★★★★★
Red Train day from Milan
Well organised, with a thoughtful, attentive guide and scenery that justified the long day.
Asnat · September 2026
Swiss Alps Day Trip from Milan on the Bernina Red Train
Red Train ticket in the fareMilan, Porta GaribaldiEnglish-speaking guide
The day to book if you are in Milan and want the Swiss Alps by rail for $89. A coach takes you over the Bernina Pass to St. Moritz for an hour by the lake. Then a red train carries you down past the glaciers to Tirano, back in Italy, and the coach drives you home. The train ticket is in the fare, whichever option you choose.
Eleven hours, two countries, one red train
The train ticket is in the fare
The Bernina red train or the Albula red train, depending on the option you book.
From $89
The lowest fare we list for any day in the Swiss Alps.
A guide all day
An English-speaking guide, with a headset for the commentary on the Bernina option.
Italy and Switzerland
You cross the border twice, so the day needs a passport or an EU ID card.
4.7 from 2,193 reviews
Guests rate the guide 4.7 out of 5 and the transport 4.7.
Free cancellation
A full refund up to 24 hours before the start.
Milan to the Swiss Alps and back
You leave Milano Porta Garibaldi by coach in the morning. The first three hours take you north through Lombardy, past Lake Como, and up into the mountains. The road crosses the Bernina Pass, and the coach slows for half an hour of views on the way over. By the time you reach St. Moritz you are deep in the Engadin.
Weighing up a Swiss Alps day tour? This is the one that puts a famous railway into a day from Milan without an overnight stay. It is long, but most of it is sitting down, and the train is the part you came for. Every Swiss Alps train tour sits on one page if you want to compare the rail days.
St. Moritz: an hour by the lake
You get about an hour of your own in St. Moritz. It is not long, so pick one thing: the path along the lake shore, or the streets of the town above it. Your guide tells you where the train leaves and when to be there. Buy something to eat here if you are hungry, because food is not in the fare and the itinerary has no meal stop.
The Bernina red train to Tirano
On the Bernina option you board a red train for the ride down to Tirano. The Rhaetian Railway's Bernina line has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2008. Rhaetian Railway puts St. Moritz to Tirano at about 2 hours 15 minutes, and your itinerary gives the train about two hours, by way of Alp Grüm.
Watch for the Palü Glacier as you come over the top, and for the Brusio circular viaduct near the end, where the line loops over itself to lose height. In Tirano you are back in Italy, with 45 minutes to walk the historic town before the coach takes you the two and a half hours home.
The train is not the Bernina Express, which is Rhaetian Railway's reservation-only panoramic service. Your seats on board cannot be reserved in advance. Board with your guide and take the seat you find.
Bernina or Albula: the two options
When you book, you choose one of two routes. The Bernina option is the day above: St. Moritz, the red train to Tirano, free time in Tirano and a headset for the guide. The Albula option takes the red train the other way, from St. Moritz to Filisur, through tunnels and spiral loops on the Albula line. It stops at a viewpoint over the Landwasser Viaduct and ends with the illusion coach at Filisur station.
Both carry the train ticket. The saved from-price is not tied to either one, so check the fare of your option on the date you pick before you pay.
How the eleven hours run
- Milano Porta Garibaldi. Meet your guide at the coach; bring your passport or EU ID.
- Coach north, about 3 hours. Lombardy and Lake Como, then the climb into the Alps.
- The Bernina Pass, 30 minutes. Views from the road as the coach crosses.
- St. Moritz, 1 hour. Free time by the lake.
- Red train, about 2 hours. Down by way of Alp Grüm to Tirano.
- Tirano, 45 minutes. Free time in the historic town.
- Coach to Milan, about 2.5 hours. Back to Porta Garibaldi in the evening.
Who this suits: a day out of Milan, for the train
Book this if
You are staying in Milan and want the Swiss Alps in a day, on a budget. You like trains, you are happy with a long coach ride either side, and you would rather see St. Moritz briefly than not at all. It suits couples, friends and rail lovers.
Book something else if
You want a reserved window seat: that is not possible on these trains. You want to stand on a glacier: the Jungfraujoch day from Zurich carries the gondola and the cogwheel train to the top. You have limited mobility or use a wheelchair: this day is not suitable. You travel with a pram: strollers are not allowed.
What the Milan fare covers
In the fare
- Return transport from Milan by air-conditioned coach
- Bernina Red Train or Albula Red Train ticket, depending on the option booked
- Professional English-speaking guide for the day
- Free time in St. Moritz
- Free time in Tirano (Bernina option only)
- Landwasser Viaduct viewpoint (Albula option only)
- Headset for the guide's commentary (Bernina option only)
Not in the fare
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Tips
- First-class train ticket
Meeting at Milano Porta Garibaldi
The day starts at Milano Porta Garibaldi station. The exact spot can vary with the option you book, so check the meeting point in your confirmation the evening before. Hotel pickup is not in the fare: take the metro or a taxi to the station, and leave time to find your coach.
You can bring only a small bag. Luggage and large bags are not allowed on the day, so leave your suitcase at the hotel.
Know before you go
- Bring a travel document. EU and EEA citizens may use a national ID card; everyone else needs a valid passport, and a visa if required.
- It is a long day. Eleven hours, sometimes a little more when traffic or weather intervene.
- Seats are not reserved. Board with your group and take the seat you find.
- The order may reverse. Traffic or weather can turn the day round, train first.
- Pack food. Meals are not in the fare, and first class costs extra.
- Travel light. No strollers, no luggage or large bags, and wear comfortable walking shoes.
What travellers say about the Red Train day
★★★★★
Red Train day from Milan
St. Moritz and the scenic train made a good way to dip into Switzerland on a short trip.
Simrit Singh · September 2026
★★★★★
Red Train day from Milan
An excellent trip with a great guide and driver. No food or drink comes with it and the day is long, so a little more time for a meal would have helped.
Elizabeth · September 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is this the Bernina Express?
No. The Bernina Express is Rhaetian Railway's reservation-only panoramic train. This day rides a regular red train on the same line, with the ticket in your fare.
Can I reserve a window seat?
No. Seats on board cannot be reserved in advance. You sit where you find room, with your group.
Which option should I choose?
Choose Bernina for the ride down to Tirano, time in Italy and a headset for the guide. Choose Albula for the tunnels and spiral loops to Filisur and the Landwasser Viaduct viewpoint.
Do I need a passport?
Yes, unless you hold an EU or EEA national ID card. The day crosses into Switzerland and back, so bring a valid travel document and a visa if you need one.
Does the day go up a mountain?
No. The coach crosses the Bernina Pass, and on the Bernina option so does the train, but no lift is involved. For a summit, the Jungfraujoch day from Zurich carries the gondola and the cogwheel train.
What if I cancel?
You get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. Inside those 24 hours the fare is not refunded.
Other ways into the Swiss Alps
Ready for the red train from Milan?
Pick your date and your option, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability