When St. Moritz is not the right choice

St. Moritz is not the right destination for every trip, and knowing that in advance saves a lot of frustration. I live up here and regularly point people toward the next valley because they will be happier there. Here are the cases where I would advise against it, and then the ones where I would not.

1. If you come in the shoulder season

This is the most common mistake and the most annoying one. Between mid-April and mid-June, and between late October and early December, the valley takes a break.

Mountain railways stand still, many restaurants are closed, and the higher trails are either still or already under snow. Arrive then and you find a very beautiful, very empty village with little to do.

Better: July to September, or January to March. Everything in between needs a reason.

2. If you want to travel cheaply

St. Moritz is expensive, and no insider tip changes that. In high season you pay noticeably more for a bed and a meal here than in comparable alpine valleys.

The range is wider than the reputation, though. Trails, the lake circuit and the bathing spots cost nothing, and outside the high season prices drop appreciably.

Better: If the budget is tight, the Val Müstair, Poschiavo or Bregaglia next door are considerably cheaper and no weaker on scenery.

3. If you have very small children with you

Around 1,800 metres, cool evenings even in July, and paths that turn steep quickly: manageable with toddlers, but not something that happens by itself.

On top of that, many houses here are built around couples and adults, ours included. If you need a kids' club, an indoor pool and a restaurant at six, look for those specifically.

Better: A large house with family infrastructure, or a destination at lower altitude.

4. If you expect guaranteed weather

There is no guaranteed weather in the mountains. At the end of July it can turn from sun to sleet within an hour, and in winter fog can take the view away for three days.

If your trip only works with sunshine, plan for the risk. Stay a week and you will almost always get your days. Come for a weekend and you can be unlucky.

Better: Stay longer, or choose a programme that holds up in any weather.

5. If you want to bring a car

This sounds like a detail but matters in practice. Parking is scarce and expensive, the village is tight, and in winter the passes are unpredictable.

The best thing about this valley is that you can experience it without a car. People who drive here park on day one and collect it on the last.

— Marco Balz, Outdoor & Adventures

Better: Come by the Rhaetian Railway over the Albula line. Buses serve the valley, and you can walk anywhere in the village.

6. If you are after crowds and nightlife

St. Moritz has a reputation built on a handful of weeks a year. Outside those weeks it is a quiet mountain village where not much is happening after eleven.

If you want continuous nightlife, this is the wrong address. If you want evenings that run long because someone is at the piano, you are in the right place.

When St. Moritz is exactly right

• For two to five summer days with long bright evenings and trails from the doorstep.
• For people who like walking. The lake circuit is flat and takes a good hour; high trails begin at every top station.
• For couples and small groups who would rather stay put in the evening than move on.
• For occasions. A valley where the setting carries half the evening.
• In September, when it is clearer, emptier and cheaper than at the height of summer.

What is happening in our house is in the programme, and our suggestions for the valley are under experiences. What a weekend here actually looks like is in the summer guide.

And if you are unsure whether your trip suits this place: write to us. We will tell you honestly, even when the answer is no.