Pretty Alp Grum, a photo stop on the Bernina Express

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

After three weeks away, it’s nice to be back home, sleeping in my own bed, which is still a better mattress with better sheets and better pillows than 98% of hotel mattresses, sheets, and pillows that I’ve found. (And I’ve stayed at some really nice 5 star hotels!) Why is this?? I would like to volunteer for the bed and bedding testing committees of all the main hotel chains. (Note if you like sateen like I do, I can highly highly recommend the Threshold sateen sheets from Target. And even if you live in Florida, a lightweight feather duvet is a delight during all weather.)

Europe is Nearly Totally Cashless

My main observation after traveling through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg (Country #81 for me!), France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the UK (!) these last few weeks is that Europe is pretty much totally cashless now. I never took out any Swiss Francs or British Pounds. I did get some Euros for tipping guides and drivers during my river cruise, but that’s it. It was even hard to find bank machines. Paris Orly and London City Airport only had Euronet Machines, which charge an arm and a leg. So while I used to tell clients they didn’t need to buy currency before traveling abroad, maybe it’s not a bad idea to pick some up before you travel abroad. (As long as your bank isn’t charging a crazy commission!)

Apple Pay is Your Friend

Related to the above, I paid for nearly everything during my trip with Apple Pay. Metro tickets in Paris? Apple Pay! A bottled water in Antwerp? Apple Pay! A gondola ride in Switzerland? Apple Pay! Black cab in London? Apple Pay! If you’re not on Apple Pay already, get it set up. Add multiple credit cards too just in case!

My New Amazon Store

Before I dive in this week…my recent travels have made me rethink the travel products I recommend. I’ve just launched a new travel store with all my favorite travel products. Got something you think I should add? Tell me!

But Now, Let’s Talk Swiss Trains

Earlier this month, I rode the Glacier Express in Excellence Class from Zermatt to St. Moritz. Then, after a two night stop in St. Moritz, I took the Bernina Express in first class from St. Moritz down to Tirano. Both are wonderful train rides in their own way but completely different experiences.

The Glacier Express Excellence Class Cabin

The Glacier Express: Eight Hours, and It Means It

The Glacier Express calls itself the slowest express train in the world. That's the marketing line, and it's accurate. Zermatt to St. Moritz is roughly 186 miles but the ride takes about eight hours. You are on this train for a full working day.

There are three difference classes on the Glacier Express — regular, First Class, and Excellence Class.

Excellence Class is the top tier — one panoramic car, twenty seats, arranged one-and-one across the width so every single seat is a window seat. Nobody is looking past anybody. There's a five-course menu with wine pairings served at your seat, a dedicated concierge, and a bar. The Excellence Class seat reservation itself costs 540 CHF. (About $665 USD.) Then you need a train ticket or a Swiss Pass. For a multi-day trip to Switzerland, I highly recommend the Swiss Pass. It comes with so much included!

What I'd want you to know before you commit to the Glacier Express and Excellence Class:

The meal is paced across hours. Courses arrive with long gaps between them, which is either relaxing or maddening depending on your temperament. On a warm day, the cabin runs warm — those floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows are magnificent but they can behave like a greenhouse on a hot day. (It was in the 80s when I did this ride.) Bring layers you can take off, not just layers you can add.

The two moments worth staying awake for

The Rhine Gorge (Ruinaulta). White limestone cliffs rising straight out of the young Rhine, with no road access for most of it. People call it the Swiss Grand Canyon. It earns the nickname.
The Landwasser Viaduct. Six stone arches, 65 meters up, curving off a cliff face and straight into a tunnel mouth in the rock. It's the single most photographed piece of railway in Switzerland and you'll understand why in about four seconds. (Note I found it hard to get a good photo of this. It all happens very fast.)

On the Glacier Express, I sat across from a Japanese engineer living in the UK. We had a surprising amount in common! Funnier still — I know no one in St. Moritz but I ran into Masa again at the top of Muottas Muragl, one of the key mountains to visit outside St. Moritz, the day after our train ride! We rode the bus back to St. Moritz together and swapped travel stories.

A word about Omar!

My server in Excellence Class was a Catalan gentleman named Omar, and he was the best part of the day. Attentive without hovering, funny, and he knew exactly which side of the train to point me toward before each stretch of scenery. If you go, I hope you get him.

The booking reality

Excellence Class is expensive and it sells out far in advance. The seat reservation alone runs 540 Swiss Francs per person — and that's on top of a valid first-class ticket, not instead of one.

The Bernina Express First Class car during our picture-taking stop at Alp Grum.

The Bernina Express: The One I'd Do Again Tomorrow

The train ride from St. Moritz to Tirano takes about two and a half hours, and it is absolutely DELIGHTFUL. Denser, more dramatic, and over before you've had a chance to get restless. I did first class on this train which gave me a spacious seat.

The route is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the Albula and Bernina lines — and it climbs to 2,253 meters without a single cog or rack. Pure adhesion, the whole way. It's an engineering flex disguised as a scenic ride.

The two moments worth staying awake for

Ospizio Bernina and Lago Bianco. The summit of the line. A pale glacial lake sits right beside the track at over 2,200 meters, milky turquoise against bare rock and snow. The train slows. Everyone goes quiet.
The Brusio Circular Viaduct. On the Italian descent, the track runs out of mountain to work with — so it loops back over itself in a full spiral on a stone viaduct. You watch the front of your own train pass beneath you. It's the best twelve seconds in Swiss rail. This was pretty fun.

