Lugano sits close enough to the Italian border that half the shop signs already read in Italian, which makes it a natural last stop before crossing over. That’s where our own family trip ended this summer, on our way to a flight home from Milan, and it’s also where a lot of travelers get stuck. There isn’t just one way to get from southern Switzerland into Italy. There are three, and they suit different kinds of trips.

Here’s how they compare, what each one actually costs, and who each one is really for.

The Three Routes at a Glance

Route	Best For	Reservation	Approx. Duration
Bernina Express (panoramic)	Scenery, first-timers, a bucket-list ride	Required, every seat	~4h20m Chur–Tirano
Same line, regular RhB trains	Scenery on a budget	Not required	Similar, depends on connections
Lugano–Milan via EuroCity/Mendrisio	Speed, simplicity, airport connections	Not required	~1h15m to Milan / ~1h to Malpensa

Option 1: The Bernina Express

Figure: The Bernina Express winding through the Alps, often billed as one of the world’s most beautiful train rides.

The Bernina Express runs from Chur or St. Moritz down to Tirano, just over the Italian border, climbing the Bernina Pass, passing the Morteratsch Glacier, and spiraling down the Brusio viaduct. It’s the route most people picture when they think of a scenic Swiss-Italian crossing, and the reputation holds up.

Good for: first-time visitors, photographers, and anyone who wants a dedicated scenic journey rather than just a way to get from A to B. Works well for families too, though it’s a long sit for very young children.

Pros

• Full panoramic windows in dedicated glass-domed carriages
• The Swiss Travel Pass covers the base fare all the way to Tirano, unusual for a route that ends in Italy
• Runs year-round, with dramatically different but equally striking winter and summer scenery

Cons

• Seat reservation is mandatory for every passenger, adults and children alike, and it isn’t covered by any Swiss pass
• Reservation fees run roughly CHF 32 to 44 per person depending on the season, so the cost adds up fast for a group
• At over four hours, it’s a long ride to keep toddlers entertained

Good to know: reservations open 365 days in advance and sell out quickly in the May to October high season, so book early if this is your route.

With three kids under nine and five reservation fees to cover, the cost pushed this one outside our budget this time around. If your children are a bit older, or you’re traveling as a couple, it’s worth prioritizing.

Option 2: The Same Route on Regular Trains

Figure: St. Moritz station, where the ordinary regional trains to Tirano depart from the same tracks as the Bernina Express.

What a lot of travelers don’t realize is that the Bernina Express isn’t a separate railway line, it’s a specific panoramic service running on tracks that regular Rhaetian Railway trains also use. You can ride Chur or St. Moritz to Tirano on an ordinary regional train, see the same glaciers and the same spiral viaduct, and pay nothing beyond your normal Swiss Travel Pass fare.

Good for: budget-conscious travelers, families with young kids who won’t sit still for photos anyway, and anyone who’d rather not plan around a reservation window.

Pros

• Same views as the Bernina Express, at no extra cost
• No reservation, no assigned seats, no booking deadline
• Some departures include a Family Coach with a small play area

Cons

• No panoramic glass roof, just standard train windows
• Runs on a normal timetable rather than a dedicated scenic schedule, so connections take more planning
• Less onboard atmosphere than the purpose-built panoramic cars

This is the option that made the most sense for our own trip on paper, glacier views without five reservation fees, but it would have meant routing back up through Graubünden, and we simply ran out of days.

Option 3: Lugano to Milan via EuroCity or Regional Train

Figure: An SBB train departing Lugano station toward Italy.

For anyone already in Ticino, this is usually the simplest option. A direct EuroCity or Trenitalia train runs from Lugano straight to Milano Centrale in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, no reservation needed. If your flight leaves from Malpensa specifically, there’s an even more direct regional train through Mendrisio and Stabio that reaches the airport in a bit over an hour, skipping central Milan entirely.

Good for: travelers heading to Milan or Malpensa Airport, anyone short on time, and families who’d rather avoid a multi-hour scenic ride with young kids.

Pros

• Fastest of the three options by a wide margin
• No reservation required
• Direct regional service to Malpensa avoids the Milano Centrale transfer

Cons

• Least scenic of the three, mostly lowland and lakeside rather than high alpine
• Requires a separate Italian-segment ticket once you cross the border, on top of your Swiss Travel Pass

Figure: Lake and hillside views just before the train crosses into Italy.

This is the route we used to reach Malpensa. One detail worth knowing: the Swiss Travel Pass covers everything up to the last Swiss station, but you need a separate ticket for the Italian leg. At the SBB counter in Lugano, staff wrote our ticket starting from Mendrisio, the last Swiss station before the border, rather than from Lugano. That kept the whole Swiss portion covered by our Family Pass and meant we only paid for the short Italian segment instead of double-paying for track we already had covered. The same ticket can be bought online through sbb.ch or the Tilo regional train site, or at the vending machines on the day, but a counter agent is worth it if you want someone to double-check the routing.

Figure: The separate paper ticket for the Mendrisio-to-Malpensa segment, bought on top of the Swiss Travel Pass.

Quick Verdict

• Best scenery: the Bernina Express, if the reservation cost fits your budget
• Best value: the regular trains on the same line, same views for free
• Best for speed and simplicity: the Lugano to Milan or Malpensa route

Practical Reference

Swiss Travel Pass Coverage

Segment	Covered?
Travel within Switzerland	Yes
Chur/St. Moritz to Tirano (Bernina line)	Yes, base fare only
Bernina Express seat reservation	No, always separate
Lugano to Chiasso or Mendrisio	Yes
Anything past the Italian border (except Tirano)	No, separate ticket needed

When to Buy the Italian Ticket

Route	Ticket Starts From
Lugano → Milan	Mendrisio or Chiasso, depending on your exact train
Lugano → Malpensa	Mendrisio
St. Moritz → onward in Italy	Tirano

Kids’ Fares

Age	Within Switzerland (Family Pass)	Italian Segment
Under 6	Free	Usually free
6–15	Free with Swiss Family Card	Roughly half adult fare
16+	Adult fare	Adult fare

The Swiss Family Card waives the base fare for kids, not reservation fees. On the Bernina Express, full reservation price still applies per child.

Reaching Nearby Airports by Train from Switzerland

Airport	Country	Route	Approx. Duration
Milan Malpensa	Italy	Lugano → Mendrisio → Stabio → Malpensa	~1h
Milan Malpensa	Italy	Zurich → Lugano → Malpensa (change)	~4h
Basel EuroAirport	France/Switzerland	Basel SBB → EuroAirport (bus/tram link)	~15–20 min
Munich	Germany	Zurich → Munich (EuroCity)	~3h30m–4h

Malpensa got a direct rail link between Terminal 2 and the main line toward Switzerland in January 2026, so if you’re flying out of there, double check which terminal your train actually serves before you board.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming the Swiss Travel Pass gets you all the way to Milan. It doesn’t, except on the Bernina line to Tirano.
• Forgetting to reserve a Bernina Express seat. Reservations are mandatory and sell out in high season.
• Buying the Italian-segment ticket starting from a Swiss station, which means paying twice for track you already had covered.
• Assuming the Swiss Family Card works once you’re over the border. It doesn’t.
• Not checking connection times before you leave your hotel. Swiss trains are frequent, but not every route runs as often as you’d expect.