Engadine Valley help
 

Perhaps someone would be so kind as to give me direction regarding our upcoming trip to the Engadine.
After much research I decided to spend 3 nights in Guarda and 2 nights in Soglio. However, it appears that our trip has increased from 5 to 7 making hotel costs very expensive. I have been looking into renting an entire home but of course there are none in these two villages. I have found several nice homes in Scuol, St. Moritz, and Silvaplana. The one in St. Moritz is beautiful but some of you have warned me away from the hustle and bustle of this town/city. Scuol seems like a long distance to the upper Engadine and Soglio as well as a day trip on the Bernia express. Silvaplana looks rather uninteresting to me. There are several homes outside of Pontresina however I am concerned about location to buss stops as we will be traveling by train. Speaking of train this also has changed. We were planning on traveling by car but Ingo and others have convinced me a swiss pass may actually be cheaper for 7 of us as it gives us discounts or free travel on gondolas and funiculars, boat rides, and train travel throughout Switzerland. We will be going to Murren from the Engadine and will be using cable cars, and gondolas a lot from there. We will have my 84 year old mother with us and will be looking for some easy flat walks for her. Guards and Soglio appear to be 2 highlights from others reviews. Would you recommend just biting the bullet and staying in these two towns in hotels since they are my first choice or basing myself in a home in the valley saving a little money but increasing train travel up and down the valley. Any recommendations greatly appreciated.

> our trip has increased from 5 to 7

people or nights?

Instead of looking for homes you might want to look for large rental apartments. I am pretty sure that you could find a 3- or 4-bedroom apartment for much less money than the cost in a hotel. However, keep in mind that hotel comes with the transportation pass for train, bus, cable cars in the Upper Engadine - the Swiss Pass covers train and bus, but gives a discount for only a few of the cable cars.

Scuol (same applies to Guarda) is indeed inconvenient for a trip on the Bernina Express or the excursion to Soglio. A location somewhere in the middle between Soglio and Scuol would be ideal - Zuoz comes to my mind, a picturesque small town, Samedan would be perfect also. Have stayed in both before and liked them very much - Zuoz being a bit quieter, Samedan with more shopping etc.

Where did you check accommodation? Try www.engadin.stmoritz.ch which is the official website of the Upper Engadine Tourist Information. Another very good option: www.interhome.ch

Hi Jaywdickson,

Well here is an apartment in Guarda that sleeps 4-6 people:

https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-re...567364#summary

Here is a 3 bedroom in Soglio that sleeps 6

https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p2444671

Here's another one with 5 bedrooms that sleeps 8:

https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p25087


It would help if you could let us know the ages of the 7 people -- are any of them children?

Have fun as you plan!

s

There will be 7 people one who is 84 years old
I found a beautiful home in St. Moritz in the town...should I avoid St. Moritz?
I used AirB&B for my source of available homes. I'll try your links Ingo. thanks for the tips.

Yes, I would avoid St. Moritz town. It's ugly.

I checked AirBnb and found some nice rentals in Celerina and Zuoz in the 300 - 450 CHF price range per night that sleep up to 8 persons.

Scuol is only 11 km from Guarda and has a lot more on offer in terms of accommodation and restaurants. Guarda would not be my choice for an 84 year old - it's at the top of a high hill and most walks in the vicinity are not flat. As Ingo pointed out, it's also not convenient for visiting Soglio and taking the Bernina Express.

We visited Soglio (vis bus) and took the Bernina Express from Samedan, which worked well for us - our apartment was a shortish flat walk from the station.

Keep in mind that many apartments in Swiss villages are UP, so do make sure you know what you're booking and/or if a bus connection is available. If I had a nickel for every time I had to climb a mountain from a Swiss train station to my apartment/hotel...

I agree with Ingo's assessment of St Mortiz - rather ugly and soulless - lots of concrete, not a lot of charm. Also rather expensive, even for Switzerland. It's worth a day trip IMO, but not much more.

Although I don't have the experience of Ingo or Melnq8, I must admit that I see no problem with staying in Guarda for a couple of nights, although I agree that it would not be a good base for anything other than the Lower Engadine. If one checks the train schedules (on the sbb website), one can select a train that connects easily with a bus that goes directly to the village, and IIRC (always a question), the slopes once in the village are limited and gentle. Too, I remember the walk to Ardez as both stunningly beautiful and surprisingly easy -- largely downhill, and with few (if any) really steep parts. In contrast, my recollection of Scuol includes a LOT of climbing up and down hills. I guess it depends on what one chooses to see and do! (Or the fallibility of my memory! =-O )

Too, my memory of Soglio is that there is a steep (if very short) uphill walk from the bus stop in Soglio to the town itself. My recollection of the walk from Soglio to Castesegna is of a very pleasant and generally gentle downward slopes -- but then, if one has to get back to Soglio, it's a bus Promontogno, bus to Soglio, and that climb again. I'm not sure I would suggest that walk to any of my mid-80's relatives, but of course, people differ in their fitness. I could more easily imagine recommending Soglio as a day trip. JMO.

If you are willing to use two bases, I think Guarda and something in the Upper Engadine would work. (As for the bus stops in Pontresina, if you pick lodging on a level with a bus stop, you just need to be sure to identify the bus connections, shown in sbb's website.) If you want only one base, I'm sure Ingo's recommendations of Zuoz, Samedan, Celerina are well worth considering.

Hope that helps!

Soglio and Guarda ar both very scenic villages with beautiful local houses and fine views to the surrounding mountains.
But that's it. Frankly: what do you want to do at this rather tiny places during several days?
Scuol is charming too, but a bigger village with more than 1 shop or restaurant, with a thermal spa, a castle and some hotels. There are direct trains from Scuol to Pontresina on the Bernina line (every hr, 1 hr 20 min ride).
....and buses to Val Sinestra, S-charl, Vna, Samnaun, Nauders - Reschen - Vinschgau - Stelvio, etc.
Kosters and Davos are short train rides.

You've all been so helpful..thank you very much
With limited time we are leaning towards staying in the lower Engadine for 4 nights and making one day trip to the UE and a short visit to Soglio. If you were to base yourself in the LE would you choose Guarda or Scuol. Our thinking is that it may be better to really get the feel of the LE then try and do it all. What do you think.

I adored Guarda, but agree with those who have noted that it would not make a great base. For 4 nights, Scuol would make more sense.

I'm sure you realize that it's about 3 hours each way from either Scuol or Guarda to Soglio....

Soglio and the area around it is gorgeous but I wouldn't travel 6 hours for a day trip to visit. The best thing to do there is hiking and you would have very limited time.

In which season will you travel?
Where will you stay before you enter Engadin Valley?
How will you go from Engadin to Muerren:
via Samedan - Glacier Express?
via (Soglio) - Lugano - Locarno - Centovalli Express - Simplon - Loetschberg?
via Zurich - Bern (most boring itinerary)?

Looks like you cut back from 5 to 4 nights in the Engadine. If staying in the Lower Engadine then definitely do only one excursion - either Bernina Express OR Soglio. Otherwise you'd spend too much time during your stay on trains/buses.

I probably repeat myself, but once more recommend Scuol as base. Guarda is too small. See earlier posts.