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First off I want to think EVERYBODY who has anything to do with maintaining and contributing to these forums because they really helped fine tune our tip and added great value. There are a few things we would never have done or experienced without tips from this forum, and some of these were the highlights of our recent trip.
On the outside chance we can help other travelers, here is our trip report. Recommendations about hotels and restaurants will be tacked on to the end of the report, as a completely separate post.
We traveled from Sept 4 to Sept 14, 2018, and visited Bellinzona, Vitznau/Mt. Rigi, St. Gallen (plus the Bodensee/Rhein Falls), Zurich and Vevey. We came from Italy and returned to Italy, and used an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass. (report on our experience of the Swiss Travel Pass here). We are a married couple with no mobility issues and a flexible budget.
This was our second trip to Switzerland, so we were eager to see new things and to visit each of the 3 language areas of Switzerland.
BELLINZONA — We entered Switzerland from Italy via the Centovalli express train (beginning in Domodossola. I had read of people being disappointed by the summer scenery, or just in general because of the lack of jaw-dropping high peaks, but we really loved taking this train, on a very pretty (and hot) summer afternoon. We found it easy to switch in Locarno for a commuter train to Bellinzona. Alas, we had inadequate directions to our hotel, further complicated by getting incorrect “help” from a local, and ended up behind schedule and hot, with no appetite for sightseeing. We made up for it after an absolutely delicious dinner by taking a night-time stroll around Bellinzona’s beautiful historic center. But we left the next morning and thus never explored the 3 castles that draw visitors to this area and no doubt missed even more than that.
GOTTHARD EXPRESS, LAKE LUCERNE TO VITZNAU, MT RIGI — We were much thrilled and entertained by the Gotthard Panoramic Express, especially since we had an entire car completely to ourselves, and thus were doted upon excessively by the in-carriage guide, a retired mechanical engineer who — once he discovered that I in particular am fascinated by all kinds of machinery — held forth with no end of fascinating information about every aspect of engineering along the route. We got off in Fluelen and within a half hour were sitting on an historic steam paddle boat, eating a fresh fish lunch in an Art Deco white tablecloth salon, while we floated by some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen. Before we knew it, we had arrived in Vitznau, checked into our conveniently located hotel, and now we were sitting on the cogwheel train, chugging up to the summit of Mt Rigi on a stunningly clear day. We walked back down a few train stops, sat with a beer listening to the incessant cowbells in Rigi Kaltbald, and then headed back down on the same train for a dinner on the terrace of our hotel.
LAKE LUCERNE to ST-GALLEN, TO ROMANSHORN — After breakfast the next morning we got on the boat to Lucerne — another gorgeous, comfortable ride — and then walked straight from the docks to the Lucerne train station to board the Voralpen Express train (picking up a lunch-to-go as we passed through the station). We very much enjoyed the train ride through the rolling hills of the agricultural belt. There was a brief rain shower that cleared just as we got off the train in St Gallen. We were a bit confused about where to find lockers for our luggage (we should have asked as soon as we go off the train), and feeling pressed for time, we opted for a taxi to the library (a bit of a silly choice, but we were afraid of losing time to getting lost), but indeed we got there and saw the library, which was high on my list of travel sights to see in Europe. We found the experience of visiting the library less impressive than we had hoped. More surprising was the very attractive historic core of St Gallen itself, although it is a bit tightly commercialized and gussied up for tourism. It was an easy walk back to the train station — where we learned that summer road works required our taking a bus-detour we had not planned for. But in the end it all worked out just fine, and we arrived in Romanshorn in plenty of time to enjoy a beer at the docks before boarding a ferry to cross the mystically-huge Bodensee at sunset, heading for the German side of the lake.
RHEIN FALLS — Since this a forum for Swiss travelers, I will skip over the brief time we spend in Germany, on the shores of Lake Constance, except to talk about the day trip we took by train from Friedrichschafen to the Rhein Falls in Switzerland. Originally I had hoped to do a great deal of this trip by boat, down the Rhine, but because of low water due to the exceptionally dry summer of 2018, it was only possible to take the train, in our case (coming from German) to Neuhausen am Rhine. The plus side of that was to be on the less “touristy” side of the falls, and we enjoyed a simple lunch at the restaurant in the park with a spectacular view of the Falls, and afterwards a coffee at the schloss on that side of the falls (which also has an expensive Michelin-recommended restaurant which we did not try). Afterwards my husband walked across the bridge for the full experience (I lazed under a shady tree, occasionally snapping photos). Changing trains in Schaffhausen for our return, we bought pastries at the historic Reber, and they were memorably delicious. I could have eaten a ton.
