The Bernina Express and the Bernina red train share one track between St. Moritz and Tirano and pass the same glaciers, lakes and viaducts in about 2 hours 15 minutes. The Bernina Express is RhB’s panoramic train: glass curving into the roof, windows that do not open, a few departures a day and a compulsory seat reservation of about CHF 32 on top of the ticket. The red train is the ordinary regional service: roughly hourly, windows you can open, and an optional CHF 5 reservation.
Most Milan day trips put you on the red train. If the panoramic coach is the point of your day, book a tour that promises it in writing.
Milan: Panoramic Bernina Express Trip
What each train is
Both trains belong to the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and use the Bernina line, a UNESCO World Heritage route since 2008. On either one you climb from Tirano past Poschiavo and the Brusio spiral viaduct to Alp Grüm, Lago Bianco and Ospizio Bernina at 2,253 m, the highest point of the RhB network, then drop past the Morteratsch glacier to St. Moritz.
The Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is RhB’s panoramic train. Its coaches have large windows that curve up into the roof, so you see the peaks above the line as well as the valley beside it. The windows do not open. It runs only on selected connections, between Tirano and St. Moritz or all the way to Chur, and every passenger needs a valid ticket plus a paid seat reservation. RhB adds a minibar service and free Wi-Fi, and says the train is often fully booked well in advance.
The Bernina red train
The red train, or trenino rosso in Italian, is the regular regional service on the same track. It uses standard RhB coaches with classic windows that you can open, and has no catering. You can board with just a ticket; a seat reservation is optional. “Bernina red train” is a nickname, not a separate service, and RhB warns that some resellers call these regional trains “Bernina Express”. That is why a tour title tells you little about which train you ride.
The scenery is the same on both. What changes is how you see it: through tall fixed glass on the Bernina Express, or through an opening window on the red train.
The price difference
You pay the same ticket for either train. The Bernina Express then adds its reservation, so the gap is the reservation itself.
| One way, St. Moritz–Tirano, per adult | Bernina Express | Red train |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket, 2nd class | About CHF 33–35 | About CHF 33–35 |
| Ticket, 1st class | About CHF 57–60 | About CHF 57–60 |
| Seat reservation | About CHF 32, compulsory | CHF 5, optional |
| Total in 2nd class | About CHF 65–67 | About CHF 33–40 |
The ticket ranges reflect a fare change around the December timetable switch, and RhB’s shop does not show the reservation outside a booking, so confirm both on rhb.ch.
Passes do not remove the gap. Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail and Interrail holders ride the red train on the pass, but on the Bernina Express everyone pays the reservation in full, children included. Children under 6 travel without a ticket, and children aged 6 to 15 pay half fare.
On a guided day from Milan, the difference shows up in tour prices. The panoramic option of the Frigerio Viaggi St. Moritz and Bernina Express tour (our review) costs from $185 per person. Red-train day trips we review start at $121, and the most-reviewed one without a lake cruise costs from $131. The comparison of Bernina tours from Milan lists them all.
Other experiences
Other Bernina train trips from Milan
Other Bernina train, St. Moritz and Lake Como day trips from Milan; most of them ride the red train, so read each listing’s includes.
Windows, seats and photos
On the Bernina Express you sit under the glass, and reflections from the cabin often show up in photos; the Frigerio listing warns about this too. On the red train you can lower a window and shoot without glass. Both trains have 1st and 2nd class.
Neither train lets you choose a side. RhB says seat side and direction cannot be booked, because coaches can be coupled either way round. Travelers often suggest the right-hand side heading south (St. Moritz to Tirano) and the left heading north, but treat that as a tip, not a rule.
A reservation on the red train only guarantees a seat. When the reserved seats sell out, you can still board without one; you may have to stand or wait at busy times. RhB does not take individual red-train reservations for trains in April 2027 because of technical changes.
How often each train runs
The red train runs about once an hour in each direction, all year. Timetable data shows two patterns: a faster RegioExpress taking about 2 hours 11 to 14 minutes, and a slower Regio taking about 2 hours 30 to 35 minutes. You can hop off at Alp Grüm and take the next one.
The Bernina Express runs far less often. In the winter timetable (26 October 2026 to 23 April 2027) one train a day each way covers St. Moritz–Tirano: Tirano 10:06 to St. Moritz 12:35, and St. Moritz 15:30 to Tirano 18:00, plus one Chur–Tirano train each way. Extra runs (Tirano 09:18, St. Moritz 16:14) operate Friday to Sunday from 13 December 2026 and daily from 26 December to 5 January. In summer 2027 (24 April to 3 October) five trains a day run in each direction between Tirano and St. Moritz or Chur.
In December the 15:30 departure runs into dusk: the sun sets in St. Moritz at about 16:36 on 21 December. Our December guide covers the short days.
How to tell which train a Milan day trip uses
Read the tour’s includes and excludes, not the title or the itinerary. Itineraries often label the train leg “Bernina Express” whatever train you ride. The red train and St. Moritz day trip is an example: its itinerary says “Bernina Express”, while its includes list a regional red train ticket and its excludes list a seat on the panoramic Bernina Express.
- Words such as “red train”, “regional”, “2nd-class standard ticket” or “opening windows” mean the ordinary train.
- A panoramic coach is only yours if the includes promise it, as in “guaranteed panoramic-coach place”.
- Check the option. The Frigerio tour also sells a standard-carriage option that does not include the panoramic coach.
- “Reserved 1st-class window seat” is still the red train on the private Abroads Tours trip.
Of the 14 tours we review, only the Frigerio panoramic option and the same operator’s Como departure (our review), from $218, sell a seat in a panoramic coach. If a listing is unclear, message the operator before you pay.
Which one to choose
Pick the Bernina Express if you want the glass-roof view of the glaciers and a seat that is yours for the whole ride, and you accept photos through glass. From Milan that means the Frigerio panoramic option from $185; from Lake Como, the Como departure from $218. Riding on your own, you book the reservation with RhB.
Pick the red train if you want an open window for photos, more departures and the freedom to stop at Alp Grüm, or if you are on a budget. Nearly every Milan day trip uses it, and the lowest-priced one we review, City Wonders’ day on the Bernina or Albula red train depending on the option, costs from $121. Our guide to getting to the Bernina Express from Milan shows how to reach either train, and the Bernina Express from Milan page compares the panoramic options.
If the panoramic coach is your choice, check dates for the Frigerio tour above and pick the Tour with Panoramic Carriage option.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bernina red train the same as the Bernina Express?
No. They run on the same track, but the Bernina Express is RhB’s panoramic train with fixed windows and a compulsory reservation. The red train is the ordinary regional train with opening windows and an optional reservation.
Is the Bernina Express worth the extra cost over the red train?
It is if the tall panoramic windows and a guaranteed seat matter to you; the extra cost is a reservation of about CHF 32 one way. If you want to photograph through an open window or hop off along the line, the red train suits you better and costs less.
Can you open the windows on the Bernina Express?
No, the panoramic windows do not open, and reflections can show up in photos. The regional red train has classic windows that you can open.
Do Swiss Travel Pass holders pay the Bernina Express reservation?
Yes. The pass covers the ticket, but the seat reservation is paid in full by everyone, including Eurail and Interrail holders and children. On the red train the pass is enough, and the CHF 5 reservation is optional.
Which Milan day trips use the panoramic Bernina Express?
Of the 14 tours we review, two: the Frigerio Viaggi tour from Milan on its Tour with Panoramic Carriage option, and the same operator’s trip from Como. The others ride the regional red train.
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
