South to Tirano
Beyond the Lago di Poschiavo and the village of Brusio – with its famous, and much-photographed, circular viaduct bringing trains gently down to the valley floor – is the Italian border at tiny Campocologno, 16km south of Poschiavo. Some 4km further is the Italian town of TIRANO, terminus of Swiss trains. The Swiss station (with a money-changing counter) and its Italian counterpart (with trains to Milan roughly every two hours) sit adjacent to each other, with passport control between the two. Swiss postbuses to Lugano – the second leg of the Bernina Express – depart from round the corner (signposted). To reach Tirano’s tourist office, walk ahead to the traffic lights – it’s beside the “Viale 44” shop (Tues & Wed 10am–noon, Thurs 9.30–10.30am & 3–5pm, Fri 9.30–10.30am, Sat 10am–noon & 3–5pm; 0039-0342/706.066). The Old Town, dead ahead on the west bank of the river, is extremely picturesque and almost entirely residential, with cobbled, arcaded courtyards, and tiny sloping lanes leading up to the medieval Porta Bormina at the top of the town, beyond which lie open meadows. Just off a busy roundabout 1km northwest of the centre is the pilgrimage church of Madonna di Tirano, commemorating an appearance of the Virgin on September 29, 1504. Its fantastically lavish interior boasts an especially ornately carved organ case, while the shrine is focused around a statue of Mary – proclaimed by Pope Pius XII the patron saint of the Valtellina valley, where Tirano sits – dressed in a silk and gold robe donated in 1746 by the people of the valley.

TRAINS
Arosa to: Chur (hourly; 1hr).

Chur to: Arosa (hourly; 1hr); Buchs (hourly; 35min); Davos Dorf & Platz (hourly; 1hr 30min; summer change in Landquart); Disentis/Mustér (hourly; 1hr 20min); Ilanz (hourly; 40min); Klosters (hourly; 1hr 10min); Maienfeld (hourly; 15min); Rhäzüns (hourly; 20min); St Gallen (hourly; 1hr 35min); St Moritz (hourly; 2hr); Sargans (hourly; 25min); Thusis (twice hourly; 30–45min); Tiefencastel (hourly; 50min); Tirano via Bernina Pass (June–Oct 1 daily; 4hr 30min); Zermatt via Andermatt & Brig (1–3 daily; 5hr 45min); Zürich (hourly; 1hr 35min).

Davos (Platz & Dorf) to: Chur (hourly; 1hr 30min); Klosters (twice hourly; 25min); Tirano via Bernina Pass (June–Oct 1 daily; 3hr 30min).

Disentis/Mustér to: Andermatt via Oberalppass (hourly; 1hr 10min); Chur (hourly; 1hr 20min); Ilanz (hourly; 40min).

Ilanz to: Chur (hourly; 40min); Disentis/Mustér (hourly; 40min).

Klosters to: Chur (hourly; 1hr 10min); Davos Dorf & Platz (twice hourly; 25min); Scuol (hourly; 45min).

Maienfeld to: Chur (hourly; 15min).

Pontresina to: St Moritz (hourly; 10min).

Poschiavo to: St Moritz (hourly; 1hr 40min); Tirano (hourly; 45min).

St Moritz to: Pontresina (hourly; 10min); Poschiavo (hourly; 1hr 40min); Tirano via Bernina Pass (hourly; 2hr 30min); Zermatt via Andermatt & Brig (1–2 daily; 8hr); Zernez (hourly; 55min; change at Samedan).

Thusis to: Chur (twice hourly; 30–45min); St Moritz (hourly; 1hr 35min).

Zernez to: St Moritz (hourly; 50min; change at Samedan).

BUSES
Andeer to: Juf (5 daily; 55min).

Chur to: Bellinzona via San Bernadino Tunnel (every 2hr; 2hr 15min); Flims (twice hourly; 45min); St Moritz via Julier Pass (1–2 daily; 2hr 40min); Splügen (every 2hr; 1hr); Zillis (every 2hr; 40min).

Davos (Platz & Dorf) to: Zernez via Flüela Pass (July–Oct every 2hr; 1hr).

Disentis/Mustér to: Biasca via Lukmanier/Lucomagno Pass (June–Sept 2 daily; 1hr 55min).

Flims to: Chur (twice hourly; 45min); Laax (twice hourly; 10min).

Laax to: Flims (twice hourly; 10min); Ilanz (hourly; 25min).

Müstair to: Zernez (every 2hr; 1hr 10min).

St Moritz to: Lugano via Chiavenna, Italy (1–2 daily; 4hr); Soglio (every 2hr; 1hr 25min; change at Promontogno).

Soglio to: St Moritz (every 2hr; 1hr 40min; change at Promontogno).

Splügen to: Bellinzona (every 2hr; 1hr 20min); Chur (every 2hr; 1hr); Thusis (hourly; 35min).

Thusis to: Bellinzona (every 2hr; 1hr 50min); Splügen (hourly; 35min).

Tiefencastel to: Bivio (hourly; 55min).

Zernez to: Davos Dorf & Platz via Flüela Pass (July–Oct every 2hr; 1hr); Müstair via Pass dal Fuorn (every 2hr; 1hr 10min).

Zillis to: Chur (every 2hr; 40min); Thusis (hourly; 15min).

INTERNATIONAL TRAINS
Chur to: Amsterdam (1 daily; 10hr 40min); Brussels (2 daily; 9hr 30min); Hamburg (1 daily; 12hr 30min); Frankfurt (2 daily; 5hr 50min);
Köln (2 daily; 7hr 50min); Paris (1 daily; 9hr 30min).

Tirano (Switzerland/Italy) to: Milan (at least 5 daily; 2hr 30min).

INTERNATIONAL BUSES
St Moritz to: Chiavenna, Italy, via Maloja Pass (every 2hr; 1hr 40min).

Scuol to: Landeck, Austria (every 2hr; 2hr).

Thusis to: Chiavenna, Italy, via Splügen Pass (2 daily; 2hr 40min; change at Splügen).

Tirano (Switzerland/Italy) to: Lugano via Italy (June–Oct 1 daily; 3hr 15min).