RAPPERSWIL, ZURICH: Leaving Germany, we re-crossed the Bodensee to Romanshorn, and then took a series of small commuter trains with quick connections to hook up again briefly with the Voralpen Express, which deposited us in Rapperswil, a very pretty looking town on the southernmost tip of Lake Zurich, which had no time to explore. We immediately boarded a boat, took a seat at the restaurant, and had a lovely lunch of big salads and sausages (and ice cream cake!) while cruising up Lake Zurich on a beautiful day. We immediately got lost in Zurich, dragging our luggage around, got rescued (as it were) but a passing taxi driver, who deposited us at our hotel. After a shower and some rest, we headed out with a map to find my choice of restaurant for dinner — an Ethiopian place I had read about on a blog. Our route took us through a very residential, lower-middle class neighborhood (Werd), made all the more interesting for encountering, at random intervals, Hasidic Jews (men and boys — we only realized later it was Rosh Hashanah). We were the only non-Ethiopians at the super-friendly restaurant, where the food was excellent and fresh. It was a great introduction to modern Zurich. The next day we used the official tourist map with its walking tour to explore the old town, and we did pretty well with it, enjoying everything we saw. Although not on the map, I had read on the internet about the Giacometti murals in the main police station, and we had the tremendous good luck of being allowed to see them even though we were told they are presently closed for repairs until further notice. Our dinner that night was at Hiltl, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Zurich, and it was really enjoyable. The next day, we visited the Kunsthalle in the morning — a simply stunning experience, an unexpected highlight of our trip — and the Landesmuseum in the afternoon (which my history loving husband enjoyed more than I did). We got an ice cream at Sprungli, which I didn’t much enjoy (nor did I enjoy my chocolate mousse cake at Schober the day before), and for dinner we headed to a Vietnamese restaurant, which was tasty, cheap and charming for its garden seating.
VEVEY — Leaving Zurich, we took a taxi to the Hauptbanhof and got on a train to Vevey. Since the route required changing trains in Morges, the original plan was to use the opportunity to get lunch in Morges before continuing the short distance to Vevey. But just as we reached Morges, a train for Vevey pulled in on the other side of the platform, and we made a spot decision to carry on. It proved to be a great choice, since I had booked a hotel rather high up in the hills about Vevey, with a restaurant with a beautiful terrace and view, and from the moment we arrived by taxi from the Vevey train station, we really didn’t want to eat anyplace. We ate our lunch and our dinner there, and relaxed in between, and the next morning we walked down to the Charlie Chaplin museum (getting totally lost on the way). Even though I had picked visiting Vevey because of the Chaplin museum, I was surprised at how much a truly enjoyed it, how much I was moved by it, and despite many obviously touristy aspects (especially geared for children), I felt it was extremely well done and faithful to the spirit of Chaplin, and quite respectful and appreciative of his contribution to culture and to the town of Vevey. After another dinner on our beautiful hotel terrace, and breakfast and lunch, we took the train from Vevey back to Italy, with some dramatic scenery along way.
We both felt it was extremely rewarding trip and that despite being typical tourists who got lost, got tired, made some silly choices and only skimmed the surface of nearly everywhere we went, that we nonetheless learned a lot of surprising things about Switzerland that we might not have ever known had we stayed home.
Thanks again to everybody (and thanks for reading if you got this far) and I will come back later to talk specifically about hotels and restaurants and other practical details.
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Motel One Zurich: I really cannot praise this hotel too highly. It is an extremely comfortable, affordable hotel in a quite good location in Zurich for touristing. Everything is simple and functional, but feels spacious. Absolutely quiet, with some wonderful public areas for taking a break. Would gladly return.
Hotel du Leman, Vevey (Jongny): Stunning views over the vineyards, to the lake, to the mountains. Breathtaking. It has a wonderful terrace for nicely prepared full meals or bar meals (at slightly elevated prices). But it is primarily a conference venue, although they will take individual bookings like ours. Beware: No air conditioning. I would probably not return except for meals.
