Mr Who
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Good to hear that an 18 year old still calls herself a girl :-) You are right, Geneva is expensive, but not really for a tourist that you are (since you don't have to pay for housing). Start your trip at Geneva (one day will do, not really very interesting), then travel around in a circle. Buy a Swiss railway holiday pass (121 $, see here: http://www.swisspasses.com/railpass/?PHPSESSID=4ae8825d4ef60a5c19a69324faf72c98 ), go to places like Berne (the capital, nice old town where you'll find the Swiss parliament, to be visited), Zurich (my home town, lots to do and see, the main attractions can be done walking around) but NOT Lucerne (the greatest tourist trap in Switzerland), maybe Bernese Oberland (try to avoid Interlaken, again a tourist trap, expensive, though), then come back to Geneva.
Plenty of concerts in July in many places. Remember, you come in high season, the country will be full with tourists from around the world. Very special: The Montreux Jazz Festival which takes place from July 3 - 18, 2009! Montreux is only a hop away from Geneva - if you can, go, it's one of the best Switzerland has to offer at this time of the year. See here for details: http://www.montreuxjazz.com/?lang=en .
And the best news: There are Youth Hostels everywhere, even in the most touristy destinations - also in Montreux, just around the corner from the Jazz Festival (but book now since beds might be looked after heavily). Check this website for info: http://www.youthhostel.ch/home.html?&L=1
An insider tip for eating out relatively cheap: Look out for the"Migros" supermarket restaurants, to be found around the whole country. Let yourself be invited if you want to drink alcohol since this is an expensive item in public places :-) And one last thing: Don't expect Swiss watches to be cheap in Switzerland. Save your money, take a flight down to Hong Kong, buy 'em there! I speak from personal experience, I have seen a great lot of this world... But bring some Swiss chocolate bars if you go to England, they can be bought at best prices at supermarkets like "Denner".
Happy travelling in the Land of the crazy Helvets! |
andä
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ok, i didn't read the looong answers above, but just a travel tip if you would really like to get to know the culture of a country and have a place to stay that doesn't cost as much as expensive hotels/motels/hostels, and you are not alone, you meet a lot of open-minded cool people:
www.couchsurfing.com it's a great thing.
other than that, i can recommend fribourg as a place to stay as it is not that expensive and there's quite a few things to do... it's a pretty small city though! same for bern which is nice too! it's no problem getting around here in switzerland, just hop on a train and a couple of hours later you're pretty much anywhere in this small country :)
check out http://www.sbb.ch for schedules and fares.
enjoy your stay here :) |
tobster
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Geneva is really beautiful in the summer, cituated at a big lake with loads of cafes, bars and restaurants. there are hostels very close to the main train station which is connected with the airport through a train, 10 minutes maybe. Geneva doesn't have to be expensive, there is something for everyone. really nice bath in the center for a few bucks with view over the city and the mountains, there is a bar to and a mixed crowd. on the other side you can go windsurfing. the city is really flat so it's perfect for cycling. you can lend one for free, just leaving a depot behind. great nightlife with something for everyone. It's a city where you find everything and it's the most beautiful swiss city in summer if you ask me. ZĂĽrich is great to, but everything is much more apart than in geneva. It's difficult to find your way there if you don't know where to go. basel is another nice city in summer. Bern I personally find one of the most boring cities in Switzerland. Lausanne is great to, about 25 minutes from geneva with really beautiful sceneries and cituated at the lake as well. feel free to mail me if you have any questions. |
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