Planning a Bernina Express itinerary but not sure how to turn a scenic train journey into a complete trip?
This was the exact route we followed, travelling from Switzerland to Italy via the Bernina Express, with stops in Chur, Lake Como and Milan along the way.
What we loved most about this itinerary was how it combined two very different countries in one trip.
One day we were surrounded by snow-covered mountains in Switzerland, the next we were enjoying lakeside walks and pizza beside Lake Como.
The Bernina Express itself is undoubtedly the highlight, travelling through the Swiss Alps, crossing dramatic viaducts and passing frozen lakes before descending into Italy. But the train journey is only part of what makes this route work so well.
By combining one night in Chur with a few nights in Lake Como and Milan, we found it offered a great balance of scenery, sightseeing and value for money, particularly compared to spending the entire trip in Switzerland.
This itinerary is based on our own trip and works particularly well for first-time visitors looking to experience the Bernina Express while also exploring some of northern Italy's most beautiful destinations.
If you're looking for detailed planning information including tickets, reservations, seat selection, route maps and booking advice, head over to our Complete Bernina Express Guide.
If you're travelling as a family, you may also find our Bernina Express with Kids guide useful.
Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services and experiences I would genuinely use myself and it helps support Build a Break so I can continue sharing free travel content.
Day 1: Fly to Zurich and travel to Chur
Day 2: Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano, continue to Lake Como by regional train
Day 3: Explore Lake Como and Varenna
Day 4: Travel to Milan
Day 5: Fly home or extend your trip further in to Italy
One of the biggest decisions when planning a Bernina Express trip is deciding where to stay before and after the train journey.
Many itineraries focus entirely on Switzerland, but accommodation costs can quickly add up, particularly for families.
We chose to spend:
This allowed us to experience the best part of the Bernina Express route while keeping overall costs much lower than staying in Switzerland for the entire trip.
It also creates a natural progression through the journey:
Each destination feels completely different from the last.
After arriving in Zurich, our first stop was Chur.
One of the things I love about Zurich Airport is how easy it is to continue your journey by train. The railway station is located directly beneath the terminal, making transfers incredibly straightforward.
Simply follow the signs to Zürich Flughafen station, check the departure boards and board a train to Chur.
The journey takes around 1 hour 35 minutes and offers a gentle introduction to Swiss rail travel before the main event the following day.
We arrived in Chur during the afternoon, checked into our hotel and spent the rest of the day exploring the town.
Often overlooked by visitors rushing straight onto the Bernina Express, Chur is actually Switzerland's oldest town and has a charming historic centre that's well worth exploring.
We stayed at Central Hotel Post Chur, located around six minutes from the station.
The hotel included breakfast, which proved ideal before an early start on the Bernina Express the next morning.
Other options close to the station include:
If your budget allows, an extra night in Chur would be easy to justify.
This is the day most people book the trip for.
After breakfast, we headed to Chur station and boarded the Bernina Express for one of Europe's most scenic train journeys.
If you're still deciding whether to travel on the panoramic Bernina Express or save money using regional trains, take a look at our Bernina Express vs Regional Train guide.
The route travels through dramatic mountain scenery, crossing famous landmarks including the Landwasser Viaduct before climbing into the high Alps.
We cover the route in more detail in our Complete Bernina Express Guide.
One of the things that surprised me most was just how quickly the scenery changes.
Throughout the journey you'll pass:
Before eventually descending through the Alps and into northern Italy.
The complete journey from Chur to Tirano takes approximately four hours and twenty minutes.
We travelled this route during February half term with four children aged 7, 11, 13 and 17. If you're wondering whether the journey feels too long for younger travellers, our Bernina Express with Kids guide shares our honest experience.
We arrived in Tirano around lunchtime.
If you have time, Tirano is worth exploring and makes a great stop for lunch, coffee or gelato.
However, because we were using Lake Como as our base, we continued onwards the same day.
The connection is straightforward, with the onward railway station located directly opposite the Bernina Express station.
From Tirano, we travelled onwards to Bellano on Lake Como.
We chose Bellano because:
For us, it struck the perfect balance between convenience and value.
After checking into our apartment and seeing the lake views for the first time, it immediately felt like the right decision.
Lake Como provided a completely different atmosphere to Switzerland.
After mountains, glaciers and panoramic trains, it was nice to slow the pace down and spend a day exploring the lakeside towns.
We based ourselves in Bellano for two nights and honestly couldn't have been happier with the choice. While many visitors head straight for the more famous towns, Bellano felt quieter, more affordable and far less crowded.
We stayed in an apartment-style Airbnb overlooking the lake. Compared to accommodation prices in Switzerland, it felt like incredible value for money. The apartment had two separate sleeping areas, sofa beds, a large kitchen and even laundry facilities, giving us far more space than we would have had for a similar budget in Switzerland. Click here for the apartment.
Waking up to views across Lake Como each morning was one of the highlights of the trip.
If you're travelling as a family, I'd definitely consider looking at apartment accommodation around Bellano or the surrounding area. Not only does it help keep costs down, but having extra space after a busy travel day makes a huge difference.
One of our favourite stops was Varenna.
Located just four minutes from Bellano by train, it's one of the prettiest towns on Lake Como and makes an easy day trip.
We spent the day wandering the waterfront, exploring the colourful streets and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.
Even in February, Lake Como was beautiful.
In fact, travelling during winter made it feel much quieter and more authentic than the busy summer months. Restaurants were easier to get into, the trains were less crowded and we could enjoy the lakeside promenades without the large crowds that arrive during peak season.
For us, it felt like a completely different destination to the Lake Como you often see on social media during July and August.
📌 Tip: Lake Como accommodation can become expensive during the summer months. Travelling in winter gave us far more choice, lower prices and a much more relaxed experience overall.
After two nights on Lake Como, we travelled onwards to Milan.
For us, Milan worked best as a one-night stop before flying home.
It gave us time to:
While some travellers may wish to spend longer in Milan, we found one night worked perfectly within a five-day itinerary.
During our visit, the city was celebrating Carnevale Ambrosiano, which added an extra layer of atmosphere to the trip.
After breakfast, we headed to the airport for our flight home.
Although the trip was only five days long, it genuinely felt like we'd experienced far more.
In less than a week we'd travelled through Switzerland and Italy, crossed the Alps on one of the world's most famous train journeys and explored everything from mountain towns to lakeside villages and major cities.
Including flights, accommodation, train travel and the Bernina Express itself, our total trip cost came to approximately £389 per person.
That included:
For a multi-country European trip, we felt it offered excellent value.
If you're comparing costs with a longer Switzerland itinerary, our guides on 'Is Switzerland Expensive?' and 'How to Visit Switzerland on a Budget' may help with planning.
Absolutely.
If you're looking for a Bernina Express itinerary that combines spectacular scenery with practical travel and reasonable costs, this route is hard to beat.
The journey from Chur to Tirano is every bit as impressive as people say it is, but combining it with Lake Como and Milan transforms it from a train ride into a memorable European adventure.
In fact, it became one of the reasons we later built both our 6 Day Switzerland Rail Itinerary and 10 Day Switzerland Itinerary, which include several of our favourite Swiss rail experiences.
You may also find these guides useful:
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