Kay2

I've decided on a week+ in Switzerland in late June before heading to a meeting in Vienna. 15 years ago my husband and I based in Wengen, Lugano, and Vevey. I definitely want to return to the BO area--I love mountains; it was so gorgeous but it snowed one day we were there, so no views that day. 30 years ago I visited Zurich, Luzern area, Interlaken, and Berne.

I will be traveling solo, enjoying train views, doing light hiking, looking at architecture.

My plan is arrive early a.m. on Tuesday at ZRH, catch trains to Mürren. Of course, weather dependent but hope to take light walks that afternoon/evening, Next day take trip to Schiltorn, then valley or over to Wengen, Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidigg (the walk we did in the snow before). Thursday do whatever I didn't do on Wednesday, then catch afternoon train to Engadin area.

Because my onward train trip will be to Austria, the connection will be in Sargans. The easiest hub would be Sargans, but is that a good choice over Chur? There is a Post Hotel in Sargans. I am mainly just looking for a place to conveniently drop my bag and sleep.

My plans in the area are for Friday and Saturday: one day take train up to Poschiavo and back to see the views and stroll a bit. The other day take local trains among villages such as Guarda, Ardez, Zuoz, or Samedan (recommendations welcome) to see the architecture.

Sunday I will probably train on to a stop in Austria somewhere around Innsbruck or Salzburg to spend that night and Monday before taking the last train leg on to Vienna on Tuesday.

Question really is whether Sargans is too small or depressing or anything else that would say "Don't stay there" versus larger Chur with bad weather alternatives, more accommodation options, etc. but busier, noisier when I am looking for quiet nature and cute small towns.

asps

Well, your connection to Engadin when coming from Zurich is in Chur, so it would be an obvious place to overnight (and not a large city anyway).

When going from Engadin to Austria you could consider taking buses between Scuol and Landeck (a missing railway link - the line was considered but never built). It is not easy - you must change to Austrian bus, I believe at Martina, or sometimes detour to Mals, Italy.

Ingo

It doesn't make sense to stay in Chur if you want to visit the Engadine. Too long travel times. Stay in Zuoz e.g., which is half way between the sights in the Upper resp. Lower Engadine.

neckervd

Sargans is not ugly, but nothing to write home about. Any place in the Engadine Valley is much better.

Muerren - Engadin: you may check the following itineraries through the Alps:
Muerren (dp 8.06) - Spiez - Brig (dp 10.37) - Glacier Express - St. Moritz (ar 16.57).
Muerren (dp 7.36) - Meiringen (dp 9.20) - Grimsel Pass - Oberwald (dp 11.44) - Andermatt (dp 13.20) - Glacier Express - St. Moritz (ar 18.10)

Once in Engadin (St. Moritz, Pontresina, Zuoz, Guarda, Bath Scuol, etc.) there is only one reasonable itinerary towards Innsbruck: train to Scuol and bus from there to Nauders - Landeck (about every hour).

Kay2

Thanks for your feedback. I sometimes choose a transport hub to sleep in just to drop my bag so I can travel on less encumbered. I also like to break up train travel to no more than 4 hours in an afternoon/evening, saving my mornings for outdoor activities. But I see that is not working well in Switzerland with the train lines extending up the valleys and the backtracking. So, I have revised my plan and now have 6hr+ trips with up to 6 connections in one day to get to Samedan:

Arrive early a.m. on Tuesday at ZRH, catch trains to Mürren. If pretty, take the longer route via Luzurn. If not, faster via Bern. Stay 3 nights in Hotel Alpina.

Wednesday and Thursday, I hope to take trips to Schiltorn, Wengen-Mannlichen-Kleine Scheidigg, and Brienz.
To give me more chance of clear weather in the mountains and to make sure I am on the last leg of the train to Samedan area during daylight, I am delaying leaving until Friday.

Friday I will take the long train trip with multiple changes to Samedan. Drop my bag at the Hotel Bernina for two nights and take a train for the short ride to Zuoz to check out the houses, perhaps on to other towns along the line depending on how late it gets.

Saturday I hope for clear skies to take the train up to Poschiavo and back to see the views and walk. I would appreciate suggestions about any other stops or walks I should take on this line. If Saturday is rainy, I will wait for Sunday morning.

Have you guys seen this great website video of the walk from Thusis to Tirano? www.webwandern.ch/etappen/#

Sunday I will take another long train ride, needing to leave Samedan at 13:00 or 15:00 to Salzburg to spend that night and Monday before taking the last train leg on to Vienna on Tuesday. I expect to do some laundry, look at the architecture, but if the tourists are too thick, I can take a train or bus out into the country for the day.

The train websites tell me that I would have to take 3 buses to connect the trains from Scuol to Landeck, so I will go back to Chur and Sargans to connect.

