European Railroad Discussion > Bernina Express

any recommendations/advice for travel on the Bernina Express? I will be in Lake Como region of Italy

It is great have fun

Charles Rice
Saint Louis, MO

One of the best train rides in the world.

I rode it a couple of years ago on a clear cloudless day. One of the best trains that I have been on. Definitely a don’t miss train.

swirsk53 Wrote:
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> any recommendations/advice for travel on the
> Bernina Express? I will be in Lake Como region of
> Italy

You can travel on exactly the same route on the regular trains of the same railway company for less money and without having to make a reservation.

My friend did just that two weeks ago and at 60 years old he is a complete beginner when it comes to travelling in Europe. He travelled on a four-day Swiss Travel Pass which covered all modes of travel -- train, bus, streetcar and even the lake steamboats and the various mountain rack railways. These passes come in 3, 4, 8 and 15-day versions.

It amounts to a hop-on, hop-off ticket, so when my friend rode the route of the Bernina Express, he was able to get off the local trains at various spectacular locations, photograph the next train coming through (which sometimes was the Express) and then continue on a later train. Some of his photo locations included the famous Landwasser Viaduct and the spiral viaduct at Brusio.

Two words: Do It!

Mexrail

For clarification: you can even ride the *exact same train* as the Bernina Express but in a "regular" car in which reservations are not compulsory. And, if you spring for 1st class, you'll get to sit directly behind the driver and can look over his shoulder the whole time (there's only a glass panel separating the passenger compartment from the cab). And in the non-reserved section there are windows that can be opened for taking pictures without fear of reflections in the window panes.

That being said, the experience in the reserved cars is wonderful and worth the price of admission. If you just want to sit back and enjoy the ride, the view from the panorama cars cannot be beat.

Have fun! It is easily one of the great train rides of the world.

railsmith Wrote:
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> swirsk53 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > any recommendations/advice for travel on the
> > Bernina Express? I will be in Lake Como region
> of
> > Italy
>
> You can travel on exactly the same route on the
> regular trains of the same railway company for
> less money and without having to make a
> reservation.
>
> My friend did just that two weeks ago and at 60
> years old he is a complete beginner when it comes
> to travelling in Europe. He travelled on a
> four-day Swiss Travel Pass which covered all modes
> of travel -- train, bus, streetcar and even the
> lake steamboats and the various mountain rack
> railways. These passes come in 3, 4, 8 and 15-day
> versions.
>
> It amounts to a hop-on, hop-off ticket, so when my
> friend rode the route of the Bernina Express, he
> was able to get off the local trains at various
> spectacular locations, photograph the next train
> coming through (which sometimes was the Express)
> and then continue on a later train. Some of his
> photo locations included the famous Landwasser
> Viaduct and the spiral viaduct at Brusio.