What is the Bernina Red Train?
The Bernina Red Train is a train connecting St.Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps, and is operated by RhB (the Rhaetian Railway). This route was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.
There are two types of train traveling along this line: the regular/regional Bernina Red Train and the panoramic Bernina Express. Here is a short breakdown of what each type of train offers:
1-Regular Bernina Red Train (most requested)
• Regular-sized, openable windows;
• Free-to-choose times of departure from each station;
• Intermediate stops along the line are allowed;
• Seat reservation not possible;
• Unlimited availability.
2-Panoramic Bernina Express (limited seats)
• Panoramic, unopenable windows;
• Fixed times of departure depending on the season;
• Intermediate stops not allowed (loss of reservation);
• Seat reservations necessary with a supplementary cost per person, which depends on the season;
• Limited availability.
The track, as well as the duration of the journey, are the same regardless of the type of train you choose.
For all those concerned by the color of the carriages, rest assured: all of these trains are red.
Where does the Bernina Red Train depart from?
The Bernina Red Train departs from the two stations of Tirano (Italy) and St.Moritz (Switzerland).
The Tirano Station can be found at Piazza delle Stazioni, 22 in Tirano.
The St.Moritz Station can be found at the Bahnhofsplatz in St.Moritz.
When does the Bernina Red Train depart?
As said before, the times of departure depend on the train type.
The regular Bernina Red Train departs at various times throughout the day both from Tirano and from St.Moritz, which stay the same throughout the year without exception. These times are as follows:
– From Tirano, 07:41, 09:00, 09:41, 11:00, 11:41, 13:00, 13:41, 15:00, and 15:41;
– From St.Moritz, 08:48, 09:48, 10:48, 11:48, 12:48, 13:48, 14:48, 15:48, and 16:48.
With the regular Bernina Red Train tickets, you can freely choose any of the times listed above for your trip. This is possible due to these tickets being valid for an entire day.
On the other end, the Bernina Express is the opposite in that it has fixed times of departure, which vary throughout the year depending on the season. These times are as follows:
| Winter (November-March) | Summer (April-October) | |
| From Tirano |
09:41
|
10:06
13:17 |
| From St.Moritz |
14:48
|
13:17
16:14 |
Important: please mind that the times listed above are subject to change and have limited availability. If you want to book the Bernina Express, you need contact us through this form in order to reconfirm the time/seat availabilities.
How much do the Bernina trains cost?
See the prices by visit the link here below:
By buying the ticket online on this site, you won’t need to validate it at the Tirano Station: you’ll be able to board the train directly and show the tickets (printed or on your smartphone) to the train personnel once on board.
Bernina Express with Panoramic Windows
For the Bernina Express with panoramic windows, which seats are limited, is necessary to pay an additional cost for the reservation in addition to the regular ticket. This price is the same for adults, youths and infants and varies throughout the year and depending on the season and availability, alongside the departure times.
For the Bernina Express with panoramic windows, you need to pay – other than for the ticket mentioned above – a supplementary
seat reservation cost. This price is the same for adults, youths and infants and varies throughout the year
and depending on the season, alongside the departure times, and is as follows:
– From November to February, 7€ per person or 22€ per person (only 10:06, 13:17 and 16:14 trains);
– From March to May, 26€ per person;
– From June to September, 28€ per person.
Please note that these prices are, other than per person, also one-way. If you want to do the two-way trip with the Bernina Express, you’ll need to pay the reservation costs for Tirano-St.Moritz and for St.Moritz-Tirano.
If you wish to book Bernina Express with panoramic windows which has limited places, just buy the regular tickets and then you’ll need to fill the linked form that you’ll find after payment, we will try to find for some availability that fit your request.
How long is the Tirano-St.Moritz trip?
The trip from Tirano to St.Moritz is, regardless of the type of train you choose, about 2 hours and 20 minutes long. The St.Moritz-Tirano line has also the same duration, meaning that the total duration of the two-way trip is 4 hours and 40 minutes.
Why buy the tickets online?
By buying the tickets online, you’ll receive them directly by mail within 24 hours of the purchase: tickets will already be valid for the date selected, so all you’ll have to do on the day of the trip will be to arrive at the train station and board the regular Bernina Red Train at a time of your choosing (or, in the case of the panoramic Bernina Express, at the time you booked).
The online tickets can either be printed or kept on your smartphone, just remember to have them with you and be ready to show them on the train personnel once they request you to. Also you’ll receive a Free useful pdf guide about the journey.
What do I need to do to buy the tickets online?
To purchase the online tickets, you’ll need to have a credit card to complete the payment and to input the following information:
• Day of the trip;
• Names, surnames and dates of birth of the persons you are buying the tickets for;
• An email address on which to receive the tickets (please make sure to write the correct email address).
Where and how can I buy the online tickets?
The online tickets can be bought on this site: just go to the Tickets page and input the day of the trip and the number of adult and youth passengers (infants 0-5 years old are excluded from this, as they travel for free). You’ll then be able to choose whether to buy 2nd or 1st class tickets, and then to input the information necessary to issue the tickets (email and passenger info) and to carry out the payment.
For the panoramic Bernina Express seats, you’ll need to fill the linked form that you’ll find after regular ticket payment, in order to request the availability for the date you want: since the panoramic seats are limited in number, we need to check and make sure the seats are available (and also close to each other to avoid putting you on different carriages). Just fill out the required information and we’ll let you know as soon as possible (please keep in mind the time zones). Once the availability is confirmed, we’ll send you a link for the online payment of the panoramic seats: please keep in mind that we’ll be able to keep the seats in standby for 24 ours.
Are there other types of tickets?
Yes, other than the standard daily tickets, there are also three special passes: the Unesco Pass, the Graubünden Pass and the DogPass.
The Unesco Pass is valid for two days of your choice in a total period of four days and includes, other than Tirano-St.Moritz, also part of the Albula line up to Thusis. This special pass costs 82€ per person and can be bought here.
The Graubünden Pass is valid for two days of your choice in a total period of five days and includes, other than Tirano-St.Moritz, also all trains up to Chur. This special pass costs 85€ per person (with up to 2 children 0-15 yo included for free), and can be bought here.
The Dog Pass is a special daily ticket for dogs. It costs 26€ per dog and can be bought here.
Where does the Bernina Red Train stop?
The regular Bernina Red Train makes intermediate stops along the line; with the regular ticket, you can hop off at any of these stops, and then resume your journey by boarding the following train. Here’s a detailed map with all the stops:
Contact Us
If you have questions that haven’t been answered above, kindly contact us at tickets@berninarailway.com
