The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Switzerland is not all the chocolates, but instead how expensive the country can be. People often mention…“but isn’t Switzerland so expensive?”…yes, a dinner in Zurich may have been costly $$$ but, the country’s peacefulness, surrounding nature, cleanliness, and serene energy of the cities all add up. This country has easy and accessible transportation (SO easy to travel from one side of the country to another), accessible bathrooms (everywhere!), there are SO many gondolas, so many mountains and destinations reached (it’s incredible!), and safety.
CATCHING THE TRAIN
Having a Swiss SBB pass was super convenient. I recommend getting a Swiss SBB travel pass if you visit Switzerland for a significant amount of days: https://www.sbb.ch/en - once you pay for the pass, there is a mobile app you may download that is super useful for viewing train schedules and stops in the country. You do not have to pay for tickets with this pass, the pass is your ticket for unlimited amounts of train rides, you can catch any SBB train, but personnel may check your pass to ensure it is valid for the time of your travel, and be sure to have the QR pulled up for scanning purposes. You may choose your seat anywhere on the train that is associated with the class of your train pass (ex. first class seats are for first-class pass holders). With the SBB train pass you may even use local busses and trams.
WHAT I’VE NOTICED
A shock was seeing so Swiss army uniforms. Not knowing that military service was mandatory for young males of certain ages in Switzerland was one thing I learned.
LANGUAGES
The languages spoken in the country are connected to the bordering countries: 1) French (near the French border), 2) Italian (near Italian borders), 3) German (near German borders), each corner of the country definitely had different cultures and vibes to it.
The land is very green & very clean bodies of water
The land is truly so green and bodies of water are so blue and clean. Some of the bluest lakes I’ve ever seen. Every location truly felt like a fairytale. However, it may be the Vancouver, BC Girl in me that grew up surrounded by so much nature that I got a little sick of the mountains everywhere (now I appreciate the mountains at home so much more), except in Switzerland, you’re truly immersed in the ups and downs of the mountains, every mountain is extremely nearby & you can catch gondolas up the mountains. The gondolas are also very high-tech, some have Wi-Fi built in.
Taxes, Currency, Tipping
Taxes are a thing in Switzerland - this was similar to home for me.
Note that when traveling to Switzerland, the currency they use is Swiss Francs (CHF).
Tipping at restaurants is also a concept in Switzerland.
WHAT TO PACK
I recommend bringing a light rainjacket, as the rain was unpredictable and there would be moments of downpour, be prepared for some rain in the month of May.
People who visit mountains by taking the gondola wear casual wear and it is normal rather than wearing athletic wear.
PLACES
1) LUZERN
2) ZURICH
3) GENEVE
4) ZUG - passed by
5) LUGANO