Switzerland's Bernina Express Pullman Class brings Art Deco cabins, a UNESCO-listed route, and a three-course lunch in Italy's Valtellina  but you'll need to book fast, the 2026 season ends in October. 

Picture this: teak-wood panelling, a panoramic bay window, a glass of champagne in your hand  and outside, glaciers sliding past at eye level. That's not a scene from a 1930s film. It's a train ticket you can actually buy right now.

Bernina Express Pullman Class is a new travel class launched by Rhätische Bahn (RhB), the Swiss operator behind the legendary Bernina Express scenic railway. Running between St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Tirano, Italy, the route cuts through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Albula/Bernina Landscapes. The new class debuted for the 2026 season, is bookable now through 25 October 2026, and returns for a full season from 24 April to 3 October 2027. Pricing hasn't been published yet, but every booking  one-way or round trip  includes a full lunch at a historic vineyard partway through the journey.

At a glance:

• Maximum 32 passengers per Pullman Class carriage
• 122-kilometre route, about 4 hours, through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges
• RhB has run the Bernina Express since 1973; the railway itself dates to 1889
• Around 250,000 people ride the Bernina Express every year

Credit : VIA Communication

What Is Bernina Express Pullman Class?

Pullman Class isn't a new route  it's a new way to ride an old one. The carriage design draws on 1930s European rail travel, the era of the original Pullman cars: fine teak wood, oversized bay windows, and deep armchairs instead of standard train seating. RhB caps each carriage at 32 passengers, which is a fraction of what a regular Bernina Express car holds, so the ride feels closer to a private cabin than mass transit.

What's Actually Included in the Journey?

This is where it gets interesting for anyone who thinks scenic trains are just about the view. Heading from St. Moritz to Tirano, passengers get champagne and canapés on board before the train stops for an exclusive visit to La Gatta, a vineyard in Italy's Valtellina region built inside a former Dominican monastery dating back to the 1500s. Guests tour the 13-hectare estate, then sit down to a three-course lunch paired with local wine  all included in the ticket.

On the way back to St. Moritz, it's coffee and petits fours, plus exclusive access to the train's Open Scenic Carriage  an open-air car that regular ticket holders don't get to use.

"Pullman Class brings the atmosphere of rail travel's golden age to life through a historic-style carriage inspired by the 1930s," reads RhB's own description of the launch  and the Art Deco details, from the wood panelling to the armchairs, are built to match that claim rather than just gesture at it.

Credit : VIA Communication

How Much Does Bernina Express Pullman Class Cost?

RhB hasn't released official pricing as of this launch. What is confirmed: the vineyard lunch, wine, champagne, canapés, and Open Scenic Carriage access are bundled into every fare, whether you book one-way or return  so there's no separate "lunch package" to add on.

When Can You Book It?

The 2026 window closes 25 October 2026. For 2027, Pullman Class runs 24 April through 3 October, with bookings opening up to 365 days in advance  useful to know if you're already eyeing next year's Alps itinerary.