VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Graubünden by campervan from Zurich: Flüela, Albula and the Engadine
A campervan road trip through Graubünden from Zurich: the Flüela and Albula passes, the Engadine, Morteratsch campsite, the vignette and Swiss rules.
The canton of Graubünden is Switzerland at full scale: Europe's highest inhabited villages, legendary passes, and the Engadine, a luminous valley at 1,800 m. From Zurich you're there in two hours — one of Europe's best short road trips.
The loop (4–5 days, 450 km)
Zurich → Davos over the Flüela Pass (2,383 m) → the Engadine: Zuoz, Samedan, St. Moritz → up to the Bernina Pass (2,328 m) and the Morteratsch glacier → back over the Albula Pass, running parallel to the UNESCO-listed railway whose viaducts leap over the road. Ambitious variant: push on to the Val Müstair or the Stelvio on the Italian side.
The spot: Morteratsch campsite
At 1,852 m, facing the glacier, the Morteratsch site near Pontresina is one of the most spectacular in the Alps (about CHF 40–50 a night for two with the van). The glacier trail starts right at the campsite. In the Engadine as everywhere in Switzerland, wild camping is heavily restricted and managed canton by canton: stick to campsites and official stopovers — our wild camping in Europe guide covers it country by country.
Vignette and Swiss specifics
- Motorway vignette required: CHF 40 for vehicles up to 3.5 t (heavier vehicles pay a separate heavy-vehicle charge — check your rental's weight).
- Fuel runs 10–15% dearer than in France or Italy: fill up before the border.
- The Flüela and Albula passes close in winter; from June to October everything is open.
Renting in Zurich
Expect €95–160/day for a campervan or converted van in summer. Zurich's supply is high quality but pricey: also compare departures from Munich or Freiburg im Breisgau, often 20% cheaper for the same itinerary. One Van-Comparator search queries Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers across each city simultaneously. Allow a buffer day too: in the Engadine, the weather between two passes can rewrite your plan — usually for the better.