Lake Como Cruise, St Moritz & Bernina Red Train Day Trip from Milan

Lake Como Morning Cruise and Bellagio

Lake Como fills a deep glacial valley at the foot of the Alps in the shape of an inverted Y, and at more than 400 metres it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. Its shores are lined with villages of coloured houses and with grand villas and gardens such as Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello, built by Milanese noble families from the 16th to the 19th century.

Your day starts with a cruise of about 45 minutes on a boat reserved for the group, when the water is calm and the light is soft. From the deck you see Bellagio, often called the pearl of the lake, at the point where its three branches meet. For many travellers looking for a Lake Como day trip from Milan, this quiet early cruise is the most memorable moment.

The Maloja Pass and the Engadine Lakes

From the lake the coach follows the valley north into Switzerland and up Val Bregaglia, a narrow valley of stone villages and chestnut woods. The road then climbs the Maloja Pass, at about 1,815 metres, through a famous series of tight hairpin bends that gain height in a very short distance, with views back down the valley.

At the top the landscape opens suddenly into the Upper Engadine, a high plateau of meadows, larch forests and lakes. The coach runs along the shores of Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana, whose blue water reflects the surrounding peaks, before reaching St. Moritz. Your guide explains the history of the Alpine passes and the Romansh language still spoken in the valley.

St. Moritz in the Upper Engadine

St. Moritz lies at about 1,822 metres beside its own lake, and it is one of the most famous mountain resorts in the world. Its mineral springs were used as early as the Bronze Age, and in the 19th century it became a pioneer of winter tourism. It hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice, in 1928 and 1948, and in winter its frozen lake still hosts races and polo.

You have about 1.5 hours here, starting with a short guided walk through the village to the leaning tower, all that remains of a medieval church, and the viewpoints over the lake. The rest is free time for lunch, a coffee or window-shopping along the elegant main streets. Switzerland uses its own currency, but cards are widely accepted.

The Bernina Red Train and the Bernina Pass

The highlight of the day is the Bernina line, opened in 1910 and listed by UNESCO in 2008 together with the Albula line as one of the most spectacular mountain railways in the world. Without cogwheels it climbs gradients of up to 7 percent, crossing the Bernina Pass at over 2,200 metres, the highest point reached by a railway across the Alps. People often search for a Bernina Express trip from Milan; this tour uses the same line in a regular red train.

You travel in 2nd class, not in the panoramic first-class carriage, but the windows open, which is ideal for photos. Along the way you see the Morteratsch Glacier, the slopes of Diavolezza, the milky-green Lago Bianco and, at Alp Grüm, a sudden view down to the valley floor more than a thousand metres below. The train ride lasts about two hours.

Val Poschiavo, the Brusio Viaduct and the Return to Milan

Descending from the pass, the train enters Val Poschiavo, an Italian-speaking Swiss valley of stone villages, terraced fields and the small town of Poschiavo with its Italianate palaces. Near Brusio the line turns a full circle on a stone spiral viaduct of 1908 to lose height in a tight space, one of the most photographed points of the route, before crossing back into Italy at Tirano.

The coach meets the group at the end of the train ride and drives back to Milan along the Valtellina valley, arriving in the evening at the starting point. Please note that the train section can change: on some days the ride runs from Tirano to St. Moritz, or from St. Moritz to Thusis on the Albula line, always with the same alpine scenery.