Switzerland...not for the cheap traveller!

  On our road trip to Lyon we decided to spend a few days in Switzerland as it's been on our list of must sees for quite some time. I had dreams of fondue, green valleys with people yelling "Ricola" and of course the Swiss Alps. I was both very disappointed and very satisfied with Switzerland. There was indeed fondue and snowed capped Alps, but the exorbitant cost really was a shock to me. We had planned on stopping at hostels along our journey for a reasonable cost but instead had to stay at hotel-priced hostels with no kitchens! I must admit, our 5 day trip through Switzerland really broke our budget.
  We started out by staying in a small town called Biel (as the hostel in Bern was far too expensive for us) which was only an hour from Bern. The Lago Lodge hostel did have all the amenities such as a kitchen, living room and a friendly cat and overall was a good experience. We went for a day trip the following day to Bern where I was sadly very disappointed. I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly but it lacked excitement for me and looked very much like any other European city. Although not my favourite destination, there were still some interesting sights such as the old clock tower, Einsteins home and the network of covered shopping arches.

Once you visit a number of European cities, unfortunately they tend to start to look very similar and you favour visiting the small villages with no chain stores and restaurants.

   After Berne we drove to the beautiful lakeside town of Lucerne which has been ranked among the world's prettiest cities, and I would have to agree! The setting is perfect with the town built along the sparkling lake and the beginning of the Alps in the backdrop.

 You can wander through the little streets, sample delicious Swiss chocolates or walk across the famous Chapel bridge. Strolling along the pathway that hugs Lake Lucernes shore is a must as well and you may even get a hello from a very friendly Swan!

There is a local legend about one of the mountains overlooking Lake Lucerne. It is said that in medieval times there was a dragon that lived on Mount Pilatus ! You can actually take a cogwheel railway (world's steepest!) up to the top from May to November and check out the legends for yourself! I also hear that the "Golden Trip" excursion is fantastic as well starting with a boat trip across the lake, a cogwheel train to the top, cableways down, followed by a bus ride back to Lucerne. A visit to the picturesque town of Lucerne is a must when visiting Switzerland!

   After Lucerne we had a wonderful day of driving to Geneva with a stopover in the small mountain village of Gruyere...yes, where the cheese comes from!! It was so "Swiss" to me and provided wonderful views of the surrounding mountains as well as a couple restaurants offering local specialties such as Fondue (prepare to pay a hefty price of 25 Euros a person!) and my personal favourite, Raclette.

There is also a castle perched on the mountain at the end of the town offering tours ($$), as well as a very random museum showcasing the works of the Artist from the Alien film. So be prepared to suddenly see alien statues as well as an Alien cafe during your wander through Gruyere. It always is so interesting the strange sights you see in the places you would least expect it.

Lastly, there is CHEESE of course, and lots of it! You can visit a factory at the base of the mountain upon entry into Gruyere where you can go for tours and purchase the famous cheese. The cheese was to die for and I think we ate the entire wedge that evening!

    Our day in the car driving through the Alps was fantastic, and was my favourite day in Switzerland. Driving the switch-backs through the mountains was exhilarating and provided so many views that pictures or words cannot describe. The Swiss Alps are truly stunning and really make you realize just how small you are in this world.

 I seen the vibrant green foothills where I imagined hearing "Ricola" and the cattle dotting the fields. It was a drive I will never forget and I think is a must while in Switzerland. If you do not have a vehicle I would highly recommend spending the money on a train ride through the Alps as you will not get the Swiss experience by simply going from the big cities of Bern to Geneva through the valley.

 

 A WORD OF CAUTION: If driving through Switzerland make sure to buy a Vignette BEFORE travelling on Swiss roads! Purchase this sticker ahead of time, at the border or before renting your car in Switzerland at a Post office. It is compulsory and will cost you 33 Euros. You must buy the vignette good for one year as there is no shorter option. It is illegal to drive on Swiss tolled highways (national highways class 1 and 2) without the sticker and will get you a large fine if found without one. You could attempt to stay off these roads but after looking at the maps hard, we decided the amount of extra time it would take to get anywhere would be worth the price of the sticker. We did not purchase a vignette the first day as we had never heard of one before and when we passed through the border we were not aware that there was a designated purchasing lane... luckily we were informed by a fellow traveller in our hostel that evening! We went first thing the next day to the Post office and bought our shiny new sticker and stuck it on our rental. Also, don't think you can temporarily attach it and later re-sell it as it is not only illegal, but the vignette itself is scored to prevent you from doing so. For more information visit http://www.tolltickets.com/country/swiss/vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB

   Our last two nights in Switzerland were spent in Geneva where I was terribly disappointed. The city itself was very plain and uninteresting to me and the hostel was so unbelievably overpriced at over 40 Euros a person per night! This price didn't even include a parking space or a kitchen! I was not impressed with not having a kitchen in a hostel as it forces you to have to go out and purchase expensive food which can push you very quickly over budget. One recommendation after spending many nights in hostels, is to always look for hostels with a kitchen as this a sure-way to keep yourself on budget and allowing you to prepare lunches for the following day to avoid hunger splurges.
   The one attraction we wanted to see in Geneva, the large jet fountain, was not even on due to the temperature being one degree too low. We also ventured to the European United Nations headquarters office in hopes of touring the building but decided not to visit after seeing the 12 CHF price tag. I strongly feel that citizens of UN nations should not have to pay a fee to visit a UN office that is already funded by our tax dollars...I just feel it should be open for all to visit without the price tag and gift shops. I am sure the tour is very good and educational and if you don't mind the charge than I think it would be worth checking out. Outside of the UN Headquarters there is an interesting art sculpture of a giant chair symbolising "opposition to land mines and cluster bombs, and acts as a reminder to politicians and others visiting Geneva." *

   Switzerland is a beautiful country offering majestic landscape, delicious specialties and enough shopping to make you drop. Although not mentioned on this blog, there is of course endless world famous skiing and rental chalets for memorable ski vacations.  For the true Swiss feel try to visit the smaller mountain villages and if you can afford to, indulge in fondue and raclette (or make it at the hostel like we did for cheap!). Be prepared to fork out some cash when visiting this country and make sure to do some financial planning if backpacking. I will always remember the Alps reaching high up into the sky...
For information on Swiss Hostels visit http://www.swissbackpackers.ch/

* From Wikipedia

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