Milan / The verdict
Is the Bernina Express day trip from Milan worth it?
It depends on how much travel you can take in one day: the Tirano to St. Moritz ride gets glowing reports, but from Milan it adds about five hours of regional train on top, so it pays off for early risers who love rail journeys and disappoints anyone expecting a relaxed day in the Alps.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Milan story
Milan is Italy's working city rather than its postcard: finance, fashion and design on a handsome businesslike stage. The sightseeing core is compact and the hits are real, the Duomo rooftop walk among the spires, Leonardo's Last Supper in its fifteen quiet minutes, Brera's Mantegna-to-Caravaggio run, the free courtyards of Sforza Castle, and the aperitivo hour on the Navigli canals at sunset, spritz prices and all.
The verdict in 30 seconds
It depends
It depends on how much travel you can take in one day: the Tirano to St. Moritz ride gets glowing reports, but from Milan it adds about five hours of regional train on top, so it pays off for early risers who love rail journeys and disappoints anyone expecting a relaxed day in the Alps.
Go if
- You can catch a train out of Milan around 7am and get back late in the evening
- The train ride itself is the goal and a short stop in St. Moritz is enough
- You book the panoramic seat reservation in advance, or are happy on the regional train
- You would rather let a tour handle the coach, tickets and timing for one long day
Skip if
- You have two or three days in Milan and would lose a whole one to 9 to 10 hours of travel
- You want time to hike or explore St. Moritz; stay a night in Tirano or St. Moritz instead
- Your date falls in the Christmas and New Year peak, when local news showed hundreds queuing at Tirano
- Your date clashes with planned works on the Milan to Tirano line, which bring replacement buses
What it costs
- Trenord regional train, Milano Centrale to Tirano (one way, 2nd class): €12.50 (about 2 hours 30 minutes with no change, hourly departures). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Rhaetian Railway ticket, St. Moritz to Tirano (one way, 2nd class): CHF 33 (CHF 57 in 1st class; children 6 to 15 pay half, under 6 free). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Bernina Express seat reservation, St. Moritz to Tirano: CHF 32 (same price all year, 14 December 2025 to 12 December 2026; paid in full by every passenger). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Regional train seat reservation, St. Moritz to Tirano: CHF 5 (optional; the operator strongly recommends it because of high demand). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 11 traveler reports (Oct 2024 to May 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 2 were negative.
What people like
- The scenery over the Bernina Pass, with glaciers, lakes and the Brusio spiral viaduct, is what positive reports lead with.
- Travelers who rode the regional train liked the windows that open and the lack of glare for photos.
- The big panoramic windows on the Bernina Express get warm praise, and there is an open-window spot at the end of the carriages for photos.
- A traveler who took an organized tour from Milan liked having the coach, tickets and timing handled.
What people complain about
- From Milan the day is very long, and tour days leave only about an hour in St. Moritz.
- Local news reported hundreds queuing at Tirano station in the cold during the Christmas holidays.
- Planned works on the Milan to Tirano line can replace trains with buses and upend a same-day plan.
- Tour days can bring big crowds onto the train.
How to do it right
- Book the Bernina Express seat reservation on the Rhaetian Railway site before you go; every passenger pays it in full.
- Take an early direct Trenord train from Milano Centrale to Tirano, then walk across the square to the Rhaetian Railway station.
- Ride the panoramic train one way and a regional train the other, which gives you both the big windows and windows that open for photos.
- Go only as far as St. Moritz and come back the same way; continuing to Chur puts you on the wrong side of the Alps for a return to Milan.
- Check Trenord for planned works on the Milan to Tirano line before you book, since replacement buses add time.
- Bring your passport, since the trip crosses into Switzerland.
The trap to avoid
Planning the day with no slack. Travelers report Trenord works that replaced trains with buses and holiday queues of hundreds outside Tirano station, and either can cost you the connection to a reserved panoramic seat.
Why this verdict
The reports agree on the line itself. The positive ones, from a family that rode it in spring snow to a traveler who missed the panoramic train and loved the regional one anyway, lead with the same things: the Bernina Pass, the glaciers and the Brusio spiral viaduct. The split is over what the day from Milan costs you in time. Trenord lists about two and a half hours from Milano Centrale to Tirano, and the Rhaetian Railway lists about two and a quarter more to St. Moritz. Travelers who treat the rail journey as the attraction come back happy. An Italian blogger who went on a coach tour points out that it fills the whole day and leaves about an hour in St. Moritz.
The negatives are about logistics and crowds, not scenery. Local news showed hundreds queuing at Tirano over the Christmas holidays, many with reservations already in hand. One traveler gave up on the route when works cut the Milan to Tirano trains on her date, and a couple coming from Milan found their train ended short of Tirano with a bus for the last stretch. These are the risks of a same-day plan with no slack, which is why the verdict is depends and not go.
The price is modest on the Italian side and higher in Switzerland. The Trenord leg costs 12.50 euros each way, while the St. Moritz to Tirano ticket is CHF 33 in 2nd class plus a CHF 32 panoramic reservation. The regional train on the same line costs only the fare plus an optional CHF 5 reservation, and travelers who rode it liked the windows that open.
Timing and tickets
Book the panoramic seat first, then fit the Trenord train around it. The simplest plan rides the panoramic train one way and a regional train back. If you can spare it, a night in Tirano or on Lake Como turns a very long day into a comfortable one.
Book or check times
Bernina Express tickets and seat reservationsRegional train seat reservations on the Bernina LineTrenord trains from Milan to Tirano
We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict. How this works
See guided tour optionspartner siteCheck tickets and timespartner site
Questions
How long is the day from Milan?
Trenord lists about 2 hours 30 minutes from Milano Centrale to Tirano each way, and the Rhaetian Railway lists about 2 hours 15 minutes from Tirano to St. Moritz. A round trip is roughly 9 to 10 hours of travel before any time in St. Moritz, so plan to leave early and get back late.
What does the Swiss part cost?
The Rhaetian Railway prices it in Swiss francs: St. Moritz to Tirano is CHF 33 one way in 2nd class (CHF 57 in 1st), plus a CHF 32 seat reservation on the Bernina Express for that short route. The operator says the reservation must be paid in full by everyone, while children aged 6 to 15 pay half the ticket fare and under-6s travel free.
Bernina Express or regional train?
Both use the same UNESCO-listed line. The Bernina Express has panoramic windows up to the roof edge and catering at your seat. Regional trains take an optional CHF 5 reservation between St. Moritz and Tirano, which the operator strongly recommends because of demand, and travelers who rode them liked windows that open for photos.
How far ahead can you book?
When checked, the operator was taking bookings up to 12 December 2026 and said dates for the next season open on 13 October 2026. Book the panoramic seat first, then fit the Trenord train around it.
Is a guided tour from Milan worth it?
Tours replace the two regional train legs with a coach and handle the tickets. One traveler who took an organized tour enjoyed not having to manage connections and would book it again, while another blogger notes tour days leave only about an hour in St. Moritz.
Pack for it
Gear verdicts from our sister site, Real Buyer Experiences: