dee2673
Traveller
4 comments
Posted 1 year ago
Hello..I am trying to learn about booking train tickets for this route. I can go to bahn.com and book a ticket from Frankfurt to Tirano, with an overnight stop in Zurich for about 88 euros. It appears to include the Bernina express, which is what we want. I was advised by an expert that the ticket would not be honored in the Bernina and that I should should book Frankfurt to Zurich on the German site. And then Zurich to Tirano on sbb. Ch, the Swiss train site. It went up to $300. Does anyone know what a reasonable rate really is? I do t mind paying for what I want to do but I also don’t want to overpay. We aren’t going until October but I’m trying dummy bookings to see what the cost will be..thank you !!
MisterSteve
Traveller
923 comments
The Bernina Express is a particualr tourist train which runs direct from Chur or St. Moritz to Tirano, the Bernina route has other trains roughly every hour, although in almost all those cases you will have to change changes at Samedan and/or Pontresina if coming from Chur. The ticket DB sells could be valid for travel on the Bernina Express but you would have to obtain and pay for the special reservation and supplement. I'm not sure whether the DB website can do this, you might have to use the RhB website. The problem I'm looking at is that I can't see the bahn.com journey planner offering Saver prices with an overnight stop in Zurich, what is the schedule they offer for €88 and how did you get it to appear? Only the 08:28 (all year) and 13:34 (summer only) departures from Chur plus trains 971, 973 and 975 starting at St Mortitz are classed as Bernina Express. Because of the way DB get flat rate connection prices in Switzerland you definately shouldn't book only to Zurich if they are prepared to sell you a ticket that goes further.
Arend7
Traveller
594 comments
You can see timetables in pdf at www.fahrplanfelder.ch. Table 940 Chur-St.Moritz and 950 St.Moritz-Tirano. The way I see it you have 3 options
1. Normal trains but with 2 changes in Samedan and Pontersina
2. Normal trains with 1 change in St.Moritz but more than an hour longer.
3. One direct train, the Bernina express but much more expensive.
MisterSteve
Traveller
923 comments
The special Bernina Express reservation/supplement from Chur to Tirano is CHF 24.00
dee2673
Traveller
4 comments
Thank you, yes. I know about the supplement and have already purchased for the date we’re traveling. What I did was go to bahn.com..chose a random Tuesday..Entered Frankfurt to Tirano with a 12 hour stopover in Zurich. The train from Zurich, the next morning,goes to Chur and the train we would board in Chur corresponds to the times that the Bernina Express runs. First class is 171.80 euros for two. Would I be safe buying this and going all the way to Tirano, without having to buy any other tickets ( other than the BE supplement we already bought)?
dee2673
Traveller
4 comments
This is from Dr to zurich
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi!
You are doing correctly by booking all the way to Tirano in one go at Deutsche Bahn website.
Only thing you need separately is the BEX reservation (which you already purchased).
Note that the ticket will only be valid for the booked itinerary (this applies to all long distance trains in your route to be exact - these include ICE, IC and IR).
Flo
MisterSteve
Traveller
923 comments
If DB issue the ticket with the itinery then it's valid. I'm impressed that you found the way to force stopovers.
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Btw a later departure from Zürich would be possible too (IC 557 at 0638)
dee2673
Traveller
4 comments
Thank you all. This eases my mind. I am going to leave in the earlier train even though I probably don’t HAVE to..but being a bit of an anxious traveler , I’ll feel better with a longer connection . So this is really good news. I’m going to book with bahn.com as soon as the schedule opens up. Thank you all very much. This little old lady will now rest easier.
dee2673
Traveller
4 comments
Oh and I learned about the stopover thing on seat 61
MisterSteve
Traveller
923 comments
if you want to rest easier, do it in Chur not Zurich! The station is at the edge of the old town, the hotels will be cheaper and you don't have to get up as early!