Innsbruck – Sargans – Landquart – St Moritz – Tirano – Milano Centrale

My original idea had been to to take the Interrail recommended route to Zurich then the main line to Milan, but a discussion I’d read in an online Interrail community the previous evening reminded me that the Bernina Express through the mountains was also an option.

This was one of these days when I have to reach a specific destination by the end of the day. I was meeting my sister in Milan and we had already booked our hotel rooms, so I needed more of a plan than is usual for me. I looked at the timetables and it seemed feasible with contingencies at every stage, and would also give me the chance to see a few bits of the network that I’d not visited when I was travelling through this area in the opposite direction in 2023.

With the first train shortly before 10am there was time for a relaxed breakfast. Innsbruck by day is a totally different place. The mountains are SO impressive in all directions. The top floor breakfast area had such incredible views. I spotted a ski jump in one direction, which I guess was from a previous Olympics.

I was a little underwhelmed by breakfast. Having been spoiled in Prague, this felt rather bland. Maybe Innsbruck doesn’t have specialities other than the ham and cheese that you get everywhere in Austria and Germany. I also had an amusingly decorated boiled egg and some admittedly very nice bread.

I was rather impressed by first class on this train, but having settled into an incredibly luxurious reclining seat in the First Class carriage, I was told by a member of the rain crew that this was Business First and that “normal” first class was in the next corridor. Ah well!

This part of the journey passed through Lichtenstein. This is a new country for me, though it is tiny. We entered the country from Austria to the east and departed into Switzerland to the west, a distance of about 6 miles. The train didn’t stop, but I managed to get a photo of the one station and a bit of the town before we were over the border. I’ll perhaps come back some time and do it properly some time (not that it will take long to see it all!)

I changed trains in Sagans. Fortunately the timings perfectly aligned to dial into a Teams meeting for work, which I did from the platform. My work colleagues are now quite used to the idea that I’ll be in a random location for such calls, when I’m working from “home.”

Just outside the station I spotted this sweet little engine shed and turntable.

From here, it was a 12-minute journey to the start of the Rhaetian Railways narrow gauge network. If may be small but it is incredibly well run, and maintained. The first train took me to St Moritz. I’ve not done this line before, and was particularly looking out for the famous ski resort at Klosters. It may be better if you get off the train, but from this perspective it looked very ordinary, though I rather liked the bridge on the way into the town.

Maybe skiing destinations look interesting when they are covered in snow, but I certainly didn’t feel this was an area that would draw me back any time soon.

As we approached St Moritz I momentarily spotted a toboggan run which had a sign to say it was the Olympic course. I didn’t have time to take a photo before we were around the next bend but this shows the location (before the sign was put up.) Helpfully, the whole Rhaetian Railways network is visible on Google Street View, which is where this comes from.

In St Moritz I had a short change of trains onto the service over the Bernina Pass into Italy. Sadly there wasn’t time to even step out of the station, as this did look like it might be a more interesting place.

The train I was on had panoramic windows but I’d instead opted to be in the “normal” carriages as the windows open on these, which gives the chance to take better photos. I was joined by a very loud group who didn’t have First Class passes, from the bits of conversation I picked up. However, no tickets were checked on the whole journey and one of the group in particular barely drew breath for the entire 2½ hour journey.

It’s getting towards the end of the skiing season now but we were soon high enough into the mountains that we could see some of the runs that were still snowy enough to be used, with tiny dots just about visible, speeding down the slope.

It really is a spectacular line, and I took full advantage of being able to photograph through the open window.

At Alp Grum the train stopped for 10 minutes to allow everyone to get out and take photos, before the big descent towards Tirano.

The train drops steeply into the valley, reversing direction repeatedly. The line is often visible above or below you and height is lost surprisingly quickly. In what felt like no time at all we were in the foot of the valley.

The train continues to drop towards Tirano, passing a lake at one point and making its final entry through the narrow streets of the town, rather like a tram.

There was no time at all to dawdle here, I had to run for the connecting service t the mainline station next door, or wait an hour for the next one. I made it with a minute to spare.

I spotted this rather attractive but odd bridge, shortly after leaving Tirano. I’m not really sure what it either is or was bridging.

The service was very quiet until we got to Varenna, where it suddenly became standing room only. This station is on the banks of Lake Como so I guess they were all tourists.

Arriving in Milan I made my way to the hotel and checked in. We’d selected somewhere within walking distance of the station as I have an early departure on Sunday.

Jan and Steve were arriving by train from Paris and I went back to meet them there. We ended the evening in this rather sweet courtyard in the middle of the hotel.