With my recent trip to Switzerland I have confirmed that it is one of my favorite countries and the odds are high I will be visiting again soon. The Alps are breathtaking and it is so hard to determine which mountain or valley is more beautiful than the one prior. Riding the rails to see these hidden treasures of towns in the Alps is the way to go as some can only be accessed by rail as no cars are allowed.
Highly recommend a trip to see this amazing place. Take the rails and make sure you go out on the boats to see the lakes as well!
So here is my insight on Switzerland from my trip:
Trains are amazing, organized and always on time. There is no wifi on the trains.
They really like tunnels, we went through over 200 tunnels in one eight hour trip.
Most cities do not have stop lights or cross walks. Only in the larger cities like Zurich or Lucerne.
Most walk or bike to where they are going. Trains, trams and buses are next and car are the last choice of transportation.
Very accommodating to those of us that only speak English. All of the train announcements were in several languages.
Four major languages German, Italian, French and Romansh. English is spoken in all areas so very little issues with language.
People are not overly friendly they are very efficient but not rude.
Alps are amazing and then some, can not go wrong with any area that includes them.
Houses are Swiss chalets with the picture perfect flower baskets on the front. The wood on the chalets are burned naturally by the sun so all of them are black. In the city you will find more modern styles most square in form.
Cities are very clean and I felt safe in all of them. There is no air conditioning so if you want cool air you have to leave your windows open. I felt very safe doing this.
Switzerland is expensive, so expect to pay chf17 to chf20 for a sandwich or burger which is close to the US dollar currently. The COOP stores are a great place to buy food items to offset eating out at every meal. We found our favorite wine there for about $5 which was a huge surprise.
Ferry boat and bus connections are at most of the main train stations which makes it really convenient if you are making a connection.
Cheese and meat trays are the best as this is an everyday item that is consumed in the country.
Breakfast will be European in style with bread, cheese and cold cuts of meats. They do a better job than most country with the scrambled eggs and bacon.
Chocolate is everywhere but not all of it I would rate as great. Some locations sell it by the gram which can get pricey. Lindt chocolate is also very popular as this is where it began.
Ice machines not available in all hotels as is normal in European countries so you will need to ask at the bar if you want ice for your room.
Elevators are a bit bigger than European but still not close to the size in the US so luggage and 2 people are tight.
They count floors differently so ground floor would be zero and basement or lower floor would be a minus 1 or minus 2.
Beds are European styles so two twins is their version of a king. They do not do top sheets only comforters.
Internet was good across the country even in the smaller villages.