The Bernina Express from Chur or St. Moritz to Tirano: 2026 timetable, fares, CHF 32 to 44 reservations, Pullman Class, regional trains, luggage and access.
The Bernina Express is the red panoramic train that crosses the Alps from Chur or St. Moritz in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy. The full ride from Chur takes about four hours and twenty minutes, the shorter St. Moritz to Tirano section about two hours and fifteen minutes, and a seat reservation is mandatory on every train: CHF 32 (about $40) on the short route and CHF 40 to CHF 44 on the long one in 2026, on top of your ticket or Swiss Travel Pass.
The Bernina Express runs on two lines of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) that together have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2008:
Across the whole route the train crosses 196 bridges and runs through 55 tunnels. In four hours you go from glaciers to chestnut trees and vineyards, which is the real point of this ride.
| Section | Time | What you see | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chur to Tirano | about 4 h 20 min to 4 h 30 min | Albula line, Landwasser Viaduct, Bernina Pass, Brusio | Travelers coming from Zurich or Lucerne |
| St. Moritz to Tirano | about 2 h 15 min to 2 h 25 min | Bernina Pass, Lago Bianco, Alp Grüm, Brusio | Travelers already staying in the Engadin |
| Davos to Tirano | regional train to Filisur, then the Bernina Express | Same as from Chur after Filisur | Davos stays |
There is no Bernina Express starting in Davos in the 2026 timetable. From Davos, you take a regional train to Filisur and board the Chur train there (it left Filisur at 9:32 a.m. and 2:43 p.m. in summer 2026).
When we design a trip, we usually put the full Chur to Tirano ride after a night in Lucerne or Zurich only if the traveler has not already ridden the Albula line on the Glacier Express. If they arrived in St. Moritz by Glacier Express, the short St. Moritz to Tirano section is enough, and it leaves the afternoon free in Tirano or on Lake Como.
In the summer timetable (May 2 to October 25, 2026), there were five departures a day in each direction:
| Southbound | Departs | Arrives Tirano |
|---|---|---|
| PE 951 from Chur | 8:17 a.m. | 12:49 p.m. |
| PE 971 from St. Moritz | 9:17 a.m. | 11:32 a.m. |
| PE 973 from St. Moritz | 1:17 p.m. | 3:31 p.m. |
| PE 955 from Chur | 1:34 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| PE 977 from St. Moritz | 4:14 p.m. | 6:39 p.m. |
| Northbound | Departs Tirano | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| PE 950 to Chur | 8:06 a.m. | 12:31 p.m. |
| PE 972 to St. Moritz | 10:06 a.m. | 12:35 p.m. |
| PE 974 to St. Moritz | 1:17 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. |
| PE 952 to Chur | 2:24 p.m. | 6:31 p.m. |
| PE 976 to St. Moritz | 4:06 p.m. | 6:25 p.m. |
From October 26 to December 12, 2026, the service drops to three trains a day in each direction. The train runs all year, and winter is a real option: the Bernina Pass under snow, fewer passengers and the lower reservation fee.
Autumn 2026 diversion: from October 29 to November 13, 2026, trains 951 and 952 (the Chur trains) run through the Vereina tunnel via Klosters instead of the Albula line. They skip the Landwasser Viaduct. If you travel in those two weeks, ride from St. Moritz instead, or take a regional train over the Albula line first.
The timetable for 2027 starts on December 13, 2026, and RhB opens sales for the new timetable period from mid to late October. Tickets can generally be bought up to six months before travel.
You need two things: a ticket (or a pass that covers the route) and a seat reservation for the specific train.
| Route | 2nd class | 1st class |
|---|---|---|
| Chur to Tirano | CHF 66 (about $82) | CHF 113 (about $140) |
| Chur to Poschiavo | CHF 59 | CHF 101 |
| St. Moritz to Tirano | CHF 33 | CHF 57 |
| St. Moritz to Poschiavo | CHF 25 | CHF 42.60 |
Children under 6 travel free, and children 6 to 16 pay half the fare.
| Train | Low season | Peak season (May 2 to Oct 25, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| St. Moritz to Tirano | CHF 32 | CHF 32 |
| Chur to Tirano | CHF 40 | CHF 44 |
Children pay the full supplement. The Swiss Travel Pass, the Swiss Half Fare Card, Eurail and Interrail passes are all valid on the train, but no pass covers the supplement. With a Swiss Travel Pass, the whole cost of the long route in peak season is the CHF 44 reservation. Our Swiss Travel Pass calculator adds these reservations for you when it compares the pass with single tickets.
