 Switzerland
Bernese Alps, Switzerland
Author: Woudloper (public domain)
I create the Switzerland Travel Guide to reveal to you a fascinating country, small in size but huge on the world stage. It's a picturesque country, and the best way to show it to you, is through words and pictures. Through this, I hope that you will get to know Switzerland better than ever before. Let's now embark on this mersmerizing journey to discover Switzerland.
Switzerland, or officially the Swiss Confederation, or Confœderatio Helvetica in Latin, is a relatively small landlocked country in Central Europe. It has a total area of 41,285 sq km (15,940 sq miles), making it slightly bigger than the US state of Maryland.
Guide to Switzerland Hotels
Here's a list of hotels in Switzerland that you can book online, listed by city, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites.
View of Paradiso in Lugano, in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland
Author: Valser (public domain)
More on Switzerland
Switzerland is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Much of Switzerland is mountainous, with most of its 7.8 million inhabitants concentrated in its major cities.
Interior of Cathédrale de Lausanne
Author: Arnaud Gaillard (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Switzerland is home to two global cities, Zürich and Geneva, which lead the country in having some of the highest per capita gross domestic product in the world. Three major languages are spoken in Switzerland, predominant according to region. They are German, French and Italian. In the canton of Graubünden, the people speak Romansh, an obscure language believed to have been derived from Vulgar Latin. Together they form the four national languages of Switzerland.
Traveling in Switzerland pose a challenge to many budget travelers at it is an expensive country. Having said that, every major town and city has at least one budget hostel. Alternatively, you should compare the price of hotel rooms in Switzerland before making any bookings. (Use our free hotel search engine - scroll down below - to compare prices quoted by different booking sites.)
Klein Matterhorn Bahn
Author: Patrick (public domain)
Fast Facts about Switzerland
- Official Name: Switzerland, Swiss Confederation
- Capital: Bern
- Population of Switzerland: 7,318,000
- Languages: German, French, Italian, Romansch
- Currency: Swiss Franc
- Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, others
- Size: 39,770 sq km (15,355 sq miles)
Grand Combin glaciers as seen from Verbier, Switzerland
Author: Jphoto (public domain)
Principal Cities of Switzerland
- Bern
Capital of Switzerland with well-preserved old town.
- Zürich
The biggest city in Switzerland and major center for banking.
- Geneva
Second largest city in Switzerland and its center for the arts and culture. Also home to many international organisations.
- Basel
Third largest city in Switzerland and gateway to the German Rhineland and Alsace.
- Lausanne
Medium-sized city serving as gateway to the alpine ski resorts.
- Lugano
The main Italian-speaking city of Switzerland, located in a picturesque setting beside a lake.
- Lucerne
Beautiful city and major tourist destination in the country.
Major Tourist Destinations in Switzerland
- Crans-Montana
Ski resort in western Switzerland.
- Davos
The highest city in Europe with the largest ski resort in Switzerland.
- Grindelwald
City located 1,034-meters above sea level in the Bernese Alps, with panoramic views of the mountains.
- Gstaad
German-speaking city with one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world.
- Interlaken
The outdoor sports destination of Switzerland.
- Locarno
Scenic city at the tip of Lake Maggiore, the largest lake in Switzerland.
- Montreux
Resort town on the Swiss Riviera renowned for its annual jazz festival.
- St. Moritz
The oldest winter resort in the world.
- Verbier
Largest holiday resort in the Swiss Alps.
- Zermatt
Pristine mountain resort with views of the Matterhorn.
Budget Travel to Switzerland
By Plane
The major airports in Switzerland are located in Zürich, Geneva and Basil. Budget travelers can also opt to fly to Friedrichshafen in Germany, a short distance from Zürich.
By Train
Being in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is connect by rail to most of the major cities on the continent. There are several high-speed trains that links Switzerland to its neighbors. Major Swiss cities are served by the French TGV trains from Paris, Avignon, Dijon and Nice. The German ICE links Zürich with Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin as well as to Amsterdam.
Lac de Moiry, near Grimentz, Valais, Switzerland
Author: BraunW (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Budget Travel within Switzerland
The most practical form of transport in Switzerland are the trains. Switzerland has a high level of public transportation that is famously punctual. When traveling in Switzerland, you should get the Half-Fare Card entitling you to half fare on all national buses and trains. The card costs CHF99 for one month and CHF150 for a whole year. The Half-Fare Card is available from the train station ticket office.
Here's some tips to understand the train schedule sheet in Switzerland. The yellow sheet shows departures while the white sheets are the arrivals. Express trains are printed in red while regular trains in black.
Useful Links
Scenic view of Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Author: CalistaZ (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
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