Switzerland travel guide

Right in the middle of Europe, but single-mindedly not part of the EU, Switzerland aims to outshine its neighbours wherever it can. It has arguably the continent’s most memorable train journeys and ski resorts, enough brilliant blue lakes and fantasy mountains to fill a lifetime, and the most outstanding chocolate (sorry, Belgium).
There’s another argument to be made that it’s like Europe’s greatest hits, with German, French and Italian character sprinkled across 26 idiosyncratic cantons. There are echoes of Germany, with design and art in Basel, medieval history in capital Bern, and urban cool in Zurich; moody French highlights, with cheese trails, terraced vineyards and gothic chateaux, particularly around lakes Geneva and Neuchatel; and there’s la dolce vita in Locarno, Ascona and Lugano. And that’s before you get to the seismogram-ragged Grisons: the most romantic region of Switzerland, where you’ll hear the indigenous language of Romansh everywhere you go.
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Start in one of the chocolate-box cities — Geneva, Zurich, or Basel — for truffle-eating, watch-shopping and circling unashamedly pretty centres. If you had to pick one, medieval Zurich is the most glamorous. From the train station there your next stops are: Lucerne and its crystal-clear lake that set Queen Victoria dreaming; Interlaken and the summit adventures of the Eiger, Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald and Murren; then Zermatt* with the tilted top of the much-photographed Matterhorn. Ride the Gornergrat train* for a panorama of the Gorner glacier, a monstrous ice tongue that’s the third longest in the Alps.
When the topography lets it, the Swiss countryside is given over to agriculture; prepare for a perpetual jingle-jangle of cow bells, rolling edelweiss meadows and tractor drivers as young as 14. All of which gives rise to twists on some wonderfully long-in-the-tooth traditions. Plan your trip around a festival of Schwingen (Alpine folk wrestling for cows), e-bike the Emmentaler cheese route in Burgdorf, or vineyard-hop and drink in the views from Montreux to Lausanne to Geneva. The wine is so delicious that the Swiss refuse to export it.
Then, of course, winter descends and the country goes crazy for snow sports*. There’s a premium put on travel to Switzerland at this time, but with a roll call of ski resorts including Verbier, Saas-Fee, Crans Montana, Engelberg, Andermatt, Davos, Klosters and Laax, you’ll have few excuses to not to hit the slopes.
If money is no object when visiting Switzerland, you’re in the right place to spend it. From mountain-top palaces and butler-served castles to lakeside grande dames, many are destinations in their own right, with fondue restaurants, Monte Carlo-style casinos, spas and swish shopping arcades. Indeed, many of the world’s most awarded hotels can be found not just in cities such as Geneva* and Zurich*, but in the mountain eyries of St Moritz, Andermatt, Gstaad and Flims — names like Badrutt’s Palace* and Gstaad Palace* set oligarch pulses racing. Credit cards are widely accepted, of course, but for cheaper options without champagne and caviar on tap, you’ll find plenty of good-value boutiques and chalets in the country’s less-fashionable spots; consider Stoos, Meiringen, Grimentz or Lenzerheide for a taster of the Swiss Alps that most don’t see.
At times, the whole country feels like a national park — but you’ll know you’re somewhere special when reaching Swiss National Park. It’s the oldest nature reserve in the Alps and where chamois, ibex, wolves, lynx and golden eagles cavort as if in a Heidi cartoon. You might not care for visiting nearby St Moritz — even if its high-altitude hiking is ridiculously good — but also here is Diavolezza, a mini mountain resort with access to ice-spangled skiing and crampon trails on the Morteratsch Glacier.
Another area often overlooked to the north is Appenzell: home to the craggy folds and mountain huts of the Alpstein massif, where trekkers get pie-eyed on the world’s highest whisky trek. If more booze appeals, head to the Val-De-Travers in Jura, the cult birthplace of absinthe, and where it’s produced with considerable national pride. The Route de l’Absinthe, a 35km signed hiking and biking route, will help you reappraise the world’s most potent drink.
One final tip: the country is resolutely focused on an eco-friendly future and its e-Grand Tour, billed as the world’s first road trip for electric cars, is a corker. A dense network of superchargers? Green hotels? Alpine passes, countless lakes and almost 1,000 miles of clean driving? You’ll love it.
It’s best to visit Switzerland in December to March for winter sports and heart-clogging rosti. If it’s snow-free mountain trails, biking and wine you’re after, go for the golden summer months of June to August.
How many days are enough in Switzerland?A mistake made by most visitors is thinking that this compact country is easy to race around — it’s definitely not. The mountains, lakes and hidden valleys provide plenty of physical barriers, and it takes time to visit Switzerland properly, even if the road, rail and ferry system is ultra-efficient. Consider seven to ten days as a minimum — two weeks is ideal.
Is Switzerland expensive to visit?Undoubtedly yes. Those holiday jackpot views don’t come cheap and you can easily spend £150 a night for a chalet hotel with a mountain view and £100 for dinner for two — without wine. Cable car and panorama train rides are also essential, but at up to £90 a pop for the big-ticket excursions in bucket-list destinations such as Interlaken and Zermatt, your credit card will be stretched. If budgeting, avoid Gstaad and St Moritz.Which is the most beautiful part of Switzerland?It depends. Most votes go to Zermatt and the Matterhorn, rivalled by Lake Lucerne and Lake Geneva for their riviera lifestyle. Don’t discount Appenzell, with its medieval traditions, or Ticino, where the Swiss slip into Italian time. You can bank on the Bernese Oberland for excelling on all fronts. Here, you’re coming for car-free Murren, Grindelwald and the peerless Eiger.
Currency Swiss franc/CHF
Inspired to visit Switzerland but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from Tui* and British Airways*.
• Discover city breaks to Geneva*• Discover city breaks to Zurich*• Discover city breaks to Basel*• Discover tours in Switzerland*
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