Hotel Rigi, Vitznau: Comfortable rooms just a stone’s throw (uphill) from the dock and the cogwheel train station, so a great location for touring the area. The onsite restaurant with terrace was pleasant, but perhaps better food elsewhere (we didn’t look).
Hotel Unione, Bellizona: I booked this very basic hotel with air-con last minute and was treated royally by the friendly staff. While convenient to the train station, it is located outside of the most tranquil and atmospheric streets and alleys of historic Bellinzona, which is where I would look for a hotel next time.
Restaurants and food:
Trattoria er Pipa, Bellinzona: You need a taxi to get to this place in the low hills. We thought it was absolutely worth it, but we are demons for handmade pasta, which was outstanding here. Lovely flavors, good wines, a classic trattoria that nods more toward Italy (even southern Italy) than the Ticino cucina.
Hiltl, an historic vegetarian restaurant in Zurich was perhaps our favorite all-around food experience as tourists in Switzerland. Very friendly and very busy, it is wise to make reservation. English spoken.
Brasserie Louis, Zurich — After rejecting a place we had originally targeted for lunch (we didn’t like the posted menu), we plopped down hot and tired on the terrace of Brasserie Louis, located on the touristy main drag of the Zurich’s Old Town, with zero expectations. I had a fantastically delicious hamburger, and my husband has a pleasant pork schnitzel (the special of the day). Prices were predictably high, beer was forgettable, but I would go back for that hamburger (called a Tina burger)
Mesob, (Werd neighborhood, Zurich) I really like Ethiopian food and rarely get to eat it, and this was fresh with superior injera, not overly spiced, and lots of delicious beer. Outdoor seating on a mildly busy street, but the real ambience comes from being at a gathering spot for Ethiopian expats, playing cards and catching up with friends. Excellent English spoken in a super friendly place (with great prices).
Chez Nhan (Werd neighborhood, Zurich) Tucked back off a main street, easy to miss, an exceptionally friendly staff and very fresh Vietnamese food at great prices for generous portions. Nice for a hot night, with garden seating. Not a lot of English but a menu with pictures.
Titbits, Lucerne Train station: It was incredibly easy to pick up a very tasty varied box lunch of dishes to go at this vegetarian chain located on the upper floor of Lucerne’s main train station.
Food on boats, traveling on the lakes: For one lunch, we ate in the fancy dining room of the historic paddle boat that steams its way around Lake Lucerne. The food was better than I expected (fresh pea soup, fried perch) so I almost (almost) didn’t mind the eye-watering prices. But the dining room was stuffy on a hot day, and in the end I think I might have enjoyed a hot dog on the deck just as much, if not more. On another day, we ate lunch on the ferry that makes its away around Lake Zurich. Our sausages and salads were fresh and tasty, the modern dining salon (with a mirrored ceiling!) was airier with bigger windows, and it was all around a better experience, with smiling, tireless service.
Restaurant in the Park, Neuhausen am Rhein — Wine was terrific, flammkuchen with salmon (the advertised special) a crushing disappointment, assembled from poor quality supermarket ingredients. Husband did better with an order of bratwurst. A very lovely view of the falls.
Turm, Zurich — This place in the Old Town is probably better known for its flamboyant Carribean decor — which we never saw because we sat outside the entire time in the lovely fountain piazza. Food (fusion/international) was unmemorable but the wine selection was lovely, and so was the service. We picked it because it was easy, and it turned out to be a very tranquil spot which we enjoyed greatly despite not remembering the food.
Cafe Schober — a few steps away from Turm, I felt that once I spotted it that I couldn’t just pass it by without having a dessert there, it is so famous and recommended. Didn’t enjoy it — but I only sampled on item (a slice of “Intense” Chocolate Mousse Cake)
Hi constance and thanks for the detailed trip report! An excellent guide for restaurants and hotel suggestions which is fantastic. 🙂
PS I love Cafe Schober. 🙂 My favourite cafe but i haven’t had the chocolate mousse. 😉
Hi Constance
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your report. Very helpful and detailed information for future travellers too. When people have benefitted as you feel you did from the forum, then the best thank you is to do as you have by reporting back. Glad you had a good time.
Maggie
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