I've never struggled so much planning a trip...the more I research, the more confused I get.

This is what we're looking at, but nothing booked yet.

Kandersteg - four nights - I've heard back from the tourist office and have no worries about filling three full days with assorted hikes, weather providing.

Upper Engadine - Pontresina or Samedan - five nights. I'm having trouble finding open accommodation after Easter in Pontresina, so it's looking more and more like Samedan.

Silvaplana also an option, but to be honest, all these villages are confusing the heck out of me.

Lower Engadine - Scoul - five nights - waiting to hear back from an apartment owner, have run into several hotel closures after April 7 as Ingo warned above

Zurich - one night before flight out (not sure we can make it to the airport by 11 am without undue stress).

So, eight full days and two partial days in the Engadine. We're the type who can always find something to do, some trail to walk, some village to explore, etc, but it appears the Swiss Nat'l Park will be closed too, so wondering if 10 nights is overkill in the off season.

We hope to do the Bernina Express and the hike from Soglio (Lower Engadine?), so two days already filled there.

This is giving me a head cramp.

The Swiss National Park is never closed, but in winter you can hardly do any hiking there - because of trail conditions. They actually groom a cross-country skiing trail at Buffalora near Ofen pass/Pass dal Fuorn. The National Park Info Centre with exhibits (admission fee for exhibits/museum 7 CHF, Tourist Info free of course) in Zernez is open Mon-Fri 9-12 and 14-17 h.

More activities that will be doable after Easter:
Lower Engadine:
- Beer (organic) microbrewery in Tschlin, guided tours with tasting on Wednesdays, 4.15 pm (one hour) CHF 10
- Walk the "mineral springs trail" around Scuol. Flyer available at the tourist office. The trail leads along many of the 20 mineral springs, each has a different taste (try!).
- Stroll through Guarda, Ardez, Sent - all of them worth two hours. Have a closer look at the sgraffiti, the churches in Ardez and Sent.
- A very nice walk is from Vna (which is located high above the valley floor, bus connections) to Hof Zuort (www.zuort.ch). Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg lived there for many years. If you ask nicely they may show you the chapel/chalet. The restaurant there is open all year round. Depending on trail conditions you can probably continue via Hotel Val Sinestra to Sent. Vna - Zuort 1.20 h, Zuort - Sent 2 hours.
- Excursion to Samnaun. The bus ride alone is worth the trip: A narrow, winding road with tunnels leading up a side valley. Samnaun is duty free area (shopping). The skiing area is open until 1 May, the cable car takes you up to groomed hiking trails. The local museum (in Samnaun-Plan) has tours (call ahead) on Thursdays 5 pm. Last bus to Scuol leaves 7.14 pm.
- Definitely a day trip to Müstair to see the Benedictine convent. UNESCO world heritage site with museum, 1200 years old frescoes in the church ...

Upper Engadine:
- Although you're not skiing, these cable car rides up are worth the money: Piz Corvatsch and Diavolezza. These are open until early May. Diavolezza has a groomed hiking trail on top (to Sass Queder) which takes about an hour.
- The self-service restaurant Roseggletscher is open until 14 April. This means the horse-drawn carriages will run in that valley, too. Or hike, maybe back, it's 7.5 km one way from Pontresina train station.
- Hotel Morteratsch is also open until 14 April, the restaurant probably longer. From there you can hike to the glacier and back, or back to Pontresina.
- Church Sta. Maria in Pontresina: Mon/Wed/Fri 2.30 - 4 pm until 12 April. Free guided tour Wed 3.30 pm. Frescoes!
- Engadin museum, St. Moritz, open Mon-Fri 10-12 and 14-17 h
- Segantini museum St. Moritz, open Tue-Sun, 10-12 and 14-18 h
- Museum Alpin, Pontresina, open Mon-Sat 16-18 h, until 13 April
- Very enjoyable are the hiking trails from village to village with some sightseeing. Zuoz is particularly charming.


Both Bernina Express and the hike from Soglio are best done from the Upper Engadine. Travel time from the Lower Engadine would be too long IMO - plus more than one hour each way.

Brilliant Ingo, I feel much better now! I'd looked at the Swiss Nat'l Park website where I saw mostly 'Gescholossen', but that was probably for the walking tracks, which is completely understandable in January.

I so appreciate your patient help, I really do. Cheers.

