Switzerland is fabulous. I just came back from a trip to Switzerland. It was my first trip after the border restrictions were lifted in Europe post-COVID-19. As a matter of fact, Switzerland is just a short train ride away from where I live in Germany. However, I was always a bit skeptical about visiting Switzerland because of many reasons.
Firstly, it was the expense. In fact, Switzerland is extremely costly. Secondly, it was the crowd. Personally, I do not like to visit places where I must stand in long queues and get no place to sit on public transport.
Switzerland is a favorite destination for people from many countries because of the popular movies that were being shot here. Honestly, I do not blame them.
I was always intrigued to visit Switzerland but never got the chance. Finally, when I did, it was really a dream come true. Switzerland is prettier than the pictures you have seen or the places you have seen in movies. It is everything that you dream about and more.
My 7-day itinerary included all the favorite tourist destinations and a few whimsical plans.
I visited Montreux, Zermatt, Lucerne, Zurich, Interlaken, Rigi, the Jungfrau region and many more destinations. Switzerland is a small country so you can basically go anywhere in the country in a very short time.
Things to know before visiting Switzerland
- Switzerland is not just expensive but crazy expensive. However, there are some ways you can curb your expenses. I will write a separate post on that later.
- Switzerland is beautiful through and through. Therefore, do not try to rush your itinerary. Relax and enjoy each spot that you visit instead of covering everything in one trip.
- Go for places that are lesser-known. In fact, you will find true beauty in those places. Although the Swiss have done great marketing to promote a few places. In reality, they will cost you a fortune to visit, and trust me there are far better places that you can visit for free.
- Get your Swiss Pass and/or other tickets online to avoid the queues. It will save you a lot of time.We got ours from Viator.
- Every restaurant in Switzerland is very expensive and the food is just okay. Avoid eating in restaurants and instead, buy food from the Supermarkets and end up saving a fortune.
We bought our food from COOP.
- Go for unique experiences instead of following the crowd. As a result, learn about the locals and their ways of life. You will not regret it.
For instance, I chose paragliding over a trip to Jungfraujoch and I do not regret it one bit. - You will be traveling in a lot of trains and other public transports during your trip. Make sure to look back and check your seats every time you leave a place.
I left my favorite hat in one of the trains and thought I would try my luck at the Lost and Found department in Interlaken. However, I was told I will be charged 20 to 50 Francs if they find and return it to me. Therefore, I just decided to buy a new hat instead.
- Wear very sturdy and comfortable shoes on your trip to Switzerland in order to avoid unprecedented setbacks.
I decided to wear my Stan Smith sneakers on my last hike and ended up hurting my knee pretty badly. Thankfully, it was my last day.
- Always check the timing of the last public transport before visiting a place and keep enough time in hand. The mountain railways close pretty early even in summer.
- Lastly, try to keep your plan compact and straight-forward. Switzerland is intriguing and every place will invite you towards it. So, it is important to stick to your plans.
Visiting Switzerland after Covid- 19
The public transport is running in its normal schedule now. You can check the live timings of all public transport including cable cars in the SBB App. If you do not have a pass, you can just buy tickets from the app within seconds.
It was quite empty in Switzerland with all the flights from the main tourist countries being cancelled. We almost never had to stand in any queues throughout our entire trip. You can know more about being safe after COVID-19 in this post.
I will be writing about all the adventures I had in the week I spent in Switzerland. It was more than perfect, and I would be glad to give you insights if you are also planning to visit Switzerland.
Now that you know the basics, I will go straight to my adventures in Switzerland. I am very excited to write about all the experiences and hope you like it too!
(Updated) Find my other Switzerland blogs here.
