Advice about travel in switzerland
 

We are a family of 4 all adults 1 male and 3 females . We will be arriving in switzerland from salzburg and are then headed to boedeaux .We like the outdoors and would like to soak in the beauty of the country. Would also like to go to Jungfraujoch We want to know
1. in which city we should stay ..preferably cheap .
2. how does one travel in switzerland
anju

I love staying in Wengen! You think you have been delivered to heaven. I don't think the word Switzerland and cheap are related, but I do know what you mean. I stay at Hotel Baeren.....www.baeren-wengen.ch. Keep in mind that the prices posted include a huge breakfast and an elegant dinner. I travel by train all over Switzerland. Cars are not allowed in Wengen. You can take the train to Kleine Scheidegg and on up to the Jungfraujoch.

There are cable cars and cog wheel trains right in the heart of Wengen. Hiking or walking to fit everyone's fitness level. Or you can train down to Lauterbrunnen to take the cable car up to Grimmelwald and on up to Schilthorn. There is so much to do in this area. I usually stay 5 nights, but if you have more time, you will not get bored.

In Switzerland there is nothing cheap - everything is expensive.
To ascend the Jungfrau (have you looked at the cost?) you should be either in Interlalken or one of the towns in the lower Berner Oberland. You need to allow several days - since if the top is in the clouds (frequent) there is no point going up.

One year we waited 3 days in June (sunny in the valleys but the top stuck in the clouds) before we got clear wether at the the top. (The train station will tell you weather at the top.)

Here is a website which lists a variety of more or less budget accommodations in Switzerland.

"Cheap" is a subjective term. Compared to places like Oslo, Switzerland is an absolute bargain

www.rooms.ch

I am going to Wengen in September and staying at the Hotel Edelweiss. This hotel is 80CHF per night for 1, which was the best price for all the hotels in the area.

That's not true (that "everything is expensive"). I'm no expert on the entire country but have friends in Vevey so have visited often. There's a very nice youth hostel there right on the lake, reasonably priced, with some Family Rooms. Also little hotels located over local restaurants that won't break the bank. Most people travel by train.

catherinehaas---Great to know! I think it is located directly behind Hotel Baeren. Really good price. Does that include breakfast?

suze, the Riviera Lodge has been sold, and it is closed at this time.

s

With a little advance planning Switzerland can be just as affordable as any other European country. Here are 3 things you can do to cut the cost of your Swiss trip significantly without sacrificing worthwhile experiences.

First, stop insisting on 3-star and 4-star hotels. There are lots of clean, comfortable, friendly, safe, and centrally located pensions, apartments, hostels, and B&Bs in every Swiss town. In the BO region, Wengen, Murren, and Gimmelwald have lots of them. These places will cost 1/3 to 1/2 less than the big hotels.

Second, get a Swiss Rail Pass before you go. This pass is an amazingly good value provided you'll be in the country at least a week. It covers all public transportation (trains, buses, cable cars, city trams, boats) and gets you 50% off private rail lines. Want to go to the Jungfraujoch or the Schilthorn? It will cost 50% less if you have this pass. The pass also gets you free admission to almost every museum in the country.

Third, pack a picnic lunch instead of dining at a restaurant for every meal. If you rented an apartment, cook a few meals with some Swiss friends you just met.

Thank you very much Swandav. That's sad to hear. I will remember not to recommend staying there (lol).

It's certainy true that you can reduce costs by living more simply. That doesn't mean Switz is not expensive - just that you are giving up some things you usually have.

It's up to you how much you want to give up versus how much more you are willing to pay. (I haven't packed lunches since I was was 11 and am not about to start now. If I can't sit in a pretty cafe with a nice glass of wine at lunch I don't wnat to go.)

That's your choice nytraveler. Some of us don't mind having a sandwich from a bakery sitting on a bench in a pretty park. Not everyone can afford a restaurant meal with wine for lunch every day.

Oops, didn't finish my thought... but that certainly doesn't mean I "don't want to go" to Switzerland.

how does one travel in switzerland>

This is one country where trains make a lot of sense - especially in places like the Jungfrau Region where cars cannot even be driven in much of the area and you must take trains or aerial cable ways.

where to stay? IMO you can't go wrong even by staying in Interlaken itself though most prefer staying in a cutesy Alpine village like perennial favorites like Gtindelwald, Lauterbrunnen or Wengen - easy to get to all of those by train from Interlaken - and if traveling from the Austrian border to Interlaken and environs and then around the Interlaken area and then to the French botrder for going to Bordeaux then investigate the Swiss Saver Pass - Saver Pass being for two or more names on one pass - in your case get two Saver Passes so each couple has some flexibility to go different ways rather than 4 names on one pass which is also possible.

Anyway here are some fine fine sites for learning a lot about Swiss trains and passes and alternatives to it like Half-Fare Cards, Swiss Cards, Swiss GTransfer Tikcets, etc - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.swisstravelsystem.com.

nytraveler,

I'm not "giving up" anything I "usually have" when I travel to Switzerland. I don't eat out often at home, so it's normal for me not to eat out often in Switzerland as well.

And one of the delights of travel is to mingle with the locals, and I love doing that in the grocery stores. I love seeing all the local products and buying fresh regional products, and I love seeing the many prepared dinners and treats that different grocery stores prepare.

And I remember once when I left a (bad) mountain restaurant in the afternoon and passed a group of cheery German-speaking folks in hiking clothes sitting on a bench next to a babbling (really!) brook overlooking a wide sweep of valley, sharing a lavish picnic. To me, that's a better experience, and I would pay as much for that experience as you would pay for a restaurant meal.

I truly am not "giving up" anything, lol!

People travel in different ways. But, yes, if you travel first class, then Switzerland will be that much more expensive.

s

A picnic lunch or dinner not only saves money, you can take it to a park or take it on a hike and get a great view that no restaurant or cafe could possibly match. In a lot of ways you can get more out of your trip by spending less; I think this is one of those ways.

As a follow up to the comment from catherinehaas on Hotel Edelweiss, it is excellent for the price. My son and I stayed there this past summer and loved it. The rooms are simple, but the setting, view (get an upper floor south facing room with a balcony - amazingly view of the mountains) and food are all wonderful. The staff were gracious and welcoming making us feel like we had found a new home. We plan on returning this summer. The hotel is about a 10 minute steep downhill walk from the train station - allow extra time for walking back up if you are catching the train at a specific time.

The trip to Top of Europe is well worth the money. We had a spectacular clear day, but it had been snowing heavily the week before in mid June. Wait to buy your tickets when you get to Wengen in case there is poor weather.

For more information on our trip see my blog roadstosomewhere.com. There are photos of Hotel Edelweiss, the view from our room and photos of Wengen and Top of Europe.

Have a great trip!

ttt

We stayed at the Hotel Staubbach in Lauterbrunnen last June. It was on the cheaper side, I believe 160 CHF per night (double room, breakfast included).
Other favorite villages we saw while we were there (just a short train ride away from Lauterbrunnen) were Wengen and Murren, but I would imagine they are more expensive. They are both very lovely.
It is such a beautiful area, we will always remember the hikes we took in the mountains.
Definitely get the Swiss Rail Pass, it is very convenient and will save you money.
The sandwiches we bought at the Coop were among my favorite meals in Switzerland - and be sure to try the cheese and chocolates if you do a picnic! :)

Thanks guys for all the tips wil investigate and get back abt my experience too