Switzerland

Switzerland

With breathtaking alpine landscapes, idyllic lakes and a wealth of picturesque towns to explore, a holiday in Switzerland is far more than just snow capped mountains.

If you are a keen hiker, why not visit Grindelwald, complete with dramatic surroundings and dominated by the Eiger, or Wengen, which is only accessible by a scenic mountain railway ride.

A recent trip took me to Saas Fee, going up to the resort by bus and once there, how nice but no cars are allowed in this quaint little village with a backdrop of 13 four thousand metre mountains and glaciers.

If this sounds too much like hard work, and you are simply looking for a cultural family holiday, why not take a trip to Interlaken, complete with charming street-side shops and cafes, or Lake Lucerne where you can learn about William Tell and the establishment of Swiss culture as we know it today.

If it’s a skiing holiday you are looking for, Switzerland provides some of the most beautiful backdrops to this rigorous outdoor pursuit. St Moritz and Zermatt are probably the two most popular of the first class skiing resorts in Switzerland, but with a wealth of accommodation opportunities in all the winter villages and numerous après ski activities to occupy all ages, a skiing holiday in Switzerland is just as satisfyingly exclusive as it is in summer.

NEED TO KNOW

• Language: French, Italian, German, and Romanche
• Capital City: Bern
• Population: 7,554,661
• Area: 16,000 square miles
• Telephone Calling Code(s): 41
• Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz
• Currency: As of 13-May-2008: 1 Switzerland Francs = $0.95US
• Entry Requirements: Switzerland does not require visas for citizens of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom. A valid passport is sufficient for a three-month stay.

GOOD TO KNOW

Books and Movies
For an interesting, informed study of Swiss culture, pick up a copy of Jonathan Steinberg's, Why Switzerland? A less informative, but far more charming choice is Mark Twain's entertaining classic about touring the Alps, A Tramp Abroad.

Switzerland is known for a lot of things—cheese, watches, the Matterhorn—but not usually for its movies. The two most recent locally made Oscar-winners for best foreign film are Journey of Hope (1990) and Dangerous Moves (1984).

Cuisine
No one does fondue like the Swiss. White wine, flour, garlic, and kirsch all blend with melted vacherin and Gruyere to produce a delicious, 1970s-style concoction.

Good Buys
The handmade timepieces may seem unaffordable, but they do last forever. Bring Swiss chocolate or some schnapps home for friends.

Money
By law, a fifteen percent service charge will be included on your hotel and restaurant bills. In addition to that, you may choose to "round up" as the locals often do. Unless you possess your own bulging Swiss bank account, you should do most of your shopping in the smaller villages and towns where items are more affordable.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

• January: 1, New Year's Day
• May: 1, May Day
• August: 1, Swiss National Day; 15, Assumption of Mary
• September: Third Sunday, Swiss Federal Day of Prayer
• November: 1, All Saints' Day
• December: 24, Christmas Eve; 25, Christmas Day; 26, St. Stephen's Day
• Spring: Friday before Easter, Good Friday; Easter; day after Easter, Easter Monday; sixth Thursday after Easter, Ascension Day; seventh Sunday after Easter, Pentecost; eighth Monday after Easter, Pentecost Monday

For each of the Destinations, we include a few brief details and should more information be required simply click on the name of the town and up will come more information from the applicable tourist office.

Where do you stay
Accommodations are important to and to know where to stay we include a link to a hotel company that offers a variety of hotels and inns available.

What do you do when you are there
Sightseeing by bus, walking tours or trips arranged by alternative transport is available to and you simply access the information given and there will be a link to arrange and pre-book the desired tour also.

What about a travel guide of the area you are visiting
Travel Guides are very important and have a wealth of information in them, often written by people who know the local area and have lived there for some time. We offer Lonely Planet Travel Guides and on each page will be a link, hopefully, to the destination you are visiting.

What about a map too
I’m sure you like maps as much as I do and again we offer suggestions as to where you maybe able to purchase a map and pre-plan your stay in advance.

How do you get to your destination?
For one thing they have a very efficient rail system. Separate information is available to you to access the various types of rail passes that are available to you and on each destination page will be other suggestions too.

Hotels in Switzerland

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Have we left anything out, probably and hopefully soon we shall include what you are looking for.

So where do we start, an A to Z list is a good place and herewith what we include today. This will be changing and be added to as and when further information becomes available, so be patient please should you not find what you are looking for. So Bookmark our pages and come back soon eh?

Many thanks for looking and enjoy our favourite country in Europe

The Team at
www.your-own-travel-booking-site.com

Geneva

Lucerne

Saas Fee

Zurich