[Debra]

17 February 2018 at 16:11:29 #814402

I will have several days the second week of august while in Switzerland that are unscheduled and I was contemplating checking out the st moritz/ pontresina etc area but as I will be camping the few campgrounds websites are either in German or are just not well made to navigate Does anyone have insight to camping in this area? Also logistics seem to be a bit more difficult as there doesn’t seem to be as good of connections to some of the hike onthis site. Also the local discount card offered by hotels is likely not offered by campgrounds, and I don’t see myself paying for a hotel haha. I could skip this area, it’s very fluid.

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[User]

Reply 1 of 7 • 18 February 2018 at 5:26:11 #876551

Would you consider the youth hostel? It’s adjacent to Pontresina railway station, and offers the card that gives you free access to local mountain railways and public transport if you stay at least 2 nights.

http://www.youthhostel.ch/en/ hostels/pontresina/

One of the forum members stayed there last year and wrote a bit about it

http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/a-tad-off-the-beaten-path-part-2-days-4-6

I haven’t stayed there, but I have stayed in the St Moritz youth hostel and was very happy with it. They also offer the card for free access to mountain railways and public transport. There are some photos of St Moritz Youth Hostel attached to my post of Oct 23, 2017 – 9:06 AM on the following page:

http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/rail-pass-options-1-week-with-teenagers

Alpenrose

[Debra]

Reply 2 of 7 • 18 February 2018 at 16:51:16 #876552

Thanks! This may be a good option, especially when you add the cost of the local transport that would add to the cost if not staying in a hostel. The deal breaker for campgrounds for me is usually the bathrooms and location to transportation. Some are assuming you’re coming by car so are not situated conveniently. A day trip to Scuol would be interesting, but it would be weird walking around a town with no point other than to admire homes that people are living in. Is the castle a far walk from the train there?

[User]

Reply 3 of 7 • 19 February 2018 at 7:10:38 #876553

Hi Debra,

I had a look at Google maps and it’s about an hour’s walk. There’s a bus going from Scuol-Tarasp train station to Tarasp-Fontana (13 minutes) and from there it’s a 15 minute walk.

[Debra]

Reply 4 of 7 • 19 February 2018 at 14:46:56 #876554

Thank you for checking that out! Sounds like a good day adventure. I get such good ideas from this forum, it was very valuable to me last year on my trip! It will be nice to see more of a variety of what Switzerland has to offer than just mountains. Plus; I read the food is better in the Engadine ; sorry to say, the food in the Bernese Oberland was not good! (Thank goodness for Coop and the camp stove!) I am planning on a few days at the youth hostel in Pontresina, looks quite glamourous compared to some of the refuges along the TMB last year!

[Arno]

Reply 5 of 7 • 22 February 2018 at 9:29:31 #876555

Hi Debra,

Glad to hear you like the forum! Your comment on food is interesting: where did you eat in the Bernese Oberland? My own experience is that food quality varies from restaurant to restaurant but not by region. I had wonderful meals in the Oberland and the Engadine. So far 🙂 Do try the Engadiner Nusstorte along with a coffee!

[Debra]

Reply 6 of 7 • 22 February 2018 at 14:53:13 #876556

Arno, I was curious about Rosti, since I had heard so much about it, also the Swiss fondue. So as I was based in Lauterbrunnen (Camping Jungfrau, amazing place!) I tried their rosti. Didn’t care for it. Also tried fondue at one of the restaurants in Lauterbrunnen…just ok but I wouldn’t order it again. A person can only eat so much bread and cheese.

Wanting to try rosti again, thinking it was a one-off bad experience, I ordered it at a restaurant recommended on this forum by Alpenrose near the Alpiglen train station headed to the Eiger Trail. Even worse than the campground restaurant. Also on the Schynigge Platte to First hike there was a cafe along the way where I got a sausage…most awful, even considering I was pretty hungry.

In Grindelwald i had something I can’t even remember and I remember thinking well that was a total waste of money because even after dessert I was still hungry!

The rest of the time I made ramen and had cheese and bread or a salad from COOP. Delicious!

I had a meal (duck!) on my last day in Switzerland on my way to the airport hotel, in Montreux, after visiting the Queen museum and the castle, it was most delicious and a beautiful place with outside seating right on the lake. I would go back again just to eat there. But I have found that my time in France has given me the best culinary experiences, so that makes sense for Montreux.

[Arno]

Reply 7 of 7 • 22 February 2018 at 15:06:55 #876557

Thanks Debra! I guess it’s a matter of personal preferences as well 🙂 There are many different Rösti variants, so I think it’s worth it to give it another try. Feel free to post a trip report after your next trip. Will be interesting!