What things to look out for when going to switzerland?

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Jean-Paul J

Here is a possible tour that you can do by only taking the train!

Day 1: Arrive in Geneva, the world "smallest metropolis." You can visit the United Nations HQ Europe; St. Peter's Cathedral and the Old Town; take a boat on Lake Geneva or just explore the town

Day 2: Take a train to Montreux and then take the MOB train to Interlaken, in the Heart of Switzerland. The MOB panoramic train is famous for views of stunning scenery. The journey from Geneva to Interlaken by train via Montreux takes just over 4 hours

Day 3: Visit the famous Jungfrau; the magnificent Schynigge Platte or the hidden treasure of central Switzerland, the Beatus Caves famous for its 40'000 year-old stalactite. In the afternoon, take the InterCity to Spiez, from there take the InterCity for Visp before taking the funicular up to Zermatt.

Day 4: Zermatt is known for being home to the starting point of many magnificent hikes. You could head to Gornergrat the town famous as being the starting point for the "Glacier Express"; you could go hiking around the area or you could head to Klein Matterhorn which, at 3'883 metres above sea level is the highest cable-way station in the world.

Afternoon: Take the world-famous "Glacier Express" train from Zermatt to St. Moritz in Central Switzerland. It is a journey of over 8.5 hours but it is really worth it. You will be able to see some breathtaking scenery over this 300-km long journey.

Day 5: St. Moritz is known for its hiking. Near to three beautiful lakes, St. Moritz is popular with windsurfers and hikers alike! You could also climb the many mountains that surround the town and you could dine in the panoramic restaurant on Muottas Muragl. Take the train to Lugano in Ticino

Day 6: Lugano is in the almost Mediterranean area of Ticino by the Lake Maggiore. You could take go by boat on the lake, or just visit the beautiful town. In the afternoon, take the train to ZÃ¼rich

Day 7: Visit ZÃ¼rich in the morning. Switzerland's largest city is famous for its Polytechnic University the ETHZM; its 50 museums (of which the Kunsthaus is the most famous). A must-see attraction is the famous Bahnofstrasse over a kilometre of chocolatiers, restaurants, department stores and much more! The Rietberg Museum is also a nice place to visit, known for its very diverse collection of art from outside Europe. You may even want to visit the famous ZÃ¼rich Zoo, known for 11'000 Square Metre "Ecosystems Hall" home to a giant indoor rainforest. In the afternoon, take the train to Geneva

Day 8: Travel back home

Hope this helped!

JPJ

PS. Have a look at the many interesting travel tips and details about places to stay at http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/home

PPS. Bus, Boat, Train, Tram and Cable-Car times can be found at www.rail.ch

Bix

Jean-Paul J's suggestions are fantastic. I'm particularly glad that he didn't mention Lucerne. I will never get it why so many tourists are going to Lucerne when there are so many other and better places in Switzerland...

I would like to add to Jean-Paul's suggestions that you should stay for a while in Montreux. In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful spots in Switzerland. You have to see Chateau Chillon which is just a 10 minute footwalk away from Montreux. This castle, the mild micro-climate of Montrex, the scenery of the Lake Geneva, vineyards... Simply beautiful.

And stay somewhere in Engadin (St. Moritz is in Engadin). The train journey with the RhÃ¤tische Bahn is fantastic but you have to get out of the train and see some of those small villages. Pontresina in Engadin is very beautiful.

If you go up to Jungfraujoch be sure that the weather is good. The trip there is a must but if the weather is not good, don't go. The ticket up there is quite expensive but it's worth it, unless the weather is not good.

Enjoy...

Stacy F

I'm really not sure about the expenses because it's been 10 years and I'm not sure what the exchange rate is now. But I can tell you what spots are good. Zurich is beautiful and a great place for shopping. You can also take the ferry or train from Zurich to any of the neighboring small towns. Luzerne is a great tourist spot, very rich in history and has great architecture. If you're staying in the southern part of Switzerland, I would recommend going to Lugano and then from there take a little day trip into Como, Italy.

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