Help with a Swiss + et all Trip!
February 18, 2019 10:08 AM   Subscribe

My wife has a work trip planned to Switzerland in early September. We can spend around a week there but she'll have two days for work in a small town in east Switzerland (Films) where it'll be difficult for me to stay (or super boring). Looking for places that one of us can hole up while other is working for those two days and for the other days where things might not be as expensive (so close by countries are an option). We'll probably need to fly in and out of Zurich.

We want to think about options for me two spend the two days, or other places to visit that are good for solo travelers. This could be a place we bookend our trip.

Assume that need to fly in and out into Zurich to get flights expensed.

Munich is out, but other places could be...
posted by sandmanwv to Travel & Transportation around Switzerland (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Are you sure about the name Films? Google can’t find it nor has the Swiss train operator’s app heard of it.

It would be helpful to know what you like to do? I hear you about the cost but it would be a shame not to see some of the country. It would be easier to recommend a route knowing where your wife will actually be but I normally let people explore Zurich for a few hrs, I send them to Lucerne for about a day and then either Berne or Lugano. And then hop on a train to Milan, spend a few days there and at the end of the trip train it back to Zurich.

Both in Zurich and Lucerne you can go out on the lake in a boat. Pick one that is officially part of the public transport network to save money.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:03 AM on February 18, 2019


I think the correct spelling is Flims, often paired with the nearby town Laax. I went there eight years ago but it was for an orienteering event and I didn't have to plan much myself. Pretty sure you could spend two days hiking and biking there. Engadin is not far away and also an incredible place for a mountain holiday.
posted by carolr at 11:33 AM on February 18, 2019


It would be helpful to know what sorts of things you are interested in doing; that part of the world is filled with great opportunities for alpine sightseeing and adventure (walking, hiking, cycling, trains, etc.), so it seems like you're not interested in any of that? Chur is the regional centre, so has more town stuff (museums, historic buildings) but is not a big city by any stretch of the imagination.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 2:31 PM on February 18, 2019


I believe you are referring to Flims. That specific area is actually beautiful with lots to do if you like hiking and seeing the outdoors, which is what Switzerland is all about.

The rhine gorge is right by there, is beautiful and a great place to hike or take a train ride through. You can go up to the mountains with the lifts to get nice views of the surrounding areas and for hiking. In addition, everything is a train ride away: take the Postbus into Chur, which is a trainhub from which you can go into Zurich if you like to go into a city or go many of the other mountain areas including Davos, Arosa and St Moritz. In the other direction you can travel towards Andermatt, which is a great train ride which goes quite high up in the mountains. And remember, the train rides themselves are often spectacular so don't assume that a 2 hour train ride is necessarily a bad thing. The SBB website is your friend for planning trips.

A lot depends on what you like to do, but you are in the center of Switzerland and to me, it is not about where else you should stay, it is how you want to spend the limited time you have. Grab yourself a tourbook, figure out the kind of things you want to do and enjoy your time there!
posted by eurandom at 3:11 PM on February 18, 2019


If you're looking for a small quaint town to wander around, Bad Ragaz is gorgeous and a short train/bus ride away from Churr and Liechtenstein. I remember visiting some ruins within walking distance, if you're into that. The area would be relaxing for 1 person, romantic for a couple. I took the train there from Zurich.
posted by Penguin48 at 11:42 AM on February 19, 2019


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