Is train travel included?

Yes. The package includes 2nd class travel on the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano with seat reservation, plus your train journey to/from Chur on a Half Fare Travelcard basis. Return travel from Lugano is individual.

Is this an escorted tour?

No. railtour suisse markets this as an individual rail journey. You travel independently; there is no tour guide or group.

What is included in the price?

Train to Chur, one night in a 3-star hotel in Chur with breakfast, the Bernina Express with seat reservation to Tirano, a coach onward to Lugano, one night in a 3-star hotel in Lugano with breakfast, and return train travel to your starting point.

What are the hotels like?

Both are standard 3-star hotels in Chur and Lugano, with a standard double room and breakfast included for each night.

How much walking is involved?

Day 1 includes walking the car-free old town of Chur with its boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. Day 3 offers optional strolling in Lugano's old town and along the lake promenade.

When does this trip run?

The operator publishes no published departure dates in this information. Contact railtour suisse directly for available dates.

railtour suisse · Individual rail journey

Bernina Express Chur – Lugano

Alpine rail crossing from Chur to Lugano via the UNESCO Bernina Express

railtour suisse's Bernina Express journey is a three-day, two-night individual rail crossing from Chur, Switzerland's oldest town, through the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway to Lugano in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. The centrepiece is a nine-hour passage on the Bernina Express through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges, including the famous Landwasser Viaduct and the Brusio spiral viaduct. The train climbs to the Bernina Pass with views of glaciers and steep mountain slopes, then descends to Tirano in Italy before a coach leg carries you through the Valtellina valley and alongside Lake Como to Lugano. Each night you stay in a simple three-star hotel with breakfast. Day 1 gives you time to explore Chur's car-free old town on foot. Day 3 offers a leisurely morning in Lugano, where Mediterranean palm trees and mountain views meet the lakeshore, before your individual return journey. This is an unguided package suited to independent travellers who want to experience one of Europe's most celebrated scenic railways without a group.

What to know before you look closer

The from-price of CHF 472 is based on the Half Fare Travelcard and covers the package; your full-price train ticket to Chur and return to your starting point is arranged separately
Day 3 is unguided; you depart Lugano on your own schedule with return train arranged individually

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Chur
Arrival in Chur
Train journey to Chur, Switzerland's oldest town. The car-free old town with its countless boutiques, galleries, restaurants, cafés and bars is one of the most beautiful in Switzerland. Overnight in Chur.
Day 2railovernight: Lugano
Bernina Express (9h15)
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you travel with the Bernina Express from Chur via the world-famous Landwasser Viaduct, the Bernina Pass and the circular viaduct at Brusio to Tirano (Italy), the south end of the Bernina Line. After lunch or a stroll through the romantic old town, you travel with the Bernina Express bus through the idyllic Valtellina valley and along Lake Como to Lugano. Overnight in Lugano.
Day 3
Lugano and return journey
Breakfast at the hotel. Experience the Mediterranean lifestyle in this charming paradise on Lake Lugano and enjoy the magnificent view of the surrounding mountains. The picturesque old town and the lake promenade invite you to take a stroll. Individual return journey. This tour can also be booked in the opposite direction.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2The Bernina Express passes the Landwasser Viaduct, then climbs to the Bernina Pass and descends through the Brusio spiral viaduct, crossing 196 bridges and 55 tunnels over nine hours
Day 2Arrival in Tirano, Italy, at the south end of the Bernina Line, followed by a coach journey through the Valtellina valley and along Lake Como

Included

Train journey in 2nd class from/to domicile, Half Fare Travelcard basis
Seat reservation in the Bernina Express
1 night in Chur, 3*-hotel, standard double room with breakfast
1 night in Lugano, 3*-hotel, standard double room with breakfast

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. The package includes 2nd class travel on the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano with seat reservation, plus your train journey to/from Chur on a Half Fare Travelcard basis. Return travel from Lugano is individual.
Is this an escorted tour?: No. railtour suisse markets this as an individual rail journey. You travel independently; there is no tour guide or group.
What is included in the price?: Train to Chur, one night in a 3-star hotel in Chur with breakfast, the Bernina Express with seat reservation to Tirano, a coach onward to Lugano, one night in a 3-star hotel in Lugano with breakfast, and return train travel to your starting point.
What are the hotels like?: Both are standard 3-star hotels in Chur and Lugano, with a standard double room and breakfast included for each night.
How much walking is involved?: Day 1 includes walking the car-free old town of Chur with its boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. Day 3 offers optional strolling in Lugano's old town and along the lake promenade.
When does this trip run?: The operator publishes no published departure dates in this information. Contact railtour suisse directly for available dates.

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