Tirano to Zermatt along the bernia and glacier route in one day

Daft simple trick-needs a tiny bit of logical thinking:

1.do NOT use app of Eurail-as has to be told to any newbee here. Anna B fra Sverige will certainly also follow up.

2.split up! You know the route you want, so divide up in those segments. I will not do the homework for you-(others may, but as I have a background in education: find out yourself is the fastest way to learn for later). IF it is possible the whole way in 1 day I dare not say-perhaps this is also variable with time of yr (plus that in winter its very short daylight=not that much to see!). SOme planners you can manipulate a bit -like put in VIA or make stops along the way.

 As a more general note: this problem that people cannot think anymore and only rely on these planners is indeed getting more prevalent all the time.

It is too far in advance to get reliable schedules for June 2023, as you have seen some will be loaded but many won’t be.

The eurail app is also an unreliable source due to the way it runs off occasionally downloaded timetables.

Use the app/website of the main European operators, preferably the ones of the operators you are using.

In this case use the SBB website app.

If you want to get an idea of the possibilities try searching for connections on a day in January, it may not be exactly the same times as the dates you are planning to travel on but it will be similar. You can then plan the exact times closer to the travel date.

If only we could all learn to think as well as you we could all be clever enough to insult strangers on the internet.

If you concentrated more on being helpful rather than belittling people you might have noticed the OP asked about June.

It’s a very long day! If you’re able do this trip over two days you’ll enjoy it a lot more and as AnnB says use the local trains. Samedan is a good place to stop and other places on the Albula route to Chur. You will see there are tight connections with the local trains but it all works! If the weather is good there are sometimes open cars on the back of the Bernina trains but not on Bernina Express. A trip in these is a real experience but wrap up well it’s cold at the top of the pass!

The entire network of Rhätische Bahn is very beautiful! I agree with the previous posters, splitting it up and stay overnight somewhere in the canton Graubünden. Perhaps even a couple of days. There are many impressive hikes to do, forests to discover and (chilly) lakes to swim in. All well accesible by public transport. I had an excellent stay in Celerina a couple of years ago, also wel connected by multiple stations from easy walking distance from each other.

Don’t be suprised if you need to flag a train down at smaller stations, like you do with busses :)

Perhaps avoid St. Moritz, it’s a very posh place and even more expensive than already pricey Switzerland, but on the other hand it has excellent rail connections.

@Larnie29 

Hello,

I planned to do the Glacier Express and Bernina Express with regular trains in 22 September.

From your experience is possible and good to do the both routes in 1 single day with regional trains if i start in the morning at 8 from Zermatt??

As i saw if you catch all trains on time the journey is ~ 11 hours and i think is to much, also the sunset as i read is ~ at 19:00 so i will travel 1-2 hours by night so i think is not the best for the views.

So because i have 2 days available(21-22 Sept) i think i can split a little bit in 2 days as folowing:

Day 1:  Colmar France-Andermatt ;leave from Colmar at 09:00 and to have the final destination to Andermatt(Colmar-Basel-Visp-Zermatt-Visp-Andermatt) i saw the route is ~ 9 hours.

Day 2 :Andermatt-Tirano ; leave from Andermatt at 9 (Andermatt-DisentisMuster-Chur-Samedan-Potresina-Tirano).

1.What you think how i split the routes for 2 days from France?

Also i saw the accomodation is cheapar in Andermatt vs Zermatt.

2.Other question, i saw i don’t need seat reservation if i have a Swiss Saver Day , but for example for 1  train connection ( is writed: “for the following section is required a seat reservations, there are no seat available, please choose an alternative connection) on the website appear i can reserve a seat for 5 CHF.

If i have a Swiss Saver Day for 2 days , and for example i am on a train that require Seat Reservation i can pay inside the train when they check my ticket?because i will don’t know with all this changes what route require a seat reservation.If i don t reserve from begining a seat i will recive a fine ticket?

3.If i have Swiss Saver day for 2 days i don’t need to enter on the //www.sbb.ch/ and reserve each route?just i buy the Swiss Saver Day and i enter in each train that i want?

Thank you for help and sorry for a lot of questions.

L.E:Sorry i add the images in 2 posts..

@Aysmen Hello

You need mandatory reservations only for the Panoramic Express (PE) trains (Glacier Express and Bernina Express), but not for the regional trains. However, the first non-panoramic cars in the front of the Bernina Express don’t require a reservation, like all other trains in Switzerland. Simply show you pass with your passport or identity card.

If you want to take only regional trains between Visp and Tirano, I don’t think that you could make the entire trip in one day from Colmar to Tirano. In the timetable, you can exclude the PE trains from the search, but you exclude also the IR between Chur and St. Moritz. Search the timetable first until Reichenau/Tamins without PE/IR and from this station with all train categories, but control that no PE train is selected.

In one day, you could also skip Visp - Zermatt - Visp, you won't see the Matterhorn from the station of Zermatt.

Hello ,

Thanks for your quick reply, really apreciate.For me is the first time in Switzerland that way i have a lot of questions…

1.So you mean for the Bernina Express first Railcar is a car which don’t need to reserve a seat, and if a fiind a free seat i can stay only with my Swiss Saver Day?Exist this also for Glacier Express?

2.So i think for the above both routes i think the best for the money is to buy 2 Swiss Saver Day Pass for 21-22 September.

Ok so, no need to reserve a seat, and if a train is full off people i can wait for another one?Exist the risk that in September the trains to be full of people and need to wait for the other?

3.For me is not clear why on my first Picture Day 1 the web site scheduled my route to go from Visp to Zermatt and after that need to come back to Zermat-Visp to reach Andermatt.Is not possible to go directly from Zermatt to Visp and then to Andermatt?

4.Not clear what you mean to search until “Reichenau/Tamins”

With this route ,Day 1  Day 2 is exactly the same route as Glacier Express and Bernina Express but with regional trains, no?

1) Yes, you can seat in the first cars of the Bernina Express trains without reservation. These two or three cars have also a cabin for the driver and motors to pull the train. No, the Glacier Express is pulled with traditional engines, only the driver has a seat.

2) Yes, you can buy two Saver Day Passes for Switzerland, you are flexible and you can take every train, be sure to select the full price. You must buy a ticket from Colmar to Basel SBB. These passes are not refundable and not exchangeable. I don’t think that a regional train could be full. It depends of the weather. Swiss residents don’t travel if it is bad.

I don’t know what kind of tickets do you want to buy for other countries in Europe. Interrail/Eurail Global Passes are also valid on these routes.

3) You should be aware that regional trains are not direct and you have to change in Visp or Brig, depending of the timetable. Only the Glacier Express trains offer direct connections.

4) From Andermatt to Tirano, you must normally change in Disentis/Mustér, Reichenau-Tamins, Samedan and Pontresina. Between Reichenau-Tamins and Samedan, you have Interregio trains who are not displayed if you exclude IR/PE trains from the search. But, if you leave Andermatt at 09:28, you have no problem. The first Glacier Express from Zermatt comes later.

This is the same route, but, if you want to see St, Moritz or make a stopover in this city, you must search a first connection Andermatt - St. Moritz and a second one St. Moritz - Tirano later.