Mother and Daughter Experience Special Journey Onboard the Bernina Express
Did you know that Switzerland is one of the top destinations in the world for train lovers and those who want to experience unrivaled landscapes? This holds true especially for travelers that take a journey through the Swiss Alps onboard the legendary Bernina Express train. The route is not only one of the most scenic in Switzerland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s also one of the steepest railways in the world with an incline of up to seven percent.
Back in March, Angela and her 10-year-old daughter had the opportunity to take the two and a half hour journey onboard the Bernina Express in first class from Tirano in the Valtellina region of Italy to the luxury resort town of St. Moritz, Switzerland. The landscapes along this route are varied and breathtaking: green meadows, chalet villages, glacial lakes, and snow-capped mountains. From Tirano, the train travels along the winding streets to the spectacular Brusio Circular Viaduct and onto the lovely village of Poschiavo. It then climbs slowly to the German speaking region of Alp Grum toward Ospizio Bernina (the highest point on the route). After leaving Ospizio Bernina, Lago Bianco comes into view before reaching the Morteratsch Glacier, the Bernina Massif mountain range, and finally glitzy St. Moritz.
Tell us your thoughts on planning your trips with Railbookers: We loved, loved, loved our Railbookers trip! We booked this European train vacation while still in the U.S. and when we arrived in Milan our tickets were waiting for us. The Railbookers rail expert booked us on a local train from Milan to Tirano where we connected onto the panoramic Bernina Express! It was scheduled so perfectly that when we arrived for our connection all we had to do was simply cross the platform and board the train. Prior to our trip, she communicated with us regularly to ensure all questions had been answered and that everything was booked according to our requests. Initially, we were attempting to book our train vacation from Italy to Switzerland on our own but the website for the Bernina Express was not in English and we weren’t at all familiar with the location of all the train stops.
Let’s just say booking with Railbookers saved us a great deal of confusion!
What was your experience like onboard the train during your journey? The Bernina Express was AMAZING!!! The train’s big panoramic windows offered spectacular views all around us. “Wow” is the word that comes to mind every single time I think about this train journey. Our seats were spacious and comfortable, the train was air-conditioned, and there was a convenient table between our seats to use.
Most scenic/memorable part of the trip? The most scenic part of the trip for us was when we reached the Swiss Alps capped with snow. The views were more breathtaking than we’d imagined. We had never traveled to Switzerland before and were blown away by the country’s beauty. In addition to our party of two, there were two couples in our train car. We all quickly bonded as we were in awe of our amazing experience.
What do you think others would enjoy about the trip you took with Railbookers? My 10-year-old daughter was my travel partner for this Railbookers trip and it will be a special memory we will share for a lifetime! Seeing the Swiss Alps for the first time while traveling on the Bernina Express was an unforgettable experience. For anyone unable to take the full route, the journey from Tirano to St. Moritz is the perfect amount of time to be on the train, experience the beautiful landscapes, and get where you need to go. In addition to the rail journey itself, we were booked at the beautiful and cozy Hotel Nolda (which was also budget friendly). What a wonderful surprise! The food was delicious. The bed was the most comfortable bed we’ve ever slept in. And the workers were both hospitable and knowledgeable.
Do you have any advice/tips for someone thinking about booking this itinerary? We had planned a one-night stay in Switzerland, though I would suggest staying longer and bringing a picnic lunch onboard the train as well as a portable charger. And hey, don’t forget your camera because there are so many amazing moments that you’ll want to capture. Finally, trust the good folks at Railbookers. We put this trip in their hands and were absolutely thrilled with it.
How did you prepare your luggage for travel? Since we were only staying in St. Moritz for one night, we traveled with backpacks. However, there was plenty of room in our train car for luggage.
Do you plan on taking another train trip in the future? Where to? Yes! We would like to experience a longer trip onboard a sleeper train but have not yet determined the destination.
