Category: train travel

Bernina Express-Swiss Alps by Train

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Bernina Express, Switzerland, train travel, Travel, travel tips, travelling, Uncategorized, vacation, Zurich2 Comments

When we decided to splurge and go to the Bruce Springsteen concert in Zurich, I knew I wanted to schedule time to check out the rest of Switzerland while we were there, one of the countries I had always wanted to go to. Growing up in flat Indiana, mountains have always fascinated me. After spending a fantastic evening with Bruce in Zurich in June, we set out on the train for a quick one-hour ride to Chur, Switzerland to spend the night and then pick up the Bernina Express the next day. We were off to cross the Alps!

Setting off in the early afternoon from Chur, we were fortunate to have a clear day for our journey. The highest railway across the Alps, the train climbs higher and higher with spectacular views on both sides. There are large panoramic windows for unobstructed viewing and picture taking. In our car, people were jumping up and running from side to side to take pictures and everyone was very friendly. We met lovely folks from Australia and Canada. I always enjoy hearing about other people’s travels all over the world! Every time I thought I couldn’t possibly take another picture, there was something else so impressive I had to whip out my phone. Along the way, the train goes through 55 tunnels, over 196 bridges and takes inclines of up to 70 per mile with ease. I’ll let my pictures take you on this journey so you can also experience the beauty of the Alps.

Not surprisingly, this amazing railway line has UNESCO World Heritage status so it will be preserved and cherished. As we passed by the many glaciers, one does wonder what impact climate change will have on this area of the world. It is a continuous journey, but passengers were able to hop off the train for all of two minutes to take pictures at one stunning stop where there was a restaurant. Our first-class tickets were $250 USD each and well worth it. Of course, when I booked our tickets online, I thought I was getting a real deal because they were only $26 euros each. Turns out, in the fine print was a vaguely worded statement that this charge was for “reserving” the seats and that I should have then gone on to pay (somewhere?) an additional $110 euros for the actual train tickets. Luckily, they didn’t throw us off the train on a mountainside and we were able to straighten this out on the train with the attendant who swung through to scan everyone’s tickets and she just took our credit card there and charged us. Next time, I will make sure to dig deeper and read all the details. No other train travel had a separate charge to reserve seats so live and learn!

We had waiter service to order snacks and beverages. They also passed out lovely souvenir Bernina Express chocolate tins. My grandkids will love them! I would recommend going online and securing your tickets as soon as you know your travel dates. Our train was sold out. In talking to fellow travelers, they had all dreamed of this trip and had planned their vacations around taking it.

Eventually, the train came down from the Alps and ended in Tirano, Italy. There we picked up another train immediately to take us to Milan where we would be flying home the following day. This train segment was very scenic as it wound around the many lakes in Northern Italy. What an adventure! I really feel like I saw the best of Switzerland after our stays in Basel, Zurich, Chur and our final scenic Alps trip on the Bernina Express. Enjoy the journey!

Swiss Train Travel

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Switzerland, train travel, Travel, travel apps, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Enjoy beautiful views of scenic lakes and mountains in Switzerland while sipping your coffee and relaxing in your comfy seat on Swiss Railways aka SBB. Sound perfect? Train travel is THE way to explore Switzerland. On our trip that we took in June, we completed several trips on SBB so let me share our train adventures!

We travelled first from Milan, Italy to Basel, Switzerland on a four-hour journey. We decided to splurge on first class seats because of the length of the journey. First class will get you larger seats and less crowded cars. The result is a cleaner bathroom used by less travelers, which is important to me. They don’t have waiter beverage service in first class (which would have been nice!), but you can go to the restaurant car that everyone can access and get a variety of snacks and beverages including alcohol. We enjoyed the journey even with a slight delay due to a train blocking our quickest route to Basel, so we had to detour through Germany to get to Switzerland.

On a day trip from Basel to Lucerne, which is under two hours, we got second class seats and it was just fine for this shorter trip. You can purchase your tickets easily online on their SBB app on your mobile device. Not sure when you want to travel? No problem. You can buy a ticket that can be used any time for the point-to-point journey that you book. We looked at the schedule and noticed that trains to Lucerne were running every 15 minutes. Some trains take longer because they are “locals” which make more stops vs. a direct route, so make sure you know which type of train you are taking. We didn’t buy our return tickets until we were done sightseeing in Lucerne and then just jumped on the app, purchased them and got onboard at the station. Love this way of travelling!

To get to Zurich from Basel, we took a quick and scenic one-hour train ride. Why drive when you can jump on the train, grab a beverage and sit back and relax and enjoy the view? The cost of renting a car is also much more expensive than train travel. After our stay in Zurich to see the Bruce Springsteen concert (awesome!), it was back on the train to Chur in order to start our Bernina Express journey through the Alps-a special experience that I will cover in a separate blog post.

When we are travelling with luggage, we generally will find the taxi line and use taxis to get to our hotel vs. taking public transportation just so we don’t have to haul the bags. Public transportation is clean, cheap and plentiful in Europe. For our days trips and once we get the lay of the land, we will use public transportation, which is even free in some places. In Basel, the hotels give tourists a “Basel Card” which enables free public transportation and discounts on museums, cruises, etc. Be sure to find out if the hotel where you are going can assist you with this type of discount card.

When you purchase your train ticket at The SBB online portal for trains and public transport | SBB , you will get a QR code which you will show to the train agent on the train after your journey has started. No need to have printed tickets if you have the QR code on your phone. I usually take a screenshot of it so I can access it quickly.  They come through with their scanners and eventually get to everyone before the train ride is over. If you are not a Swiss citizen, you may be asked for your passport for them to review.

Sound like fun? Train travel is inexpensive and easy to use in order to enjoy experiences all over Switzerland. All aboard! Enjoy the journey.