Dukey1

I refuse to call the nation "Swiss" and here's the situation:

Two nights post-Bernina Express arrival in Chur (which will be around 6:30 PM)

Need somewhere which is

1. Within a couple hours of Chur by rail
2. Has good rail connections to ZRH aiport from which we fly put two days later (at 1PM)
3. Preferably the usual spectacular alpine scenery
4. Does not need to be a large town.

<B>What will not work</B>:
Brig, Zermatt, Lac Leman (been there, done that and too difficult to reach from Chur in the timeframe)
St. Moritz: this will be in August and I find the town about as sterile as it gets
Lake Constance, Appenzell, St. Gallen; been there
The Berner Oberland, Murren, Wengen, etc., been there, too and would go back but too far

This leaves, for now, Luzern (been there, too, and that's why I'm asking here

Thank you for suggestions/corrections

Dukey1

Forgive the typos.

PalenQ

Davos!

PalenQ

Andermatt - and you can take your favorite scenic train the Glacier Express there from St Moritz!- A neat relatively untouristed area of great beauty as you know by being thru it. Lots of regular trains from Chur there but you'd best change at Reichenau.

It has a shuttle train going down to Goschenen, on the main rail line to Zurich:

https://www.google.com/search?q=ande...w=1745&bih=868

Edward2005

Lucerne. It has a couple of peaks you can visit by cable car, and is one hour by rail from the Zurich airport.

HappyTrvlr

Moritz is sterile, agreed with that. However, nearby Pontresina is charming.

Dukey1

Thank you, Edward2005, your vote of confidence is reassuring. HappyTrvlr, staying In Graubunden is what I would prefer in some ways so will look further at your suggestion.

kleeblatt

Lenzerheide: About 30 min. from Chur and a 2 hour train ride to Zürich. It's a lovely setting with a gondola that will take you to Arosa.

kja

Scuol would be my first choice; Pontresina my second. Or just stay in Chur!

You might easily regret having so little time in the area.

Dukey1

I've BEEN in the area before and I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear but I assumed saying that ST. Moritz seems sterile would have made that evident.

Not really interested in a ski town in the off-season and sorry should have made that more clear.

Thank you very much for taking the time to post your recs. Lenzerheide, unfortunately would be backtrack and it is more than 2 hrs with changes from Zurich.

Staying in Chur is simply not an option given the available hotels, etc.

I think we'll go to Luzern as planned. Simply more to see and do.

Best regards.

PalenQ

Have you ever explored the nicer aspects of Zurich- like a walk along the lake esplanade - thronged in good weather with an ethnic potpourri worthy of London - take the hill-climbing trams into forests with neat footpaths- trekked thru the Altstadt, etc.?

No not as cutesy as Lucerne but in its own way just as interesting.

I refuse to call the nation "Swiss" and here's the situation>

Who ever calls Switzerland Swiss - that would be akin to say Afghan for Afghanistan!

spaarne

<i> Switzerland Somewhere
Posted by: Dukey1 on Jun 19, 16 at 3:06pm</i>

Zug.

Before you go shopping remember . . .
<i>Dukey1 on Jun 12, 16 at 4:15pm
Why would anyone waste their duty-free allowance on something they can buy in the US "for the same price?"</i>

Ingo

For only two days I recommend Lake Walensee, between Chur and Zürich. The small town Weesen right by the lake has a short lakeside promenade and a small old town good for a stroll. There are a couple of hotels there (Parkhotel Schwert has a long tradition and is really good). You can do a boat ride on the lake to car-free Quinten with vineyards and nice restaurant (spectacular location right below the tall Churfirsten mountains), can take a bus up to village Amden, from there a chair lift even higher up for great views and maybe a short hike. Or you make an excursion to Glarus, (car free) Braunwald or Elm - off the beaten path, but beautiful Alpine scenery as usual in Switzerland.

It is a short bus ride from Weesen to Ziegelbrücke, where you catch direct trains to Zürich Airport.

kleeblatt

Ingo, you're brilliant. Weesen is small but delightful. I was just up at Kerenzerberg on Saturday and did some hiking in the area.

You might also want to consider Bad Ragaz or Maienfeld, both in reasonable distance from Chur.

neckervd

If it's not a must to remain in the BEX train up to Chur, you could check:
BEX Tirano dp 15.12 - Davos ar 18.46 and stay at Davos or Klosters
Lenzerheide/Lai (Tiefencastel ar by Chur bound BEX 17.30, dp by Postbus 17.32 - Lenzerheide ar 17.48)
Bellinzona (Thusis ar by BEX 17.49, dp by PostBus 18.35 - Bellinzona ar 20.20).

From Chur, you can easily go to
Flims (Chur dp 18.28 - Flims ar 18.59)
Arosa (Chur dp 19.08 - Arosa ar 20.09)
Bad Ragaz (Chur dp 18.31 - Ragaz ar 18.45)
Wildhaus (Chur dp 18.39 - Wildhaus ar 19.59)
Rapperswil/Lake Zurich (Chur dp 18.39 - R'wil ar 19.57)
Bregenz/Lake Constance (Chur dp 18.39 - Bregenz ar 20.10)
Brunnen via Voralpenexpress (Chur dp 18.39 - Brunnen ar 21.04)
Küssnacht am Rigi via Voralpenexpress (Chur dp 18.39 - Küssnacht ar 20.59)

Dukey1

Thank you for the additional recommendations and, as usual, for the <B>instructions</B> on how to take the train.

PalenQ

I think we'll go to Luzern as planned.>

You probably no doubt know - surely know - but I will repeat then that you can go from Chur to Lucerne via the quickest route - via Zurich probably but you can also take the GEx you rave about to Andermatt - take the shuttle train down to Goshcenen, on the main line to Lucerne via Arth-Goldau.

PalenQ

Or for an even more scenic and novel route from Andermatt/Goschenen to Lucerne you can hook up with an iconic Swiss postal bus at either station that goes over a rugged Alpine pass (with a stop at one of the most scenic spots) to Meiringen where you can change to the scenic Golden Pass Brunig Pass route to Lucerne.

Wow - a great day of scenic trains and buses - Chur - Andermatt - Goshenen - scenic bus over the Grimsel (or Susten?) Pass to Meiringen then one of Switzerland's most scenic railways IME to Lucerne.

But of course it would take significantly longer but if you have not experienced one of Switzerland's iconic postal buses here's a chance to do it.

And if never in the Meiringen area you may want to just base there - lots to do around Lake Brienz - Reichenbach Falls right near Meiringen as are the famous Glacier Gorges - take the steam train up a mountain from Brienz - lake boat rides - Geissbach Falls, etc.

Cheers!