Our pick for most visitors
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For independent travelers coming up from Milan by train who want the Swiss part booked in advance, with free time on their own schedule.
Tirano–St. Moritz Red Train Return Pass
The Experience
The Red Train Return Day Ticket
Visit Valtellina's ticket covers the regional red train from Tirano to St. Moritz and back on one date, with hop-off at any station, a timetable and a mini-guide to the stops.
Highlights
- Return trip Tirano–St. Moritz–Tirano on the same day
- Hop off at any station and continue on a later train
- Choice of 2nd or 1st class
- Opening windows on the regional red train
- Timetable and mini-guide to the stops
What's Included
- Return day ticket Tirano–St. Moritz–Tirano on the regional red train
- 2nd class, or 1st class on the 1st-class option
- Valid all day on the date you select
- Hop-off at any station, continuing on a later train
- Train timetable and mini-guide to the stops
How a Ticket Day from Milan Works
Two trains, one change of station at Tirano.
Buy your Trenord ticket
Get a regional ticket from Milano Centrale to Tirano at a station machine or on trenord.it. There are no seat reservations on these trains, so sit anywhere.
Book the Swiss part for your date
Choose the return day ticket in 2nd class, or the 1st-class option, for the date you travel. It is valid all day on that date.
Cross the square at Tirano
The Italian and Swiss stations stand a few metres apart. Seats on the red train are not reserved, so board early on busy days.
Hop off on the way
Leave the train at any station, such as Alp Grüm or Poschiavo, and continue on a later one. Trains run roughly hourly, so each stop costs you about an hour.
Photo Gallery
On the Red Train
Photos from the Visit Valtellina listing: the Brusio spiral, the high meadows and the view from an open window.
Red Train Tickets: Two Resellers and RhB
The return day ticket, the one-way ticket from Tirano and buying direct from RhB. None of them includes the Trenord train from Milan.
| Feature | HOP-OFF ALL DAY Return day ticket from Tirano | Red train ticket from Tirano | Buy direct from RhB |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | Tirano–St. Moritz–Tirano return | One-way or return from Tirano | Any RhB ticket you choose |
| Train | Regional red train | Regional red train | Red train or Bernina Express |
| Class | 2nd, or 1st on its option | 1st or 2nd, chosen at booking | 1st or 2nd |
| Seat reservation | Not included | Not included | Optional CHF 5; about CHF 32 required on the Bernina Express |
| Hop-off on the way | ✓ any station, later train | Not stated on the listing | Check the ticket conditions |
| Extras | Timetable and mini-guide | PDF timetable, travel guide, 24/7 assistance | — |
| Milan–Tirano train | ✗ not included | ✗ not included | ✗ buy from Trenord |
| Price | From $121, return | From $75, one-way | About CHF 33–35 one way, 2nd class |
| Cancellation | Free up to 5 days before | Free up to 7 days before | Refund to the day before, CHF 10 fee |
| Wheelchair users | Listed as accessible | Not suitable | Wheelchair seats via RhB Railservice |
| Check dates | View on GetYourGuide | RhB timetable |
Rather go with a guide?
Day Trips That Include the Tickets
Guided days from Milan with the coach and the train ticket in one price.
Tickets
What to Buy, Where, and What It Costs
Trenord, RhB and reseller tickets for a Bernina day from Milan, with the passes that cover them.
To ride the Bernina line from Milan on your own you need two tickets. The first is a Trenord regional ticket from Milano Centrale to Tirano, about €12.50 each way in 2nd class. The second is an RhB ticket from Tirano to St. Moritz, about CHF 33 to 35 each way in 2nd class on the red train. For the panoramic Bernina Express you add a compulsory seat reservation of about CHF 32 each way. If you would like to book the Swiss part in dollars before you leave, Visit Valtellina’s Tirano to St. Moritz: Bernina Red Train Return Day Ticket costs from $121 per person and is valid all day on your date (our review).
The tickets for each leg
| Leg | What you buy | Price, 2nd class | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milano Centrale to Tirano | Trenord regional ticket | About €12.50 each way (€19 in 1st) | Station machines, trenord.it, Trenitalia, Trainline |
| Tirano to St. Moritz, red train | RhB ticket | About CHF 33–35 each way (CHF 57–60 in 1st) | rhb.ch, SBB app, RhB station in Tirano, resellers |
| Red train seat reservation | Optional | CHF 5 per person and route | rhb.ch |
| Bernina Express | RhB ticket plus compulsory reservation | Ticket as above, plus about CHF 32 each way | rhb.ch, SBB app |
The RhB fare range covers two published tariffs, CHF 33 for 2026 and CHF 35 listed for 2027, so check the price in the RhB shop for your date.
