calibusje
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Dear cali and travel enthusiasts, In the summer of 2024 we spent about 16 days in Switzerland and this country made a very great impression on us, hence this travel report. It can serve to warm you up to visit this beautiful, fascinating country or you can use it as tips for your next visit. Our Grand Tour of Switzerland still resonates with me. It was marvelous. If you or your (grand)children like swimming and paddleboarding, I would definitely recommend Switzerland: there you can get into the water in practically every village on any lake. The water is wonderful and let's just say that I was in the water there the most of all our trips ever.
Filling up the tank is expensive, but you still have to refuel, so that's just the way it is. Fruit and vegetables (actually shopping in general) are quite expensive there, but other than that it is actually no more expensive than our home country. Eating out (lunch/evening) is often a treat and not expensive, so don't use up your storage space by carrying food and such. The basics are more than enough. Make sure you have an e-SIM to avoid high internet bills. We used: https://esim.holafly.com/esim-switzerland/
We have not booked anywhere and there are numerous camper places to spend the night, some free and others no more expensive than a campsite. Often unmanned, but otherwise just like a simple campsite. Just use the Park4Night app or another like Campercontact. We also stood at campsites to do the laundry. Some campsites can be very expensive but there are more that are more affordable than in France and have a swimming pool and mouth-watering views. I will mention a camper place or campsite here and there were we spent the night, but not all of them, Just kinda as tips. It is also a campervan friendly country; you will encounter many california's.
We had nice weather and little rain. Sometimes even very warm days with pleasant cooling in the mountains. The many lakes and swimming pools in campsites also helped. And maybe visit a spa, there are many. Clothing advice: wear light clothing in the summer and take a sweater, jacket or rain vest in the cali; you will need them all. And good hiking boots.
We liked the diversity of the Swiss areas and were able to practice our languages a bit (although I can't speak Italian). The inhabitants of the different regions also each have their own character and each region has its own atmosphere. I liked driving around there and was especially amazed by the nature that is often overwhelmingly impressive. I really loved. We avoided the larger cities to save some time.
We bought a travel guide: the 'Grand Tour of Switzerland' and used it as a guideline for our trip (there is also an app; we did not use it). An extremely useful guide with each of the 25 stages beautifully described with all the sights, distances, photos, a small map with the route of that stage and there is also a fold-out map of Switzerland with all stages included. In summary, the “Grand Tour of Switzerland” is 1600 kilometers long, winding through Switzerland's most stunning spots. There are also several photo spots that mainly provide beautiful views and it is great for children, among others, to spot them.
I'm not going to go over all the stages, but those interested can take a look here: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en/experiences/experience-tour/grand-tour-of-switzerland/
Here we go, I hope you enjoy reading it and find it useful. We drove from Bruges, Belgium through France and entered Switzerland via Basel. Then Basel-Neuchâtel for our first stage but you can actually start the route at any point, entering from other countries. There are countless side steps along the route that you may or may not make; you choose yourself, explanation is in the book. We didn't do them all, but we did follow the complete route winding through Switzerland back to our actual starting point (Neuchâtel). But first, while driving from Basel to Neuchâtel, we visited a dinosaur park in Réclère and visited the caves there.
I'm going to list chronologically some of the sights we saw and did, you can look them up without obligation and see if this is something for you.
Villages worth stopping at: Murten, Fribourg (and driving through the bridge) and our first funicular: Moléson-sur-Gruyères. What a sight.
Also impressive: Le Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Seeping: campsite Manor Farm on Lake Thun, for the view and the luxury that the campsite offered, although we arrived late and were allowed to sleep on the site in front of the barrier. Very kind of them. Swiss people are generally very friendly.
Worth mentioning: a good place to stay for a few days: Interlaken, touristy for sure but also with charm. There are waterfalls and an excellent campsite Jungfrau (thanks for the tip @GrumpyGranddad ). Also take the Lauterbrunnen - Mürren train and then the Mürren - Birg - Schilthorn cable car. And enjoy the journey. Above: Piz Gloria: walking and a rotating restaurant with all-round view (of course we ate there, just for the experience). There is also a small museum with attributes, photos and facts about the scenes of the James Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' that were filmed here in 1968/1969. And back in Lauterbrunnen in the evening: a classic Swiss cheese fondue.
Train rides and excursions in mountainous areas are quite expensive and some are very expensive, which is why we did not take the Jungfraubahn to the highest train station in Europe, Jungfraujoch (over 600 EUR for the four of us). Later in our trip we made another excursion that we found more recommended...
There is a kind of travel pass that you can buy in advance for the period you are there and that gives discounts for train rides and excursions. We didn't have this.
Also: we took the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen and from there the cable car to Männlichen. Pay a little extra and choose to sit on top of the gondola instead of in it. A unique experience. Take the Royal Walk above and you will have the Jungfrau and several mountains in view. Also on top of the mountain: Alpine Herdsman's playground with an 8.5m high 'walk-in' cow.
Further on our tour: Emmentaler Schaukäserei (Affoltern, Emmental), feel free to visit and be amazed at how important this cheese was (and still is) for the region.
