For a first Bernina day from Milan, book the Milan to the Swiss Alps red train day trip (our review). It costs from $131 per person, leaves from Milano Centrale, rides the regional red train from Tirano up to St. Moritz and is rated 4.8 from 5,110+ reviews. The lowest-priced day trip we review starts at $121, a guaranteed panoramic coach at $185, and a private day at $1,071 per person for two or more.
Only 2 of the 14 tours we review sell a seat in the panoramic Bernina Express; the rest use the red train on the same track, with opening windows.
Milan: Red Train & St. Moritz Day Trip
Ten Milan day trips side by side
Read the train column first. Prices are per person, checked 12 November 2026; the private tour needs at least two adults.
| Tour | Train | Train direction | Day | St. Moritz | Group | Start in Milan | From | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red train & St. Moritz day trip | Regional red train | Tirano → St. Moritz; can reverse | About 11 h | About 1.5 h | Coach | Piazza Duca d’Aosta (Centrale) | $131 | Free to 24 h before |
| Bernina train & St. Moritz trip | Regional, 2nd class | St. Moritz → Tirano; can reverse; Albula on some dates | About 12 h | About 100 min | Coach | Piazza Duca d’Aosta (Centrale) | $131 | Free to 24 h before |
| St. Moritz & Alps red train trip | Regional; Bernina or Albula option | St. Moritz → Tirano (Bernina option) | 11–12.5 h | About 1 h | Coach | Porta Garibaldi | $121 | Free to 24 h before |
| Bernina train & St. Moritz day | Regional, 2nd class | Either way; Albula on some dates | 12–13 h | About 1.5 h | Coach | Autostradale stop by Centrale | $158 | Free to 24 h before |
| St. Moritz Bernina train tour with guide | Regional, 2nd class | Varies; can start in Thusis or Tirano | About 12.5 h | About 2 h | Coach | Downtown or Centrale | $165 | Free to 24 h before |
| St. Moritz & panoramic Bernina Express | Panoramic coach on the panoramic option | St. Moritz → Tirano | About 12.5 h | About 1.5 h | Coach | Piazza della Repubblica | $185 | Free to 24 h before |
| Lake Como cruise & red train | Regional, 2nd class | From or to St. Moritz | About 13 h | About 1.5 h | Coach | Autostradale stop by Centrale | $192 | Free to 24 h before |
| Diavolezza glacier lunch | Regional, standard carriage | Bernina Diavolezza → Tirano | About 12 h | None | Coach | Piazza della Repubblica | $221 | Free to 24 h before |
| Small-group red train day | Red train | Tirano up to a high point of the line | About 13 h | About 45 min | Up to 18 | Milano Centrale, 08:00 | $214 | Free (Viator terms) |
| Private Bernina & Lake Como tour | Regional, 2nd class | Either way | 10–13 h | Not stated | Your party | Hotel pickup | $1,172 (min. 2) | Free (Viator terms) |
Settle the train question first
Decide which train you want before you compare anything else. Most day trips from Milan, including our first-timer pick, ride the regional red train in 2nd class, with windows you can open. Only the two Frigerio Viaggi tours in the table sell a seat in a panoramic Bernina Express coach, and on the Milan departure that seat comes with the Tour with Panoramic Carriage option. If the panoramic coach is the point of your day, start with those two; if not, the red-train trips are cheaper and run the same track. The Bernina Express vs red train guide compares the two trains.
Other experiences
Other Bernina train trips from Milan
More Bernina train, St. Moritz and Lake Como day trips from Milan, with each listing’s own price and cancellation terms.
One pick for each kind of traveler
A first Bernina day
The red train and St. Moritz day trip is the most-reviewed red-train day trip on this site without a lake cruise, from $131. You get about 45 minutes in Tirano, about 2.5 hours on the train and a guided walk in St. Moritz.
The lowest price
The City Wonders St. Moritz and red train trip (our review) costs from $121, rated 4.6 from 2,370+ reviews, and rides the Bernina or Albula red train depending on the option. It shows a from-price of $100 on Viator. The TaoTravel Bernina train and St. Moritz trip (our review) costs from $131, the same as our first-timer pick, rated 4.8 from 1,650+ reviews. On some dates it uses the Albula line.
