Is there a scenic train from Milan to Switzerland?

A ride on the Bernina Express is a 4-hour, 144 km (90 mile) journey between icy Switzerland and sunny Italy, through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, with Alpine gradients as steep as 1 in 7, on a railway built in 1896-1904 and now declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.



Yes, there are several world-class scenic train routes from Milan into Switzerland. The most famous is the Bernina Express, which involves taking a regional train from Milan to Tirano, Italy, where you board the red panoramic cars. This UNESCO World Heritage route climbs over the Bernina Pass, reaching an altitude of 2,253 meters and offering stunning views of glaciers and Alpine lakes before arriving in St. Moritz or Chur. Another iconic option is the Gotthard Panorama Express, which you can connect to by taking a train from Milan to Lugano. From there, you take a panoramic train through the historic Gotthard spiral tunnels to Flüelen, followed by a majestic steamboat ride across Lake Lucerne. In 2026, these "Slow Travel" routes remain highly sought after by tourists who want to experience the dramatic transition from the palm-lined lakes of Northern Italy to the snow-capped "High Alps" of Central Switzerland in a single, comfortable afternoon journey.

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Yes, there is a direct train from Milan to Zurich. We usually find around 21 direct trains on the route from Milan to Zurich every weekday. There are typically fewer trains leaving at weekends, when we found around 20 departures.

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The Bernina Express train route takes you through incredible alpine landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - it's that amazing. Think of all the clichés about the beauty of scenic train travel and multiply them by 1000. You'll end up on this journey through Switzerland.

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While the entire length of the Bernina Express is an exceptionally scenic ride through Alpine landscape, there are a few extraordinary highlights along the way. Brusio Viaduct. From the town center of Tirano, Italy, the train quickly starts climbing and within a few minutes, crosses the border into Switzerland.

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Milan to St. Moritz, a high Alpine resort town in Switzerland, on a full-day trip from Milan, Italy with private car transfers and tickets for Bernina Express, one of the most beautiful train routes in the world. Enjoy a Swiss-style adventure!

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You can enjoy the Bernina Express as a day trip - this is the highest railway across the Alps, yet the train negotiates 55 tunnels, 196 bridges and steep inclines with ease. The carriages have panoramic windows so that you can enjoy unrestricted views of the stunning landscape through which you are travelling.

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The simplest way to get from Italy to Switzerland is by train although driving is fine too. I bought a $23 train ticket from raileurope.com to go from Lake Como to Lugano and the ride was a breeze. While my ride took exactly 39 minuets, the quickest route is 25 minutes.

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The new Golden Pass Explorer train can ride on different track widths. Combining elegance and comfort with 21st century technical excellence, Switzerland's newest panoramic train journey finally starts on December 11 – three years later than planned and 150 years after it was first proposed.

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Because these train trips are all about the view, cars with wrap-around windows are common. Perhaps the most popular scenic train route in Italy is the Bernina Express, which connects Tirano in Italy to St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps.

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