This Interrail route takes you on the route of the Glacier Express through Switzerland. Afterwards, you will follow the route of the Bernina Express all the way to Italy. The good thing about it is that you travel through picturesque countryside without having to pay the extra reservation for these two trains. You can also get off the train every now and then and enjoy the beautiful scenery. But now to the route that takes you from Zurich to Zermatt. Via the Galcier Express Route to Chur and St.Moritz. There you continue on the Bernina Express Route to Tirano. And from Tirano finally by Trenord train to Milan.
Travel to Zurich
You can reach Zurich easily by ICE train from Germany. Depending on the route, you can also change trains in Basel, in the direction of Zermatt. With Interrail you don't need a reservation for the ICE.
From France (e.g. Paris) you can travel by direct TGV Lyria. However, this costs 17 EUR for a reservation with Interrail. Or make use of a regional train via Strasbourg to Basel. These ones are free with your Interrail ticket.
Zurich to Zermatt
The journey from Zurich to Zermatt takes 3:15 hours. You have to change trains in Visp. The Intercity from Zurich to Visp takes 2 hours and is free with Interrail. From Visp you take the regional train of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn to Zermatt. This is free with Interrail. Do not use the original Glacier Express, because you have to pay a reservation of at least 13 CHF.
From Zermatt on the Glacier Express route via Chur to St.Moritz
You can travel the entire route of the Glacier Express on regional trains. These are free of charge with the Interrail ticket. The windows can often be opened. Make sure you make stopovers in any case. The regional trains are of very good quality and are punctual. I therefore recommend this travel option, which saves you additional costs.
The journey time is about 7 hours, depending on the connection you choose. If you get off the train, there is a next train at least every 30-60 minutes, which you can take further. Connections are always kept - that's punctual Switzerland with its great train network.
The route takes you through the following places:
- Zermatt to Visp
- Visp to Andermatt
- Andermatt](https://rail.cc/en/andermatt/c) to Disentis/Mustér.
- Disentis/Mustér to Chur
- Chur to Sankt Moritz
If you want to save time, you can skip Zermatt-Visp and directly start from Visp in direction of St.Moritz.
You don't have to pass St.Moritz, you can travel right past it, continuing in the direction of Tirano.
Highlights of the Glacier Express route:
- Oberalppass: this is the section from Andermatt up the curves to the Oberalppass. You can follow the train's ascent from Andermatt station, or above from Nätschen station.
- Rhine Gorge (german: Rheinschlucht): the best section is around Versam Safien station. Here you can also get off and walk around. These are simple paths that will take you to the river.
- Landwasser Viadukt: this beautiful bridge is a highlight from the train, but also from one of the viewing platforms. You have to get off at Filisur station and walk about 15 minutes in a north-westerly direction.
Example schedule for Zermatt to Sankt Moritz without the Glacier Express
Zermatt dep 08:37
Visp arr 09:46
CHANGE
Visp dep 10:08
Andermatt arr 12:20
CHANGE
Andermatt dep 12:28
Disentis/Mustér arr 13:39
CHANGE
Disentis/Mustér dep 13:44
Versam-Safien arr 14:37 / dep 14:38
Reichenau-Tamins arr 14:49
(or stay in the train until Chur arr 15:02)
CHANGE
Reichenau-Tamins dep 15:09
St. Moritz arr 17:00
Reservation for the Glacier Express
You can buy your reservation for the Glacier Express as follows - unless you want to travel on the free regional trains
- Go to the Glacier Express website.
- Select the option "Classic St.Moritz-Zermatt".
- Enter your departure and arrival station and your travel date.
- Select the connection and choose your seat.
- Enter your name and date of birth. And select the option "Interrail Pass" as "Discount". Then the price will be reduced.
- Important: you will receive your reservation by email as a PDF document. You don't have to print it out, it's enough if you can show it on your mobile phone or tablet.
Overnight stays and nice hotels:
- Zermatt: so far I have always booked a hotel room one day in advance. I usually found one for about 65 EUR. I guess these ones were cancelled by others at short notice. In general, Zermatt is very expensive, so you better sleep in another place. Overview Hotels in Zermatt.
- Andermatt: I personally like it very much, because you can see the railway winding up the mountain here. I can recommend "BnB Bellavista", directly on the Glacier Express line. And a very friendly owner.
- Chur: there is a large offer of accommodation. Which are also quite inexpensive for Switzerland. Besides, about half of the route is here.
- Morteratsch: the Gletscher-Hotel Morteratsch is affordable in the low season. It's really nice. Especially if you want to stay overnight in the mountains along the train route.
