MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Switzerland revisited – The Autumn Adventure
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Our previous visit to Switzerland was in May/June 2017. It was our first overseas trip in 25 years and was inspired by the arrival of our first grandchild who was born in Frankfurt, Germany. By the time we had made our bookings to fly from Australia to Frankfurt the family had moved to Konstanz, just over the border from Switzerland. A planned visit to Germany turned into a memorable Swiss adventure.
On that trip we never made it to the “French side”. So this time we were intent on exploring west of the Röstigraben.
But first we had some unfinished business in the Bernese Oberland.
Our first cut itinerary included stays at Bern, Zermatt, Montreux, Neuchâtel, Colmar, and Konstanz. We subsequently ditched Bern and Zermatt in favour of a week at Thun and added St Gallen and an over-nighter at Zurich at the end of the trip to cater for an early morning flight departure.
Whilst in Konstanz our son took us on great day trips to Lichtenstein, Meersburg in Germany and Bregenz in Austria.
The weather was kind. For some reason the periodic gloom and doom of early MeteoSwiss forecasts almost always improved as the prediction period shortened. Although we did have a very stormy ride on a Lake Neuchâtel ferry – but more of that later.
Despite having good wi-fi at all the places we stayed the Salt SIM again proved economical and invaluable for internet access on the move.
In addition to a 6-day Regional Pass Bernese Oberland, we had intended to buy a 15-day Swiss Travel Pass Flex but instead opted for a Swiss Half-fare Card. Concerns about having to continuously buy tickets proved groundless thanks to the SBB mobile app. Don’t leave home without it.
For the trips moving from base to base, where our plans were firm, we took advantage of Supersaver fares and made some great savings. e.g. CHF 4.20 from St Gallen to Zurich. On a couple of legs we bought 1st Class Supersaver tickets for less than the price of a class upgrade.
We could definitely be classified as “slow travellers” and enjoyed a great 5 weeks of sauntering about, enjoying the sights and soaking up the culture. You simply can’t see everything and in any event, there is always next time.
Very early on in the trip I decided that thinking in Australian dollars was just too scary given the current exchange rate. Switzerland is expensive but just looking at prices in Swiss Francs at least makes it seem tolerable. At least with a newly-acquired 28Degrees MasterCard we didn’t have to bear the foreign currency conversion charge common with the big banks. We’ll see what happens when the statement arrives. I suppose there’s always the option of re-financing our mortgage.
I now have around 2,500 photos to process and distill. As I do that in the coming weeks I’ll be reporting here and posting some photos on the places we visited. So if you are interested please subscribe to this thread for updates.
In the meantime the Reluctant Travellers Swiss Adventure Series 1 is still available as follows:
- Introduction (bit.ly/2GGUmPW)
- Basel to Brig (bit.ly/2GEn046)
- The Glacier Express (bit.ly/2GEdluh)
- The Bernina Express (bit.ly/2GEUfob)
- Lugano and Surrounds (bit.ly/2lMd2Cr)
- Gotthard Panorama and Beyond (bit.ly/2lOio0g)
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Thank you Rockoyster for this amazing write-up!
These are great tips and good information for fellow travellers. I will definitely link to your Reluctant Traveller Series next time someone ask for a first-hand report on the panoramic trains.
Looking forward to your next trip reports 🙂
Have a nice day and thanks again,
Anna
Hi there Rockoyster! Too bad your 5 weeks in Switzerland are over now, but I’m happy to hear that you were able to visit so many (new) places and once more enjoyed your stay. We’re definitely looking forward to pictures and further reports! Keep them coming :-)!
Hi Rockoyster
Our first grandchild was born in 2017 (July) as well. They are indeed a cause for celebration. I am looking forward to reading your trip reports. Your travel history is quite different from mine. I envy your ability to take such extended trips as I’m sure it gives you a much more in-depth experience. My wife and I have traveled all over the world but almost always in 2 week intervals due to my work Since I have gone to part time status this past May (on my 66th birthday), I hope to do like you and enjoy more extended stays. Although it is difficult to leave those grandchildren (now 2 of them)for too long a time.
I’m glad you had good weather and a nice trip. I guess I’m on this thread so i will eagerly await your reports and photos. I usually take a 1000 or so photos on a 2 week trip so i guess i take more photos proportionally than you. I can’t say I envy the culling and editing you have ahead of you.
Mark
Hi Mark,
You get to miss your grandkids when you travel. We get to miss them all the time between trips. Skype is only so good. 😞
Actually we only just made it in time to visit them in Konstanz. After making all our bookings our son advised he was moving to a new job in Nuremburg. They leave next week!
I don’t envy myself the photo editing and culling job ahead. I have discovered a trap for young players. I took a lot of photos just with my phone (Huawei P30). I now have them merged with those from the Sony. I had expected them all to fall into a natural time sequence but whilst the phone updated time zones automatically, the Sony didn’t. I never even thought about changing it manually. It’s not a big deal but having a clean sequence would have been nice. Lesson learned for next time.
That’s a lovely photo of Chillon Rockoyster – looking forward to your reports and photos later. Sounds like you have a big task ahead of you but it is fun to be able to look back on your trip while doing it I find.
Maggie
Hey there Rockoyster mate!!!!!! 🙂
Our (or at least my) favourite super expert is back from another amazing trip to Switzerland!!! 🙂
Hope you’re fine, happy, not tired of writing and glad to be back home …?!
Happy to see you back on the forum!
Cheers,
Steph
Thanks Steph. It may take me a while to get my head around my detailed trip report. There is much to do after being away from home for almost 6 weeks. 🙃
Meanwhile here’s a shot of a guy “surfing” in Thun. eurodyssey2019.files.w ordpress.com/2019/10/t hun-6.jpg 😎
Hey there,
Your link to the surfer is dead…?!? Did he surf-off..?! 😉
Cheers,
Steph
Aaaaargh! Wipe-out!
I had a mis-hap with a wordpress.com blog.
I made a post which included numerous links to myswissalps.com and they say this is contrary to their Terms of Service. So they blocked the site.
I am seeking to get the blog re-instated.
I was planning to put my trip report with in-line photos up there because I find the MSA forum photo management capabilities a bit, how shall we say, unwieldy? Sorry Arno. 🤓
I will be heartily fed up if the work I have done already goes down the drain.
In the meantime here’s the surfer dude:
Attachments:
First week of trip now up at http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/a-week-in-thun.
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