A small, landlocked country, Switzerland is where very concept of winter tourism was born and where the Golden Age mountaineers scaled newer heights. It featured as an important stop in every Grand Tour of European men. Be it the Holy Trinity of mountains, Monk (Monch), Ogre (Eiger) and Young Virgin (Jung Frau), or the legendary Matterhorn, the panoramic views of mountains in Switzerland is spectacular. A visit to the place will make your vacation a memorable experience.
You need at least two hours to transfer to your connecting flight. Plan ahead. On the outskirts of Basel is located the Euro Airport, which is used as a stopover by many low cost flights, that fly to numerous destinations across Europe. It also helps that Zurich is close by.
For 22 SF per bag round-trip, passengers on Swiss and partner airlines with tickets on Swiss Federal Railways can forward their luggage to their final destination, allowing them to travel unencumbered. This means if you are on Swiss Air or its partner airlines and your final destination is Interlaken, you can checkin your baggage at Mumbai or Delhi and it will be delivered to Interlaken where you can pick it up from the Interlaken railway station. You can avail the same facility when returning back to India. Baggage check-in and airline boarding passes can be arranged at more than 50 train stations around Switzerland, but can only be done less than 24 hours in advance. You can also choose the same facility for transporting your luggage around Switzerland while you travel bag free. An English-language “Fly-Rail Baggage” brochure is available free of charge from the Swiss Federal Railways
The Swiss Federal Railways website is comprehensive and helps you in planning your itineraries, which may include travelling by suburban trains, trams and buses. It also facilitates online booking of your tickets.
Non-residents of Switzerland and Liechtenstein can avail the Swiss Family card is available cost-free. Children under 16 accompanied by a parent, can travel for free!
Winter Joy: Swoosh down the celebrated ski slopes, and relax in the luxurious spas!
The Alps: Picturesque alpine hamlets and peaks that provide majestic views!
Sylvan scenes: Panoramic views of picturesque landscapes from trains!
Food and Drink: Haute cuisine and local wine, with Swiss cheese and chocolate!
Urban Life: The cosmopolitans Geneva and Zurich and the historic Basel and Bern.
Shop-o-mania: From holiday markets to designer boutiques – you have it all!
A few of the beautiful places in Switzerland are:
Matterhorn is also called Il Cervino (Italian) or Le Cervin (French). At its foot is an eco-friendly village, Zermatt, a car-free village that is a magnet for tourists all over the world and is one of the most important tourist attractions of Switzerland. Zermatt offers chalets, restaurants, carriage rides, and plenty of shops and souvenir shops, creating the perfect template of a Swiss Alpine village.
If you continue your journey on the cable car past Murren, you would reach the Schilthorn peak. The Piz Gloria viewing station and restaurant atop the peak provides a mesmerising panorama.
At 3,454m (11,332 ft.), it is the highest peak in Europe, it is a once in a lifetime experience. You can acess Jungfrau any time of the year and you are treated to a spectacular view of icy glaciers and steep mountains around you.
You can get advance information on the weather at Jungfrau from the website www.jungfrau.ch or you can 033 828 79 31. Good weather is essential for the trip, as are warm clothes, sunglasses and sunscreen. In the Sphinx weather station, where passengers disembark the train, an Ice Palace gallery with ice sculptures, restaurants and indoor viewpoints, is open to public.
The fountains, sandstone facades, narrow streets and historic towers, render a medieval air to this city. The best view of the old town can be got from the elevated Rose Garden above the Bear Park and the platform of the 101-metre-high cathedral tower.
Bern is in the heart of Switzerland and can be easily reached by car or by air through the Bern-Belp airport and buses. The dense rail network with its direct connections to the major European cities, make travelling easier. The city, located in the centre makes a perfect base, to stay overnight and to plan your excursions throughout Switzerland.
Appenzell is the political and the cultural centre of the Appenzell Innerrhoden. Its population is 7,000 and is the smallest Swiss canton. The clear air, thanks to the car-free policy, makes the beautiful lanes and healthier too. The stores and boutiques offer shopping and browsing opportunities. Frescoes decorate the facades of the buildings. A cross-section of the Appenzell’s history and culture is showcased in the Appenzell museum.
Appenzell got its name from the Latin abbatiscella (abbey cell). The region served as a colony to the St. Gallen abbey.