RhB also sells a last-minute 2nd-class fare including the reservation, online only, from six days before departure, non-refundable, and a return offer for two people with lunch at CHF 249. Neither has many seats, so we never build a trip around them.
When to book: for July and August, and for any Saturday in summer, we reserve as soon as the timetable opens. Shoulder-season and winter trains are easier, but the panoramic cars have a fixed number of seats and groups book them early.
All Bernina Express cars are panoramic, with windows that curve into the roof, Wi-Fi, a live route map, power sockets at every row and an at-seat trolley service (card payment only).
There is no Excellence Class on the Bernina Express. Travelers who want the full-service experience usually ride the Glacier Express in Excellence Class and then the Bernina Express in 1st class, or the Pullman car on a day trip from St. Moritz.
The red regional trains (R) run on the same Bernina line all day, roughly every hour, with 1st and 2nd class and windows that open. Photographers prefer them because the panoramic glass reflects. No panoramic roof, no catering, but bikes are allowed.
A plan we often suggest: Bernina Express southbound for the panoramic view, then a regional train back north the next day with the window down at Alp Grüm.
Tirano is the end of the line, in Italy's Valtellina. Three options from there:
Our Lake Como to Switzerland guide covers the same link in the other direction.
Space is the weak point of this train. Racks exist but RhB itself says storage is limited and asks travelers to bring hand luggage where possible; bags go between and under the seats. The Pullman car has almost no space.
Our approach: your suitcases travel separately. RhB forwards luggage at CHF 12 per item (up to 23 kg) with arrival two days later, and SBB runs door-to-door services across Switzerland. We explain the timing trick in our guide to luggage on Swiss trains. On the day, you carry a daypack with lunch, a layer for the cold at 2,253 m and your passport for Italy.
Some seats on the Bernina Express and on the Bernina Express bus are wheelchair accessible, but they can only be booked through RhB Railservice (+41 81 288 65 65, [email protected]), not online. Boarding help is ordered separately from the SBB Contact Center Handicap (0800 007 102, or +41 800 007 102 from abroad), at least an hour ahead; RhB uses a mobile lift, ramps or a shuttle where a station is not step-free. The Pullman car and the open-air carriages are not barrier-free. For travelers with reduced mobility, we book 1st class (more space to transfer), reserve the accessible seat by phone and arrange a private transfer from Tirano rather than the coach.
If you want the Bernina Express on a specific date, with the right class and a transfer waiting in Tirano, ask one of our travel designers for a custom version.
More guides: Switzerland by trainGetting around
From Chur to Tirano the Bernina Express takes about four hours twenty to four hours thirty minutes, crossing 196 bridges and 55 tunnels. From St. Moritz to Tirano it takes about two hours fifteen minutes. If you add the Bernina Express bus from Tirano to Lugano, count another three hours, so a full Chur to Lugano day lasts around eight hours with the connection.
The ticket is covered, the seat reservation is not. In 2026 the reservation costs CHF 32 per person between St. Moritz and Tirano, and CHF 40 in low season or CHF 44 in peak season between Chur and Tirano, in both classes. Children pay the same supplement. The Pullman Class has its own all-inclusive price, reduced for pass holders.
The regional trains use the same tracks, cost no supplement beyond an optional CHF 5 reservation and have windows that open, so they are better for photography. The Bernina Express adds panoramic roof windows, a trolley service and a guaranteed seat on a busy line. For a first ride we suggest the Express one way and a regional train back.
Yes, it runs all year, with fewer departures than in summer. Snow over Lago Bianco and the Bernina Pass is one of the best reasons to ride it from December to March, and the long-route reservation is cheaper outside the May to October peak. Check for maintenance diversions in late autumn, such as the Vereina tunnel detour in November 2026.
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