There are several large cities, but we only visited Lucerne (with its Chapel Bridge) as seen from the tourist train and then took a walk in the city. Had a nice meal along the Reuss River (Restaurant Terrazza). Good food at affordable prices with a beautiful view.
An example of a great camper place: in Dierikon.
As Belgians, we certainly also visited the place where Queen Astrid died in an accident in Küssnacht in 1935. Then Immensee with the legend of the Swiss hero William Tell; you can take a nice walk there. Afterwards: eating along Lake Lucerne in Vitznau.
Take the ferry Gersau - Niederdorf. Winterthur and Rheinfall at Schloss Laufen. Also: Arenenberg Castle where Napoleon III lived as a youngster. There is a museum inside and you can take a nice walk. The views at the many sights in Switzerland are generally incredible, I keep saying it. And why not visit Heididorf in Maienfeld? In Fideris is another example of a great camper place.
Via Davos to the Fluela Pass and on to St. Moritz. Afterwards we drove the San Bernardino Pass. Tip camper place in Losone.
Over the Gotthard Pass to the Furka Pass. Along the latter you will come across Hotel Belvédère from the chase scene from Goldfinger. Stop for a moment and visit the Rhône Glacier Ice Cave. The cave had already partially melted away when we were there and was not that impressive, but the walk to it along the glacier and the surrounding area was even more so.
Another example of a beautiful camper place: Mörel and eat in the restaurant: tasty and not expensive. At Bettmerhorn take the cable car to the Aletsch Glacier. This is my tip for a breathtaking view for a fraction of the price of the train ride to Jungfraujoch.
Drive to the village of Täsch and take the train to Zermatt (because it is car-free) and walk to the bridge where you have a view of the Matterhorn. I continue to enjoy Switzerland and its stunning views. Tip camper place: Gampel.
Take a splash in the Lac de Géronde and drink a glass of wine in the wine region where you drive through.
Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard where at the top you can visit the famous dogs and even take a walk with them. There is also a museum and the crypt of the Hospice de Grand-Saint-Bernard. At the Château de Chillon we took a boat tour on Lake Geneva: gorgeous!
Chaplin's World, in Vevey between Montreux and Lausanne: impressive museum and a lovely walk in the garden. In Lausanne is the Olympic museum. You can tell: there is certainly plenty to see and do in Switzerland.
In Geneva itself: the Jet d'Eau and even more of course. We went swimming in Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in Coppet.
Nyon, small fire museum but with a link to Belgium (Tintin). Campsite tip: Vallorbe with the adjacent brand new beautiful swimming pool (jumping tower, slide), included in the price of your campsite.
And back to Neuchâtel. From there to Sochaus (France) for a visit to the beautiful Musée de L'Aventure Peugeot.
Back home, we enjoyed the countless photos we took. I couldn't resist passing our experience on but the best thing is to experience it yourself.
Greetings
Calibusje
Filling up the tank is expensive, but you still have to refuel, so that's just the way it is. Fruit and vegetables (actually shopping in general) are quite expensive there, but other than that it is actually no more expensive than our home country. Eating out (lunch/evening) is often a treat and not expensive, so don't use up your storage space by carrying food and such. The basics are more than enough. Make sure you have an e-SIM to avoid high internet bills. We used: https://esim.holafly.com/esim-switzerland/
We have not booked anywhere and there are numerous camper places to spend the night, some free and others no more expensive than a campsite. Often unmanned, but otherwise just like a simple campsite. Just use the Park4Night app or another like Campercontact. We also stood at campsites to do the laundry. Some campsites can be very expensive but there are more that are more affordable than in France and have a swimming pool and mouth-watering views. I will mention a camper place or campsite here and there were we spent the night, but not all of them, Just kinda as tips. It is also a campervan friendly country; you will encounter many california's.
We had nice weather and little rain. Sometimes even very warm days with pleasant cooling in the mountains. The many lakes and swimming pools in campsites also helped. And maybe visit a spa, there are many. Clothing advice: wear light clothing in the summer and take a sweater, jacket or rain vest in the cali; you will need them all. And good hiking boots.
We liked the diversity of the Swiss areas and were able to practice our languages a bit (although I can't speak Italian). The inhabitants of the different regions also each have their own character and each region has its own atmosphere. I liked driving around there and was especially amazed by the nature that is often overwhelmingly impressive. I really loved. We avoided the larger cities to save some time.
We bought a travel guide: the 'Grand Tour of Switzerland' and used it as a guideline for our trip (there is also an app; we did not use it). An extremely useful guide with each of the 25 stages beautifully described with all the sights, distances, photos, a small map with the route of that stage and there is also a fold-out map of Switzerland with all stages included. In summary, the “Grand Tour of Switzerland” is 1600 kilometers long, winding through Switzerland's most stunning spots. There are also several photo spots that mainly provide beautiful views and it is great for children, among others, to spot them.
