Yes, the Bernina Express Is a Panoramic Train — Here Is What That Actually Means
The short answer is yes. The Bernina Express runs dedicated panoramic carriages with large, floor-to-ceiling windows that curve slightly upward into the ceiling, giving passengers an almost unobstructed view of the landscape on both sides. These are not standard commuter windows with narrow frames. The glass is wide enough that you can follow a mountain ridge all the way from its base to its peak without craning your neck or pressing your face against the glass.
The route itself runs between Chur or St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in northern Italy, crossing the Bernina Pass at an altitude of 2,253 meters. That makes it the highest railway crossing in the Alps that operates without the use of a cog rack system — a technical fact that becomes very real when you look out the window and realize the train is hugging the edge of a mountain with nothing but open sky and glacier on the other side.
The panoramic carriages were designed specifically for sightseeing. Seats are arranged so that most passengers face the direction of travel or sit perpendicular to it, and the windows are shared across the full length of each carriage rather than being broken up by structural pillars every meter. On the Bernina Red Train day trip from Milan, you travel in these same carriages, making it a practical choice for travelers coming from Italy who want the full panoramic experience without needing to travel all the way to St. Moritz first.
Practical Tips for Getting the Best Views on the Bernina Express
Knowing the train is panoramic is one thing. Getting a seat that actually delivers the best views is another matter entirely.
The most talked-about section of the journey is between Ospizio Bernina and Poschiavo, where the train descends through a series of tight curves past the Lago Bianco reservoir and through the Brusio circular viaduct — a looping stone bridge that the train spirals around to lose altitude gradually. For this section, a seat on the left side of the train when traveling south toward Tirano gives you a better angle on the viaduct itself.
Traveling in 2026, seat reservations are mandatory for the Bernina Express panoramic service and can be booked in advance through Swiss Federal Railways or via tour operators. The reservation fee is separate from your rail pass if you hold a Swiss Travel Pass or Eurail pass, but it is worth paying. Window seats sell out well in advance during summer and early autumn, which are the peak months for this route.
Early morning departures from St. Moritz tend to offer cleaner light for photography, especially in summer when afternoon haze can settle over the lower valleys. If you prefer a guided experience with more flexibility, the Bernina Train private tour from Milan or St. Moritz allows you to travel with a guide who can point out key landmarks before they pass the window.
For travelers who want to pair the Bernina route with another iconic Swiss rail journey, the Swiss Alps train tour from Zurich with the Glacier Express combines two of the country’s best panoramic routes into a single itinerary, giving you a much broader picture of Alpine scenery from the comfort of a rail seat.
One last practical note: the panoramic windows on the Bernina Express do not open, and the carriages are climate controlled. This keeps the glass clear and free of condensation, which matters more than it sounds when you are trying to photograph a glacier at 2,000 meters.