Trenord from Milano Centrale to Tirano
Trenord runs direct regional trains from Milano Centrale to Tirano in about 2 hours 30 minutes, roughly every hour, along the east shore of Lake Como and up the Valtellina. On the 2025/26 timetable they left Milan at 20 minutes past the hour from 06:20 and came back from Tirano at 8 minutes past; check current times on trenord.it, because the 2026/27 timetable may differ. There are no seat reservations, so you sit where you like, and children under 12 travel at half price.
Buy the ticket at a machine in Milano Centrale, on trenord.it, or through Trenitalia or Trainline. Use Centrale: the direct trains do not stop at Porta Garibaldi. For the trip back, buy your return before you leave Milan, because the Italian ticket office in Tirano closes in the afternoon. The Milan to Tirano train guide covers the first leg in detail.
RhB tickets for the red train and the Bernina Express
The red train and the Bernina Express use the same RhB ticket. The difference is the reservation. On the red train a reservation is optional: CHF 5 per person and route, between St. Moritz and Tirano only. If reserved seats sell out you can still travel without one, and RhB says individual reservations cannot be made for trains in April 2027. On the Bernina Express the reservation is compulsory, about CHF 32 each way between St. Moritz and Tirano, and the same in 1st and 2nd class.
RhB sells tickets up to six months ahead, and Bernina Express reservations open for the whole timetable period. Popular dates sell out, so book the panoramic train early. You can buy from the RhB shop on rhb.ch, in the SBB app or at the RhB station in Tirano. RhB refunds tickets until the day before travel with a CHF 10 fee, but online seat reservations cannot be changed or cancelled. Children under 6 travel free and children from 6 to 15 pay half fare; the reservation is charged in full for everyone.
In winter the Bernina Express leaves Tirano at 10:06 every day, arriving in St. Moritz at 12:35, with an extra 09:18 departure on Fridays to Sundays from 13 December and every day from 26 December to 5 January. If you are unsure which train you want, the Bernina Express vs red train guide sets out the differences, and Bernina Express from Milan shows which tours include the panoramic coach.
Buying the Swiss part on GetYourGuide
Three reseller tickets on GetYourGuide sell the red train for a set date. None includes the train from Milan, a seat reservation or the Bernina Express.
| Ticket | What you get | From, per person | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return day ticket from Tirano | Tirano–St. Moritz–Tirano, hop off at any station, timetable and mini-guide | $121, return | Free up to 5 days before |
| Red train ticket from Tirano | One-way or return from Tirano, PDF timetable, 24/7 assistance | $75, one-way | Free up to 7 days before |
| Red train ticket from St. Moritz | One-way or return from St. Moritz, timetable, 24/7 assistance | $75, one-way | Free up to 7 days before |
The return day ticket, rated 4.5 from 1,140+ reviews, suits a day from Milan best: you pick your train from Tirano, stop at Alp Grüm or Poschiavo, spend the middle of the day in St. Moritz and ride back. The listing marks it as wheelchair accessible; the two Rigamonti tickets are listed as not suitable for wheelchair users, and their price includes the agency’s fee and commission.
Why pay a reseller? You check out in English in dollars, and the ticket comes with a timetable and notes on the stops. Why buy from RhB? You pay the official fare in francs, you can add the CHF 5 seat reservation that the reseller tickets leave out, and RhB refunds tickets until the day before, while the resellers cancel free only 5 or 7 days ahead. Compare both at the current exchange rate before you buy.
What passes cover, and what they do not
| Pass or card | RhB ticket | Bernina Express reservation | Trenord, Milan to Tirano |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass | Free | Paid in full | Not a Swiss route; plan to buy a Trenord ticket |
| Eurail or Interrail | Free | Paid in full | Interrail global passes valid |
| GA travelcard | Free | Paid in full | Plan to buy a Trenord ticket |
| Half Fare Card | Half price | Paid in full | Plan to buy a Trenord ticket |
With one of these passes the red train costs nothing more unless you add the optional CHF 5 reservation. On the Bernina Express everyone pays the reservation, about CHF 32 each way.
What a ticket day costs
For one adult in 2nd class, a red-train day from Milan comes to about €25 for the Trenord return plus about CHF 66 to 70 for the RhB return, before any CHF 5 reservations. Riding the Bernina Express one way adds about CHF 32. A guided day trip such as the TaoTravel Swiss Alps day trip costs from $131 per person with the coach and train ticket included (our review), so set the two side by side at the day’s exchange rate. Our Bernina train tour prices page breaks down what each tour includes.
For connections and a sample timetable, see the Bernina train from Milan on your own and the Milan to St. Moritz day trip page. If you would like to start from the lake, the Tirano trains call at Varenna; the Lake Como Bernina train tour page covers lake departures. For an early Trenord train, a hotel near Centrale helps: see where to stay in Milan for the Bernina train.
