[Removed user]

19 July 2015 at 8:13:50 #807581

Dear All,

I am travelling first time to Switzerland landing on September 3rd 2.00 PM(Zurich) and return from Geneva 4.00 PM on Septemebr 9 and would like to know the following:

1. is it recommended to carry CHF/ Euro/USD ?
2. I prefer to drive through the country side of Swiss, which is best rent a car option.
3. I would like to use the public transport and rent car combination and explore the maximum possible, please recommend to which are should I use the rent a car and which area Public transport.
4. for site seeing and accommodation I have a total budget of USD 4000

I would be really thankful for your valuable suggestions, I don’t mind staying in a home stay, all I care about is that it should be a safer option.

Regards,

Deepak

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[Arno]

19 July 2015 at 11:42:26 #844565

Hi Deepak, and thanks for your first post here!

1. CHF is the only official currency in Switzerland, so that’s recommended. EUR is accepted in quite a few places but it’s an expensive way to pay. US dollars are useless in Switzerland. Please also see myswissalps.com/ swissfranc.
2. Please see here to find rental car.
3. If you want to rent a car you usually to the town to town transfers by car and (part of) the day trips by public transport, because mountains trains, cable cars and boats get you to places where cars can’t go. A Swiss Half Fare Card, and possibly a Swiss Coupon Pass, are passes to save money in such a case. However, doing it all by trains instead of by car is highly recommended. Driving in a country you don’t know can be quite tiresome, and the driver can’t enjoy the views while driving as he has to pay attention to the road at all times, especially on mountain roads. The train system is comfortable, safe and eco-friendly. Please see myswissalps.com/car and myswissalps.com/train to compare.
4. All accommodation is safe except perhaps for a few areas in the bigger cities late at night, but these are not the locations to stay as a tourist anyway. Please see here for your options.

The page myswissalps.com/plantrip is a good start to begin planning.

[Slowpoke]

19 July 2015 at 15:50:02 #844566

Hi Deepak –

That budget should allow very comfortable, but not luxurious accommodations and comfortably cover travel and meals, plus sightseeing costs. Even if you seek out cheaper lodgings, they will be clean and comfortable.

http://www.myswissalps.com/accommodation

Early September is a good time to visit the Alps, so I would include them in your plans. There are many places to do that. The Jungfrau region (the Bernese Oberland) is the most famous, but other mountainous areas are nice, too

http://www.myswissalps.com/regions

In the Jungfrau region, many towns are car free, and public transport is the only way to travel.

Arno has suggested that you use public transport for the whole trip. That is a good idea. If you are uncertain,after you plan your itinerary, you (and we) could look at it and see if anything suggests renting a car.

I have visited Switzerland many, many times, and have developed a pattern of travel that uses inns in the countryside or suburbs as places to sleep. I often walk on trails that are most easily reached by car. And, some are in out of the way places, where a bus might only run 2 or 4 times per day. But, even those can often be reached by bus or train.

So, for that kind of travel, a car becomes useful, because of flexibility in places where most tourists do not go. You don’t need a car to see grand scenery. Of course, you can stop a car to take a photograph. 😉

Even with a car, I spend a lot of hours on the trains. And, a first time tourist almost always goes to places with frequent train and bus service.

Let us know where you will be going, after you do some planning.

[Removed user]

20 July 2015 at 7:48:32 #844567

Dear Arno,

Thank you so much for such a descriptive response. I went through all your links and I thank you for recommending me to use public transport over cars. This site really helped me. I was wondering whether to book hotels from Dubai itself or I will walk in to the budget hotels and rent a room ? As I am flying on 3rd of September, what are the chances of room getting full.

Regards,

Deepak

[Removed user]

20 July 2015 at 7:52:39 #844568

Dear Slowpoke,

I really appreciate you idea and I am going to plan my trip fully based on yours and Arno’s suggestion. I will send across my itinerary for your expert advise within one week.

Regards,

Deepak

[Arno]

20 July 2015 at 15:40:58 #844569

Hi Deepak,

High season will be over by September, although it’s still quite a popular month. Whether there are plenty of rooms available will depend on the location, and some luck. If you want to stay in a popular small village with only a few hotels there’s a risk they’ll be booked out or only have the more expensive rooms available. Personally I like to book in advance because I find a good location very important. Most hotels allow cancellations if you cancel within a certain time frame. Some even allow cancellation on the day of arrival, mostly if booked through a hotel booking site (we mainly use http://www.hotelscombined.com).

You can find lots of hotel suggestions through myswissalps.com/ hotels.

[Removed user]

24 July 2015 at 18:58:32 #844570

Dear Arno,

I totally understand your comment and I shall book in advance as guided by you. I will prepare an itinerary for your expert suggestions.

Regards,

Deepak