It's hard to believe a real meat/potatoes/beer kind of guy like me will agree with this point, but the water around Scuol is truely special.

Ingo -

I've found this on the apartment site I plan to rent from, but can't find a translation, would you mind?

Wäschegarnitur (Bett-, Küchen-, Badewäsche)

optional, Costs amounting to CHF 25.00 once-only per person

CHF 50.00

It means "bed clothes" - linen etc. One set is 25 CHF, so for the two of you 50 CHF. Once only, not per day.

That is because many Europeans prefer to bring their own.

I.

Sorry, it also includes towels for bathroom/kitchen.

Thank you!

Ingo -

I guess there's a separate charge for sheets (linen) and duvets (bed clothes)? Or is the 50 CHF charge for cleaning of bed clothes and towels (Wäschegarnitur?)

The extras on the apartment site read as follows, which I find a bit confusing, as the charges seem redundant.

--------

Bed linen 30,00 CHF (optional)
Towels 20,00 CHF (optional)
Wäschegarnitur (Bett-, Küchen-, Badewäsche) 50,00 CHF (optional)

----------

I'm just trying to understand what I'm getting into before I commit.

Intersting that Europeans travel with their own linens and covers, I didn't realize that. I used to see that quite alot in the Middle East though.

This is for a place in Pontresina, which they've told me is accessible by leaving the train in Samedan and taking the bus to Pontresina. Just when I think I understand where the trains go, I realize I don't.

That's indeed a bit confusing. Maybe it's also a problem with translation on the website. It looks like you can separately order bed linen (includes all bed clothes, I guess) for CHF 30 and towels for CHF 20 (don't know if that includes towels for kitchen).

However, in your case I'd definitely opt for
"Wäschegarnitur (Bett-, Küchen-, Badewäsche) 50,00 CHF (optional)" because that includes everything in question. But, is that for one or two persons?

Travelling with own bed linens and covers is only common if you stay in rental apartments. Not in hotels, of course

Be careful about the location! Pontresina stretches over 2 or 3 km - some rental apartments are actually pretty close to the Muottas Muragl funicular, which is pretty far from the centre with shops, grocery, restaurants (which is roughly between Grand Hotel Kronenhof and Hotel Walther/post office). The train station is located below the centre, a 5-10 minutes walk, but really far from the other end of town. The bus, however, runs along that main streets and ends (or starts) at the train station. So, basically it doesn't matter where you leave the train to change to the bus, but the owner maybe assumed you arrive from somewhere else in Switzerland (Zürich airport?) and Samedan would be the first train station then.

Good to know Ingo, cheers.

Ingo -

I'm revisiting your very helpful posts as our March/April trip was postponed, and we're now trying to sort out things for an early December visit. The plan is to visit Switzerland pre-ski season, which will lower our accommodation costs considerably, but still give us a taste of winter. I've found several apartment rentals available for our dates. As a bonus, we'll also have plenty of time for the Christmas Markets in Germany.

Our first run at an itinerary looks like this:

Dec 6-10 - Pontresina
Dec 11-15 - Scoul
Dec 16-19 - Kandersteg (or possibly Lauterbrunnen)
Dec 20-22 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Dec 23-26 - Munich
Dec 27 - Zurich

We've not booked anything yet, but we're looking into flights from Perth to Zurich and we plan to take the train between locations. I'd wanted to try to fit in Austria too, perhaps a few days in Kitzbuhel, but most accommodation there seems to require a week minimum, regardless of time of year.

I'm currently awaiting e-mail from tourist centers to determine what if anything will be open and I've got a lot to sort out yet, but I'll no doubt be back to pick your brains a bit more.

There will already quite something open in early December. Skiing season in the Upper Engadine starts relatively early (Corvatsch 16 Nov - but unfortunately nothing for hiking there), helpful are the cable cars above St. Moritz - The Suvretta chair lift starts 7 Dec, I bet they right away groom the walking trails from there via Signal and to Chantarella (funicular stop between St. Moritz and Corviglia) and down to St. Moritz. Hotel Roseggletscher will probably be open, Hotel Fex not (started 21 Dec last year). However, a walk into Fex Valley is always worth the time. Hiking trails along the lakes are also groomed, I am sure. A Bernina pass train ride is a *must* anyway ... check out the cute town Poschiavo. Diavolezza cable car is not in operation.

