enzian

Yes, and we're very proud ot that!

(Member of REI, the member-owned cooperative started in a garage, since 1969).

PalenQ

In the PRofS it is probably illegal to brew up anything except Free Trade java grown above 10,000 feet in the shade. Organically, of course.

PalenQ

Like Beavis or Butthead once said about Seattle:

'They should charge admission fees to get in'

suze

Another proud Seattle-ite here.

No, we don't need to call it anything (socialist) but we could if we wanted to. No big deal. Sheez.

enzian

Ok, so we got Seattle figured out. Maybe we should return to helping Borivlikar1 with his trip to Switzerland?

kleeblatt

I used to work for Migros. Don't get me started.....

Back to Borivlikar1:

Finding reform houses are very difficult. They are a thing of the past and many areas just don't have them. Many Apothekes have "reform" products for sale.

You will find lots of organic products in Migros and Coop. They are labelled "bio".

Hope you come back and let us know if you need any other help.

PalenQ

I used to work for Migros. Don't get me started..>

well now that this thread has petered out - how about getting started on Migros - always intrigued me a supermarket sans booze in Europe

start here, PLEASE

enzian

I'd rather see if Borivlikar1 has any more questions.

suze

Me neither, but hopefully borivlikar1 will check back in with some more questions about Switzerland.

I can really picture this family enjoying the Vevey area myself.

enzian

suze, I can too---especially in may. I think Swandav posted some photos of the lakefront promenade at that time, with lots of flowers in bloom. It looked very inviting!

Perhaps he is still trying to decide between a full week in Bern, versus four days in Luzern (or Interlaken), and four in Zermatt (or Vevey).

DalaiLlama

Schuler sez "Finding reform houses are very difficult. They are a thing of the past" -

- not so, don't scare OP now.

I indicated a few for Bern, with directions.

A quick Google action finds Reformhäuser for Basel, Luzern, Zürich, even Thun and Interlaken etc. - they are found in most decent-sized cities, alive and well and and not a thing of the past. Never have been mainstream, but solid and established, with knowledgeable staff for people with needs like OP's and his family.

Müller Vital Shop AG has branches in several cities - see www.reformhaus.ch.

The "bio" designation is more or less what US-Americans know as certified organic.

PalenQ

Vevey is just one of those idyllic places - jutting out into the lake. I like to hop the lake boats - i enjoyed going over to Evian-les-Bains in France - a swell resort and home of the famous bottled water. (Boats 100% covered by a Swiss Pass - even into France.)

PalenQ

wonder if chocolate is off-limits? If not from Vevey area (Vevey has its own Nestle plant, right) the Chocolate Train goes up thru the vineyards to Gruyere (cheese factory tastings) and then to Broc-Factory and tour of the Nestle chocolate factory there. the train cars are Belle-Epoque vintage wagons.

http://www.goldenpass.ch/GPS/produits/choc1.asp

borivlikar1

Hi Guys,

some updates.

Seemed like the diet was the rate limiting factor for our travel.

---the mother in law does eat most indian food. open to eating pasta,sandwiches , soups, rice preparations...basically anything that may not be considered bland by indian standards( and by those standards everything is bland...
We are also carrying rice and other staples so we can cook ourselves to the point where if we need to eat the son and ma in law are taken care of from base point. Just need to figure out out to heat their food at the points where we travel to.I dont know if this changes anything in your recommendations.

---took care of sons dietary needs. all food that cant be locally sourced will be carrie from the us. I had considerable amt of difficulty on migros's website even though google did translate it from german. Though i do know they decreased the price of bread by abt 10 cents.

---going for the flexipass for abt 7 or 9 days for the family. they had some savings per person when i went that route. need to look into details. any thoughts?

---did not have much help with the apt websites. they do contain a lot of info, just not readable in english or i am probably linguistically challenged. any websites that contain majority of the info in english?

---doing 2 panoramic train routes...not necessarily in those trains though. will travel any trains that run those routes. will work with the logistics for the family. any thoughts again?

thanks again.

enzian

Hello---glad to see you back!

Have you thought about where you would like to stay? A week in one place, or divide between two places?

If you say where you are thinking of staying, we might be able to suggest some apartments to check. Did you look at the apartment in Interlaken I posted above? That website is in English:

http://www.lotschberg.ch/e_susisbb.php

Also, many websites do have English---look for a little British flag.

On the Flexpass---you might not need a 7- or 9-day pass, even if you think you might be traveling every day. Some journeys are short enough that they don't justify using a "free" day on the pass. Also, any FlexPass acts as a half-fare card on days you aren't taking a free trip (as long as they are between the first and last day of use). So we have found that a 3-day or 4-day pass works well; we use the pass for the first and last travel day, and for 2 expensive trips in between. For any other travel, we use the half-fare feature of the pass. Just a thought.

But definitely count the trip up the Jungfraujoch (if you are doing that) as a day to be covered on the pass----it is expensive!

You don't need to carry rice from the US---it is widely available in Switzerland, in several types (Basmati, short-grain, arborio, etc.) You might want to bring some familiar snack items (cookies and crackers) for your son so you know they are safe for him.

borivlikar1

i am sure all of you are waiting for this thread to get over.

But i am going back and forth and digesting and analysing the info you guys give.
enzian...i am probably going to stay at that place in interlaken. we are leaning a little bit b/w splitting our time between bern and interlaken to stay. so any help with english websites for apt renta;s or bnb's or something in bern and interlaken would be nice. we do need use of a kitchenette.

