Nicky and Susanne come to Switzerland for the stories: the ones told through languages, railway lines, monasteries and mountain valleys, waiting to be experienced by anyone willing to slow down and pay attention.
Many travellers come to Switzerland for the scenery. Nicky and Susanne come for the stories: the ones told through languages, railway lines, monasteries and mountain valleys, all waiting to be experienced by anyone willing to slow down and pay attention.
Stories that don’t end at a border but continue all the way into Italy.
Nicky and Susanne’s Swiss Bliss Formula: Mountain railways + hidden histories + changing languages = Switzerland beyond the scroll.
For them, Swiss Bliss isn’t about seeing more. It’s about understanding more. The route doesn’t follow famous peaks or TikTok views. It follows something less visible: language, history and identity. As the train moves through eastern Switzerland, German gives way to Romansch, Swiss traditions blend into Italian ones, and ancient monasteries sit alongside modern railway lines. The scenery is spectacular, but it’s only one chapter of the journey.
— with love from Rail Europe
Not because you need more sightseeing, but because St Gallen deserves time. Once one of Europe’s leading centres of learning and craftsmanship, the city still carries that weight.
Travel south toward Landquart on the SOB railway, which is one of their favourite train journeys in Switzerland.
Continue into the Engiadin and onward by PostBus into the Val Müstair. The UNESCO-listed Benedictine convent at Müstair is deeply connected to Charlemagne and the early formation of European identity.
Pontresina has long welcomed writers, artists and travellers making their way across the Alps. The town has a calm that feels earned rather than performed.
Best appreciated slowly. Without checking the time. With Alp Grüm still ahead of you.
Glaciers, alpine flowers and sweeping mountain views. Alp Grüm is the kind of stop that makes you miss the next train on purpose.
The architecture shifts, Italian replaces Romansch, and the rhythm of daily life changes. The transition feels almost effortless. That’s the point.
Have extra time between Pontresina and the Bernina? St Moritz is a short train ride away and rewards a walk far more than its reputation suggests.
Or stay another morning in the Engadin valley — walk the lakeshore, find a quiet bench, and let the altitude do its work.
The slower you go, the more you notice.Making the journey itself part of the experience. The Swiss Travel Pass is the easiest and most flexible way to travel it — seamless across RhB trains, PostBus services and the spectacular Bernina route, all the way to Tirano.
Freedom to hop off whenever curiosity takes over — that’s what makes this route work. You can’t plan for St John’s Convent from a seat at St Gallen station. You have to be willing to follow where the line goes.
This itinerary crosses multiple Swiss regions and an international border into Italy. Here’s how to travel it.
Crossing multiple regions and ending in Italy? One pass covers trains, PostBus connections and the full Bernina route — all the way to Tirano.
Only exploring part of Nicky and Susanne’s route? Individual tickets are a great option for travellers following a fixed itinerary or focusing on just one or two destinations.
✓ St Gallen to Zernez
✓ Pontresina to Tirano
✓ Shorter regional journeys
Already travelling through Graubünden? Hop off at Alp Grüm, where glaciers, alpine meadows and panoramic views invite you to linger a little longer before continuing into Italy.
Best for: extending the journey with an alpine stopCompare options →Compare Swiss Travel Passes, Graubünden Passes and point-to-point tickets in one place with Rail Europe, and choose the option that best fits your version of Swiss Bliss.
Best for: comparing before you commitCompare passes and tickets →Planning to spend several days exploring the Engadin and Bernina region? The Graubünden Pass offers unlimited travel throughout Switzerland’s largest canton — a fantastic option for travellers who want to dive deeper into eastern Switzerland.
Best for: deeper exploration of eastern SwitzerlandExplore regional passes →✓ Unlimited travel across Graubünden
✓ Easy access to Zernez, Pontresina and the Engadin Valley
✓ RhB railways, alpine villages and mountain landscapes
✓ Great value for region-focused adventures
Doesn’t cover the full route from St Gallen or the cross-country journey — Swiss Travel Pass is better for following the complete itinerary.
From German-speaking St Gallen to Romansch-speaking valleys and Italian-speaking Tirano, this route quietly crosses cultural borders that still define the region today.
Monasteries, mountain communities and remote valleys have shaped European culture for centuries.
Some changes are best experienced gradually. This route lets you watch them happen.
Whether you follow Nicky and Susanne’s complete itinerary or borrow a few of their favourite stops, Rail Europe makes it easy to compare Swiss Travel Passes, Graubünden Passes and point-to-point tickets so you can spend less time figuring out fares and more time discovering monasteries, mountain railways and the quiet transitions that make Switzerland unlike anywhere else.