Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Switzerland

Chur

Stay one night in Chur: old town in the evening, then the Albula line or a Brambrüesch walk next morning if the lift is running. Two nights only for an Arosa or Lenzerheide day.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CHF
Best months
Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
avoid Nov (quiet, lifts closed), late Oct–early Dec
Airport
ZRH
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
  • Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.

Chur is the rail gateway to Graubünden: the junction where SBB mainline trains from Zurich meet the RhB narrow-gauge lines to Davos, St. Moritz and Arosa, plus PostBus routes into the side valleys. The car-free old town is small enough to walk in two hours, so most travellers use it as a night between Zurich and the mountains rather than a destination. Add a second night only for a mountain day on Brambrüesch, Arosa or Lenzerheide.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Chur, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee in a caféCHF 4–6
  • Sit-down mealMain course in an old-town restaurantCHF 28–45
  • Street or quick mealSupermarket sandwich or picnic lunchCHF 8–14
  • Beer0.5 l draught / supermarket canCHF 7–9CHF 2–3
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus single rideCHF 3–4 (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCHF 45
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomCHF 200
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomCHF 380

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CHF 90 · Mid CHF 160 · High CHF 280

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Old town and cathedralBrambrüesch cable carRail hub for GraubündenBündnerfleisch and Capuns
Airports
ZRH Zurich Airport (Direct SBB trains to Chur, about 1 h 50 min; no change needed.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Chur: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

−3°C

9 rd

Feb

6°C

−2°C

8 rd

Mar

10°C

1°C

10 rd

Apr

14°C

4°C

11 rd

May

19°C

8°C

13 rd

Jun

22°C

11°C

13 rd

Jul

24°C

13°C

13 rd

Aug

24°C

13°C

13 rd

Sep

20°C

10°C

10 rd

Oct

15°C

6°C

9 rd

Nov

8°C

1°C

9 rd

Dec

5°C

−2°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk. The old town is car-free and the station to cathedral is about 10 minutes on foot. City buses run five routes; buy a single ticket or a day pass from the machine. Trains reach Chur West and Chur Wiesental, and the Brambrüesch cable car base is a short bus or 20-minute walk from the centre.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Arosa

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

RhB train from Chur, about 1 h

Mountain village and lake; lifts run summer and winter.

Lenzerheidego

Door to door: About 1 h

PostBus from Chur station via Churwalden, about 45 min

Bike park and hiking in summer, ski area in winter; no train, bus only.

Davosgo

Door to door: About 1 h 40 min

RhB train from Chur, about 1 h 30 min

Doable as a long day; better as an onward stop.

St. Moritzovernight

Door to door: About 2 h 15 min

RhB via the Albula line, about 2 h

The Albula railway is the point of the trip; sleep one night.

Klosters

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

RhB from Chur with a change at Landquart, about 1 h 15 min total

Quiet valley base on the Davos line; check the connection at Landquart.

Tujetsch

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

RhB to Disentis, then bus or train onward

Upper Rhine source country; too far for a return day.

Val Mesolcina

caution

Door to door: About 2 h 15 min

PostBus south via Thusis and the San Bernardino pass, about 2 h

Italian-speaking valley; sparse buses, check times before committing.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Old town (Altstadt)

Car-free lanes, cathedral and restaurants on foot; quiet at night, few beds.

Bahnhofstrasse and station area

Shops, supermarkets and the platform for early trains; 5–10 min walk to the old town.

Welschdörfli

Bars and the hostel strip south of the centre; noisier on weekends.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
CHF 90–130 excl. bed
Mid
CHF 150–230 excl. bed
High
CHF 250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 1 night × CHF 200CHF 200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × CHF 160CHF 320
SBB Zurich Airport → Chur, one way2 × CHF 40 · checkCHF 80
Chur city bus day pass2 × CHF 8 · checkCHF 16
Brambrüesch cable car, return2 × CHF 30 · checkCHF 60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CHF 20CHF 40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCHF 72
Trip total≈ CHF 394 per person per day, bed includedCHF 788≈ US$1,000

2026 estimate in Swiss francs; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee in a caféCHF 4–6
Plate of Capuns or a bowl of soupCHF 18–28
Main course in an old-town restaurantCHF 28–45
Beer, 0.5 l draught / supermarket canCHF 7–9 / CHF 2–3
Supermarket sandwich or picnic lunchCHF 8–14
City bus single rideCHF 3–4 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Chur is a low-risk town; the real issues are winter ice on old-town steps, fast e-bikes on the riverside path, and mountain weather that turns above the tree line.
  • Shops close on Sunday; buy food on Saturday.
  • Old-town lanes are cobbled and steep in places: wheeled bags are awkward.
  • Brambrüesch and mountain lifts close for maintenance outside season: check before you go up.
  • Card is accepted almost everywhere, but small bakeries and market stalls may be cash only.

Emergency numbers

Police
117
Ambulance
144
Fire
118
European emergency
112
Rega air rescue
1414

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

ChurChur

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Bitte uf die AdrässeTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police117
  • Ambulance144
  • Fire118
  • European emergency112
  • Rega air rescue1414

Embassy

No embassies in Chur; the US and UK embassies are in Bern, most consulates-general in Zurich.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Zurich Airport → Chur, SBB: about CHF 40, about 1 h 50 min (check)
  • Chur → Arosa, RhB: about CHF 15–20, about 1 h (check)
  • Chur → St. Moritz, RhB via Albula: about CHF 40–50, about 2 h (check)

Say or show

  • Grüezi — Hello (GRUE-tsi)
  • Merci vilmal — Thank you (MER-si feel-mol)
  • Exgüsi — Excuse me (ex-GUE-si)
  • Was kostet das? — How much is it? (vas KOS-tet das)
  • Cha ich mit Karte zahle? — Can I pay by card? (kha ikh mit KAR-te TSA-le)
  • Wo isch de Bahnhof? — Where is the station? (vo ish de BAHN-hof)

Swiss German here is the Graubünden dialect; standard German is understood everywhere.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Chur. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar · avoid Nov (quiet, lifts closed), late Oct–early Dec · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ZRH: last direct SBB departure to Chur, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: station and Bahnhofstrasse, old town and cathedral, Welschdörfli, Brambrüesch base.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (cathedral, Brambrüesch, Obere Au pools, RhB platforms) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Golden and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Switzerland

Sources