Looks like a half-fare card is the way to go for my train tickets.

swandav2000

Hi Kay2,

You may want to take advantage of the Swiss rail's Fast Baggage Service for travel from Mürren to Samedan -- with those six changes. If you drop your bags before 09.00, you can pick them up after 18.00 on the same day; the charge is 22 chf per bag. I use this service often and rely on it to make my travel stress-free. Here's the link:

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...t-baggage.html

I've already checked the connection, and the Mürren to Samedan connection can use Fast Baggage. The baggage office in Samedan closes at 18.20, though, so you only have a 20 minute window to pick up your bag.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Ingo

I am not sure it makes sense to hop on a train and go to Zuoz to see the architecture there. Samedan is less famous, but the centre of the small town is also well preserved and has lots of typical Engadine style houses. If you feel up to it and there's enough time, you may walk up to St. Peter church (get the key at the Tourist Info) for the panoramic views and the interior of the church. Check opening hours of Chesa Planta, maybe you can see this one from inside (Rhaetian cultural centre, library).

Along the rail route to Poschiavo (the Bernina route) are many stops and walk that are recommended. Too many, actually. First choice is Diavolezza with a cable car ride up and down. Another option is Alp Grüm, great for lunch break e.g. and possibly a walk down to Cavaglia where you can catch the train to Poschiavo again. Calculate some time for exploring Poschiavo, too - key for the Baroque church a bit south of the town is at the Tourist Info at the train station. They also have a couple of nice museums. A nice walk in the late afternoon, on the way back, would be from Bernina Suot via the cascades of the Bernina river to restaurant Morteratsch. 1:30 hours I'd say. Catch the train from Morteratsch back to Samedan.

Yes, it's three changes for buses if travelling via Scuol - Nauders to Landeck. But the ride is shorter (3:39 h vs. 4:07 h) than via Chur - Sargans (where you have two changes as well), and it offers new, different scenery.

Hotel Bernina will give you a card so you can travel free during your stay in the Upper Engadine. This includes the trip on the Bernina route as far as Alp Grüm. You need to pay for the rest of the trip to Poschiavo, though. Yes, Half Fare Card is probably your best deal.

neckervd

I second Ingo. if you want to see a picturesuqe Engadin village, go to Guarda, close to Scuol (luggage lockers at Scuol).
Poschiavo trip: if you really want to enjoy it, leave the train at Bernina Diavolezza and go by cableway to the glacier. Another gem is Lake Viola which can be reached on foot from the bus stop Alp da Camp (buses to both, Pontresina and Poschiavo).

If you don't want to hike, you could envisage a round trip Samedan - Bernina - Alp Grum - Poschiavo - Tirano - Lake Como - Chiavenna - St. Moritz - Samedan; last departure from Tirano at 15.50

Samedan - Scuol - Salzburg lasts usually 2 min longer than Samedan - Buchs SG - Salzburg, but the itinerary is much more scenic. In June, it may be a bit different, however:

I suppose you know that the railway line Buchs SG - Feldkirch will be closed for works during the whole month of June. There will run buses between Sargans railway station square and Feldkirch railway station square on the same timetable as the trains, however. That means that you will board your Salzburg bound train at Feldkirch instead of Sargans or Buchs SG.

susan001

I agree with neckervd. Definitely see Guarda. I stayed there 3 nights (and did a day trip from there to Scuol and the castle (Taraspe?). On the other free day I walked from Guarda to Ardez. I've been to Zuoz.. it's lovely too, but not like Guarda.

I've also stayed in Murren and loved my choice. I did the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidigg walk, as well as the one from Winteregg to Murren. I also went up to the Schilthorn for breakfast in the revolving restaurant. I enjoyed all of this, even though there are more international tourists in the region than you will see in Engadin.

neckervd

Tarasp cstle can actually not be visited. But it's a nice landmark nevertheless.
The main gem of Scuol are the alpine thermal baths however
http://www.engadin.com/wellness/baed...bad-scuol/?S=1

Kay2

Lots of ideas.

I had seen the construction on the rail line with bus substitution on sbb.ch. Currently it is shown ending on Friday 28 June and I would be traveling on Sunday 30 June, but I know that these dates may change. I will wait until close to the actual date to decide my route to Vienna.

Thanks for the tips on the towns in the Engadin valley. I will check how to reach Guarda, maybe bus rather than train?

I definitely want to get off the train and walk some, so not taking train all the way to Tirano. I will check the stops mentioned for circular walks and possible pick up train at a later station.

I have stayed in Wengen before and did the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidigg walk in the snow. I know about the number of tourists in the area, but it is understandable with the ease of access to such beauty.

susan001

You can easily get to Guarda by train; a mini van is there at the station ready to take those who get off to the village (which would be an uphill hike with luggage). Also, you need to push the green button inside your train car to alert the conductor that you want off at Guarda. Otherwise, they don't stop.

Ingo

Guarda is even longer distance from Samedan than Zuoz. And you need to catch a bus from the train stop up to the village (same back). If you want to do that on Friday, after a long train ride from the Bernese Oberland to Samedan with multiple train changes plus the check in at the Hotel Bernina, then I doubt you'll enjoy Guarda very much.

