernina Train) is the Madonna church. I personally found the highlight to be the cosy Bistro Mezzino and the fact that I could pay my post cards with Swiss Francs.
What to do: Hotel Corona, where I stayed, is on the main Street. You can see the Madonna church on the end of the street on you right side, when you are facing the hotel. It’s nice to walk there. And back. If you walk the other direction, you get to the old town. It was really nice, but unfortunately I was there on a Sunday, so everything was closed and there was almost no one to be seen. Very beautiful though, lots of narrow streets.
I guess it the summer Tirano is more beautiful, as everything will be green then. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth going in the winter.
Language
Grazie, Bongiorno, Prego, Buena Sera – A summary of my Italian Knowledge. A lot of people speak or at least understand some English and German. I managed to make myself understandable with a mix of Spanish (Agua/Aqua, almost the same!) and English. If you speak Spanish, French and/or studied Latin, it really isn’t that difficult to understand Italian.
Accomodation
Hotel Corona: unless you have no other option: I DO NOT recommend it. I have stayed in hostels all over the world, paying 10euros per night or less and those were all better than what I ended up with in Hotel Corona (Except maybe the one in Amsterdam, but that was 7euros/night including breakfast, so I guess I should’ve expected that).
First I got an incredibly small room with a sad view of some garage. I don’t mind, I just need to sleep. However, it was very hot in the room. I found out the heating was leaking and I couldn’t change the temperature. Lucky me, I got an upgrade to a Suite Room. I’m not an expert on hotels, but shouldn’t there be coming water from the showerhead? The walls were so thin; I woke up at 2 AM when my neighbours decided to come home with a barking dog and started using the hairdryer. Same problem with the heating: it couldn’t be turned down. Only good thing was that the people were friendly and the location was very central (around the corner form the station). Oh and I got a 4euro discount at the Restaurant Pizzeria Bernina. Breakfast was OK (except for the giant dog from my neighbours, who didn’t seem able to control it).
Food
Ristorante Sale e Pepe: simple, good food. Prices for pasta between 7 en 9 euros.
Bistro Mezzino: very nice! Not super cheap, but worth it. Cake, fruit, hamburgers, Panini and a range of teas. Tea: 3 euros.
Ristorante Pizzeria Bernina: loved the pizza! Bit old fashioned/chique interior, not necessarily my style, but pizza is between 6-9 euros and there are a lot of choices. Also fish, meat and pasta.
TRAINS
Local trains: no complains about comfort – duh it’s Switzerland. Make sure you choose your seats facing the right direction so you don’t end up like me: stretching your neck for almost 2 hours by looking back. No seat reservations are necessary.
Bernina Express:
See below for ticket info. You can book a seat at one of the “Panoramawagens”. They have extra large windows and it’s actually really worth it.
Concerning seat direction: Train 1 is the front one starting from Zürich. It is the last one, starting from Tirano. With that you know the seat direction.
I didn’t think about it when I booked and actually had a seat in the opposite direction, but there were only 5 people in the train, so I could sit wherever I wanted anyway.
Tickets:
Zürich – Tirano: CHF 41
Local trains: sbb.ch
(with Halbtax & Supersaver Ticket)
Tirano – Chur: CHF 41
Bernina Express: rhb.ch
(CHF 31 + CHF 10 (reservation))
(with halbtax )
Chur – Zürich: CHF 18
Local trains: sbb.ch
(with halbtax & supersaver ticket)
Total: CHF 110
Halbtax: If you are living in Switzerland and are considering to use the trains a lot, you can buy a “halbtax” (half fare travel card). This is a card that costs CHF 160 and is valid for one year. With this, you can buy all Swiss train tickets at 50% of the original price. It is also valid on the Bernina Express.
Supersaver ticket (Sparbillete): If you book your ticket online on sbb.ch, you can use “supersaver” tickets. They are a little bit cheaper (sometimes up to 50%, but not on every route), independent of the halbtax, but you are bound to a certain itinerary. Meaning: when you have a normal ticket, you can take any train, at any time on that day, as long as it goes to your destination. With a supersaver ticket, you have to take the one you booked. If you have a halbtax (half fare travel card), you can use this one too. From Pontresina to Tirano (ca 2h30) I was completely alone in the wagon. Which was great, it’s not the kind of landscape you want loud people around you. Also, I could walk around and sit on either side.
Bernina Express or Glacier Express?
On the internet I mostly read that both ar good or that the Bernina Express was better. That was the only reason I decided to go for the Bernina Express, but I haven’t been on the Glacier Express, so I can’t tell you from personal experience which one is better.