I need help! I'd love to go to Switzerland - Zurich and Geneva, but I dont ski. Or better yet, i can't ski.
Would it be a good idea to go in January? I pick January b/c airfares during that time is much cheaper than travelling in the summer, and I'm hoping to catch some good sales for shopping season. Can't go in March or April b/c I dont know if i can wait that long. Please help. much appreciated.

Hi K,

There is always "apres ski".

Wear a cast on your leg and no one will know.

Hi kalunchi,

Do you enjoy outdoor activities like walking or hiking? If so, you can still enjoy them -- the trails are kept clear all year long (give them a few hours after a nasty snowstorm, of course . . .). When I ski in Switzerland, I always leave myself one or two days to just ramble around a mountain on foot -- pure pleasure. You can also find a sled run too!

If you're just planning to go to the big cities, of course it won't matter much if it's January or June -- you just won't eat many meals outside! Besides shopping, there are of course museums & ferry rides on the lakes -- in enclosed cabins.

I'd suggest you also look into going to Luzern and Basel, very interesting and attractive cities with great shopping & museums.

So -- can you tell us what you see yourself doing besides shopping? Will you stay in the cities? Any time in the country?

s

When I think of Switzerland I think of great scenery, good food, chocolate, cheese, watches, swiss knives and a whole bunch of other stuff before I think of skiing. That is probably different for some other people but that is my list.

You'd have a pretty tough time skiing in Geneva, no matter what the month!

As for wintertime activities you can take the train around, go shopping, to museums, drink grappa, have fondue, experience all the wonderful winter-only dishes like cabbage/sausage, venison stew, check out castles, visit the various Old Towns, etc.

None of my Swiss friends are skiers. Plus it rarely snows down at lake level like in Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux (sometimes but not often).

Cool~ now i feel much more relieved and can actually look forward to this trip.
I love to shop, and when i think of switzerland, i think of WATCHES, CHOCOLATE, skiing, and shopping.
I love to hike/walk, hiking the mountains definitely sounds like alot of fun, and yes, sledding, i think i can do that.
I dont know if I'll have alot of time to vist other cities that swanday mentioned, although i love to see all the attractions in switzerland as i think it'll be a one time trip in my lifetime, unless i fall in love with it, or the watches are alot cheaper there than home. =)
how many days do u think I'll need if I want to visit zurich for sledding/hiking/shopping, geneva for shopping/sight seeing, and some ppl mentioned Bern and Lucerne, is it a must? I'm thinking no more than 10 days.

drink, eat, drink

yup.. did all that AND had the most adventourous ski vacation of my life in davos...

Hi kalunchi,

Well . . . Zurich doesn't have sledding, and of course you have to get out of the city into the hills for the walking.

Even though you don't ski, I suggest you get to a ski-town to enjoy the best of Switzerland -- those views! And the hikes & walks. The best places to consider for hiking, walking, & sledding are the villages of the Berner Oberland (Wengen, Grindelwald, or Muerren) or Engelberg (about an hour from Luzern).

Here's my suggestion: take the train from the Zurich airport directly to Wengen, and stay there four or five days. Spend your time hiking & sledding, and eating chocolate & fondue. Then take the Golden Pass train to Montreux & on to Geneva, where you can shop and enjoy the Lake for three or four days. Then go back to Zurich and spend one or two days there shopping, and fly home.

s

everyone, thanks for the advice. I can't wait to plan my trip.

I'm coming to this thread late, but Basel is a great place to visit in January. For a week or so, the museums are all open until late at night (to 1 am), there are special events going on all through town (both inside and out), the trams are free, and it's a very festive atmosphere. And in the evenings, you can usually hear the "cliques" walking through the streets practicing their tunes for the big Faschnacht spectacular.

Not much of a skier either. I'd rather see the cities. Thinking of flying to Zurich from SFO, then taking the train towards Geneva and then flying back from Geneva via Paris.

But this would be only a 1-week trip. Does it do justice to these two cities and other points in between to spend just a week (5-6 days)?

And the idea of at least taking in the sights (maybe just ride the tram or rent a snow mobile) at a ski resort sounds great.

If you could only visit one ski resort it would have to be Zermatt - classic pedestrian-only swiss mountain town. You can ride up to the top of the mountain and enjoy the view, and just enjoy walking around.

Zurich, Geneva, Paris in 5-6 days would be too much for me. Are you going to spend time in Paris after the Swiss portion?

I love the area on Lac Leman outside Geneva and have often spent a week or two just in those towns (Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux).

No I wouldn't spend any of the week in Paris.

Just that the flight would connect in Paris so I would end the trip in Geneva, which is closer to Paris than Zurich.

One possibility would be to take the train from Geneva to Paris, which is suppose to be nice, rather than fly out of Geneva, connecting in Paris and then flying back to the US.

Where is Zermatt in relation to Zurich-Geneva? At some point in-between if you're taking the train between the two cities? That would be optimal.

Anyone try using the Swiss Pass? Supposedly unlimited travel on trains (with some other benefits) for 4 days for $180 or so.