Ingo

Excellent decision! I suggest you drive from Zürich via Landquart, Klosters, Davos and over the Flüela Pass to Guarda. Stroll through the small village, have lunch. Then drive up the Engadine valley towards St. Moritz.

I highly recommend you make a short detour via Pontresina towards the Bernina Pass road, stop at the Montebello curve (where the road crosses the railroad) with a great parking/viewing point of the Bernina Massif and Morteratsch glacier. Time permitting you might even consider driving a few miles farther and taking the cable car up to Diavolezza - gorgeous views!

Drive back via Pontresina, St. Moritz and stay in either Silvaplana or Sils - preferrably with lake view I guess, eh? Please give us an idea of your budget so we can recommend places.

The next day drive along the lakes, Maloja, down to the Bregaglia valley and do the short detour up to Soglio. Explore the village, have lunch there, then set off for the scenic drive along the shores of Lake Como, Menaggio, to Lugano. Sounds like a good trip!

I.

beachtee

Ingo: That sounds so perfectly laid out! Thank you.

We were going to spend 250sf per night in Zurich at the Marriott. It would have included breakfast, and complimentary happy hour type drinks and hors d'erves (sp?).

I took a look at the Sils location where you stayed, and noticed the 1/2 board rate for 2 is about 350sf, at their website. Since we are saving the gas $, we could probably swing that, but no more. (Thanks for asking!) However, I noticed you booked through an outside source. Since I am not fluent in German, I had a hard time navigating the recommended website. I will have my husband take a look.

Hope this helps with the recommendations! Keep the great ideas coming!

Susan: Probably not a good chance we could stay in SAR. We will have to appreciate what we can from a day trip. Do you have early dinner recommendations for a Sunday? We will probably do the St.Galen library 1st (they close early), then head to SAR. Hopefully, we will be getting tired by nightfall and heading back to Zurich

susan001

beachtee, I enjoyed my dinner at the Sonne Hotel in SAR (did not stay there -- stayed at Rheinfels). Try the ravioli. It's probably the best thing on the menu. It's the more formal dining room upstairs, so if you've been hiking, I would say that restaurant probably wouldn't work for you. There are several more casual places around town. I'm thinking of one on the main road coming into town, just across from the Rheinfels.

susan001

beachtee, I must apologize. I'm confusing you with someone else who wrote, wanting to hike up to the castle, and then drive on to Zurich. If you're just driving in to visit the town, you could check out several restaurant menus and see what you think. I did like the food at the Sonne. The earliest they serve is 6:00, but the restaurant is vacant at that hour. You may be the only diners.

S

Ingo

15 August is peak season in the mountains. You'll have problems to find a room for just one night. And please note, from two nights on public transportation and cable cars are included in the room rate. Btw, you cannot book just one night through the site I did, sorry.

Anyway, I checked hotels at www.engadin.ch It came up with a few, really not many. One good option is Hotel Chesa Margun in Sils. Still reasonably priced, a nice 3star hotel. Haven't stayed there myself, but walked by and also had a look into the lobby and the restaurant. Made a good impression.

Many other hotels seemed a bit too expensive IMO. But if you see one that you like feel free to ask for comments.

I.

jmw444

Reading both this thread and susan's this morning, I've got to jump in here and ask if dh is a fearless mountain driver? See susan's description of the white-knuckle busride to Soglio. Ingo, are you sure that your average driver can cope with that? You already know that I'm a whimp. J.

TuckH

Aw c'mon! This "white knuckle" talk is highly exaggerated IMO.

susan001

It's probably scarier in a bus than a car. It's okay. I'm a wimp!

Ingo

LOL! In all honesty, the Maloja Pass gave me the creeps. Hairpin curve after hairpin curve. What I feared most were the other drivers. But, jmw, I felt perfectly safe in the bus.

TuckH

...and to think I was one of those other drivers!

beachtee

Hi All. Thanks for the responses.

I am a bit challenged at locating a hotel in Engadin. I checked the Engadin.ch site, but stumbled around abit due to my language barrier. Will have to get dh involved in this search. He usually trusts me to make the arrangements, but in this case, we could end up in a basement without a bathroom!

Dh is a fearless mtn. driver. I, on the other hand, am a nose in the travel book rider. Guess I won't be having my face in the book on those roads!

The one trip we made last Nov. to Chillon, from Zurich had me spinning for awhile after we exited the auto. Ugh. But, it was short lived, I recovered, and we returned a different way!!!

