Switzerland is a small country (I will not go into historical details ...) both in extent and in population, for example, the largest city is Zurich and only has just over 350,000 inhabitants.Therefore it is ideal to visit the country by car, so I did and we
have the advantage that only pay € 30 to use all highways in the country for one year (note, a calendar year, January to January). It's called sticker or vignette (vignette) that we stick on the glass of our car and get on the border, usually a guard to see that we do not divert us asking for 30 € in perfect Castilian. Although also they sold in motoring organizations, post offices and petrol stations.
As tips if you plan to drive I will say that if you go in winter carry chains because there are frequent traffic cuts snow. As curious to enter Switzerland by road a sign informs us that data signaling a highway is not blue as in other countries of the European Union. They have to take the opposite and there is green, the other roads are blue, just the opposite.
To get an idea of the prices of car rental, you can do a search on Liligo.
The Swiss public transport are well known for their reliability. If you can not go by car and want to see several cities the second option is the train, good choice but much more expensive and time consuming comprarado with the car. Punctuality is strictly enforced, you can see a schedule online Swiss Federal Railways (FFS).You can see that also covers bus and boat.
In train stations usually have two posters, one with arrivals and departures other times with each. In each poster we see the trains going from two colors, red or black. In the first case are direct trains with few stops (if going to go very far are the recommended), something like the Talgo in Spain, quite comfortable and bathroom. They also have first and second class dining car. Those who come in black are regional or nearby, with many stops.Golden Pass
A great option is recurrer part of Switzerland with the tourist train line connecting Zurich and Geneva across the best scenery in Switzerland on a scenic train. A trip covers 200km in 6 hours, with possible up and down as many times as you like. Booking essential http://www.goldenpass.ch/
As a final option would be to make an InterRail land of area C in which the whole of Switzerland, Germany and Austria are included.
Needless to say it is faster to arrive by plane, a direct flight to Geneva or Zurich for example. The cheapest prices has them EasyJet from Barcelona or Madrid to Geneva as I said a Frenchman, or you can always take advantage of specific offers for flights to Zurich and other parts of the environment from the Liligo site.
aboveSleeping in Switzerland. Accommodation.
The accommodation is not particularly cheap nor abundant in according to what areas. Zurich and Geneva are much more expensive. It is preferable to book accommodation online to not waste time looking for hotels / hostels, but is very good option to go on an adventure and find a hotel within the lush greenery ... but be careful, because after my adventure in Switzerland it became clear that good places to rest are filled and becomes expensive to stay without the discount offers that exist in the pages that follow:
The two pages where you can find hotels are: Hotels and Booking.If you want something cheap and tacky: Hostel World
aboveTime...
You can imagine that is because good cold country, especially cold is not (in winter yes, like all), but rains and snows quite often, it's not London but being in the mountains is advisable not to go in winter. As long as you do not want to go skiing, if that's your goal ... I do not think you leave disappointed, slopes are a beast, kilometers and kilometers without knowledge ...
During the days I was rained a whole day without stopping and the next day it snowed all day and also that it was April.So I advise rain clothes, not especially warm because although it is cold, the wind chill is more degrees. Do not neglect the shoes because if you think long walks stick raining seeing cities should bring rubber footwear (for example) to waterproof feet.
Finally clarify that the time depends much of the area is not the same mountain to visit cities such as south.
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Prices ... the economy in Switzerland.
Another common question ... it would be as expensive as say ?.The answer would be yes in principle. In Spain we have areas in each city faces shops, is where the major firms such as Dior, Gucci, D & G, Armani, etc. are As in most of the cities of Switzerland (mainly Zurich) there are only expensive shops; and in Spain there are 4 streets, because there is practically across the city.But we not alarmed us because to stay, eat and buy any little thing for us will remember the price "European tourists", unless the accommodation is usually far more expensive than average.
It is well known that Switzerland is one of the richest and best live in countries where they are a part of a country that seems to be made for it to become a tax haven.The cost of living is much higher there, and there is poverty and all cities, although less so.
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Lunch time...
The most abundant in the cities are the (overpriced) restaurants where the McDonalds are the kings ... because they have no competition. Ojito, I refer to commercial competition, not that they are the best, there is only McDonalds or KFC or Burger King for example. If you like and want to eat junk food in Switzerland just that option (4 € Happy-Meal menu).
But there are many more options, either in one of the many pizzerias or in any of the Migros there spread throughout Switzerland, is that they do not have competition ... it is as if Spain would only Carrefour. Outside instead of Migros are the Coop, places of various plants (huge) to buy anything ... and it's not expensive.Within these ranges, there are restaurants of all kinds, in the same Migros you can eat cheaply.So eating in Migros or Coop is a good choice because there are places to choose from, food of all kinds and prices.
