Dispatch from the Bernina Express
An iconic bright red train that cuts through the Swiss Alps, plus a pink Art Nouveau grande dame in the Italian Alps
A week before our trip to the Dolomites, I had never given a moment’s thought to the Bernina Express. But a rental car snafu (involving wildly extreme sticker-shock for cross-border drop-off/pick-up) nudged me to explore other transportation options from Zurich to Northern Italy. The Bernina Express, as it happens, travels from Chur (an hour train ride from Zurich) to Tirano, Italy, snaking its way through some of the most varied and majestic landscapes in the Swiss Alps. In addition to being a World Heritage Site, the Rhaetian Railway, built in 1908, is widely considered one of the most beautiful train rides in Europe (the highest in Europe and the steepest in the world). And if that’s not enough: 196 bridges, 55 tunnels, the (namesake) Bernina Pass, which tops out at 7,392 feet above sea level, and a stop at Alp Grum, where you can climb off for a moment to take in the vast expanse of Val Poschiavo and the Palü Glacier, heart in throat.
A testament to the thrill of it all: My two teenagers didn’t even glance at their phones the entire four-hour trip. We were all properly mesmerized, mind out of time, as the train glided past glaciers, peaks, turquoise lakes, waterfalls, and quaint blink-and-you’ll-miss-it alpine villages; through dense forests, over deep gorges and across arched stone viaducts and narrow bridges, turning our planning blip into one of the trip’s unexpected highlights—the journey, as they say, the destination.
TIPS FOR RIDING THE BERNINA EXPRESS
1. Purchase tickets in advance, and make sure to get both a ticket *and* a seat reservation. While not exactly intuitive, this detail is an important one: we heard stories of passengers showing up for their trip without a seat reservation and being turned away from a full train. On the day I booked our passage — a mere three days before departure (not recommended!)— we secured the last remaining five seats available: four tickets in first class, one in second. If you book ahead, you’ll have a choice of seats/class and will want to understand the distinction. First class is slightly roomier with wider seats and bigger windows, but don’t fret too much—you’ll see the exact same scenery from second class, which, based on my experience, is a more social affair. Passengers trading seats to let everyone have a turn at the window; standing up and angling for the perfect photo; chatting with strangers. My seatmates were from London, the Netherlands, India, and New Zealand. Either way, book early so you can snag a window seat—and don’t forget to be a good neighbor.