Switzerland

Switzerland calls for some math before you buy any tickets. The country's main sights are scattered across mountain valleys reached by trains and cable cars, and it is easy to overpay at every step. You usually arrive here having already decided to go and with questions still open. How many days you need, where to stay, which pass to get, what to buy in advance.

The first group of guides covers cities and mountain routes. For Zurich there is a long list of places with prices and opening hours. For Geneva there is a two-day itinerary with hotels and places for dinner, plus a walk through the center with stops. From Lucerne, we go through day trips with tickets and seasons. Separate pieces describe a day in Lauterbrunnen with waterfalls and the ride up to Mürren, and the trip up to Jungfraujoch (the Top of Europe platform) with a cost breakdown.

The second group is about trains, and it is the most detailed. The pieces on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express explain how tickets, seat reservations and timetables work and where you can save. The comparison of the Swiss Travel Pass and the Half Fare Card shows how to work out the savings for your route. There is no ready-made answer there, only a method of calculation. Two more guides answer general questions: how to get to the country (train, plane or bus) and how to see castles, glaciers and ski resorts without a car.

The third group takes care of accommodation, connectivity and events. There is a selection of Grindelwald hotels for different budgets and a breakdown of Zermatt's neighborhoods for those traveling without a car. Two pieces deal with connectivity: a comparison of eSIMs by plans and networks, and an overview of ways to get mobile internet without extra costs. Among events, we describe Zurich's Christmas markets and the horse races on ice in St. Moritz, with dates, tickets and directions. Families will find the guide to traveling with kids useful: getting around, Lucerne, family hotels. There is also an overview of tours to Switzerland with mountains and thermal springs.

Every guide opens with a short answer to the main question, and the details follow below. Then come the practical sections: how to get there, what to buy in advance, how much time to allow. We check prices, timetables and dates against the official websites of transport operators, resorts and organizers, and name the source next to the figure. Each guide carries the date it was checked. We are direct about the downsides: where it is expensive, where you need a reservation, where the route depends on weather and season.

This section suits those planning an independent trip who want to understand the budget and logistics ahead of time. It is especially useful for travelers without a car, families with children and those going for the mountains and the trains. If you are looking for a general account of the country's history or a collection of beautiful photos, there is little of that here. The guides are written around specific decisions.

We suggest starting with transport, because it shapes the rest of the plan. First read the guide on how to get to the country, then the comparison of passes. After that, choose your cities and mountain stops and see how many days each one takes. Accommodation is easier to pick once the route is clear. Connectivity and events can wait until the end: those questions are settled quickly.

This section belongs to "Europe" within "Destinations". It has no subsections yet, so all the guides sit in a single list. If Switzerland is part of a bigger route for you, look at the neighboring sections "France" and "Germany": they come in handy when your route crosses the border. On the same level are "Andorra", "Belgium", "Bulgaria", "Denmark", "England" and "Finland".

Ticket prices, pass conditions and event dates change every season, so we go back to the guides and check them against official sources. The year in the title shows which season the information applies to. Before you buy, still check the timetable and fares on the website of the operator or resort. That way your trip plan rests on current data, not last year's.