What about going up to Muottas Muragl for the panoramic views instead? Just one train/bus stop away from Samedan. There's a quite fancy restaurant up there, the funicular runs until 11 pm for guests who want to enjoy sunset.

kja

Per neckervd: Tarasp cstle can actually not be visited.

??? The castle's web-site seems to suggest that there are options to tour the castle. Am I misunderstanding my options?
http://www.schloss-tarasp.ch/index.php?id=106&L=2

neckervd

Chaste da Tarasp
Sorry kja! it's my mistake. At the beginning of this year, I was told by the Scoul Tourist Office that the castle will most probably remain closed the whole year. But now, they obviously managed to reopen it. I should have checked again before posting.

Guarda
As Kay doesn't tell us how (s)he will travel from Muerren to Samedan (I made some proposals on May 6th, there are other itineraries of course!), we don't know how (via Albula or via Vereina?) and at which time (s)he will arrive at Samedan.
A visit of Guarda with full luggage wouldn't make much sense anyway.

kja

Thanks for checking, neckervd - I'm glad to learn that visiting the castle at Tarasp remains an option for me. I don't know how you manage to keep tabs on so much information about Switzerland (and elsewhere), especially because things do change!

Kay2

I will wait until I am in Switzerland to choose exactly what trains and buses I will use. Going places to see the mountain views means I will need to check the weather much closer to the dates. If the weather is cooperative, then after 3 nights in Mürren, I will catch an early train as listed on sbb.ch. I might arrive in Samedan as early as 14:00. If it's been cloudy and after 3 nights the sun finally comes out on Friday, then I will stick around the BO area and catch a later train, getting into Samedan as late as 22:00. I expect to take the fastest route via Bern and Zurich. I do not plan to follow the Glacier Express route.

I appreciate the info about the fast baggage service. Sounds nice except for the short pick-up window.

I don't plan to visit towns in the valley carrying my luggage. I plan to use Samedan as my base and ride the train up/down the valley to view a town or two. People here as well as the guidebooks recommended Guarda. Earlier I saw a recommendation for Zuoz. I saw a caution on an earlier post about the distance from the station to the town, so that was why I was asking about bus. Great reminder about the stop on request. I still have to do my homework to decide what I'd like to see specifically. I'd like to have a priority list and just see what is practical once on the ground.

Depending on weather, I hope to spend Saturday on/off the Bernina train route. If that works, then I could visit a village Sunday morning. If the weather is bad on Saturday, I can walk and train to towns and leave an abbreviated train trip for Sunday morning.

If I don't have enough time, I can cancel my hotel room in Salzburg up until 18:00 on Sunday and stay over another night in the valley if I can find a room.

FYI--The Hotel Bernina has an interesting option on its website booking. Once the available rooms and prices are shown and you choose one, they offer the option for you to make a lower bid for the room. The hotel lets you know if they accept your bid or make a counter bid. If you agree, they offer that as a discounted prepaid nonrefundable rate. If you don't agree, you can still book at the posted rate.

neckervd

The exact distance between Zuoz railway station and Zuos village center is 220 metres/722 feet.
You may have a look at the map http://map.geo.admin.ch/?lang=en

MKECityMom

Hi - Not sure how much I can contribute to this conversation, but we just returned from Europe. (Will file a trip report this weekend...I'm back at the office with limited time this week). We stayed in Mürren for 3 nights at Chalet Fontana. Loved it. Weather was pretty good the first full day there, so we took the cable car to the Schilthorn in the morning. (But weather was iffy enough that going to the Jungfrau didn't make sense.) In the afternoon, we walked down to Gimmewald. The next day was foggy so we went to Lauterbrunnen to see Trümmelbach Falls and did some local hiking in light rain. The third day was heavily fogged in, making it a perfect day for leaving to our next destination (Germany).

My point: any activities are heavily weather dependent. I planned for rainy/foggy day activities as well as sunny day activities so I wouldn't be stumped. You've already traveled there, so you already know this...but for folks who haven't traveled to the Berner Oberland region, it's important to know this in advance. The owner of our B&B told us that the week prior to our visit the weather in Mürren was completely foggy. Some of her guests didn't see the mountains until the day they left when the clouds briefly parted. (I can only imagine how disappointed I would have been, given the high cost of visiting Switzerland!)

For those who haven't visited this area and are debating whether to stay in Gimmelwald vs. Mürren, I have an opinion...but will put this in my trip report. (Hint: I preferred Mürren.)

susan001

At the Engadin museum in St. Moritz, the curator absolutely recommend I get to Zuoz (rather than Samedan, which he didn't think was representative Engadin style). Having been to Zuoz, I would recommend that as a base. It would be great if you could get out to Guarda.... really stellar village in beautiful surroundings (unlike anything you will see on the western side and more beautiful than Zuoz).