Switzerland

As an Indian, our introduction to Switzerland starts early in life. Growing up, getting fed on Bollywood movies, we for sure know that romance is best in flimsy sarees dancing on slopes of Swiss Alps or running around trees in the rolling hills of Swiss countryside. Well none of these happened with me, however I did get my beautiful chance of visiting Switzerland a couple of times.

Swiss is not really a backpackers’ paradise. Hate to say but its pretty expensive country to stay, eat and travel. Hence my best advise would be to plan ahead, book ticket in advance, book hostels or hotels in advance to avail discounts. The best time to visit Switzerland is in summers(June-Aug) or early winters around (Sept-Oct). In winters though the snow makes the whole country very picturesque, the days are short and the hours of sunshine are considerably less giving you a small window for sightseeing.

Switzerland has one of the best rail networks. Swanky and modern trains, criss-cross the country connecting all major cities and towns. What is more delightful is the picturesque scenery that the trains traverse through, which gives a real Swiss experience. When in the country ensure you make atleast one rail journey. Euro pass is a great way to see Europe. Based on the number of days of your travel and the countries you want to travel, you can buy the rail pass. Check this site http://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes

Swiss is a world renowned destination for its lofty mountains and rolling lush green countryside scenery so for sure these will be the top two items on your list. An excursion to mountains like Mt Titlis, Mt Jungfrau is a popular choice among tourists and various tour companies organise a visit to them. There are quaint and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful small villages which you must visit to have a complete Swiss experience. Few I can suggest are villages in the area of Interlaken like Wilderswil,  Grindelwald, Wengen ,Murren and many more.

CHF i.e Swiss Francs is the currency. Euros are accepted at certain places however its highly recommended to convert some currency into Swiss Francs. Currency conversion can be done at airports, railway stations, or in many outlets in the major cities. However if you are traveling to small villages in the countryside, its advisable to carry cash and international currency cards.

Needless to say the food in Switzerland is a tad too expensive compared to many other of its European counterparts. A mini burger meal for two at our good old McD in Zurich costed us some 22 CHF. There are cheaper Burger shops, Greek, turkish takeaways in most cities. Living up to its fame, savor some Swiss chocolates from Lindt, Lindt and Sprungli and other local chocolate parlors before you leave the country.

What to Shop: I am sure you would have the Swiss cowbells, the cuckoo clock and some chocolates on your list already. Well the cowbells were too expensive for the sizes I wanted to buy. So i gave them a pass. The cuckoo clocks, are not native of Switzerland. They are from Germany and that is where you can get them bit cheaper. As for the chocolates, I am sure you can spoil yourself within the budget.