All Aboard the Bernina Express

It feels so rare in the United States that we have the opportunity for long distance train travel. In fact, the last time I regularly took a train was my 10 minute commute in Chicago. The Swiss Travel System is so fiercely impressive. While its high-speed train may run a few kilometers slower than its rivals the German ICE train and France TGV, it makes up for that with some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever encountered.

I had the opportunity to travel with representatives from the Swiss Travel System, Swiss Tourism Board and a group of travel industry professionals on the UNESCO World Heritage, Bernina Express this May. We were coming from Zurich and swapped trains in the tiny town of Chur to jump on the Bernina Express. I’d taken trains in many other European countries and enjoyed the scenery but saw it more as a method of transportation. I didn’t quite get all the hype about this Swiss train, frankly.

That was before I watched a train vertically  chug up the Swiss Alps, cross a narrow bridge over an enormous ravine, and felt the snow on my cheeks through the open window while passing a glacier.

Passing through small villages, we wound our way up from a sunny morning in Zurich, to complete calm on the top of the Alps watching glaciers pass by. We started winding down into a valley and the sun shone again and just like that, we were in Italy!

As far as the train itself goes, the seats were spacious and comfortable. It was a bit older than I imagined, but that made me appreciate it even more. Only those passengers booked in the panoramic part of the train have the large windows. They actually attach this special car in Chur before the journey through the Alps begins. The snack cart came by frequently with goodies,

Note of caution: If you’re prone to motion sickness, consider some Dramamine or anti-nausea patches. I am extremely sensitive and felt a little ill around some of the higher turns.