Female solo traveller going to Switzerland in July
Steph, a 31-year-old traveler from Australia, is planning a week-long trip to Switzerland in early July. She wants to base herself in Zurich, explore food markets, go hiking, and visit the Alps, while seek advice on safe towns and train passes for her adventures.
- Zurich has several markets each week; explore the Niederdorf and Altstadt districts for local culture and budget meals.
- Consider a weekly Swiss Travel Pass for convenient travel once your itinerary is set; it can be very beneficial for day trips.
- For hiking, the Bernese Oberland offers well-marked trails with stunning views; popular hikes include Eiger Trail and routes in Lauterbrunnen.
- Don’t ignore smaller towns like Lucerne and Ticino for beauty and character while avoiding crowded tourist spots.
- Be open to local events and festivals, especially around July, as they can offer unique experiences beyond standard sightseeing.
AI-generated summary-
Hi Everyone, I am a 31 year old Aussie looking to visit Switzerland in early July for approximately 1 week. The plan is to base myself in Zurich with a couple of day trips to other cities, or spend a few days there, before heading to the alps. I would love some tips on where best to explore. My interests include food, markets, and hiking. It would be great to experience a town with stunning scenery, which has some character, is safe for solo travellers, and offers interesting guided tours. As for getting to and from Zurich, is a weekly train pass recommended? I appreciate any advice. Many thanks, Steph.
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Hi Steph, welcome to MySwissAlps!
All of Switzerland is safe, so no worries there. Just take the usual precautions: do not leave your luggage unattended, and keep valuables on you. All about hiking and doing it in a safe manner can be found here: http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king. Especially important for a solo traveler.
Zurich is a great city, but before you decide on staying there I’d recommend to read a bit about it if you didn’t already: http://www.myswissalps.com/zu rich. If there is a lot in or close to Zurich that you want to see then it’s an obvious base. If not, you may save time by staying somewhere closer to the mountains, like Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne. A day trip from Zurich is easy from there (only an hour by train).
A train pass will probably be worth it, however before looking into that it’s best to have a (tentative) itinerary with a list of things you want to do. Then base your choice on the trips required for that plan: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass
More about things to do and regions/towns can be found here:
Hi Steph,
Welcome to MySwissAlps. Good to read that you don’t have preconceived ideas about where to go and what to see.
In Zurich, there are 11 open markets per week, at 6 different places (not counting the most famous one, the Stock Market 😉 ). Details here : http://www.zuercher-maerkte.ch/index.html . In German only, but you should be able to identify their locations and schedules (home page) and to look at the photo gallery. During the summer, the lakeside is nice, with several bathing places in the lake and the river Limmat ( http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/ssd/de/inde x/sport/schwimmen/somm erbaeder.html ). You can get budget meals, good ones, at one of the university restaurants ( http://www.ethz.ch/en/campus/ getting-to-know/cafes-restaurants-shops/gastronomy.html ), maybe also a chance to meet people your age (it is regarded as normal to join a table, just ask if this seat is free). Nice districts in Zurich are the Niederdorf, the Altstadt (Old City), Aussersihl (various shady public parks).
From Zurich, you can make day trips to Schaffhausen (Rhine Falls), Baden or Rapperswil (nice old towns), or even Olten (lovely old town) or Basel. For the Alps, you can find out yourself about the “must see” places. But you may also rightly fear that they would be overcrowded. In that case you could go to the Italian-speaking canton, Ticino. Take the train to Airolo, then the postal coach to Rodi Fiesso, and the cable car to Lake Tremorgio: http://www.momstotszurich.com /2016/03/tremorgio-lake.html/ , a lovely place with hiking opportunities at various levels of difficulty. You could then travel on to Locarno and/or Lugano, beautiful cities with a mediterranean character, both at a lake.
For tailoring your trip yourself, check out this: help.myswitzerland.com /hc/en-us?_ga=2.200182638.170646 1560.1543066810-1171755085.1523307173
For train timetables, accommodation, etc. navigate on this site (Where to Sleep? How to Travel? on top of this page.
Solo travel is safe, with the usual rule (don’t provocate, etc.). People usually will not harass you, on the contrary you might find them too shy to get in contact with.
Enjoy!
Thank you Arno and Snowman, your infornation is of great help.
I used to think the Swiss Alps was a place for Winter holidays, but having done some research, I see that there is a lot to offer all year round. Lucerne sounds lovely, as do Locarno and Lugano. Will the language barrier be much of an issue? I know some German words and phrases, but less Italian. Hospitality workers worldwide appear to know a decent amount of English to communicate, but I would like to be as prepared as possible.
Hi StephyD,
You will have no problem at all with the language as the Swiss speak beautiful English and as soon as you say hello or ask a question they switch from German. They are amazing! I’m an Aussie and travel frequently to Bern to see friends. You will feel safe and also you will not be alone as there are lots of solo travellers. You just need to ask anyone if you need help.
Enjoy your trip I’m sure it will be awesome and you’ll make great memories..
Cheers Jacqui
Thanks Jacqui, that is really encouraging! I am getting excited about my European trip next year, and have spent some time today getting together a rough itinerary. What do you think of Bern? Would you recommend seeing/doing anything else?
