RalliiSwitzerland → Italy
Bernina Express
St. Moritz → Tirano
- Duration
- 2 hr 15 min
- Distance
- 61 km
- Train
- Panoramic express
- Reservation
- Required
A high-Alpine crossing from the Engadin to northern Italy, passing glaciers, Lago Bianco, Val Poschiavo, and the Brusio Circular Viaduct.
Seat view guide
Best Side to Sit
St. Moritz → Tirano
Overall recommendation
Both sides
The strongest supported views are shared across both sides.
It changes along the way
- Morteratsch landscape8–15 km · Editorial guidanceBoth sides
- Lago Bianco18–28 km · Editorial guidanceBoth sides
- Val Poschiavo30–46 km · Limited dataVaries
- Brusio Circular Viaduct52–56 km · Limited dataUnknown
Some sections are early guidance based on limited reports.
Explore the route
Interactive Route Map
Pan and zoom to explore
From St. Moritz to Tirano, via Pontresina, Ospizio Bernina, Alp Grüm, Poschiavo, Brusio.
Scenic journey timeline
Along the Journey
A calm guide to the moments worth looking up for, arranged from St. Moritz to Tirano.
- Departure · 0 km · 0 minSt. Moritz
- Major stop · 6 kmPontresina
- Arrival · 61 km · 2 hr 15 minTirano
Look out for
Journey Highlights
Places & Rallii Lore
Read the railway landscape
3 prepared Scenic Alerts
Lago Bianco
The train traces the pale turquoise reservoir near the route's highest point.
The railway reaches its high Alpine watershed beside Lago Bianco near Ospizio Bernina.Alp Grüm & Palü Glacier
A celebrated high viewpoint opens toward the Palü Glacier and Val Poschiavo.
Alp Grüm is a remote railway viewpoint reached only by train and trail, overlooking the Palü Glacier and Val Poschiavo.Brusio Circular Viaduct
The stone spiral lets the railway lose height in one unmistakable sweep.
The circular stone viaduct allows the adhesion railway to lose height without a rack system.engineeringAn adhesion railway across the high AlpsThe Bernina line reaches 2,253 metres without using a rack system.
Its tight curves, gradients, and carefully positioned structures let ordinary adhesion trains cross an exceptional Alpine landscape. The engineering and its relationship with the surrounding scenery form part of the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway landscape.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage CentreEditorial confidence · Checked 2026-08-17engineeringWhy the railway circles at BrusioThe circular viaduct lengthens the railway so trains can change elevation gradually.
Rather than using a rack railway, the Bernina line turns through a complete open spiral on a stone viaduct. From the train, the curve makes the railway itself part of the view.
Source: Rhaetian RailwayEditorial confidence · Checked 2026-08-17Journey overview
What to Expect
- Reservations
- Required for this journey.
- Train
- Panoramic express
- Operated by
- Rhätische Bahn / Rhaetian Railway
Plan the journey
Practical Information
- Seat reservation
- Required on Bernina Express panoramic cars; a valid ticket is also needed.Check current operator information
- On board
- Modern panoramic cars, complimentary Wi‑Fi, and snacks and drinks served at your seat.
- Luggage
- Luggage racks are available, but storage space is limited.
- Accessibility
- Selected wheelchair-accessible seats can be booked through RhB Railservice; boarding assistance requires advance arrangement.Check current operator information
Continue the story
Related journeys
Switzerland
Glacier Express
Zermatt → St. Moritz
Another classic journey across the Swiss Alps
Glaciers · Alpine Passes · Gorges
Italy
Cinque Terre
La Spezia Centrale → Levanto
Continue exploring dramatic Italian landscapes
Coast · Villages · Tunnels
Route & data sources
- Railway / map dataOpenStreetMap
Prepared from the Berninabahn railway relation; © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- Operator informationRhaetian Railway
Journey duration, service, reservations, and official route highlights.
- Operator informationUNESCO World Heritage Centre
World Heritage context for the Albula and Bernina railway landscapes.
- Rallii guidanceRallii guidance
Curated journey order and deliberately cautious seat-view guidance.