St.Moritz on the Bernina Express route to Tirano
Your journey continues on my absolute favourite route. The Bernina Express runs from Chur or St.Moritz to Tirano in Italy. The journey time for the St.Moritz to Tirano section is 2:30 hours.
It is worth getting off at many stations and enjoying nature. Here too, you can travel the entire route of the Bernina Express with good regional trains free of charge with Interrail. Take advantage of this and make one or more of the following stops.
Highlights of the Bernina Express line:
- Landwasser Viadukt: as above on the Glacier Express route, if you use the Bernina Express from Chur.
- Montebello Curve: shortly after station Morteratsch, comes the aforementioned curve, which is mainly known as a photo motif.
- Ospizio Bernina: a grandiose area with mountains and the lake Lago Bianco. Here I recommend in any case to get off the train at station Ospizio Bernina and take a short walk. The accommodation in the Albergo Ospizio Bernina is also great.
- Alp Grüm: have a coffee, with a view of the glacier and the big curve of the railway line.
- Circular viaduct of Brusio: here the train line runs in a circle and crosses itself. Very nice to experience from the train itself, but also from the outside. Get off at Brusio station and walk south for 10 minutes.
- Tirano: on sections, train and car share the road. An interesting matter. The city itself is quite nice and is cheaper than Switzerland. Here it is worth to stay for a pizza. Right next to the station I always had a good meal (belongs to the Hotel Bernina).
Example schedule for Chur / Sankt Moritz to Tirano without Bernina Express
Chur dep 08:58
Filisur arr 10:00 / dep 10:02
Sankt Moritz arr 11:00
CHANGE
Sankt Moritz dep 11:48
Morteratsch arr 12:18 / dep 12:18
Ospizio Bernina arr 12:39 / dep 12:39
Alp Grüm arr 12:49 / dep 12:53
Brusio arr 14:03 / dep 14:03
Tirano arr 14:23
Interrail Reservation for the Bernina Express
You can buy your reservation for the Bernina Express online. However, I find the journey on the regional trains, which are free of charge for you, much more attractive. You can get on and off. Experience nature not just by driving through it.
- Go to the website of the Rhaetian Railway.
- choose the route and the date of travel.
- select the connection and your seat.
- enter your name and date of birth and select "Interrail Pass" as the discount.
- Important: you will receive your reservation by email as a PDF document. You don't have to print it out, you only need to show it on your mobile phone or tablet.
Overnight stays and nice hotels:
- Morteratsch: as described above in the Glacier Hotel Morteratsch.
- Ospitzio Bernina: high in the mountains in the Albergo Ospizio Bernina. The beds in the dormitory are quite cheap.
- Tirano: there are some hotels and you can eat pizza and pasta. Right next to the train stations is the Hotel Bernina, where I already stayed overnight. This one is quite okay.
Tirano to Milan
The Trenord train is free of charge for you with Interrail to Milan - Milano Centrale station. The stations of the Bernina Express and Trenord train are very close - just 50 metres from the Tirano station square.
Train connection in Milan
Milan is a hub. There are connections to all of Italy, be it Venice, Florence or Rome. A night train will even take you as far as Sicily. There are also direct train connections to France (Marseille and Paris) and back to Switzerland, or even to Germany (Frankfurt am Main).
Example schedule for Tirano to Milano Centrale
Tirano dep 11:08 / Milano Centrale arr 13:40
Tirano dep 16:08 / Milano Centrale arr 18:40
Overnight stays along the route
In theory, you can drive the route from Zurich to Milan in one day. But this leaves you absolutely no room for breaks. It's of course up to you to decide where you want to spend the night. You will find some tips in the text above. - Overview of inexpensive hotels in Switzerland - Hostels in Switzerland - Airbnb in Switzerland, including voucher of up to 40 EUR
Which Interrail ticket is best for this route?
In general I am a friend of the Interrail Global Pass, which does not stop at national borders. Depending on how you continue your journey, choose one with the appropriate length. The Interrail One Country Pass for Switzerland may also be sufficient for you.
Conclusion and evaluation of the Interrail route
For me this is one of the most beautiful Interrail routes in Central Europe. Especially if you take the opportunity to take a break. The absolute favourite for me is the section with the Bernina Bahn: the route from Chur to Tirano. By travelling on the punctual and beautiful regional trains, you also save on reservations - and with Interrail you have a really great, free route. Switzerland itself is expensive. Nevertheless, I would recommend one overnight stay. I usually take some food with me, i.e. the classic packet soup or anything else that can be prepared quickly with the kettle in the hostel or hotel. That way, the expenses are kept within reasonable limits - and then, I get an extra pizza in Tirano. ;) Have a good trip!
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