We planned to catch an early bus at 10 am to the Bernina Express. Following the signs at the station, we stood where we thought the bus would pick us up. Unfortunately when the arrow pointed away from the station, we didn’t stand far enough away. We missed the bus. We should have gone about a 1/4 mile further across the bridge. The signage was pretty poor.
A couple and their baby from Perth, Australia had latched onto us and together we tried to sort out our missed bus and where we could meet up with the Bernina Express. There were about 10 of us who missed the bus. The French guy in front of us talking to the station agent was pissed off. I couldn’t tell exactly what he was saying, but I could definitely tell that he was mad.
Chris immediately began looking for other options to help us meet up with the Bernina Express along its route and figured out a plan before the station agent. We got on a train to Bellinzano for 15 minutes and then another bus to Thussis. Chris and I, along with Marshall, Elisa, and baby Elena, settled in for a 1.5 hour bus ride through the Pre Alps. So beautiful.
It was the beginning of a day for buses and trains and lots of transfers with our luggage in tow.
Marshall and Elise decided to stay on the bus and just ride it to Chur (Cur). They had a lot of luggage to worry about along with their baby. It was probably the wisest choice for them.
Chris and I had long day of riding trains with interesting people. One guy got on with his horns, plenty of food and at least two bottles of wine. He downed a loaf of bread, a roll of salami and the first bottle of red wine.
Chris and I changed to another train and somehow this guy ended up across the way from us again.
He sat down to finish his loaf of bread, a tray of prosciutto, and the started on the second bottle of wine. He was getting a bit tipsy at this point. He got up to take some picture, and as the train jostled about, fell back into his seat and then onto the floor. He spilled his glass of wine. With his hair in disarray, and his glasses hanging around his chin, he righted himself back into his chair and pour another glass of wine.
We were glad to finally change trains and head in a direction that he wasn’t going.
We rode the train to the bottom of a valley hopped off the train and back onto the train going in the opposite direction within two minutes.
This was our day of train hopping with our luggage in tow:
Train to Bellinzano from Lugano train station - 15 minutes
Switch to bus from Bellinzano to Thussis - 1.5 hours
5 minutes to change to a new train in St. Moritz
Get off at Sameden for transfer train to Pontresina (just one stop)
Transfer to train going to Alp Grum.
After 7 stops change trains onto the original Bernina Express train from Turano to Chur (Cur).
Take train to Poschiavo.
We opted not to go all the way to Turano since we would have arrived back at the hotel at 11:30 pm.
We switched to another train in Pontresina (back again) for a one hour ride.
Changed at Sagliains to Landquart for another hour.
From Landquart to Thulwil (1 hour 13 min) on the last train of the day for a 9:40 pm arrival. Whew!
Chris found a pizza place not too far from the station. We walked about 10 minutes from the station and ordered a caprese salad and a margarita pizza. The owner made us a pizza with fresh dough and baked it in his pizza oven while we waited. Chris and I decided just to eat at the restaurant. It was late and we were hungry.
Jimmy, the owner from Kosovo, asked us where we were from, where we had been and where we were going. We answered his questions and then said we were planning to get an Uber to take us to our hotel from here.
He said to us, “No, I take you.” As Jimmy went to get his car, Chris went in to pay and said, “Either we just met the nicest guy in the world or we are about to be murdered.” (Mom, if you are reading this, he was a nice man!)
Jimmy happily drove us to the Belvoir hotel. He told us that he liked Americans.
We had a view of Lake Zurich from our hotel window. I’m sure in the morning we would enjoy it.
After such a long day of trains and buses, it was nice to finally be done transferring trains. I felt like I was still in motion kind of like when you get off a cruise ship.