lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Apr 15, 2014 10:17:08 GMT -5
I'm finalizing my itinerary for 2 weeks in Switzerland in Sept. Any place that I should make sure not to miss? And any tips to save money? It looks like Switzerland is one of the most expensive places to stay in Europe.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Apr 15, 2014 10:33:29 GMT -5
I spent 2 months in southern Switzerland several years ago, June-July. I was working and the trip was fully funded by my company. We had a lot of time to spend traveling and seeing lots of places in between work.
We had a unlimited rail pass (paid for by work) instead of a rental car, and it was great. Cheaper too, I think. We were not in any of the big cities (other than in and out of the airport), and we got around via rail and sometimes bus pretty well.
One of my co-workers was excited about "year round" skiing, but a lot of the places were shut down for maintenance. I am not a snow skier so no big deal for me.
We took a few day trips to Zermatt (via Visp), which is a ski village where you can see the Matterhorn if it is clear. We also went to a very quaint ski village called Saas Fee (via bus from Visp) that was very lovely and quiet since the ski slopes were down. We also took some mountain trips from Interlaken to Jungfrau. Depending on where you are, this may be easier to get to since it is from the north side of the Alps. Spent a lovely day in Sion, which is in the more French area of Switzerland.
If you are in the Alps region, it is much cheaper to stay in the Valley (we were based in Visp for work) than up in the ski villages.
Even if you just take a train trip through the alps (line that Visp is on) you get a pretty awesome view.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Apr 15, 2014 10:33:27 GMT -5
Yup!
I've only been to the Lake Lucerne area and hiked through the Swiss Alps almost four years ago. Had a blast.
Here's a couple of pix: s1321.photobucket.com/user/pattona/slideshow/Hiking%20the%20Swiss%20Alps?sort=4
There is an "Ice Museum" at the top of the Jungfrau.
My favorite of course is the last one with the high heel shoe.
ETA: If you're going to be in the Swiss Alps rent the movie "North Face" about the race to climb the Eiger.
And brace yourself for the cost of the various "lift" and cable car rides. Four years ago they were averaging $50+. Just suck it up and pay. The views are incredible.
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Apr 15, 2014 11:05:46 GMT -5
I hear that the Swiss are a friendly and accommodating people, so you should have no trouble staying on the couches of random Swiss folks in order to save on lodging. Just ask. If they raise a fuss, just tell them that they can afford it since they hid all that gold for the Nazi's. That should shut them up.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2014 11:34:08 GMT -5
Zermatt for sure. Lake Geneva area also is beautiful and the Fraumünster Church in Zürich for gorgeous Marc Chagall stained glass.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2014 11:36:06 GMT -5
And I have a friend moving there in June!
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Apr 15, 2014 11:58:06 GMT -5
Check out hostels and B and B's, they're cheaper than regular hotels, and get fruit/crackers/cheese and do picnic lunches rather than eating in restaurants for all your meals.
Haven't been to Switzerland for years, so I can't recall any particularly noteworthy stops - don't miss the Alps, but it's kind of hard to, since they're fairly large...
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Spellbound454
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Post by Spellbound454 on Apr 15, 2014 12:23:32 GMT -5
Went one summer when I was a child but the things that stick in my mind Cows with bells on. Cuckoo clocks. Town buildings with shutters...Pretty mountains that were much colder on top than it was in the valley and the lights over lake Lucerne. I've always wanted to go back to see it with adult eyes.....My best wishes.
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wyouser
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Post by wyouser on Apr 15, 2014 14:58:38 GMT -5
Spent a fair amount of time there in 1971. More briefly in 2003. Alps are spectacular. Reinfalls at Schaffhausen are neat. Zurich, Geneva, Basel all really cool cities. A road trip round the base of the Bodensee on the Swiss side is cool too. You can take a cruise on the Bodensee too. Just an aside, on the German side of the Bodensee at Friedrichshafen you can book a Zepplin ride. Fantastic vies of the alps from a slowmoving platform.
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aprilleigh
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Post by aprilleigh on Apr 15, 2014 16:16:19 GMT -5
I love Lucerne! We met up with an acquaintance of my husband in Geneva, and she gave us the best advice (that I'm sure we should have known already): The blue road signs are for the freeways, the green signs are for the "surface roads". So when we were going somewhere, we'd just get there on the freeway, then follow the green signs back to Geneva. That was super fun. Also, there's an awesome sculpture of a giant fork in Vevey. And then we did the tour at the Cailler chocolate factory. cailler.ch/en/
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Apr 15, 2014 17:04:19 GMT -5
Interlaken to Jungfrau.
