Thanks Melnq8. I should have said my napkin math was with a half fare card using no super saver passes. I think it will end up being so close between the two (may save a little money working to get super saver passes and using a half fare card) that I think we will just pay the 15 day travel pass. The way I look at it is a rental car would cost more than that (at least in the states) and that is before fuel, tolls, parking, etc. And with the travel card you get almost the same flexibility...with the added benefit of not having to pay attention to the road!

Just saw your post Neckvrd. Thank you for that. Definitely helps cement the travel card idea.

Melnq8. I just got done reading another one of your trip reports and you had spent about a week in the Engadine area I believe. Sounds like you really enjoy that area a lot. Could you compare that area to the area around Zermatt (the surrounding valleys) for me? It seems the Saas or Grimitz areas would be much easier to get to (and quicker) if we end up spending time in the Lauterbrunnen area but it looks more "closed in" for a lack of better term. It also looked to be a lot greener. Anyway just hoping you could share your thoughts on the contrast between those two areas. Thanks for your help as always. I'll keep rummaging through those trip reports.

jim -

We love the Engadine and have been many times. We've also been to Zermatt many times, but not recently. I'll do my best to describe the differences between the Engadine and Zermatt (as I see them anyway).

Zermatt can be a zoo with lots of people. To me, it's seriously overbuilt. The surrounding Alps are dramatic, and yes, it can feel a bit 'closed' in. It's at the end of the train line, so there's one way in and one way out. It's the highest ski resort in Europe and offers year round skiing on the glacier. It's compact and therefore easy to get up and down those Alps via the Gonergrat Railway, and easy to get around town on foot and by ski bus (it's car free). You can also hike right from town.

The Engadine is a long high alpine valley - it's a bigger area and more spacious if you will, and to see it properly one should plan on two bases - one in the Upper Engadine and one in the Lower. The two areas are quite different.

The main town in the Upper Engadine is St Moritz, and it's a full on town - we visit on most of our trips, but prefer not to stay there as it's too busy, too built up and too high end for our tastes. The Upper Engadine has the lakes - St Mortiz, Sils, Silvaplana, Champfèrer and several hidden away in the mountains. The cable cars and gondolas to mountain tops are spread out - you often need to take a short ride to get to them. There are seven ski resorts and some 11 villages/towns - Sils, Silvaplana, St.Moritz, Celerina, Pontresina, Samedan, Bever, La Punt Chamues-ch, Madulain, Zuoz and S-chanf. We find Pontresina too built up and busy for our tastes, but we have stayed in Celerina (a quick hop from St Moritz), Zuoz and Samadan and enjoyed them all. We like Sils too, but have yet to base there.

The Lower Engadine is home to the Swiss National Park, but unlike national parks in the US, it's more a preservation area than an recreational one. The Alps are less dramatic in the Lower Engadine than in the Upper. There are four ski resorts and plentiful hiking. Towns in the Lower Engadine include Ardez, Ftan, Guarda, Scoul, Tarasp, and Zernez (at the entrance to the Swiss National Park). They're generally smaller and more historic than those in the Upper Engadine. Scuol is the main town, a real town if you will, and much less touristy than St Moritz. We've based in Scuol many times and love the area. You can walk from village to village in the Lower Engadine.

Hope this helps.

jim - I just posted a long response, but it's gone into moderation. Seems my posts are pegged for moderation these days.

You need to stop all that profanity and self promotion :P

Yeah that's me, cussing like a sailor. It's been hung up for hours.

Out of moderation!

Thank you for the ever thorough reply. I'll start checking out those towns and that area. Just when I thought I had a plan together something new comes up. I think if we end up in that area we will pretty much spend the whole time there. Doesn't seem to make sense transportation wise to go west of Zurich.

Melnq is a US citizen who seems to have fallen in love with Switzerland whereas I am a Swiss citizen hiking through "my" Alps for more than half a century.

There ARE differences between Zermatt area and Engadin area but it's impossible to make a ranking. all depends on personal preferencies.

Climate: Zermatt and Saas Valleys are warmer and dryer (less rain) than Engadin (up to 5 degrees centigrade), although Engadin is not really a rainy area.

Mountains: among the 48 more than 4000 metres high peaks of Switzerland 40 aare round Zermatt and Saas Fee whereas only one (Piz Bernina) is in the (Upper) Engadin Valley.

