Ready to make your Swiss dreams of pristine mountain villages and rich, cheesy fondue come true? You’re not alone. Switzerland’s stunning scenery and rich cuisine have it at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. Unfortunately for Cheapos, the Alpine paradise is not exactly Europe’s most budget-friendly destination. In fact, it often goes down as » Read more
Switzerland: Budget Travel Guide
Switzerland always presents a dilemma for budget travelers. With day to day costs quite high, it’s a constant challenge to stay on budget. However, it is possible to ride the rails without breaking the bank. With a little bit of scrappy research, cheap accommodations can be found. And as elsewhere in Europe, supermarkets are a reliable » Read more
The Swiss resort town of Interlaken is famous the world over as a jumping off point for skiing, snow sports and exploring the Bernese Highlands region of the Swiss Alps. Wedged between two crystalline alpine lakes, this small city of 23,300 residents has been an international resort since the 1800s when Swiss landscape artists immortalized » Read more
Switzerland’s third biggest city (after Zurich and Geneva), Basel is best-known for its world-famous museums and its wild Mardi Gras celebration — one of Europe’s most famous — Basler Fasnacht. It’s not, however, known for being a budget traveler’s paradise, or even a budget-friendly destination — and with good reason. That’s why we came up » Read more
European budget hands know well the financial horrors of traveling in Switzerland. There is almost no way to spend time in the country without blowing a huge hole in your wallet. Yet here, in the country’s largest city, you can snag a nice single room at Zum Guten Glück for just 69 CHF ($70; €63) » Read more
“Do you mean Grindelwald?” This is the common response I receive when telling people about my favorite Swiss destination of Gimmelwald. While not many people have heard of it, it’s more because of its remote location than its lack of offerings. Located in the Bernese Oberland, the tiny mountain village sits at an altitude of » Read more
EuroCheapo is pleased (and somewhat surprised) to announce the launch of guides to cheap hotels in Geneva and Zurich. For years we’ve steered clear of these pricey cities (and the country in general), assuming that Switzerland was simply inhospitable to budget travelers. With many hotels starting north of $250, how could any Cheapo afford to » Read more
Last week, we looked at the celebrated Glacier Express rail route, and questioned whether it might just take in one glacier too many (not to mention the 191 tunnels along the route). It’s a long haul from any major Swiss city or airport to either St. Moritz or Zermatt, which are the end points of » Read more
“The most famous of Switzerland’s railway lines,” burbles the guidebook. Frommer’s Switzerland is given to hyperbole, and particularly where the Glacier Express is concerned. “The route is one of the most spectacular in the world,” the authors advise. Riding the Glacier Express in Switzerland Yes, the 180-mile journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt is a » Read more
Brig is one of those places through which every European traveler passes eventually. Strategically placed in Switzerland’s Valais region, this major transport hub lies at the northern end of the Simplon tunnel. It is served by major international express trains such as the services from Geneva and Basel to Milan and Venice. And Brig is » Read more
The reputations of some of Europe’s most-visited sights are built on myths, but the stories are always interesting. We have lost count of the number of times we have read that the rail route across Lapland to the Norwegian port of Narvik is the northernmost in the world. It is not, but it is nonetheless » Read more
