Switzerland has always been a country that I dreamt of spending time in. Snow capped mountains and lush green valleys make for picture perfect landscapes everywhere you look. The following is a complete itinerary to my day trip to Chur, Switzerland from Milan and what to experience.

How to get there

Milan is just 30 minutes drive from the Swiss border and you can easily rent a car for a 2 hour drive to Chur. If you are looking for a more stress free way Flixbus offers cheap fares as well. It took us about 2.5 hours on flixbus to get there and the bus station was easily located near the main attractions. We were then able to walk to all the attractions. If you do drive yourself there are several photo worthy places to stop along the way including the well known Lake Como.

Why Chur

Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland with the original St Martin’s Church and neighborhood which is walking only. I was a little disappointed as when I originally did the research it spouted Chur as this quaint town that was completely vehicle-less, though this is only the older area. In reality Chur is a larger town/small city and the capital of its’ region. It is nestled in the mountains of Switzerland so the surrounding views are beautiful to say the least.

What to do

Museums & sites

Start by learning more about the history of Chur with a visit the Rätisches Museum. With old relics and history this is a great starting place to your day trip.

Once you get off the bus you will be a mere blocks from the old part of town with Martinskirche (St Martins Church). If you follow the hill up past the church you can get a great view of the old town with vineyards in the foreground and church steeple in the background.

Family friendly

If traveling with kids there is an animal and amusement park on the outskirts of town. If you came by bus this may be a little more difficult to get to but is a great place to let the kids enjoy being outdoors and interacting with different animals like donkeys, pigs, etc. There are also go karts, swings and electric cars for additional fun.

Shopping

Furthermore, there are several little shops and clothing stores between the train station and the older area of town. Stop and shop a little though remember Switzerland prices aren’t cheap! (A McDonalds meal was going to be a “cheap meal” for the day but came out to 13 usd for what is usually 7 usd at home.)

Tourist attraction #1

The number one thing that I did not get to experience but definitely want to in the future is the Bernina Express. This is known to be one of the most picturesque train trips through the Swiss Alps and has a stop in Chur.

As a note if you go in August they celebrate the Churer fest full of food, music and fun. We were not here at that time however it comes highly recommended to visit during the festivities.

A quirky side to Chur

So even though it was a short day trip for me there were definitely things that made Chur and Switzerland stand out. Switzerland is a super clean country which I loved. I didn’t see any trash on the ground or graffiti on the buildings.

Next, just as clean as their streets were their porta potties. Yes you heard it, porta potties. These were amazing…electric toilet seats, running water, and spotless! And to go along with the weirdness of me talking about porta potties being amazing is the vending machine options. While at the bus station there was a typical vending machine but what it contained was not all that ordinary. There were your basic snacks, marijuana, condoms and pregnancy tests. Yep all this in the same machine! Who doesn’t want to see if their pregnant at the bus stop?

Planning your own trip to Italy? Get your wanderlust with my photos of Italy.