If you're staying in Milan and want to ride the Bernina Express, there are a few different ways you can do it. You can squeeze it into a day trip, book a guided tour that sorts all the transport for you, or use Milan as the starting point for a longer trip through Switzerland.
We've done the Bernina Express ourselves, although we travelled in the opposite direction. Our trip started in Zurich, continued to Chur, then we took the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps to Tirano before carrying on to Lake Como and finishing in Milan.
Having done the full journey, there are a few different ways I'd consider fitting the Bernina Express into a trip from Milan. A day trip is absolutely doable if you're short on time, but if you have a few days to play with, you could also use the journey as part of a longer route through Italy and Switzerland rather than returning to Milan the same day.
The easiest option for a day trip is probably a guided tour from Milan. These usually take you by coach towards St Moritz, include the train journey across the Bernina route to Tirano and then bring you back to Milan by coach that evening.
If you'd rather organise it yourself, you can take the train from Milano Centrale to Tirano and join the Bernina route there. You don't necessarily have to use the panoramic Bernina Express either, as the regular regional trains travel along the same railway and can give you more flexibility with timings.
Or, if you're planning a bigger Italy and Switzerland trip, you can do what we did in reverse and simply keep travelling once you've crossed the Alps rather than returning to Milan.
In this guide, I'll go through all three options, how each one works and which I'd choose depending on how much time you have.
Planning a bigger Italy trip? We’ve travelled around Italy loads over the last few years, mostly using trains and public transport. You can find all our Italy travel guides and itineraries here, including budget trips, where to stay and how to get around without a car.
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Guided Day Trip from Milan
Milan → St Moritz → Bernina route → Tirano → Milan
Best for: The easiest way to do it in one day
Transport: Organised for you
I'd choose this if: You only have one day and don't want to organise all the connections yourself
DIY Day Trip from Milan
Milan → Tirano → St Moritz → Tirano → Milan
Best for: Travelling independently
Changes: Several trains and a long day
I'd choose this if: You want more flexibility and don't mind an early start and late finish
Make It Part of a Longer Trip
Milan → Tirano → Bernina route → St Moritz/Chur → continue through Switzerland
Best for: Getting the full experience without backtracking
Changes: Depends on your itinerary
I'd choose this if: You have a few days available
My pick: If I only had one day, I'd choose the guided tour. If I had a few days, I'd travel independently and carry on into Switzerland rather than returning to Milan.
If you only have one day and want to keep things simple, a guided tour is probably the easiest way to experience the Bernina route from Milan.
Rather than having to work out several train connections yourself, these trips usually include coach transport for part of the journey and the train for the scenic section through the Alps.
A typical route takes you from Milan towards St Moritz by coach, gives you some time to explore, then takes you along the Bernina railway from St Moritz towards Tirano. From Tirano, you travel back to Milan by coach.
I actually think this route makes a lot of sense for a day trip. You're not spending the return journey retracing the same railway line you've just travelled along, and you don't need to worry about whether your train times line up for getting back to Milan that evening.
It is still going to be a long day, so I'd check the departure and return times carefully before booking. But if seeing the Bernina route is high on your list and you only have a day available from Milan, this would probably be the option I'd choose.
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If you'd rather organise the trip yourself, you can take the train from Milano Centrale to Tirano and join the Bernina route from there.
This gives you more flexibility with how you plan the day. You could take the panoramic Bernina Express from Tirano towards St Moritz, or use the regular regional trains that travel along the same railway line.
We've done the panoramic Bernina Express ourselves, and we're actually going back in December to try the same route using the regional trains. For a day trip from Milan, the regional trains are worth looking at because you're not relying on the limited departures of the panoramic service.
From Tirano, the journey to St Moritz takes around 2 hours 30 minutes, so you do need to keep an eye on your timings if you want to travel back to Milan that evening.
For a DIY day trip, I'd concentrate on Tirano to St Moritz rather than trying to continue all the way to Chur. You can spend some time in St Moritz before travelling back towards Tirano and connecting with your train to Milan.
Route: Milan → Tirano → St Moritz → Tirano → Milan
Best for: Travelling independently and having more control over your day
I'd allow: A very full day
If you're not sure which train to choose, our Bernina Express vs Regional Trains guide compares both options, including the differences in price, reservations, windows and flexibility.
If you have a few days available, this is the way I'd personally choose to do it. Instead of travelling across the Bernina route and then heading all the way back to Milan, you can use the train to get from Italy into Switzerland and carry on with your trip from there.
This is basically what we did, just in the opposite direction. We started in Zurich, spent a night in Chur and then took the Bernina Express all the way to Tirano. From there, we continued into Italy, spending time at Lake Como before finishing our trip in Milan.
Starting in Milan, you could simply turn the route around. Travel from Milan to Tirano, take the Bernina Express through the Alps and then stay in St Moritz or continue to Chur. From there, you can carry on towards Zurich or elsewhere in Switzerland rather than retracing the journey back to Milan.