I'm not going to go over all the stages, but those interested can take a look here: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en/experiences/experience-tour/grand-tour-of-switzerland/
Here we go, I hope you enjoy reading it and find it useful. We drove from Bruges, Belgium through France and entered Switzerland via Basel. Then Basel-Neuchâtel for our first stage but you can actually start the route at any point, entering from other countries. There are countless side steps along the route that you may or may not make; you choose yourself, explanation is in the book. We didn't do them all, but we did follow the complete route winding through Switzerland back to our actual starting point (Neuchâtel). But first, while driving from Basel to Neuchâtel, we visited a dinosaur park in Réclère and visited the caves there.
I'm going to list chronologically some of the sights we saw and did, you can look them up without obligation and see if this is something for you.
Villages worth stopping at: Murten, Fribourg (and driving through the bridge) and our first funicular: Moléson-sur-Gruyères. What a sight.
Also impressive: Le Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Seeping: campsite Manor Farm on Lake Thun, for the view and the luxury that the campsite offered, although we arrived late and were allowed to sleep on the site in front of the barrier. Very kind of them. Swiss people are generally very friendly.
Worth mentioning: a good place to stay for a few days: Interlaken, touristy for sure but also with charm. There are waterfalls and an excellent campsite Jungfrau (thanks for the tip @GrumpyGranddad ). Also take the Lauterbrunnen - Mürren train and then the Mürren - Birg - Schilthorn cable car. And enjoy the journey. Above: Piz Gloria: walking and a rotating restaurant with all-round view (of course we ate there, just for the experience). There is also a small museum with attributes, photos and facts about the scenes of the James Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' that were filmed here in 1968/1969. And back in Lauterbrunnen in the evening: a classic Swiss cheese fondue.
Train rides and excursions in mountainous areas are quite expensive and some are very expensive, which is why we did not take the Jungfraubahn to the highest train station in Europe, Jungfraujoch (over 600 EUR for the four of us). Later in our trip we made another excursion that we found more recommended...
There is a kind of travel pass that you can buy in advance for the period you are there and that gives discounts for train rides and excursions. We didn't have this.
Also: we took the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen and from there the cable car to Männlichen. Pay a little extra and choose to sit on top of the gondola instead of in it. A unique experience. Take the Royal Walk above and you will have the Jungfrau and several mountains in view. Also on top of the mountain: Alpine Herdsman's playground with an 8.5m high 'walk-in' cow.
Further on our tour: Emmentaler Schaukäserei (Affoltern, Emmental), feel free to visit and be amazed at how important this cheese was (and still is) for the region.
There are several large cities, but we only visited Lucerne (with its Chapel Bridge) as seen from the tourist train and then took a walk in the city. Had a nice meal along the Reuss River (Restaurant Terrazza). Good food at affordable prices with a beautiful view.
An example of a great camper place: in Dierikon.
As Belgians, we certainly also visited the place where Queen Astrid died in an accident in Küssnacht in 1935. Then Immensee with the legend of the Swiss hero William Tell; you can take a nice walk there. Afterwards: eating along Lake Lucerne in Vitznau.
Take the ferry Gersau - Niederdorf. Winterthur and Rheinfall at Schloss Laufen. Also: Arenenberg Castle where Napoleon III lived as a youngster. There is a museum inside and you can take a nice walk. The views at the many sights in Switzerland are generally incredible, I keep saying it. And why not visit Heididorf in Maienfeld? In Fideris is another example of a great camper place.
Via Davos to the Fluela Pass and on to St. Moritz. Afterwards we drove the San Bernardino Pass. Tip camper place in Losone.
Over the Gotthard Pass to the Furka Pass. Along the latter you will come across Hotel Belvédère from the chase scene from Goldfinger. Stop for a moment and visit the Rhône Glacier Ice Cave. The cave had already partially melted away when we were there and was not that impressive, but the walk to it along the glacier and the surrounding area was even more so.
Another example of a beautiful camper place: Mörel and eat in the restaurant: tasty and not expensive. At Bettmerhorn take the cable car to the Aletsch Glacier. This is my tip for a breathtaking view for a fraction of the price of the train ride to Jungfraujoch.
Drive to the village of Täsch and take the train to Zermatt (because it is car-free) and walk to the bridge where you have a view of the Matterhorn. I continue to enjoy Switzerland and its stunning views. Tip camper place: Gampel.
Take a splash in the Lac de Géronde and drink a glass of wine in the wine region where you drive through.
Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard where at the top you can visit the famous dogs and even take a walk with them. There is also a museum and the crypt of the Hospice de Grand-Saint-Bernard. At the Château de Chillon we took a boat tour on Lake Geneva: gorgeous!
Chaplin's World, in Vevey between Montreux and Lausanne: impressive museum and a lovely walk in the garden. In Lausanne is the Olympic museum. You can tell: there is certainly plenty to see and do in Switzerland.
In Geneva itself: the Jet d'Eau and even more of course. We went swimming in Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in Coppet.
Nyon, small fire museum but with a link to Belgium (Tintin). Campsite tip: Vallorbe with the adjacent brand new beautiful swimming pool (jumping tower, slide), included in the price of your campsite.
And back to Neuchâtel. From there to Sochaus (France) for a visit to the beautiful Musée de L'Aventure Peugeot.
Back home, we enjoyed the countless photos we took. I couldn't resist passing our experience on but the best thing is to experience it yourself.
Greetings
Calibusje
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