The Bernina Express runs every day in December, on the same route from Tirano to St. Moritz as the rest of the year. Up to 12 December you get one train each way a day. From Sunday 13 December, when the new Swiss timetable starts, two more run on Fridays to Sundays, and from 26 December to 5 January all four run daily.
December also brings the shortest days of the year and, between Christmas and New Year, a holiday fortnight when RhB runs extra trains every day.
If you are in Milan for the holidays, book your tour or your Bernina Express seat as soon as your dates are fixed. A Monday to Thursday before Christmas is the quieter choice. For snow, cold, roads and packing, see the Bernina train from Milan in winter.
Milan: St. Moritz & Bernina Train Tour
The December timetable, date by date
The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) splits its winter into two timetable periods. The first ends on Saturday 12 December 2026, and the new Swiss timetable year begins on Sunday 13 December. The Bernina Express times between Tirano and St. Moritz stay the same across the change. What changes is how many trains run.
| Dates in December 2026 | Bernina Express trains each way |
|---|---|
| 1–12 December | One: PE 972 Tirano 10:06 – St. Moritz 12:35; PE 975 St. Moritz 15:30 – Tirano 18:00 |
| 13 December, 18–20 December, 25 December | Two: the daily pair plus PE 970 Tirano 09:18 – St. Moritz 11:45 and PE 977 St. Moritz 16:14 – Tirano 18:50 |
| 14–17 and 21–24 December (Mon–Thu) | One: the daily pair only |
| 26 December to 5 January | Two, every day |
So Christmas Eve, a Thursday, has only the daily pair, while Christmas Day, a Friday, gets the extra trains. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day fall inside the daily holiday run. The regional red train keeps running about once an hour each way through all of it, including the holidays.
The Italian side changes too. Trenord, which runs the trains from Milano Centrale to Tirano, usually switches to its new timetable in mid-December as well (last year on 14 December). If you plan to reach Tirano by train after 13 December, check trenord.it close to your date. The Milan to Tirano train guide covers that leg.
RhB posts closures and changes on its service information page at rhb.ch. Look there in the week before you travel.
Christmas week and New Year: book ahead
RhB says the line is busiest on weekends and public holidays and quieter from Monday to Thursday. In its 2026 timetable it treats 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January as public holidays. It also runs the extra Bernina Express pair every day from 26 December to 5 January, so plan on busier trains in that fortnight.
For the Bernina Express itself, reservations open for the whole timetable period, and RhB warns that popular dates sell out quickly. The reservation costs about CHF 32 per person each way between St. Moritz and Tirano on top of the ticket, and you cannot change or cancel it once booked online. If you want a panoramic seat between Christmas and New Year, book as early as you can.
For a guided day trip, the same logic applies. Tours depart only on the dates their operators load, and a coach holds a fixed number of seats. The featured Milan to St. Moritz Bernina train tour with guide (our review) allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, as do the other GetYourGuide day trips reviewed on this site. You can book a holiday date early and still cancel if your plans change.
Three practical points for the holidays:
- Check that your exact date appears on the tour calendar. Do not assume that Christmas Day or New Year’s Day runs.
- On 31 December a 12.5-hour day trip brings you back to Milan in the evening. Plan your New Year’s Eve dinner for later than usual.
- If you can choose, travel on a Monday to Thursday before Christmas, when only the daily Bernina Express pair runs and the line is quieter.
Other experiences
Other Bernina train trips from Milan
Other Bernina train, St. Moritz and Lake Como day trips from Milan. Each listing shows which December dates are still on sale.
Short days and the December route
December has the shortest days of the year on the Bernina line. On 21 December the sun rises in St. Moritz at about 08:01 and sets at about 16:36, about 8 h 35 min of daylight. In Tirano it sets at about 16:34 on 13 December. The sunrise and sunset table for the whole winter is in the winter guide.
The route is the same in December as in summer: up from Tirano through Val Poschiavo, past Alp Grüm and Lago Bianco to Ospizio Bernina at 2,253 m, then down past the Morteratsch glacier to St. Moritz. What changes in December is which part of it you see in daylight. A northbound train in the morning climbs the whole line in light. A southbound train in the afternoon reaches the lower valley around or after sunset: PE 975 leaves St. Moritz at 15:30 and reaches Tirano at 18:00.
