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Many thanks to everyone here for their suggestions. We’re back, after an extraordinary trip. I don’t think we could have crammed in anything else and still enjoyed ourselves. Here are my notes from our trip, in case any of this is useful for other folks. Since we have family there, some of the trip included family time, that likely won’t be relevant for most folks.
A few general thoughts:
– Definitely download the SBB app, and get proficient with it.
– If you are a vegetarian, always keep a couple apples and a sandwich or two from Migros or the Coop in your backpack (oh, and keep a backpack on you, nearly everyone does). Nearly everywhere we went had vegetarian options marked on the menus, but backup food is handy.
– If you’re a vegan, anticipate cobbling together meals for yourself at the Coop or Migros, and carry those with you. Eating out is going to suck. Many Coops/Migroses are closed on Sunday. Very few places had any vegan options.
– Carry a 1L water bottle, and keep it filled from the local fountains. The water is delicious.
– If you’re from the US Southeast, and travelling right now, anticipate it being as hot as you’re used to, but without the comfort of the air conditioning you’re accustomed too. Pack with the understanding that you are going to be sweating a LOT every day, and that – in general – interior spaces (especially trains) are going to be much hotter than you are used to. (For Swiss people reading this, we air condition everything in the US Southeast, and many folks who get cold easily carry sweaters in the summer despite it being 40 C outside – because of how cold we keep the inside spaces.)
– Don’t eat where you see lots of tourists or lots of tchotchkes for sale.
– Try to learn at least a little bit of German and/or French. Every little bit will help, and will make you seem less like an ugly American
– If you’re willing to walk a lot, you’ll have a much better experience. Bring comfortable shoes and thick, hiking socks.
Here’s our itineray
Tuesday – 7 AUG – Arrived in Zurich early in the a.m., and took the train to Baden. Met family in Baden for a tea/coffee, then our cousin took us on a walking tour of the Baden, including the Hapsburg ruins, the old city, and the Limmat River. We grabbed some vegetarian sandwiches and Tete de Moine cheese from the nearest Coop – a pattern that would continue throughout the trip. One of us left his phone behind on the train, and the nice folks at the Hauptbahnhof in Zürich gave it back to him for 20 CHF (actually 10 thanks to the half-fare card). We used that as an excuse to walk along the Limmat in Zürich, and to tour Bahnhofstrasse and parts of the city. Supper was at a lovely Italian place in Baden, followed by complete unconsciousness.
Wednesday – 8 AUG – Breakfast of fresh bread, cheese, and birchermuesli with family. We rode into work with a cousin, and caught the train to Interlaken West. Most touristy departures in Interlaken are from Interlaken Ost, but our hotel – the Beausite – was closer to the West station. This turned out to be fortuitous, because the older, less touristy, and more Swiss part of Interlaken seemed to be on the west side. The Beausite is a decent place, with a lovely view, but the rooms are not air conditioned. We had rosti for lunch, then walked along the canal to take the funicular up to Harder Klum. Harder Klum, like much of Interlaken, was extremely touristy, but the views of Interlaken were spectacular. Once back down, we walked back through the park along Bahnhofstrasse (getting drenched toward the end) and bought falafel sandwiches and Tete de Moine to eat in the hotel room.
Thursday – 9 AUG – We took the train to Grindelwald, then walked to the cable car for First. Grindelwald might make a better place to stay, since it’s an easy train ride to Interlaken, and was much quieter. We had raclette at the cheesy tourist restaurant in First, then hiked to the Bechalpsee. The hike offered stunning views of Jungrau and the surrounding glaciers, as well as plenty of opportunities to interact with cows, goats, and friendly tourists. Bachalpsee itself is gorgeous. At 7,431 feet (2,265 m) [per Wikipedia] it offers stunning views. It was not crowded at all, and we ate our Migrolino’s sandwiches and Tete de Moine there, then walked to the back section of the lake where there was snow…and MARMOTS. One of us hiked up to the ridge line where they were congregating. On the way back, we met a group of Spanish tourists (on holiday, which allowed us to mix English, German, and Spanish. On the ground in Grindelwald we waited out the rain with a group of South Korean college students. Supper was sandwiches, cheese, chips, and fruit from the Coop.
Friday – 10 AUG – We were ready for a more relaxing day by Friday. After breakfast at the hotel, we took the train to Thun, where we wandered around the older parts of the city, and watched people surfing near a dam. We caught a steamboat there (right next to the train station), and then went on a boat tour of the Thunersee. The landscape, water, and architecture were all gorgeous. The boat docked right next to Interlaken Ost. We grabbed the train to West, bought more falafel sandwiches, and then wandered until we found a nice spot next to the canal to eat them. We then ambled around the older part of Interlaken, greeting locals and checking out the Kirche and the Schloss.