How does one buy euros or swiss francs at a relatively decent conversion rate in the us? my bank charges a good fee over the conversion rate which is not the best either.

flts into zurich are currently running between 1000 to 1300. more towards 1300. trying to figure out now if flying into bern is best, if that is an option.

thanks for the tip abt the rice. how abt utensils? what if we bought them there and gave them away there to someone? is that a decent option. Some do say equipped kitchenettes...but i assume it is appliances.

One kind of sandwich which we like is 2 slices of bread...with tomatoes/cucumbers/boiled potatoes/chutney (dressing)/butter in between them. Chutney is made of green chillies,coriander/cilantro,mint.
Easy to find in migros and other places?

How do you say the foll in swiss?
" no meat,no chicken,no fish,no alcohol". of course we have eaten food that uses wine or alcohol as a part of the cooking process but is not present in the final product per se.

Are there any picnic packages available in supermarets? and any recommendations about fruit juice places or smoothies places?

what are typical tipping practices?

Any places where wifi is free....got an iphone which can work with a good wifi signal.

BTW is bern the city with the best train connections to any part of switzerland? or interlaken?

I am still majorly confused about this whole swiss pass thing. all the fodorites...please shed any and all of your insight here abt it. any little piece to solve the jigsaw puzzle is welcome.
specs are as follows:

---arrival and departure in bern or zurich. be in interlaken as well. very remote chance of going upto zermatt.

---1 kid(3 yrs),3 adults(26-33),1 adult(early 60's).

---would like to have possibly more all inclusive since everytime to pay more for 5 and also have to disembark or wait on train station.....let me know the for's and against's of this policy.


Borivlikar.

enzian

Hello borivlikar1,

It is good to see you here. Do not worry that anyone is waiting for the thread to finish. Most of us love to talk about Switzerland and help other travelers. It is my favorite place in the world and we have no current plans to return for a 5th trip (too much $$$$ right now) so I derive vicarious pleasure from helping you.

Buying euros_---Switzerland is not on the euro. They use the Swiss franc (CHF). The best conversion rate is at ATM's within the country. We like to arrive with a few francs (left over from a previous trip) but there are ATM's in the airport.

I don't know about flying into Bern but check Basel for fares. For our trips, we have always flown into Zürich. What airlines are you trying? Have you checked at kayak.com?

You probably don't need to worry about utensils at the apartment, or cookware, unless there is some specialty item you need. We have always found what we needed to be provided.

For your special sandwich---produce like tomatoes and cucumbers are available everywhere and very high quality. The cucumbers are likely the "English" seedless-thin skin type. You should probably bring your own chutney.

The Swiss Pass thing is very confusing for everyone. There is a pretty good explanation on the Rick Steves website:

http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/ausswitz.htm

To some extent there is a trade-off between cost and convenience. Some people do the math, computing fares for every proposed trip. We buy a pass for the convenience.

Tipping---very different from the US. It is much less of a factor. Perhaps the locals should explain, as after 5 long trips I still am not sure I have it right!

That's it for now. We have a snow emergency in Seattle and I have to help put chains on the car. . .

kleeblatt

Tipping:

It's not mandatory. When I order a cup of coffee and it costs SFr. 3.80, I'll round up the price to SFr. 4.00.

For a SFr. 30.-- meal, I'll give the waiter a franc or two on top.

Not more.

Tipping will not break your bank. It's used more as a sign of appreciation.

Sliced bread: You will find in all stores.

Chutney: You will find it in a larger Migros and Coop, but I would bring my own if it's an important item.

Smoothies: Nope. You can buy fruit juice in the local grocery stores or order a glass of orange juice at a restaurant.

Food: Switzerland is known for bland food although I've heard some people find it salty. I think it depends on the cook at the restaurant.

Rice: As Enzian stated, you can get it all here. Uncle Ben's is found in all stores.

Picnics: You can buy read to eat sandwiches, etc. in Migros and Coop. Be a bit daring and try the different sausages and cheeses. They are very good. With my family, we often buy cervelat (like hot dogs) or bratwurst and cook them over an open fire during our hikes. You'll find firepits available along most hikes.

Wifi hotspots: Go to MacDonald's. They have free wifi hotspots. The camping area in Interlaken also has a free hotspot.

Utensils: Available in the apartment. You should find everything you need there.

Trains: I use second class all the time. So does 80% of the Swiss. Use sbb.ch to map your routes. Don't overdo on long train rides. They do get boring, especially for children.

Water: We have excellent tap water. No need to buy bottled water.

Cheap restaurant meals: Use the self-service cafeterias at Migros, Coop and Manor. The food is quite good and very inexpensive.

gruezi

We usually tip around 5% or a bit more, or round up on a small bill. Some Swiss don't tip at all. At a nicer place, 5% seems to be standard. Service in Switzerland was voted to be included in the price of the food so really it is just a small token of appreciation.

Rounding up, as they also do in Germany, and as Schuler described, is an easy way to do it.

If the bill is chf 33.20 just say, "Make it 35..." when you hand them chf 40. You tip on the spot in a casual place when you are paying the service person at your table.

gruezi

PalenQ

Re: Flexipass - i agree with Enzian that anything more than a 3- or 4-day Flexipass would be overkill. Since you go get 50% off all travel - not just trains but everything that moves practically - boats, buses, gondolas, mountain trains, etc. and if you look at the cost of an extra day on a Flexipass you'd have to be traveling about $70-80 worth to make it pay (since you'd get 50% off anyway)

actually if the 4-, 8- or 15-day consecutive pass fits in then those passes are by far the best deals in cost per day and most of your transit is covered from day 1 thru day 4, 8 or 15. Again for travel as such suggested in your OP some kind of Swiss Pass to me is a no-brainer.