St. Moritz sits at the end of some of the most celebrated railway lines in Europe. The Rhaetian Railway brings trains into the Engadin from Chur over the Albula line, from Landquart through the Vereina tunnel, and from Tirano in Italy over the Bernina Pass, and the Albula and Bernina lines together have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2008. The famous panoramic trains, the Glacier Express from Zermatt and the Bernina Express to Tirano, both start or end here.
For North American visitors, the practical questions are simpler than the scenery: how long from Zurich, which trains need reservations, what to do with ski bags and suitcases, and how to get from St. Moritz station to the hotel. This guide answers each in turn, and says plainly when a train is the right choice and when a car fits better. Elly8.net does not sell rail tickets; we book the car that meets you at the station, the airport or the hotel door.
How do you get to St. Moritz by train?
From Zürich HB, trains reach St. Moritz in about three hours with one change at Chur or Landquart. The Glacier Express runs from Zermatt in about eight hours, and the Bernina Express links St. Moritz with Tirano in Italy in about 2 hours 15 minutes. Both panoramic trains need advance seat reservations.
The St. Moritz tourist office puts the train journey from Zurich's main station at three hours, and describes the panoramic trains as the most spectacular way to arrive. Timetables change each December and for engineering works, so check your date on SBB before you plan the day around a connection.
See St. Moritz prices and reserve
From Zurich: the everyday route
Two ways in. On a timetable query for a weekday in December 2026, trains from Zürich HB reached St. Moritz either via Landquart and the Vereina tunnel, in 3 hours 5 minutes, or via Chur and the Albula line, in 3 hours 17 minutes. Each needed one change. From Zürich Flughafen, the sample connections took 3 hours 23 to 3 hours 40 minutes, with a second change at Zürich HB.
Which to take. The Chur and Albula route is the scenic one, with the spiral tunnels and the Landwasser Viaduct that Engadin Tourism highlights on its how-to-get-here page. The Vereina route is a little quicker on the sample timetable. If you have time and daylight, choose the Albula.
Coming back. On the same sample weekday, a 06:45 departure from St. Moritz reached Zürich Flughafen at 10:11, with two changes. That suits an afternoon flight home, but not a morning one. Our Zurich to St. Moritz train or private car guide compares the options for the airport run in detail.
The Glacier Express
The Glacier Express is the panoramic train between Zermatt and St. Moritz. Its operator describes an eight-hour journey over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels, with meals prepared in an on-board kitchen and served at your seat. The practical details that matter:
- When it runs. Daily, except for an annual break from mid-October to the beginning of December, on a winter timetable from December to April and a summer one from May to October, according to the operator's FAQ.
- Reservations. A seat reservation is mandatory and is added to the price of the ticket. On the operator's price page, the reservation for long journeys in first or second class is CHF 54 per person, and Excellence Class carries a much higher reservation. First and second class can be booked 93 days before travel.
- Luggage. Space is limited, and the operator recommends no more than one extra piece of luggage besides hand luggage, asking travellers to arrange luggage transport for anything more.
- Children. Children under 6 travel free but have no seat of their own unless you reserve one.
For North American visitors, the Glacier Express is usually a day of the trip in its own right rather than a transfer. A good pattern is to send the big bags ahead, ride the train with a day bag, and have a chauffeur meet you at the station at the end.
The Bernina Express
The Bernina Express runs from Chur over the Albula and Bernina lines to Tirano in Italy. The Rhaetian Railway describes the route as 196 bridges and 55 tunnels, past the Landwasser Viaduct, over the Bernina Pass and the Palü Glacier, down to the palm trees of Tirano, with the Brusio Circular Viaduct near the end. It gives about four hours from Chur to Tirano and about 2 hours 15 minutes from St. Moritz to Tirano. A Bernina Express Bus continues between Tirano and Lugano.
On luggage, the railway says racks are available but storage space is limited, and points to its baggage delivery service for large pieces. On the regional trains that also run the Bernina line, it strongly recommends a seat reservation, at CHF 5 per person. Groups of ten or more get a 30% discount on regular tickets, booked through the railway's service desk rather than online.
The Bernina line is also the rail route from Milan: Trenord runs direct trains from Milano Centrale to Tirano, where you change for St. Moritz. Our Milan to St. Moritz guide compares that journey with the three-hour drive over the Maloja.
| Train | Route | Journey time (operator) | Reservation | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular trains from Zurich | Zürich HB to St. Moritz via Chur or Landquart | About 3 hours, one change | Check with SBB for your train | Racks; limited at busy times |
| Glacier Express | Zermatt to St. Moritz | About 8 hours | Mandatory; CHF 54 long journeys, 1st or 2nd class | One extra piece recommended |
| Bernina Express | Chur or St. Moritz to Tirano | About 4 h from Chur; 2 h 15 from St. Moritz | Book ticket and seat | Limited; delivery service suggested |
| Regional trains on the Bernina line | St. Moritz to Tirano | Varies | Strongly recommended, CHF 5 | Limited |
Luggage: the part most visitors underestimate
Every railway in this guide says the same thing in different words: space for big suitcases and ski bags is limited. Engadin Tourism recommends the SBB luggage service, which sends bags and sports equipment ahead so you can travel light. If you plan to use it, check delivery times and the conditions with SBB first, because an arrival-day itinerary depends on the bags getting there when you do.