Glaciers: omnipresent around Zermatt and Saas Fee,
namely Hohlichtgletscher, Rothorngletscher, Triftgletscher, Gabelhorngletscher, Arbengletscher, Hohwanggletscher, Schönbielgletscher, Stockjigletscher, Tiefmattengletscher, Zmuttgletscher, Furggletscher, Theodulgletscher, Plateau Rosa, Plateau Breithorn, Triftjigletscher, Breithorngletscher, Schwaerzegletscher, Zwillingsgletscher, Grenzgletscher, Monte Rosagletscher, Gornergletscher, Findelngletscher, Adlergletscher, Laengfluegletscher, Mellichgletscher, Alphubelgletscher, Weingartengletscher, Kingletscher, Festigletscher, Hohbaerggletscher, Riedgletscher, Balfringletscher, Bidergletscher, Hobalmgletscher, Fallgletscher, Feegletscher, Hohlaubgletscher, Allalingletscher, Haengendegletscher, Schwarzberggletscher, Seewjinengletscher, Nollngletscher, Rotblattgletscher,Fletschhorngletscher, Gueebugletscher;
and less numerous in Engadin,
nameli Vadret da l'Albigna, Vadret dal Castel, Vadret daa Cantun, Vadret del Forno, Vadret da Fedoz, Vadret da Fex, Vadret dal Tremoggia, Vadret da Roseg, VAdret da la Sella, Vadret da Tschierva, VAdrettin da Tschierva, Vadret da Misaun, Vadret da Morteratsch, Vadret Pers, Vadret dal Cambrena, Vadret da Palu, Vadret di Fellaria (all between Maloja and Bernina); Vadret Tiatscha, Vadret Tuoi, Vadret da Chalaus (3 small hidden glaciers of uneasy access in Lower Engadin).

Public transport:
Bus from Visp to Saas Fee/Mattmark,
train from Visp to Zermatt; gondola from Zermatt to Breuil; bus from Breuil to Chatillon; bus from Chatillon to Aosta - Courmayeur - Chamonix - Geneva, bus from Chatillon to Turin and Milan.

Train (Zurich -) Chur - Samedan - Tirano - Varenna - Milan,
Train (Zurich -) Landquqrt - Klosters - Lavin - Scuol, bus Scuol - Martina - Mals, train Mals - Meran - Bolzano/Bozen.
Train (Zurich -) Landquart - Klosters - Zernez - St. Moritz, bus Zernez - Sta Maria - Mals.
Train Vienna - Landeck, bus Landeck - Martina - Scuol, train Scuol - Samedan - St. Moritz, bus St. Moritz - Chiavenna, train Chiavenna - Varenna - Milan;
Palm Express bus: St. Moritz - Lugano
Bernina Express bus: Tirano - Lugano
Stelvio bus: Sta Maria - Tirano.

(More or less) flat hiking trails from village to village can be found in all areas, as well as panoramic hiking trails from gondola station to gondola station.

No one is disputing your expertise neckervd. I was merely answering a question directed to me - as a visitor - and I answered based on my personal observations.

You did right, Melnq8. And I suppose the OP will appreciate your post, as I did.
There is absolutely no problem for me.

Coming late to this discussion, and maybe this is a bit tamer than you're looking for, but I've done several years of walking in the Stubaital in Austria - excellent public transport links to the starting points for walks and cable-cars, as well as down to Innsbruck.

I did a report about it (on another site, if that's allowed):
https://www.sloweurope.com/community...an-tirol.1749/

And a number of blog posts with photos:
Autolycus: Austria

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Thank you as always for all of your knowledge and experience. I thought it was getting easier to narrow it down and now it is getting harder now as I learn more. Almost getting the feeling I can't go wrong and need to just pick some areas and go for it.

I second this. Neustift is one of the best places I've been in the Alps among 12-13 areas/towns in all the Alpine countries. Stubaital is beautiful vally just above Innsbruck with a handful of small villages where Neustift is the biggest. The area is much more quiet than many other Alpine villages and towns. In addition you have great scenery and hiking. And it's much cheaper than Switzerland. And Innsbruck is only a short bus tour away and can be visited on rainy days. The only negative thing is that I believe there is a bigger chance for bad weather than several areas in Switzerland, especially Valais.

Otherwise, I agree with Melnq8 about Zermatt. If you don't mind crowds, its okay. If you would prefer a more quiet place I would much rather go to one of the neighbouring valleys; Saastal and Val d'Anniviers.

Of course, there are hundreds of beautiful alpine valleys, from Piedmont up to Slovenia.
But the places the OP checked until now are all OK and there is no reason to change anything.
BTW: I prefer the upper areas of Oetztal, Pitztal and Kaunertal to Stubaital. But that's just my personal point of view.