We spent several days in Interlaken and I would go back right now if I could. Took the cog train half way up the mountain and had lunch in a small café that had just opened for the season. Listened to the bells on the cows and goats, visited a cave with a waterfall inside. Can't remember the name.
It's one of the several places I would choose to live if I could.
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lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Apr 15, 2014 17:26:01 GMT -5
So far I'm going to most of the places mentioned (and traveling only by train): Lucerne, Lake Geneva, Interlaken, Zermatt. DH also wants to go to Chamonix in France. Also planning on the southern Alps, San Moritz, and then the train ride through Italy and back to Lugarno.
Has anyone done this part?
We were not planning much of the part near Germany (Bern, Basil and Zurich). Any opinions on Northern vs/ Southern Switzerland?
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Apr 16, 2014 8:49:45 GMT -5
We took the train to a town in Itally called Stresa. It was recommended by one of the locals we were working with in Switzerland. It was awesome. Little town at the base of the Italian Alps with a lovely lake, took a boat ride to an island in the middle of the lake.
It is on the main rail line to Milan, so it easy to get to, and you can walk through the whole town. It was only about hour train ride from Visp, we went there for a long day trip. Highly recommended.
Not sure about a trip to France, there are plenty of towns in Southeastern Switzerland that are French culture, we went to Sion and got plenty of French culture and it is easier to get to.
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lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Apr 16, 2014 11:01:48 GMT -5
This is why he wants to go to Chamonix, it's just across the border. Mount Blanc There is a very famous hike from Mt. Blanc to Zermatt (Matterhorn), with nights in mountain huts. But it's way beyond our ability or the time we have.
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Apr 16, 2014 13:32:03 GMT -5
I was in Lake Lucerne about 10 years ago. There is a very cool place within driving distance. It is called something like Bundersburg. They took all of the historical buildings from around the area & placed thim here to make a town showing what Switzerland would have been like in historic times. Sort of like our Williamsburg or such. It was really cute & quaint. The gardens were amazing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 13:39:58 GMT -5
I really want to go to Switzerland some day. My mother's side is predominately Swiss and I remember my grandparents going several times to see their parents hometown. Heidi was one of my favorite books when I was little because my Grandma would read it to me all the time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 20:20:39 GMT -5
This is why he wants to go to Chamonix, it's just across the border. Mount Blanc There is a very famous hike from Mt. Blanc to Zermatt (Matterhorn), with nights in mountain huts. But it's way beyond our ability or the time we have. The Hills are aliiiiiiiiiiiive with the Sound of Muuuuuuuuuusicccccccccccccccc!!!!!!!!!! (seriously! Couldn't resist) I did have a friend go a few years ago as a chaperone for a music festival thing and she said it was beautiful there but all I really remember is the chocolate she brought us. We made little piggies out of ourselves with that chocolate. Good stuff.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Apr 16, 2014 20:21:54 GMT -5
This is why he wants to go to Chamonix, it's just across the border. Mount Blanc There is a very famous hike from Mt. Blanc to Zermatt (Matterhorn), with nights in mountain huts. But it's way beyond our ability or the time we have. Lynner,
A lot of the towns in Switzerland look like the first photo. They are adorable.
Mountain huts can really vary. Think of a youth hostel in the best case. Food wasn't great. We stayed in two in Switzerland. B&Bs are a lot better if you have a choice.
Of course hiking in Croatia made the Swiss huts look like palaces.
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lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Apr 16, 2014 21:31:39 GMT -5
Lynner,
A lot of the towns in Switzerland look like the first photo. They are adorable.
Mountain huts can really vary. Think of a youth hostel in the best case. Food wasn't great. We stayed in two in Switzerland. B&Bs are a lot better if you have a choice.
Of course hiking in Croatia made the Swiss huts look like palaces.
Yes, I know that it looks just like Switzerland, but he has his heart on going to Mt. Blanc, and it fits out trip.
And we are not spending any nights in huts this trip. At some point we would like to do some hut to hut hiking realizing that it is very basic, but not this trip.
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