Hi StephyD,
Bern as you probably know is Switzerland’s capital and a stunning city. Well worth a visit. A train trip to Thun would be good, then a boat trip on the lake. Interlaken beautiful as is Luzern. Please do make time for at least one boat cruise, there are so many and all are so worth it.
Check on You Tube for Swiss travel videos…you’ll find loads of info on this site too of course.
Have an amazing trip, I know you will as I will next June….cheers Jacqui
Hello Steph,
The Swiss are very friendly, and the country is quite safe. I have a little recommendation. If you will be travelling with a backpack, it would not be a bad idea if you were to sew an Aussie flag one it; just to avoid confusion, if you know what I mean.
Peterli
Great idea, I had forgotten that. Years ago travelling in Germany so many times once people knew I was an aussie it was a whole change of attitude. I even rang home and had a small flag sent to me so I could attach it to my backpack :o)
Thanks guys. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to let it be known where I’m from. Funny you mention the Germans behaviour towards you, Jacqui. The catalyst for organising this trip was to visit family in Germany. It will be interesting to see how the locals are.
StephyD
I loved Germany and have been a few times since that trip in 1990. No problems at all. I find people do warm to Aussie’s though. Cheers Jacqui
Yes, we are quite lucky when it comes to the reception we receive. Besides one incident in South East Asia, I have found locals very welcoming on my travels.
Getting around as an English speaker is no problem. You may encounter a few people here and there who don’t speak English but then there’s always a way to work around that, like a colleague of them who does speak English.
Good to hear. Thanks Arno.
Hi Steph
If you are interested in hiking, many would say the Bernese Oberland area is the best in Switzerland with a base in Wengen. For most of the hikes you don’t need a guide. The trails are well marked and many times you can see where your hiking to. You can count on other hikers being on the more popular hikes so being solo should not be a problem but it would be a good idea to tell the hotel concierge or staff you intentions for the day. Here are some popular hikes that will be well traveled in July. The Eiger trail from Eigergletcher to Alpiglen. First to Bachalpsee then possibly down to Waldspitz and Bort. First to Grosse Scheidegg. Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. Panaramaweg at Schynige Platte. Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg and possibly on down to Wengeralp.
All of these hikes have fantastic views, are well maintained, and marked. Your hotel concierge can give you a map with all these hikes mapped out and make suggestions for you. If the weather cooperates you will see the Eiger and Jungfrau peaks as well as alpine lakes and Lauterbrunnen valley. All world class. You can find specific information about all these hikes on this website as well as googling them
good travels. Mark
Thanks Mark, that’s terrific. Good tip about keeping Concierge informed about my movements.
Hello again,
That was indeed a good tip from Mark about letting the people where you are staying know about where you intend to go for the day. And also when you expect to get back so they won’t worry. You may want to consider having a mobile device with you, with the GPS turned on, just to be extra safe.
If you are going to be hiking up in some area where you need to get back to a train, funicular or other stop or station to make the last leg back to the bottom, make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get to that spot before the last one of the day leaves.
So we have one more tourist without preconceived ideas who is directed to crowded Interlaken and surroundings. Sad, in a way. There are so many other attractive places in the country
Hi Snowman,
Well, yes, there are many other attractive places. I think for first timers nearly everything is wonderful, so it’s a matter of reading about various options and picking what suits their expectations best. The popular places are popular for a reason, including marketing, admittedly 🙂 Our Interlaken page which was linked to above has a “Pros and cons of Interlaken” paragraph, which hopefully helps making decisions.
Hi Snowman
of course if your primary goal is to avoid crowds, then your best bet is to just stay at home. If you like museums, consider Paris or New York. But if you want mountain hiking then in my opinion Bernese Oberland is a top choice. I’ve hiked all over the world from Denali to Patagonia, from New Zealand to Africa and I rate BO hiking near the top of the list. I do agree excessive crowds can severely taint a trip ( Disney World in July). That’s why I’ve never been tempted to do the Jungfraujoch thing. But I have hiked many if not most of the trails around BO and have not found them to be excessively crowded. Probably the most crowded trails are Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg or First to Bachalpsee but the scenery is stunning and if your solo then seeing other people on the trail might be comforting. And there are plenty of trails where there are fewer hikers as Bachalpsee to Waldspitz.
I would strongly recommend Wengen as a base over Interlaken. And I’m not suggesting Steph visit BO exclusively. Yes there is a lot to see in Switzerland besides the Alps. Mark
You have all convinced me that I will be safe travelling solo, regardless of which towns I visit. I am leaning towards Zurich as my base, as it appears to be a vibrant city with enough activity to keep me entertained. Should I stick with the original plan to do day trips to escape the hustle and bustle, I would like to avoid the very busiest spots in the alps, however having a few people around is comforting. As for hiking trails, I don’t necessarily need to climb to the highest peak to satisfy that urge. I would just like to take in some nice scenery and chill out at cute cafes (anywhere I can stop for a delicious sweet treat is a bonus!).
Just out of curiosity, how many regular posters on here are based in Switzerland?
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