The featured Zani Viaggi tour runs in the afternoon order. The coach drives about three and a half hours over the Maloja Pass, you get about two hours in St. Moritz in the middle of the day, and the regional train takes you down to Tirano in the afternoon. You see the glacier and the top of the pass early in the ride. You see the lower half of the route, round the Brusio spiral viaduct, in fading light. If seeing the whole line in daylight matters more to you, the Autostradale Bernina train and St. Moritz day trip (our review) usually rides up from Tirano first, for $158 per person.
Christmas markets on a December day trip
St. Moritz holds its Christmas market on a single evening: Wednesday 2 December 2026, from 16:00 to 20:00 on Plazza Mauritius in the pedestrian zone, according to the event listing. Day tours from Milan leave St. Moritz in the afternoon to reach Milan in the evening, so you would see it only if you stay the night in St. Moritz or the Engadine. After 2 December there is no market to time a day trip around.
Poschiavo, on the Bernina line between Alp Grüm and Tirano, holds its Marcù da Natal in the old village piazza in mid-December. The organizer’s page lists conflicting days and hours, so check valposchiavo.ch before you plan around it. Guided day trips pass through Poschiavo on the train without stopping. To visit, go on your own with a ticket that lets you get off on the way: the Tirano–St. Moritz red train return day ticket (our review) costs from $121 per person and allows a stop at any station. The Bernina train from Milan on your own has the step-by-step plan.
December tours and tickets from Milan
The featured Zani Viaggi tour costs from $165 per person and is rated 4.5 from 2,360+ reviews. It includes the round-trip coach, a 2nd-class ticket on the regional train with opening windows, a live guide in English and Spanish, and an audio guide in French, German, Italian and Portuguese. You choose one of two Milan departure points when you book, downtown or the Central Station. It does not include a seat on the panoramic Bernina Express. Depending on availability, the train can start in Thusis, St. Moritz or Tirano, so on some dates you ride the Albula line. Read your booking confirmation. Pets and large bags are not allowed, the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, and you need a valid passport.
These are the main December choices, with prices on dates checked on 12 November 2026:
| Option | Train | From |
|---|---|---|
| Zani Viaggi tour with guide | Red train, 2nd class, afternoon | $165 per person |
| Milano Art Discovery red train day trip | Red train, usually Tirano up | $131 per person |
| Frigerio Viaggi St. Moritz and Bernina Express | Panoramic coach on its panoramic option, afternoon | $185 per person |
| Your own Bernina Express trip | PE 972, PE 975, or PE 970/977 on extra days | Ticket plus about CHF 32 reservation |
For a seat in a panoramic coach from Milan, the Frigerio Viaggi tour (our review) can guarantee one on its Tour with Panoramic Carriage option, though seats are not assigned in advance. Its listing warns that from late October to late February early sunsets can cut visibility on the afternoon train. On your own, a regional ticket between Tirano and St. Moritz costs about CHF 33–35 one way in 2nd class, with the Bernina Express reservation on top. Bernina Express vs red train explains which train suits you, and the best Bernina train tours from Milan compares every day trip.
When you have your dates, check availability for the Zani Viaggi tour and book the holiday dates first.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Bernina Express run in December?
Yes, every day. PE 972 leaves Tirano at 10:06 and PE 975 leaves St. Moritz at 15:30 throughout December. From 13 December, PE 970 and PE 977 add a second pair on Fridays to Sundays, and every day from 26 December to 5 January.
When does the Bernina Express timetable change in December?
The new Swiss timetable starts on Sunday 13 December 2026. The Bernina Express times between Tirano and St. Moritz stay the same, but the extra weekend trains begin that day. Trenord’s Milan–Tirano trains also usually change in mid-December, so check both timetables for dates after the 13th.
Does the Bernina Express run on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day?
Yes. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, so all four trains run, and 26 December to 5 January has all four every day, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Guided tours set their own calendars, so check that your date is listed before you plan around it.
When should I book Bernina Express tickets for December?
As soon as your dates are fixed, especially for 26 December to 5 January and any weekend. RhB says popular dates sell out quickly, and online seat reservations cannot be changed or cancelled. Day tours reviewed here on GetYourGuide allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Can I visit the St. Moritz Christmas market on a day trip from Milan?
Probably not. The 2026 market runs on one evening only, Wednesday 2 December from 16:00 to 20:00, and day tours leave St. Moritz in the afternoon. Stay the night in the Engadine if the market matters to you.
Pick your day over the Alps
Most day trips from Milan ride the regional red train; only some sell a guaranteed seat on the panoramic Bernina Express. Check what your date offers.
Check dates and prices
