Kisaroo

Am picking up the Glacier Express to Zermatt the end of September. Which city would you say has the most to offer for an afternoon/evening stay over? Keep in mind we will be flying into Zurich the same morning from stateside and must travel by train to get there. In addition, what hotel would you stay at?

Thanks!

kleeblatt

Stay in Chur, which is the easiest to get to by train. It's a big town located at the foot of the alps. If you prefer to sleep in the alps themselves, Davos is easier to get to than St. Moritz. Chur is a pretty city and there might be some festivals going on their at the end of September. Unfortunately, I can't recommend any hotels.

Kisaroo

I was kind of leaning toward Chur, so I'm glad you said to stay there. I've been doing research here on Fodor's and it seems to have the most to offer, sans hotel choices! Thanks for the info.

Byrd

Kisaroo,

I hesitate to put Chur in the same category as Davos and St. Moritz as far as having the most to offer, but since Chur is the only one of the three I have visited, I'll give you our impressions.

We flew into Zurich and took the train to Chur. It was a beautiful scenic trip down, with lots of lakes and resort-type communities along the way.

In Chur we stayed at the Zunfthaus Rabluta (sometimes spelled Rebleuten) in Old Town. We walked from the train station.

The Rabluta is actually a restaurant, with 10 or so rooms upstairs in the old guildhall. Ours was on the top floor with great views of the little fountain and square, church steeple, and the mountains in the distance.

We had a really good dinner there that night.

The Old Town section of Chur is charming, with old buildings painted with scenes, aimals, etc.

Since we took the Bernina Express to Tirano and back the next day, then left the next morning on the Glacier Express, we didn't have very much time acutally in Chur, but we really enjoyed the time we had.

We were there in October, and I don't think we saw another obvious tourist there. I feel sure Chur can't offer the glitz of St. Moritz and Davos, but we were glad we visited there.

Byrd

Kisaroo

Byrd,

Thanks for your candid remarks. I understand the difference you are making between Chur and Davos/St. Moritz, however we too will not have much time to explore and Chur just seems to be the best fit.

It's funny you mention the Zunfthaus Rabluta. I've been scouring the net trying to find a place to stay in Chur and I just found them a few moments ago on Trip Advisor, but they don't allow online booking. Do you have a website for this hotel? Do you remember which room you stayed in and do you recommend the same?

Also, can you please tell me how long was your train trip from Zurich to Chur and what was the cost?

Thanks much!

K

Kisaroo

My tenacity has paid off. I found the website, so if anyone else needs it here it is... http://www.rebleuten.ch/. Now to see if any rooms are available... crossing my fingers!

K

Byrd

Kisaroo,

Just dug through our trip notes and came up with that same info. I think the room pictured on the website is probably the one we had.

Obviously we're not talking luxury here, but we thought it charming and just what a room in Switzerland should be. The little bathroom, with shower, was nice.

We made our reservations by e-mailing [email protected]. Stefanie, who answered, was so helpful with our several e-mails and while we were there.

I can't find a room number, but our room was on the top floor, on the front corner of the building.

I think you will enjoy Chur!

Byrd

Kisaroo

Byrd,

Thanks for looking the info up for me. I already have an email into the email address you refer to. Hopefully Stefanie is still there and is as helpful, which I'm sure will be the case.

K

Byrd

K-

I hope this works out for you. I'll be interested in hearing how you liked Chur.. Please let us know!

Byrd

sk_whong

Is the hotel close to the station?

Thanks.

Intrepid1

You've picked the right town IMO, especially if you aren't planning to do the Chur-St. Moritz segment on the GE anyway.

Chur is the largest town in Graubunden and the caipital....an original Roman settlement as I recall. It is not necessarily "prettified" and "ski-town" quaint as you'll experience in Zermatt but it is a convenient place for you on this trip and I suspect you'll enjoy what it has to offer.

Byrd

sk whong-

The Zunfthaus Rabluta is a 5 to 10 minute walk into the Old Town from the station.

We asked directions from some of the many people sitting outside at cafes near the station, and after one wrong turn were led right to the door by a very helpful lady.

Byrd