Carry a passport or ID card: the red train crosses from Italy into Switzerland. When you know your date, check dates for the return day ticket and book the Trenord leg separately.
Guest Reviews
What travelers say about the red train return ticket
Ratings and review counts are the operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and Viator, checked in November 2026, and shift slightly day to day.
"Excellent train journey superb vistas. Plus it snowed. Not only were we lucky enough to see the autumn colours but we also experienced snow. The train was quite full there would not have been any empty seats. Fabulous being able to put the windows down for a far superior photographic experience….. no glass reflection issues. Highly recommend this experience. It doesn’t really matter which side of the train you choose to sit on there are fabulous sights from either side. Most of my photography was done on the upward journey. Because it snowed there was a whiteout for half of the return trip."
"Countryside was beautiful it was hard to know which way to look. Definitely do one side on the trip up and the other on the way back"
"the most beautiful places I ever seen. If you visit Switzerland you most take tur with bernina Red Train,"
"IT WAS BERY GOOD BUT WOULD HAVE PREFERED OUR TICKTS EARLIER WE HAD LEFT HOME AND NO CHANCE TO PRINT THE,M. I DID NOT WANT ANOTHER APP ON THE PHONE AND MY PHONE WASNT WORKING ANYWAY. iN THE END HAD TO GET THE PLACE WE WERE STAYING TO PRINT IT OFF FOR US. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO COME AND GET THEM AT THE OFFICE BUT THE QUEUES WEERE LARGE. THE TRAIN JOURNEY IS VERY GOOD BUT VERY ANNOYING HAVING PEOPLE CLAMBERING ALL OVER YOU TO TAKE PICTURES. NO MANNERS!!"
"Great price although the ticket guide only replied one of my text, and ignored the rest. We were able to figure it out. We got in the wrong wagon and didn’t take the official tour guide lucky I was there a year ago and were able to manage. Bernina express is an awesome train ride."
Read all 1,140+ verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Swiss part of your day
Choose your date and class. The ticket does not include the Trenord train from Milan, which you buy separately. Starting from $121 per person.
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More tours and times nearby. Each listing shows its own cancellation policy.
Bernina Train Tickets FAQ
Short answers on which tickets to buy from Milan, what they cost and where to get them.
Two. A Trenord regional ticket from Milano Centrale to Tirano, then an RhB ticket from Tirano to St. Moritz for the red train or the Bernina Express. The Bernina Express also needs a compulsory seat reservation; on the red train a reservation is optional at CHF 5.
About CHF 33 to 35 one way in 2nd class between Tirano and St. Moritz, and about CHF 57 to 60 in 1st class, depending on the 2026 or 2027 tariff. A return is about CHF 66 to 70 in 2nd class. Reseller tickets on GetYourGuide start at $75 one way and $121 for a return day ticket.
Add up three parts: about €12.50 each way on Trenord to Tirano, about CHF 33 to 35 each way for the RhB ticket in 2nd class, and the Bernina Express reservation of about CHF 32 each way. Guided day trips with a panoramic coach start at $185 per person; see Bernina Express from Milan.
From the RhB shop on rhb.ch, in the SBB app or at the RhB station in Tirano, which stands across the square from the Italian station. Resellers on GetYourGuide also sell dated tickets in dollars, such as the Tirano–St. Moritz return day ticket from $121.
Yes. Trenord regional trains have no seat reservations, so you can buy at a machine in Milano Centrale and sit anywhere. Buy your return before you leave Milan, because the Italian ticket office in Tirano closes in the afternoon. See the Milan to Tirano train guide.
No, it is optional. RhB sells red-train reservations for CHF 5 per person and route between St. Moritz and Tirano, and you can still travel unreserved if they sell out. Reservations cannot be made for trains in April 2027. The reseller tickets on GetYourGuide do not include one.
It covers the RhB ticket from Tirano to St. Moritz, as do Eurail, Interrail and the GA travelcard. It does not cover the Bernina Express reservation, which everyone pays in full. For the Italian leg from Milan to Tirano, plan to buy a Trenord ticket unless you hold an Interrail global pass.
RhB sells tickets up to six months ahead. For the Bernina Express book early, because popular dates sell out and online reservations cannot be changed or cancelled. For the red train you can buy closer to the day; weekends and public holidays are the busiest days on the line.
With the right ticket, yes. Visit Valtellina's return day ticket lets you leave the train at any station and continue on a later one on your date. The red train runs roughly hourly, so a stop at Alp Grüm or Poschiavo costs you about an hour. See our return day ticket review.
Children under 6 travel free on RhB, and children from 6 to 15 pay half fare. On the Bernina Express the seat reservation is charged in full for children too. On Trenord from Milan to Tirano, children under 12 travel at half price, and there are no seat reservations to pay for.
Still have questions? Email us at info@berninatrainfrommilan.com