The skiing in Scuol starts 14 Dec. Taking the gondola up and hiking via Prui to Ftan is very nice. Another hike that's for sure doable is Guarda - Ardez, both villages are picturesque and worth an hour. Castle Tarasp will be closed, sorry. But it's still worth a hike from scuol to the castle or vice versa (bus for the other direction). Hof Zuort is open all year round - a *must*! Very nice walk from Vna (bus from Scuol), about 1.30 h up, 1 hour down. www.zuort.ch If conditions are good, then the trail via Hotel Val Sinestra to Sent could be open.

In Tschlin is a microbrewery, they make organic beer. Tour/tastings once per week, maybe they are open mid Dec. http://www.bieraria.ch

Daylight hours will be short. Might get dark around 4 pm. And the weather can be lousy, but you certainly know that

Thank you again Ingo, helpful as always.

I've just heard back from the Scoul tourist office which indicates the castle should be open on Fridays. As it happens we'll be there on a Friday so I guess we'll find out when we get there. Regardless, the walk up to it sounds like a good option.

So going to the Upper Engadine first seems a good idea as transport opens earlier.

Things are slowly beginning to come together.

Ingo -

I read your recommendation for walks in the Fex Valley on another thread. It appears access is via the cable car Furtschellas, which won't be open until 21/12. Are there any other winter walking options in the Fex Valley that you're aware of or can point me to? Cheers.

Glad to hear the castle will be open. Definitely do the tour.

In winter you cannot walk from the cable car Furtschellas to the Fex Valley. These summer trails are buried under snow. Instead you walk from the small main square in Sils-Maria either through the small canyon or follow the street (passing Hotel Waldhaus). Both trails meet at Hotel Sonne. From there on it's just the street (not open to public traffic) to Hotel Fex. Same way back, but at Hotel Sonne choose the other option to walk down to Sils. My recommendation is to walk up the canyon and the street back.

Cheers Ingo.

Hi Ingo- don't mean to hijack this thread but we had such a fantastic time in Sils Maria and Fex Valley in 2006- thanks for your help back then. Now my daughter is living in Vienna- anything comparable to the Engadine in Austria or the fabulous Centovalli/village of Rasa above Lake Maggiore? Looking for off the beaten path Austrian beauty -possibly Gargellen in the Vorarlberg near Switzerland. How's the Bregenzerwald Kasestrasse (Cheese Rd)? Is Lake Constance scenic?
We will have a car and several wks to tour around- so far have only come up with a winery in S Styria near the Slovenian border. Leaving in less than 5 wks. Any Austrian tips most appreciated!
-calville

Hi calville - I remember. Sorry, but I am afraid nothing in Austria compares to Sils or the Centovalli.

Gargellen is in the dead end of a small valley, not much to do there. If you would like to go to this area, better stay in one of the nearby villages, like Gaschurn e.g. Better location for excursions.

Bregenzer Wald is indeed somewhat off the beaten path, but for me the mountains are too low, not dramatic enough. No glaciers there.

Lake Constance is not really scenic, if you mean gorgeous mountains in the background. The high Alps are quite a distance from the lake. Otherwise the lakeshores are beautiful, the German side quite touristy, the Swiss side less so.

Closer to Vienna and the Slovenian border in Austria are Carinthia and East Tyrol. I'd rather concentrate on this region. There are several lakes in Carinthia which are pretty popular: Wörthersee, Millstätter See, Weissensee etc. The mountains north from there are quite tall, dramatic, with glaciers. See Mt. Grossglockner - base Heiligenblut in Carinthia or Kals in East Tyrol - with the famous Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse pass road or Grossvenediger - base Matrei in East Tyrol. Next to Matrei is Villgraten valley, with unspoilt, authentic villages - a jewel. Very beautiful is also Defereggental (main place: St. Jakob), from where you can drive via Staller Sattel pass road to Italy. A really nice excursion with fantastic scenery.

Thanks so much Ingo! I will begin researching your suggestions because I trust your opinion

My daughter stumbled on Maria Alm recently and thought it was beautiful and less touristy- she might have taste like mine- dislikes all the popular spots like Salzburg, Zell am See and Hallstatt.

We could combine Carinthia with S Tyrol/Italy- any particular spot in Italy you recommend? We have two wks in the mtns and almost one wk in Vienna. Now on a new investigative path- thank you!!