I much prefer this option if you have the time because the train becomes part of the actual trip rather than something you need to squeeze into a day. You can also break the journey up and spend a night or two along the way.
Route: Milan → Tirano → Bernina Express → St Moritz/Chur → continue through Switzerland
Best for: A longer Italy and Switzerland trip
I'd allow: At least a few days
We did this as part of our 5 day Bernina Express itinerary, which shows the full route we took from Zurich through Switzerland and into Italy. You can easily use the same itinerary as inspiration and travel in the opposite direction from Milan.
If you're planning the Bernina Express independently from Milan, the first part of your journey is getting to Tirano in northern Italy.
Trains leave from Milano Centrale and the journey to Tirano takes around 2 hours 30 minutes. Tirano is where the Italian rail network meets the Swiss RhB railway, so this is where you'll change trains for the Bernina route.
The two stations in Tirano are right next to each other, so you don't need to worry about travelling across town or arranging another connection. You simply leave the Italian railway station and walk across to the RhB station for your train into Switzerland.
I'd leave plenty of time between the two trains, especially if you've booked the panoramic Bernina Express and have a specific departure you need to catch.
When we did the journey in the opposite direction, Tirano was where we finished our Bernina Express journey before continuing through Italy.
Milan departure station: Milano Centrale
Change at: Tirano
Journey time: Around 2 hours 30 minutes
Bernina departure station: Tirano RhB
If you're doing this as a day trip, I'd check the complete day's timetable before booking individual trains. The Milan to Tirano journey plus the Bernina route makes for a long day, so the connections matter much more than they would if you were staying overnight.
No. If you're doing the Bernina Express as a day trip from Milan, I wouldn't worry about trying to travel all the way to Chur.
The section between Tirano and St Moritz includes many of the views people associate with the Bernina Express, including the Brusio Circular Viaduct, Lago Bianco and the journey over the Bernina Pass.
Continuing beyond St Moritz takes you along the Albula section towards Chur, which is also beautiful and was part of the journey we did. However, adding this to a return day trip from Milan would make the timings very difficult.
If you're organising the trip yourself, you'll normally book the journey from Milan to Tirano separately from the Swiss part of the trip.
For Milan to Tirano, you can check Italian train times and buy your ticket before travelling. Once you reach Tirano, you'll change onto the Swiss RhB railway for the journey towards St Moritz or Chur.
If you're taking the panoramic Bernina Express, you'll need a valid ticket for the journey plus a seat reservation. I'd book this in advance, particularly if you're travelling during a busy period or need a specific departure to make your Milan connections work.
The regional trains work differently and don't require the same panoramic-train seat reservation, which can make them easier to fit around your plans if you're doing the journey independently.
If you're using a Swiss Travel Pass, that can also cover the rail fare on the Swiss section, although the panoramic Bernina Express reservation still needs to be paid for separately.
Our Ultimate Bernina Express Guide covers the booking process in more detail, including ticket options and seat reservations.
Useful booking links: Check Milan to Tirano train times and tickets with Trenitalia, then use the official Rhaetian Railway (RhB) website for Bernina Express tickets, timetables and seat reservations.
The cost really depends on which of the three options you choose.
A guided day trip from Milan is usually the easiest option to price because your coach transport and train journey are included in the tour price. Just check exactly what's included before booking, as this can vary between tours.
If you're doing it independently, you'll need to factor in your Milan to Tirano train, your ticket for the Swiss section and, if you're travelling on the panoramic Bernina Express, the additional seat reservation.
Regional trains can give you more flexibility and you don't need to pay for a panoramic train seat reservation, so they're worth comparing if you're trying to keep the cost down.
If you're already travelling around Switzerland with a Swiss Travel Pass, your rail travel on the Bernina route may already be covered, although you'll still need to pay the reservation fee if you choose the panoramic Bernina Express.
Prices can change depending on your route, travel date and the type of train you choose, so I'd check the current fares before planning your day rather than relying on an old price you've found online.
For me, it would come down to how much time I had.
If I was staying in Milan and only had one day available, I'd probably choose the guided tour. It's still a long day, but the transport is sorted for you and you can experience the Bernina route and visit St Moritz without having to plan all the connections yourself.
If I wanted to do it independently in one day, I'd look at the regional trains as well as the panoramic Bernina Express. Having more train times to choose from could make it much easier to build a day around the Milan to Tirano trains.
If I had a few days available, I'd choose the third option and make the Bernina Express part of the trip itself. I'd travel from Milan to Tirano, cross into Switzerland and then carry on rather than returning to Milan.
That's basically the route we did in reverse, and for me it makes much more sense if you're already planning to visit both Italy and Switzerland. You get the Bernina Express experience without having to backtrack, and you can turn it into a really lovely multi-stop trip.
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