The alternative is to split the journey: the people take the train, and the bags take the car. On a Glacier Express day, for example, a chauffeur can carry the luggage from your previous hotel to St. Moritz and meet you at the station in the evening. Ask the desk to quote that in the web booker.
Engadin Tourism also highlights a "Public Transport Included" offer: guests booking more than one night at a participating hotel or holiday apartment travel free on public transport within the Upper Engadin, on arrival, during the stay and on the way home. If your hotel takes part, local buses and trains cover many short trips in the valley.
Arriving at St. Moritz station
St. Moritz station sits below the hillside hotels of St. Moritz Dorf, and with luggage, most hotels are a short drive rather than a comfortable walk. Your chauffeur can meet the train with a name board, load the bags the train made awkward, and take you to the door. Give us the train number and arrival time; if a connection is late, the desk follows it. See train station transfers.
There is no fixed price-list fare for the station, so enter it in the web booker for an instant fixed price. If you want the car for more than the transfer, a St. Moritz chauffeur by the hour costs US$100 in a business sedan, US$125 in a business SUV, US$150 in a First Class SUV, US$160 in a First Class Sedan and US$200 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. The full-day chauffeur costs from US$740 to US$1,475.
Rides in St. Moritz are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
Before the train: the first night and the airport
Few North American visitors step off a transatlantic flight and onto a panoramic train the same morning. A more comfortable plan is a night in Zurich first, with the Zurich chauffeur and airport transfers covering the airport run, and the train to St. Moritz the next day in daylight. If you would rather skip the city, the car from Zurich Airport to St. Moritz is door to door in about three hours; the chauffeur tracks the flight and waits in arrivals with a name board, as described on our airport transfers page.
Flying privately is the third way in. Engadin Airport in Samedan serves private jets, charters and air taxis, about 8 km (5 mi) and 12 minutes from St. Moritz Dorf, and the transfer into town costs from US$125 in a business sedan. See private jet and FBO transfers.
Train one way, car the other
The most popular plan among our guests is to ride a scenic train one way and take a car the other. Typical combinations:
- Up by train, down by car. Take the Albula route or the Glacier Express up, then a car from your hotel to Zurich Airport on departure day, timed to your flight. From St. Moritz Dorf to Zurich Airport, the fare is US$745 in a business sedan, US$970 in a business SUV and US$1,940 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, all-in, the same in either direction.
- Bernina day trip. Ride the Bernina Express to Tirano and back, or ride down and have a car collect you in Tirano. Enter the Tirano pickup in the web booker.
- Glacier Express from Zermatt, car to the airport. Arrive by the Glacier Express, spend the week, and leave by car.
Our Zurich to St. Moritz by private car guide covers the road, the Julier Pass and the Vereina car train for the driving leg. See also city to city car service.
When the train is the right choice, and when it is not
Choose the train if you are one or two travellers with light bags, if the journey is part of the holiday, if you have a free day in daylight, or if you are using the luggage service and the "Public Transport Included" offer.
Choose a car if you are a family with children and ski equipment, a group, or arriving on an overnight flight with full luggage; if you need to reach Zurich Airport for a morning departure; or if the weather and timetable leave too many changes. A Business SUV seats up to six with six bags, and an Executive Sprinter seats up to twelve with twelve bags. Child seats are available on request. For a broader view, see chauffeur vs car rental.
How booking works
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter St. Moritz station with your train number, or Zurich Airport with your flight number, and the hotel.
- Vehicle. Choose the vehicle class at the fixed fare and tell us about ski bags.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now for a published fare and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for the station or any other address. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% applies at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, with refunds to the original card. See the cancellation policy and the St. Moritz chauffeur page.
Elly8.net books the car only; BookingWorldwide.net handles flights and hotels. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Zurich to St. Moritz?
About three hours from Zürich HB, with one change. On a sample weekday in December 2026, connections via Landquart took 3 hours 5 minutes and via Chur 3 hours 17 minutes. From Zurich Airport, allow about 3 hours 23 to 3 hours 40 minutes with two changes.
Is a reservation needed for the Glacier Express?
Yes. The operator says a seat reservation is mandatory and is added to the ticket price; for long journeys in first or second class it is CHF 54 per person. First and second class can be booked 93 days before travel, and the train takes an annual break from mid-October to early December.
How long is the Bernina Express?
The Rhaetian Railway gives about four hours from Chur to Tirano and about 2 hours 15 minutes from St. Moritz to Tirano, over the Bernina Pass. Luggage space is limited, and the railway suggests its baggage delivery service for large pieces.
Can we take skis on the panoramic trains?
Space is the issue. The Glacier Express recommends no more than one extra piece of luggage besides hand luggage, and the Bernina Express has limited storage. Send skis ahead with the SBB luggage service, or let a car carry them while you ride the train.
Will a chauffeur meet us at St. Moritz station?
Yes. Give us the train number and arrival time, and the chauffeur meets the train with a name board, loads the bags and drives you to the hotel. The station transfer is quoted instantly in the web booker; hourly bookings start at US$100 in a business sedan.
Is the train or a car better for a morning flight home?
Usually the car. On a sample weekday, a 06:45 train from St. Moritz reached Zurich Airport at 10:11 with two changes. A car from St. Moritz Dorf to Zurich Airport, from US$745 per vehicle, leaves when your flight requires, with a margin for snow.
