Bernina Express · Fares for the 2026 timetable yearPrices & costs

How much does a journey on the Bernina Express cost? The fare

RhB (the Rhaetian Railway) publishes fares for four routes. They are normal public transport tickets – they are just as valid on the regional train. On the Bernina Express the seat reservation fee comes on top. All prices are in Swiss francs (CHF), not euros.

A return is exactly double – there is no discount for a return journey at the normal fare.

The seat reservation fee: CHF 32 to 44 per person each way

The seat reservation is compulsory on the Bernina Express. Its price depends on the train, not on the distance you travel on it: if you ride the long-distance Chur – Tirano train only from Pontresina to Poschiavo, you still pay the long-distance supplement.

The supplement covers your fixed seat in the panoramic car. Food and drink are not included; on board you are served at your seat and payment is cashless only.

Discounts: Half Fare Card, passes, children, groups

According to RhB, the Halbtax (half fare card), GA travelcard, day pass, municipal day pass (Tageskarte Gemeinde), Junior Card, Swiss passes and Eurail and Interrail passes are valid. The same sentence applies to all of them: the supplement for the seat reservation must be paid in full.

• Halbtax: half fare, so CHF 33 instead of CHF 66 for Chur – Tirano. The Swiss Halbtax costs CHF 190 a year. For visitors resident abroad there is the Swiss Half Fare Card for CHF 150, valid for one month.
• GA, Swiss Travel Pass, Interrail, Eurail: The ticket is included in the pass. You only book the reservation – the RhB webshop lets you select exactly that.
• Children: under 6 free and without a ticket. From 6 to 16, half fare. The seat reservation fee must be paid in full for everyone.
• Groups of 10 or more: 30% discount on regular tickets, booking only through RhB’s Railservice.
• Dogs: small dogs up to 30 cm at the shoulder travel free in a carrier; larger ones need a dog ticket.

Rule of thumb: For a single Chur – Tirano – Chur trip you save CHF 66 with a half fare card. So a Swiss Half Fare Card at CHF 150 only pays for itself if you are making further journeys in Switzerland.

Worked examples

All examples in 2nd class, high season 2026, added up from the fares above.

What stands out in the family example: almost half the bill is supplements, because children also pay the full reservation price. According to RhB the Junior Card is valid; what it changes about the child’s ticket is best clarified when you buy – it changes nothing about the supplement.

Last minute: there and back from CHF 87

RhB sells remaining seats as a package: return journey in 2nd class, both reservations included.

The conditions: online only, no earlier than six days before the day of travel, 2nd class only, valid only on the trains booked, no exchange and no refund. In the summer season from 2 May to 25 October 2026 the offer is not available for trains 951 and 952 – that is, not for the morning departure from Chur and the afternoon return from Tirano. If you have a GA you do not need the offer; you just book the reservation.

Honestly: Last minute also means: six days ahead you know what the weather will be like. That is the real advantage. The drawback: on popular days the train is already full by then. Do not plan your only day of holiday around it.

The cheapest way to travel the route

The regional train runs on the same tracks, more frequently through the day and with no supplement. Instead of panoramic windows there are classic windows that open, with sun blinds, but no catering and no infotainment. Between St. Moritz and Tirano, RhB recommends an optional seat reservation for CHF 5 per person per journey because of demand; if the quota is gone, you may still travel.

Honestly: For two people there and back from Chur you save CHF 176 on the regional train. In return you change trains and have no reserved seat on the Albula line. If that does not bother you, it is the more sensible sum.

And the day tours from Milan?

If you are coming from Italy you will find guided day trips that bundle the transfer from Milan and the rail journey between Tirano and St. Moritz. For comparison: that section costs CHF 33 with RhB, plus a CHF 32 reservation on the Bernina Express.

“What does the whole thing cost as a ready-made day trip from Milan?”

From Milan: Bernina Train and St. Moritz Day Trip

12–13 hours · day tour · ★ 4.6 from 4,996 reviews

from, per person€134.10

Check what’s included on GetYourGuide

Honestly: You are paying for organisation and transfer, not for a better train. Check whether the panoramic car is guaranteed – according to RhB, “Bernina Red Train” usually means the regional train. How to book yourself is under tickets and reservation; the fares for the second big panoramic train are under Glacier Express prices.