Alpine Circle travel report
Maddy, Janosch, Dominic and Cliff were the first to test the Alpine Circle tour in May, coupled with the flexibility of Mobility. They show us how they experienced the trip.
Road trippin' through the Alps.
Ever heard of the Alpine Circle? It’s a round trip that combines the most spectacular sights of Grisons, leading through the Mesolcina Valley to Ticino. Glaciers, gorges, turquoise mountain lakes, castles – and a great time with friends. Sounds cool, said Maddy (19) and her crew – and they set off on their first ever road trip with Mobility.
Hi Maddy. Great to hear everything worked out. Ready to revel in some holiday memories?
Sure, any time!
In spring you went on the Alpine Circle with three friends. Tell me, how did this come about?
The four of us do a lot together. In winter we go snowboarding in the mountains and in summer we go to the lake or go hiking. And since we all got our driving licences at the beginning of 2021, we decided to do a road trip this time. We looked around for suitable routes and the Alpine Circle through Grisons and Ticino appealed to us straight away. So we got down to some planning.
How detailed was your tour planning?
Very (laughs). That was mainly my job. I looked up train connections and Mobility stations, found out costs, booked accommodation, researched hikes and so on. The result was a huge list with all the details of our daily programme during the trip.
So you combined train and car travel?
Exactly. That was perfect for us. Long distances – like from Laax to Bellinzona – were really great by train. For individual excursions we preferred to take Mobility. That way we were more flexible and it meant we could get to places that are not well served by public transport. Besides, we all really enjoy driving.
So did everything go smoothly?
Absolutely. We didn’t miss any sights, we didn’t miss any trains, we never got stuck in traffic and we always found parking very easily. So my plan worked out perfectly.
Did you have time for spontaneous activities, too?
Sure. That’s the beauty of travelling by car. On our way back to Locarno from the Verzasca Valley in the car, we were looking for the best pizzas in the region. According to Google, the place to go is Ascona. So we extended our Mobility booking spontaneously and drove there. The pizza was brilliant.
What were your tour highlights besides the excellent pizza?
That’s difficult to say. You know, when we were standing on the edge of the Rhine Gorge on the first day, we felt sure that would be impossible to beat. Then we were wowed time and time again – every day. But my most striking memory was the trip to Diavolezza glacier in the Engadine. And the bright blue Lake Cauma. We even had a swim there, by the way.
In May? The water must have been very cold...
Nine degrees to be exact (laughs). It really was very cold and we only lasted about two minutes in the water. But it was a unique experience. In general, the temperatures during our tour were pretty crazy. One day we were driving over the pass through the snow, and two hours later we were sitting in Ticino having lunch – in T-shirts and barefoot.
You used a total of three different Mobility cars during your trip. Which one did you like best?
Our favourite was definitely the BMW convertible. I’m a BMW fan anyway. And driving through the Verzasca Valley with the roof down definitely has its attraction.
Didn’t you ever fight over the car keys?
Not at all. We took turns and decided on the spot who was in the mood and was up for taking the wheel. That worked perfectly.
How do you normally travel on a day-to-day basis?
I go to work by train. But at weekends we usually book a Mobility car for excursions. Even if the weather is not so great – just to drive around. My independence is very important to me. I like to be spontaneous and decide for myself where I want to go and when. That’s much easier by car than by train.
Are you already planning your next road trip?
In winter we’re going snowboarding in the mountains. But we definitely all want to plan another Switzerland tour soon. Whenever we get together, we always talk about all the cool experiences we had on the road. Who knows, we might even go to the Verzasca Valley again. We actually wanted to go bungee jumping, but the facility was closed. That just cries out for a second trip to the south!