Help! Plans for 5 day trip in Graubunden / Engadine area of Switzerland

I suppose you read ma answer to your similar question of yesterday.
There is no need to fly to Zurich instead of Milan.
I told you yesterday that Swiss trains run every 30 to 60 minutes. If this is not enough frequent, you better rent a car.
As to the luggage problem, I suggest to choose some places (may be St. Moritz and Lugano), or smaller places nearby) as base points and to visit the surroundings from there in day trips. Switzerland isn't that big.

Thank you,

I did get your reply yesterday, which is why I tried to simplify my plans and re-post them.

I'm now thinking that it may be best to simplify them even more so that we enjoy a break together in beautiful scenery rather than constantly being on the road. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on my latest trip idea:

DAY 1
Fly from London into Milan.
Train from Milan - Tirano.
Bernina Express to St Moritz / Pontresina.

Days 2-4
Find a place in the Engadin to base ourselves to explore Guarda, Scuol, Mustair, Zuoz, St Moritz etc over the following days.
I'm now thinking that we can explore these by bus or train and not hire a car at all.

Day 5
Train from St Moritz - Chur
Explore Chur before catching a train to Zurich.
Fly from Zurich to London.

Does this sound more managable?
Do you have any suggestions for a nice village base location? (Pontresina? Zuoz? Celerina? Sils?)

Many thanks

It's perfectly possible to split your stay between 2 places. If you tell me where (Malpensa, Linate, Orio al Serio) and at which time you will land, I can suggest the best way to go to the Engiadina Valley or to places like Lugano, Locarno, etc. There is a direct bus from Lugano to both, Tirano and St. Moritz. It's also possible to cross Lake Como by boat from the southern (Como) to the northern end (Colico) and to continue to Tirano by tain.
Chur isn't that interesting. But it's easy to put the luggage in a locker at the railway station and to stay an hour or 2 in this small and very old town.

All places you mentioned are fine. Sils-im-Engadin/Segl- Maria is smaller and more quiet than St. Moritz, Celerina and Pontresina. Scuol-Tarasp could be an alternative too: closer to Guarda and the Nauders - Malles - Mustair monastery - Pass dal Fuorn - Zernez loop.
In my eyes, the lake area (Maloja to St. Moritz) is nicer, however.
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/sommer/en/
http://www.scuol.ch/en/welcome.cfm
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/sommer/en/pontresina/
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/sommer/en/sils/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/about-switzerland/geographic-facts/regions/alps/lower-engadine.html
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/35/lugano.aspx

I would fly to Zürich and take the train to St.Moritz.
Bernina-Tirano and back
hire a car for 2 days
train to Zürich Airport

Everyone keeps telling me that the public transport is simple and that I should use that instead of hiring a car.
Why do you feel that a car will be best?
(it's my instinct to hire a car but I don't want to do that it it's just as easy to catch a train/bus)

My advice would be to buy a Swiss Rail pass for your visit. They give you unlimited travel on the bus, train and lake steamers as well as discounts on chair lifts, etc. The frequency and connecting of routes by train and bus in Switzerland do make public transit a viable alternative to hiring a car.

In the Engadine my favourite place is Sils Maria but that is from a walking/hiking point of view. It wouldn't be my first choice for , "a little bit off the main tourist track and encompassing lots of scenic mountains and characterful villages.", though.

The real issue to me is do you really want to go off the main tourist track? There is a reason why places are on the tourist track. Primarily because they encompass lots of scenic mountains and characterful villages.

You don't say where you parents have already been when they "passed through"+. If they actually did just pass through and spent no time anywhere then the main tourist track is probably where you should be going. Having said that, there is the main track and there is the main track. For example the number one area for scenic beauty is probably the Bernese Oberland in most people's opinion. But that doesn't mean you have to stay in Interlaken (probably the number one tourist stop in the country). There are plenty of smaller villages around that most regular posters here who are familiar with Switzerland would suggest instead such as Wengen, Grindelwald, Murren or Lauterbrunnen. http://www.google.ca/search?q=bernese</i>oberland&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=666&prmd=ivnsm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=aMD7Tcq9J4PY0QGXs63HAw&ved=0CEIQsAQ

Or you could just cross from Italy into Switzerland and head for Ascona which is sometimes referred to as the 'Swiss Riviera'. Spending 3 days in a hotel on the promenade there is a unique Swiss experience that most non-European tourists know nothing about. So off 'the main tourist track'. That would be a laid back 3 days on Lago Maggiorre more akin to the better known holiday on Lake Como on the Italian side. Kind of a blend of both Italy and Switzerland on the Swiss side. http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=666&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=ascona<i>switzerland&oq=ascona</i>&aq=0&aqi=g7g-m1&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=28459l30442l0l7l7l0l0l0l0l270l1384l0.4.3l7

Or you could stay in a more central location like the Lucerne area (not necessarily in Lucerne itself) and day trip to the Bernese Oberland one day and perhaps visit some little villages another day. One lesser known town I like north of Lucerne enroute to Basel is Zofingen for example. http://www.google.ca/search?q=zofingen&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=666&prmd=ivnsm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=C7_7TeebGOr20gGU_sCDAw&ved=0CGAQsAQ It is one of the best restored walled towns I've seen.

The problem is Switzerland is full of places worth seeing and you have very little time available. What you do not want to fall into though is doing to much moving from A to B and trying to cover too much in too little time. For my money I'd opt for a more central base with more attractions of every kind in the area. I like the Engadine but it just wouldn't be top of my list of places to spend 3 days in Switzerland unless I had been a whole lot of other places before.

Why a car ?

Hotel in St.Moritz and day trip to Guarda-Sta.Maria Val Müstair with public transport :

You arrive 10.08 in Guarda next connection to Sta.Maria 10.47 or 11.47.
39 min. to vistit Guarda is to short and 1 and a half hour is to long.

You arrive 13.12 in Sta.Maria. you have a connection to St. Moritz 13.38 or 14.38. the first is to short and the second to long.
for me it makes more sense to take a car : St.Moritz-Berninapass-Livignio-Bormio-Umbrailpass-Sta.Maria-Fluelapass-Zernez-Guarda-St.Moritz --> scenic mountains.

In my opinion, all the places mentioned by travelinstile are much less attractive than the Engiandina Valley and the other places mentioned by eticad. They are just fine if you want to see hordes of overseas tourists and nothing else.
h5n5:
Eticad must not visit Guarda and Mustair the same day. But if he wants to do so, it is feasible by public transport:
St. Moritz dp 8.02 - Mustair Clostra ar 10.21. Visit the monastery. Mustair Clostra dp 11.38 - Glurns ar 11.57. Have lunch in this scenic tiny medieval town. Glurns dp 13.40 - Mals 13.46/14.02 - along Lake Haider and Lake Reschen to Nauders ar 14.45. Enjoy this Austrian village and leave at 15.47 by bus to Scuol ar 16.25. Enjoy Scuol. Scuol dp 17.34 - Guarda village ar 17.57, dp 18.37 - St. Moritz ar 19.58.
BTW: there is absolutely no bus arriving at Guarda village at 10.08, neither is there another one leaving this place at 10.47 or 11.47.

Wie meinsch das ? no arriving at xx.08,,,
well so sbb.ch is wrong

arrive at Guarda is at 10:08.
Please note: Stop on request