Two small things I loved

There's a house iced tea on board that I still think about. Staff gave out these boxes midway through our journey.

And there's a collectible Bernina Express chocolate tin that they give you before you disembark. So sweet! (Literally!)

The Part Nobody Tells You: Tirano to Milan

The Bernina Express ends in Tirano, just over the Italian border. From there, most guides will point you to the regional train to Milan. It's the RE8, it runs about every hour, it takes roughly two and a half hours to Milano Centrale, and it costs somewhere around twelve euros. You can buy a first class ticket but I learned the hard way that first class isn’t very special on this train. It’s a tiny, crowded compartment. (There are no seat reservations.) I picked up a totally forgettable ham and cheese panini at the train station convenience store (paid for with Apple Pay!) and honestly, it just made me sad. Some of the people I met on the train were actually taking more time in Tirano to have a nice sit down lunch. Me and my sad ham and cheese panini were a little jealous.

Comedy moment in Tirano was all of us passngers standing on Platform 2 while an Italian man kept yelling “Primero binario!! Suddenly it clicked for me that “binario” meant “track” and even though all the signs said our train was arriving on Platform 2, this Italian man apparently had the inside scoop and knew it would be arriving on Platform 1. No one believed me initially when I translated this. About ten minutes later, from inside the comfort of the train car on Platform 1, I watched the light suddenly dawn on my fellow travelers. Google Translate if your friend, people.

Back to the train from Tirano— it runs along the eastern shore of Lake Como for a good half hour between Colico and Lecco, which is beautiful. This is also the most popular part of the journey, with lots of people getting on and off at these stations.

I still wouldn't put most people on this train.

It's a basic commuter train. No reservations, no assigned seats, no luggage assistance, no first-class worth the name. In summer and on weekends it gets crowded, and you'll be standing over your own suitcases after two days of Swiss panoramic windows and wine pairings. For a party of four or six with luggage, it's a real hassle. (The only saving grace was that there was power at my seat! So I could charge my phone. I could not find an outlet on the Bernina Express.) I watched two American travelers in their 80s really struggle with getting on and off this train.

Drive instead. A private transfer from Tirano to Milan takes about the same time, handles your bags, goes door to door, and — the real argument — lets you stop on Lake Como for lunch on the way to Milan. Or you can simply end the day at a hotel on Lake Como instead.

Same journey. Entirely different arrival.

How I'd Build Your Train Trip to Switzerland

Three or four nights in Zermatt. Glacier Express to St. Moritz. Two nights there. Bernina Express down to Tirano. Private car to Lake Como, and a few nights on the water before Milan and your flight home.

Shoulder season, always. September gives you golden larches through the Engadin, thinner crowds, and easier reservations. Mid- to late-June works too. I'd skip the peak of July and August. It’s hot and crowded.

Where to Stay in St. Moritz

Grace La Margna — This is where I'd put most of you. A 1907 Art Nouveau building that reopened in 2023 after a full restoration, with 74 rooms and suites, a big spa with a pool, three restaurants, and a bar that fills up with locals. Two things make it my default recommendation: it's a few steps from the train station, which matters enormously when you're arriving off the Glacier Express with luggage, and it's open 365 days a year. Most of the grand hotels here are not.

Badrutt's Palace — The icon. Open since 1896, and if you want the full St. Moritz theater — the turret, the terrace, the Cartier and Dior boutiques on the ground floor, Matsuhisa by Nobu downstairs, the classic Swiss restaurant Chesa Veglia around the corner — this is the address. The new Serlas Wing added 25 contemporary suites and rooms, and the outdoor pool (heated with water from the lake) is the largest in town. Book the lake-facing rooms. Note the season: summer 2026 runs June 5 to September 7, so if you're coming for the golden larches in late September, the Palace is closed.

Kulm Hotel — The oldest hotel in St. Moritz and, arguably, the birthplace of winter tourism: in 1864 the owner bet a group of English summer guests they'd love the Engadin in winter, and he was right. It was also the first building in Switzerland with electric light. Pierre-Yves Rochon handled the modernization, so the rooms feel current without erasing the bones. A 2,000-square-meter alpine spa, tennis and padel courts, and its own golf club at 1,864 meters. Stay two nights or more and you get a Mountain Pass — unlimited regional trains, buses, and cable cars, which pairs perfectly with a rail trip. Summer 2026 runs June 12 to August 30, winter December 4 to March 29.

Ready to Talk Swiss Trains?

Switzerland rewards planning further ahead than most destinations, and the trains are the reason. Excellence Class alone needs close to a year of runway.

If Switzerland is on your list for 2027, now is the moment to start. Reply to this email and let's put it together. Or book a complimentary vacation consultation here.

About Krista

I’m a Virtuoso travel advisor based in Palm Beach, Florida. I attended the University of Notre Dame for undergrad and I have my MBA from the University of Chicago. Before building my travel business, I spent 20 years in the investment management industry and over a decade living and working in London, England. I’ve personally traveled to 80+ countries and now design thoughtful, highly customized trips for travelers who value expertise, access, and a seamless experience.

I offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation for travelers considering a custom itinerary or luxury cruise. Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.

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Classic Swiss Trains: The Glacier Express & The Bernina Express