A seat in the panoramic Bernina Express
Book the Frigerio Viaggi St. Moritz and Bernina Express tour (our review) on its Tour with Panoramic Carriage option, from $185. That option guarantees a place in a panoramic coach from St. Moritz to Tirano, though seats are not assigned. The Como departure (our review) costs from $218.
Lake Como on the same day
The Lake Como cruise and red train trip (our review) adds about 45 minutes on a private boat, from $192, and is the most-reviewed tour on this site (6,300+, rated 4.6).
A small group
LUCAfromITALY’s small-group day on Viator (our review) caps the group at 18, from $214, rated 4.9 from 740+ reviews. The minimum age is 12.
A private day
The private Bernina train and Lake Como tour (our review) collects you from your hotel, from $1,172 per person for at least two adults. For a reserved 1st-class window seat, Abroads Tours’ private trip (our review) costs from $1,071 per person, also for two or more.
Lunch above a glacier
The Diavolezza glacier lunch trip (our review) trades St. Moritz for a cable car to 2,978 m and a set pizzoccheri lunch, from $221 (4.6 from 61 reviews). The train leg runs from Bernina Diavolezza down to Tirano.
Before you book
A few things catch people out on these trips, whichever operator you pick.
- The title is not the train. RhB itself warns that resellers call regional trains “Bernina Express”. Read the listing’s includes: “red train”, “regional” or “opening windows” means the ordinary train; only a listing that promises a panoramic coach puts you in one. Our Bernina Express vs red train guide explains the two trains.
- Carry a passport or ID card. Every day trip crosses the Italian–Swiss border twice. The small-group trip, TaoTravel’s private tour and the Zani Viaggi trip ask for a passport.
- The order can flip. Many operators run the day St. Moritz first or Tirano first depending on the date. Several, including TaoTravel and Autostradale, put you on the Albula line to Thusis on some dates. The Landwasser Viaduct is on that Albula line, not the Bernina line.
- You cannot choose a side. RhB does not sell seats by side. Travelers often suggest the right-hand side heading south and the left heading north, but you sit where there is space.
- Most of the day is road. The train takes about 2 to 2.5 hours; the coach takes roughly 2.5 to 3.5 hours each way. Our one-day itinerary shows the hours.
- Winter afternoons are short. On 21 December the sun sets in St. Moritz at about 16:36, so an afternoon train runs into dusk. See the Bernina train from Milan in winter.
- Access is limited. All eight coach trips in the table list wheelchair users or travelers with mobility impairments as not suited to the day, and the red train and St. Moritz day trip does not take children under 6.
Doing it without a tour
You can ride the same red train on your own. The Trenord regional train from Milano Centrale to Tirano takes about 2 hours 30 minutes with no change, roughly hourly, for about EUR 12.50 in 2nd class (check trenord.it). The Swiss station sits across the square in Tirano. The Tirano–St. Moritz red train return day ticket (our review) costs from $121 and lets you hop off at stations on the way.
The trade-off is planning. You set your own times and can stop at Alp Grüm, but you handle connections and the timetable yourself. Our step-by-step guide to the Bernina train from Milan on your own covers the trains, and how to get to the Bernina Express from Milan compares every route. For more lake days or private options, see the Lake Como and Bernina train page and the private tours page.
When you have chosen, check dates for the red train and St. Moritz day trip above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Bernina Express tour from Milan?
For a first visit, the red train and St. Moritz day trip from Milano Centrale, from $131 and rated 4.8 from 5,110+ reviews. If the panoramic train itself matters to you, book the Frigerio Viaggi tour on its panoramic-carriage option, from $185.
Which Milan tours use the real 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 departure from Como. Both guarantee a place in a panoramic coach but do not assign seats. The others ride the regional red train.
What is the cheapest Bernina train tour from Milan?
The City Wonders day trip from Porta Garibaldi, from $121 per person, is the lowest-priced day trip we review, on the Bernina or Albula red train depending on the option. Riding on your own costs less in fares but takes more planning.
How long is a Bernina train day trip from Milan?
About 11 to 13 hours door to door. Only about 2 to 2.5 hours of that is on the train; the rest is coach travel and free time in St. Moritz or Tirano.
Do I need a passport for a Bernina train tour from Milan?
Yes, bring a passport or national ID card, because the day crosses into Switzerland and back. Some operators, including the small-group trip and TaoTravel’s private tour, ask for a passport, so check your listing.
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
