The Bernina Pass is a popular tourist destination in Switzerland adjacent to the Bernina Glacier. The Pass is most known for the world famous Bernina Express train line that has achieved UNESCO World Heritage status. The Pass also offers a scenic drive with several viewpoints.
The Bernina Express – pros and cons
The popular (and easiest) option in exploring the Bernina pass is via its famous rail line. This scenic railway starts in the northwest from Chur, Switzerland and passes through several stops to the resort town of St. Moritz. Then winds up and down through the Bernina Pass in various stops up to an altitude above 6000 ft. and then winding down through Diavolezza and Poschiavo and eventually terminating in Tirano, Italy. You can either purchase a guided tour or directly buy point-to-point or multi-stop tickets online from the Swiss rail website. A popular short option is to reach the resort town of St. Moritz via bus or car and then take the Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano, enjoying the most scenic part of the jounrey.
While the Bernina Express is definitely an experience highly recommended, it may not be enough for everyone. The train has specific stops, and does not offer other activities and sightseeing trips that can be done via car while enjoying a scenic drive through Bernina Pass. While individual situations may differ, I’ll describe here my own experience exploring the pass using a rental car that I hope can be applied in most cases.
Pre-requisites
The first tip I have for fellow traveller is where to get the rental car. Typically in Europe, getting the car at your arrival airport, tend to have the best value. This may not be the cheapest option, but will give you more variety of pricing and features and also makes the check-in and return process a bit easier. The second tip relates to the country to rent the car from. Switzerland tend to be one of the most expensive for renting cars (and everything else!). But fear not! Due to the Schengen agreement, you can fly into a nearby country like Germany, Austria or Italy and rent a car from the airport to drive into Switzerland. Just make sure to take care of 3 pre-requisites: 1. Get an International Driver License (valid for 1 year and available at any AAA location in US and Canada) 2. Get the insurance coverage from the rental facility (or online portal like Expedia where you book the car), AND 3. Tell the rental facility you plan to drive to Switzerland, which may cost a few extra Euros but worth paying for the peace of mind.
The Drive
We were staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Davos, Switzerland and decided to make the scenic trip to Bernina Pass. The drive from Davos to St. Moritz takes about 1.5 hour with some scenic stops. It goes through the scenic Fluela Pass and part of the Albula pass, both among top 10 scenic passes in the entire Alps! Once we reached St. Mortiz we had a quick tour of the town and enjoyed some delicious Swiss breakfast.
We then started our drive through the Bernina Pass. The first scenic stop was at Bernina Sass, where you can park and admire the view of the glacier from the north. We then passed by the rugged Diavolezza. During tourist season you can take the cable car from here to the mountains.
Next we stopped by a small lake near the Bernina Glacier and peak (Piz Bernina) that is adjacent to the Bernina Express railway line. There are lot of photo opportunities and trail in this grand open viewing area. You may even see the famous Bernina Express train pass by on the way there!
The next part of the drive goes through winding valleys through lush scenic forest ending in the quaint town of Poschiavo. Even though we were still in Switzerland, Italian is widely spoken here and it has the charm of a Italian mountain town. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and toured the town a bit. The road then continue through the winding valley down to Tirano, Italy where the railway line ends. You can continue from there into other popular Italian destinations such as Merano to the West or Bolzano (Bozen) to the east which is also gateway to the Dolomites!
Finally, enjoy the video below to ride with us on a virtual tour through this scenic drive!
All Around The World 