To Toggenburg without a car: arriving by train

There is one question guests from the city and from abroad ask us again and again, usually before they book: do we need a car at your place? No, you don’t. Alt St. Johann is about an hour from Zurich, and you can reach the village by train and bus. From the bus stop it is a two-minute walk to our front door at Hauptstrasse 36, and the village shop is right next to it. If you are travelling with small children, with grandparents or from far away, you notice it quickly: the last leg is the easiest one.

From Zurich into the valley, no car key needed

The journey is unspectacular, and that is exactly the good part. You take the train into eastern Switzerland and into the Toggenburg valley, change to the bus down in the valley and ride up to Alt St. Johann. If you are coming from further afield, you usually reach Zurich first anyway and simply continue from there on the regional connection. About an hour from Zurich: close enough that the children keep their patience, far enough that the valley behind the hills really does feel different from the city.

What we like most about it: at the end there is no narrow mountain road and no hunt for a parking space, just a short walk with your luggage. If you are unsure which connection fits your arrival time, write to us before you travel. We are happy to help.

Arriving with a number code

There is no key handover here that you have to plan your day around. Check-in works on your own with a number code that you receive from us beforehand. That matters on the days when a train runs late or the bus only comes in the evening: you arrive, type in the code and you are in. Inside you will find high-speed WiFi and a smart TV with Netflix, Disney+ and Replay, and an apartment where nothing is left for you to organise.

Two minutes on foot: shop, bus, everything you need

Without a car, the shopping question comes up fast. The answer here is short: the village shop is a two-minute walk away, and so is the bus stop. You fetch bread, milk and cheese on foot, and both apartments have a fully equipped kitchen where you can actually do something with them. For the cooler evenings, a fondue set and a raclette set are ready.

A washing machine and a tumble dryer are part of the package too. That sounds unremarkable, but it is the reason you can travel with less luggage. Anyone who has ever boarded a bus with two children and three suitcases knows what that is worth.

You don’t need a car once you are here either

In winter you step into your skis almost in front of the house. The cross-country trail starts ten metres away, the ski school is 200 metres off, and ski-in and ski-out are not a marketing line here but simply the way to the slope. Gear and wet boots go into the ski room instead of the living room. More about the cold season in our piece on the Chäserrugg ski area.

In summer you set off on foot. The mountain lakes Schwendisee and Gräppelensee make a good day with children, and we described them in this article. All around stand the Churfirsten, the Schafberg, the Säntis and the Chäserrugg. Walks of every length are in our hiking overview, and if you want to go high, the cable car takes you up the Chäserrugg. A quieter day suits the Klangwelt Toggenburg. For everything further away, the bus leaves from the stop in the village.

Two apartments, one house, plenty of room

We are Isabel and Sandro, and we rent out two holiday apartments in the historic SutterSport house. Louisa’s Loft is on the ground floor, measures about 85 m² and sleeps up to 6 guests: two bedrooms, a sofa bed, one bathroom and, in addition, the room called Schafberg-Chalet on the upper floor. It comes with its own outdoor hot tub. From CHF 110 per night, plus final cleaning and visitor’s tax.

Louisa’s Gallery is an apartment with a gallery level, about 106 m² for up to 6 guests, with two bedrooms, a sofa bed, a bathroom with a bathtub and a gallery floor with table tennis and a work desk. The large outdoor hot tub takes up to 5 people. From CHF 130 per night, plus final cleaning and visitor’s tax.

If several families travel together, or three generations at once, you can take the whole house: up to 12 guests, two hot tubs, two kitchens, two terraces, from CHF 280 per night, plus final cleaning and visitor’s tax. Every family has a place to retreat to, and in the evening you still sit around one table together.

For the children there is a play corner, a foosball table, a travel cot and a high chair. Dogs are welcome, the dog fee is CHF 40 in the Loft and CHF 50 in the Gallery, and there is more on that in our article about Toggenburg with a dog. Our own dog is called Lou, a Mini Australian Shepherd, and she usually greets you first. On Airbnb we stand at 5.0 out of 16 reviews and carry the Guest Favourite badge.

If you have questions about getting here, simply write to us. We are glad to tell you how to reach us without a car and what you need for the trip.