Once I get this hotel thing figured out, I'd love some pointers on our day in Lugano....

Ingo

Why don't you click on the <EN> on top of the site? ;-)

It will jump to the English version:
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/en/

Oh, Tuck ... I wouldn't have worried if I had know you were one of them. I have faith in your driving skills. Ehem ...

beachtee

Alright, dh found the EN right about the same time I read the tip. I had searched, and clicked for quite awhile without it--catching a bit more German!

Here's a list for some comment, please.

Sils-Maria in Hotel Seraina
St. Moritz in Hotel Sonne
Silvaplana in Hotel Conrad
Celerina in Hotel Posthaus
Pontresina in Hotel Garni Chesa Mulin
Pontresina in Hotel Rosatsch Stammhaus
St. Moritz in Hotel Randolins
Sils in Hotel Chesa Margun

Only one offers half-board, but they are all within price range.

Thanks once again. 7 days and counting...

beachtee

Suppose I should add that we would prefer a romantic, country place.

Thank you, for your kind attention to our travel plans.

beachtee

One more to add:

Hotel Chesa Randolina: Sils
(w/1/2 board 150sf per person)

Ingo

Chesa Randolina, a no brainer IMO. It is located in Sils-Baselgia, if you are lucky you might get a room with lake view. I had a look into the hotel three weeks ago and liked it a lot. Friendly receptionist, cosy, charming public area(s). With dinner included it is a good deal.

Please note that you need to take the second turn into Sils from the main Enagdine road coming from St. Moritz/Silvaplana. The first goes to Sils-Maria, but you cannot drive from there to Sils-Baselgia. There's a small church at the turn to Sils-Baselgia, not to miss. Then it's only 200 m or so to Chesa Randolina on the right side of the street.

I'd definitely rule out Sonne, Conrad, Posthaus.
Chesa Mulin is not very charming IMO. Rosatsch Stammhaus is old and does have charm, but became sort of too large with the added "Residence". Not very "country" also, since it's on the main street in Pontresina.

Seraina - didn't like the reception area - recently renovated and too modern (cold) IMO. Randolins - definitely country and romantic, but very different rooms in several separate buildings and you don't want to walk oudoor 100 m to dinner if it is raining, eh? Quite isolated (but beautiful) on the Suvretta hill in St. Moritz, where the rich and famous have their chalets/houses.

Chesa Margun is an option, it looked nice with lots of wooden interior/panelled walls. Not as good a location as Chesa Randolins IMO. A bit more centrally, though.

beachtee

Ingo: Thank you!!! We reserved a room at the Chesa Randolina.

Now, another query. Border crossing? We love your suggested drive from Engadin to Ticino through Italy, past Lake Como, etc. But, will it be a problem to take the Swiss rental car into and out of Italy? Should we be concerned about the border crossing? Will there be a travel delay, etc?

Ingo

You'll hardly realise it is a border at all. Although Switzerland is not (yet) part of the Schengen treaty and not an EU country either there are occasional border controls. But the custom officers seem to NOT be interested much in the folks travelling between both countries (ditto for Switzerland - Austria down the Engadin valley, I didn't even have to show my passport/ID card). No delays expected. Make sure to get fuel in Switzerland - it's much more expensive in Italy - and preferrably not in the mountains (Engadine) where it is also more expensive than in the flat parts of the country.

beachtee

Great news!

We are going to be able to spend 2 nights in Engadin region. Have contacted the hotel, to make sure they can accomodate us.

On the half board plan, is the menu fixed!? What specialties are considered do not miss!?

And, once again, back to that wine thread--recommendations!?

Thanks for all of your help!-

Ingo

If you book half-board you can usually choose at least the main course from three options or so. I read on their website that they serve mostly organic food - excellent. You need to tell them your choices until 1 pm of the day you have the dinner so they can prepare. Maybe it would be good to contact them per email in advance.

Definitely try the beef carpaccio of Engadin "Natura" beef (organic). Another specialty are Pizokels (Pizzocheri, buck wheat pasta). Of course you *must* eat tons of cheese August is not yet the season, but try to get something that is made of chestnuts (Marroni) from Soglio: like pasta, jam, cake ... oh, and don't forget to have a piece of the Engadin nut cake. And of course hot chocolate ;-)

Other than what I wrote above about the wine tasting I have no clue, sorry.