Saturday – 11 AUG – Breakfast at the hotel again, followed by a train ride to Baden, where our cousin met us. We spent the day with family. The family gathering lasted around ten hours, after which we were more than happy to fall sound asleep.
Sunday – 12 AUG – Breakfast of fresh bread and cheese with family, after which a cousin kindly drove us to Luzern. We stayed at the Hotel Schweizerhof in Luzern, which is very close to the train station, the Kapellbrücke, the Musegg Wall, and the rest of the old city. It’s also right on the water. We ate our Migrolinos sandwiches, and climbed the towers of the Musegg Wall (where we met friendly Canadians), then walked along the water to check out the Kapellbrücke and the rest of the old city. The accommodations at the Schweizerhof were spectacular, with an unbelievable view of the Vierwaldstattersee. We ate supper, including fondue, at a delicious Italian restaurant on the water, with a lovely view of the Jesuitkirche and the Kapellbrücke. After supper, we wandered a bit, and then headed to bed for our early morning.
Monday – 13 AUG – We caught the 7am Golden Pass route panoramic trains (reserved seats, first class) which took us from Luzern to Interlaken Ost, then Zweisimmen, and then finally to Montreux. The trains, especially the third leg, were chock full of tourists, but there were lovely views of the Bernese Oberland and then Canton Vaud. Once in Montreux, we checked into the spectacular Grand Hotel Suisse-Majestic, where the service and accommodations felt 5-star. After lunch in the hotel restaurant, we wandered Montreux, checking out the Freddie Mercury statue, and picking up books at a local bookshop, and Swiss-themed, silver necklace and earrings for for my wife (from a local, non-chain jewelry store). Supper was at an Italian restaurant with a nice view of Lac Leman, and an amazing “Pizze Tartuffata.” We walked back to the hotel along the lakeshore, enjoying the lights from both the French and Swiss coasts at night. The view from our eighth-floor room was breathtaking and surreal, so we slept with the sliding door open.
Tuesday – 14 AUG – Today was all about Château de Chillon. I had breakfast in the hotel, then we caught the bus to the castle. We spent most of the day touring every nook and cranny, soaking in the views, the history, and the nerd-friendly architecture. One of the highlights was definitely seeing Lord Byron’s signature in the dungeon, but we spent nearly every moment boggling at the experience of being in the quintessential fantasy castle. We ate a very late lunch at a touristy restaurant on the water, then went back to the Grand Suisse to enjoy the views and read.
Wednesday – 15 AUG – Breakfast for me at the hotel restaurant, then reading on the balcony to enjoy the views. We checked out the Queen recording studio exhibit at the casino, then returned to the Italian restaurant for another Pizze Tartuffata. Afterwards, we caught the train to Zürich, which went via Lausanne and allowed us some gorgeous views of Neuchatel and the surrounding, flat, farmland. We checked into the luxurious, conveniently-located, and overpriced Hotel Schweizerhof right next to the Hauptbahnhof, then wandered along Bahnhofstrasse and had an uninspiring supper at the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world: Hiltl. After that it was reading in bed, followed by an early wake-up for our flight home.
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Thanks for the report CJoshuaV!
Very helpful tips and report – sounds like a lovely trip!
Sorry to hear Hiltl wasn’t too exciting for you! Thought maybe it would be one of the better Veg options in Switzerland!
Good note about A/C expectations.
I think this summer (and the past couple) have been much hotter than average in Switzerland – hence the lack of hotels with A/C originally. Then I think energy and installation costs are prohibitive in most cases. For the average summer you only needed it about 2 weeks total but lately,with global warming, it is about 4 or 6 weeks per ssummer where A/C would be nice!The service at Hiltl was outstanding, and it’s a perfectly serviceable vegetarian restaurant, but I think what made it underwhelming was how many excellent vegetarian meals we had found at traditional restaurants.
And yes, it was much warmer than the last time I was in Switzerland. We were very grateful for our water bottles, and for the plentiful fountains.
Yes, the water fountains everywhere are just amazing I agree!
CJoshuaV,
Really enjoyed your trip report. Sounds like you had a great time in Switzerland. My husband and I will be there in a months time. We are fortunate to have 3 weeks planned.
I have never heard of Tête de Moine cheese so had to look it up. Interesting history. Looks and sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it. How did you eat it “on the go”? Did you use a knife to scrape it or just cut into it?
Kay
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