Detailed Itinerary & Budget Advice: 5-Day Train Trip for 2 (May 13-17)

Whoollaibeax99

Hello Dear community member,
I had an absolutely wonderful experience during my previous trip thanks to the invaluable recommendations of this community. Therefore, I am once again seeking your precious support for my upcoming visit.
I am looking for a meticulously planned 5-day itinerary for a family of two, traveling entirely by train. We need your expertise to optimize our route, train connections, and ticket types.
Our Schedule:
Arrival: Zurich Airport (ZRH) on May 13 at 10:00 AM.
Departure: Zurich Airport (ZRH) on May 17 at 2:00 PM.
Background & Preferences:
Previous Travel: Last winter, we visited Lucerne and explored the city. We also took the Bernina Express tour last year, but unfortunately, we crossed the famous Landwasser Viaduct at night.
Our Goal: This time, we want to cross the Landwasser Viaduct during daylight. We also want to experience the best of Switzerland’s nature and visit “Heidi villages” in mid-May.
Accommodation: We need a 4-night stay plan. We are looking for clean, hygienic, and budget-friendly hotels that include breakfast. They should be as close to the train stations as possible for convenience.
Train Tickets: We need advice on the most economical way to handle tickets. Should we buy a Swiss Travel Pass for the entire duration, or should we use Saver Day Passes for specific days? Please suggest the best ticket type for each day of our journey.
What we request from you:
A day-by-day route starting from Zurich Airport.
Specific train recommendations to ensure the daytime viaduct crossing.
Recommended towns/cities for our 4 nights of stay and hotel suggestions.
A cost-benefit analysis of ticket types (Pass vs. Point-to-point/Saver Day Pass) for this specific itinerary.
Thank you for your time and deep insights!
Murat

Danhiel

Hello Whoollaibeax99

Organizing your trip would exceed my commitment to this community; I am not a travel agent. However, I would like to inform you of a new attraction concerning the Landwasser Viaduct:

https://shop.landwasserwelt.ch/en/

Kind regards
Dahniel

Whoollaibeax99

Danhiel
Hello Danhiel
Thank you very much for your interest. Although my question is quite long, I wrote to you to get a similar suggestion to the one you gave me last year (I’m attaching your reply below). I just wanted suggestions for routes, suitable accommodations, and tickets. Of course, I know you’re not a travel agent and that you provide excellent guidance to your visitors on a voluntary basis.

Best regards..

"Hello Whoollaibeax99

I suggest this route:

Lucerne - Andermatt - Disentis/Muster - Samedan - Zernez. It takes about 7 hours; you could make a break in Andermatt.

Avoid the panoramic trains (PE) with mandatory reservations.

Kind Regards
Danhiel"

Ex-Bähnler

Hello Whoollaibeax99

Here’s an idea. I’ll flesh this out a bit more, later.

Best regards,
Reto

Day of Arrival
13 May 2026
Zurich Airport - Landwasser Viaduct – Bergün

Day 2
14 May 2026
Bergün – St. Moritz
St. Moritz – Bernina Suot

Day 3
15 May 2026
Bernina Suot – Zernez

Day 4
16 May 2026
Zernez – Maienfeld

Day of Departure
17 May 2026
Maienfeld – Zürich Airport

Whoollaibeax99

Dear Reto,

Thank you so much for your invaluable advice! I am truly grateful for your help and the time you’ve dedicated to this. Your proposed itinerary looks fantastic, and I am eagerly looking forward to the further details you mentioned. I can’t wait to hear more of your insights!

Best Regards
Murat

Ex-Bähnler

Whoollaibeax99

Dear Murat

Day of Arrival

13 May 2026

Zurich Airport (dep 12:15 / 13:19) - Landwasser Viaduct (approx. 15:00 / 16:00) – Bergün
Journey time 3 hours
Ticket for one person CHF 71.00
Sit on the right-hand side of the train from Chur

🏨 Kurhaus Bergün

Day 2

14 May 2026

Railway Museum Bergün

Bergün – St. Moritz
Journey time 45 minutes

St. Moritz

St. Moritz – Bernina Suot
Journey time 40 minutes
Ticket for one person CHF 23.00 (Bergün - St. Moritz - Bernina Suot)

🏨 Hotel Berninahaus > I’ve eaten there several times
(there is nothing to do - apart from eating and sleeping)

Day 3

15 May 2026

Bernina Suot - Zernez
Jouney time 90 minutes
Ticket for one Person CHF 30.00

National Park Centre Zernez

🏨 Hotel Restaurant Spöl Zernez > I’ve stayed at this hotel before

Day 4

16 May 2026

Zernez – Maienfeld
Journey Time 90 minutes
Ticket for one person CHF 37.00

“Heidiland”

🏨 Swiss Heidi Hotel (near by the trainstation) > I’ve stayed at this hotel before

Day of Departure

17 May 2025

Maienfeld - Zurich Airport
Journey Time 120 minutes (with IR35, change in Zurich HB, with enough time)
Ticket for one person CHF 37.00

without any guarantee

Whoollaibeax99

Dear Reto,
Thank you so much for your interest and detailed suggestions.
Everyone on this committee is excellent.
Murat