MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial 6 weeks in Switzerland late August – early October
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My husband and I have just returned home after spending 6 wonderful weeks travelling around Switzerland (late August to early October). This was a postponed trip from 2020 (due to Covid). We have followed My Swiss Alps while preparing for both trips and have found it invaluable. The least we can do is share some hints that might help others.
Our itinerary followed a big circle going as far south as Geneva and north to St Gallen and all the mountains and lakes in between. We chose to travel slowly in case we struck bad weather, particularly in the mountains. However we had good weather for most of the trip and had no trouble filling in the “extra” days. Zermatt was the only place where we stuck bad weather. The Matterhorn made an appearance on our third day – and was definitely worth the wait.
Between the time we booked our trip and began our trip the value of the Australian dollar dropped considerably so our initial budget was too low. Our accommodation, train and excursion costs were fixed so the main way we saved money was in meals (see below).
We hardly used any cash. Credit/debit cards are expected everywhere even for very small amounts (eg a few francs).
Trains
There are always lots of questions about train passes on the forum. Here is our opinion to add to all the others! We used the Excel spreadsheet to calculate which pass was best. It was a great way to work out a budget for our trip. Our conclusion was to buy 2 x 15 day Swiss Travel Passes and one 8 day Swiss Travel Pass. The cost was higher (particularly for the 8 day pass) than buying point to point tickets and paying full price for museums, cable cars etc. However, we think the convenience of the passes was worth the extra money and we would do the same again for the 15 day passes. I don’t think the 8 day (or less) passes are good value for our style of travel.
Most but not all trains are on the SBB app. If we had more than one change of trains we checked at the ticket office and sometimes staff would come up with a better alternative.
The only panorama train/bus we caught using reservations was the Bernina Express from Lugano to St Moritz. We would recommend doing this. Of course the disadvantage with the train section is not knowing which side of the train will be on the left or right when booking seats. We missed out on this lottery as we ended up on the wrong (ie right hand) side. The views through the high windows were mostly okay. We then caught a regular train to Chur a couple of days later. We usually only travelled short distances and therefore were able to avoid crowded trains (as identified on the SBB app).
Electric power points
Many power point adaptors do not fit Australian (or New Zealand) plugs. Beware! We found a suitable adaptor at Interdiscount in Zurich when we first arrived.
Food
* We purchased almost all our meals from supermarkets – Coop was the most common.On average we spent CHF45 per day for two of us (excluding restaurant meals). This covered breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, snacks, dinner and alcohol.
* Most Migros do not sell alcohol.
* Most supermarkets are closed on Sundays.However there was always one open at or near the railway station.
* The variety of meals available in supermarkets is extensive and the meals themselves impressive.We were never bored with our choices.When we stayed in apartments we were able to heat up pre-prepared meals; in hotels we bought salads.
* We carried a bowl, cup, cutlery and a tea towel for use in hotel rooms.
* Most Swiss hotels do not have fridges. Window ledges are a good alternative!
Once again, many many thanks to the moderators and contributors to this wonderful Swiss resource and we wish “happy travels” to all the lucky people planning a trip.
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Thank you so much JJeff for sharing your tips whilst here on your 6 week trip.
Glad to hear you had a lovely time and the Matterhorn cooperated and you managed to view in its splendour.
All your tips are very helpful for fellow travellers and we are extremely pleased to hear you found MySwissAlps supportive whilst planning and that the spreadsheet assisted you when trying to choose the best rail pass suited for a trip here 🙂
Thank you again.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
What were the total expenses of the trip and what you’ll guide to be aware of during the trip and keep in check.
Jeff….thanks for the info. Could you please let us know the itinerary and number of nights in each location as we are planning a similar trip. Thanks
Dick
Thanks for your interest in my post. I can’t give you a total cost unfortunately as the trip was made up of vouchers from 2020, Airbnb’s in Australian currency, and various costs in CHF. However, it is easy to calculate accommodation by using sites such as Booking.com. It is worth noting accommodation varies greatly depending on the location, eg 2 nights in St Gallen cost CHF296 and a similar hotel in Zurich cost CHF239 for one night. Transport, including cable cars etc, are also easy to find online. I thought it was worth mentioning the cost of meals as online examples are mostly about restaurants, not supermarkets. As long as you read online reviews carefully and read MySwissAlps thoroughly you should not have any bad surprises!
Thanks for your interest in our itinerary. We flew into Zurich (3 nights), Lucerne (4 nights), Interlaken (5 nights), Thun (3 nights), Bern (3 nights), Geneva (3 nights), Montreux (2 nights), Martigny (2 nights), Zermatt (3 nights), Brig (2 nights), Lugano (4 nights), St Moritz (2 nights), Chur (2 nights), St Gallen (2 nights), Zurich (1 night – we always arrive the day before to a location where we are catching a flight). We followed the suggestions of MySwissAlps for the activities in each of these places. Because travel times are generally short it is easy to “stretch” the time in towns/cities as you need. Good luck with your plans!
Thank you very much. Very similar to what I have planned ( thought of) except the St. Moritz. Chur swing. Your info will give me an opportunity to do some rethinking.
Hi JJeff,
It sounds like you must have had a fantastic trip. Thanks for all the good tips. I didn’t realize the Coops and Migros had such extensive meals to choose from. Very good to know for my next trip.
Regards,
Danielsan
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