CAROLINE WHITTLE

THE BERNINA EXPRESS IN WINTER

A photographic travel guide to the Bernina Express railway (from Tirano, Italy to St. Moritz, Switzerland) in the winter.

Use these photos as inspiration to plan your ride on this spectacular train.

Plan your Bernina Express train ride

How long does it take?

The trip takes about 2.5 hours each way and can be done as a day trip from Italy.

When is the best time to visit?

You can enjoy this train ride year-round, but for the best snowy views, go from December to March.

Where are the starting & ending points?

For this portion, you start in Tirano, Italy, and end in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Does it make any stops?

The Bernina Express makes one stop at Alp Grum for about 10-15 minutes.

A red train sits on a railway.
UNESCO World Heritage Railway
A halfway frozen lake is surrounded by snow and mountains with a cloudy background.
Partly Frozen Lake Views
A hiker in black walks on a snowy path.
Views at Alp Grum (a stop on the ride)
A stone building with red shutters covered in snow.
Alp Grum Restaurant Stop (Only 10 Minutes)
A red train glides through snow covered mountains.
Views of the Bernina Express
Valley Views from the Train
Views from the Open Window (found at the back of each car)
A person in black stands next to a red train.
The Bernina Express

TRAIN DETAILS: This portion of the Bernina Express can be done as a day trip from Tirano, Italy, to St. Moritz, Switzerland. The train leaves once a day in the morning from Tirano and takes 2.5 hours. If you want to return to Tirano, the round-trip journey is about 8 hours. You have a three-hour break in St. Moritz.

If you want a round-trip ride from St. Moritz to Tirano (the opposite direction), the train leaves in the evening and is not a day trip. You would have to stay overnight in Tirano.

A red train moves through a snow covered landscape.
Views of the Bernina Express
A yellow brochure advertises different activities on a lake.
Winter Activities on the Frozen St. Moritz Lake
Frozen Lake & Mountain Views from the Train
A red sign indicates a unesco world heritage site, the rhaetian railway.
Rhaetian Railway – UNESCO World Heritage
Views from the Open Window (found at the back of each car)
A map with a train route through Switzerland to Italy.
Map of the Route
A red and black coffee cup sits on snow with a mountainous backdrop.
Coffee from the Train at the Alp Grum Stop
Snowy mountains with a blue sky background.
Mountain Views from the Train
A blue sign, with a yellow sun, states St. Moritz, Top of the World.
St. Moritz, Top of the World
A woman in a green coat and a man in a black coat stand in front of snow-covered mountains.
Views at the Alp Grum Stop
A red train against snow-covered mountains.
Views in St. Moritz

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