If you're looking for information on how large the best restaurants in Switzerland in any guide, there are thousands to choose from and many of them enjoy a good reputation.
If there is something that stands out in Switzerland to eat are the "fondues" big bowls of hot cheese that can be eaten in a thousand ways, cheese and chocolate are secure purchases.
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Currency and EU ...
We all know that Switzerland is not in the EU, and that brings a number of disadvantages that we must consider.
The first is the coin. There's no Euros, but Swiss Francs (CHF) at the exchange rate is 1 € = 1,5F. For example a chocolate worth 4,5F (that's what cost me the typical Swiss chocolate tablets) would change 3 €.You must make an estimate of what you will spend in Francos to avoid having to use ATMs with consequent commissions (which usually vary from 3 to 6 €), you can also pay by credit card and usually do not usually charge you commission, but I do not recommend you go without francs because you may find that you lose the card or is not supported directly, or anything that can happen if we get the worst.
To enter Switzerland you need to possess a valid passport, but enough with the DNI.
If we pass anything like an accident, our health insurance Social Security (previously we should get the European card), we do not cover in Switzerland to not belong to the EU, so be careful because I know cases where a simple sprain has cost thousands of €. : SIn the case of Switzerland asks the Social Security if they can provide you a form or document that you have no problems there.
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Shopping...
If anything surprised me in Switzerland it is that just exploit tourism, there are few souvenir shops (it is full of mini-little shops where they sell chocolate sold in Spain, postcards, newspapers and sweets) and I got the feeling it is full of tourists who do not take pictures of those who have already been several times.Where I saw more cameras was in the famous clock tower in Bern, I even saw small groups of tourists, except that point and perhaps Lucerne ... otherwise not overly abundant tourism.
Typically, the streets are banks, watches enjoy international fame, like chocolate, cheese is excellent, and there is no window in a souvenir shop or supermarket that does not have the Swiss Army knives ... These knives are sold at a price between 15 and 60F or so (depending on the number of functions that have); I bought a cute blue instead of the standard red light and mini-pen among other things 25F.
If you get dizzy looking watches the amount there for shopping, whether luxury or souvenirs. The tourist and cheapest option is to buy a very cuckoo clocks wall hanging by a price range of 20-60F (depending on how big it is).
I bought the chocolate in a hyper (which incredibly was not a Coop or Migros) in a village near Colombier was dirt cheap and I used to buy all the food there. A small tablet costs about 1 to 2F.
Cheese is also very famous, there are all kinds, but there are two that stand out. One is the Gruyere, which you can buy in the village which gives its name to the cheese and the other the famous Emmental (which is bored).
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Language...
To my taste is a mess. You're in a country and do not know what language they speak is something curious and that most Swiss speak at least 2 languages.
In Bern and Zurich for example the main language is a dialect of German (and 60% of Switzerland), the signs are in German and if you speak will do so in German. If you are lucky to find that perfect language, but you'll have to ask politely in French or English you please speak another language because you do not know anybody.
The problem comes when for example you go west where the main language is French. If for example you come from Bern with the German chip, there speak French and you usually speak English, passing all in one country gives you a strange feeling. arf
I leave a text expanding more professionally as quoted above about the language in Switzerland, worth reading because it is curious linguistic diversity in such a small country. Thank you very much Catherine Fontalvo by the text:
In Switzerland 4 languages are spoken:
Swiss German (Schwytzerdütsch)
The French
The Italian
The Romansch (time-Romanisch)
The German is not spoken anywhere in Switzerland, but in every region Alemannic dialects are spoken, such as "Züridütsch" the "Bärndütsch" the "Baseldütsch" etc .; these dialects are actually "tongues", since they come with their own culture and even grammar books. The German (Hochdeutsch) is only a written language is not the mother tongue of any Swiss.
When a person goes to live (work) in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and arrives with his German study, it is very difficult to penetrate the "professional market" -all the discussions within companies / banks etc. They are made in the local dialect !. There are circles of friends that do not open one speaking German in Germany.A German does not understand the dialect spoken quickly, but the Swiss (Alemannic) always understand the German and always write because ... learn the German language in Germany is an obligation on schools in the center / north.
English is the language of commerce, electronics, youth, and it is easy to get information in Switzerland to a young man in English. But most people prefer, in general, speak French or German learned a foreigner. There are parts inside (eg Appenzell, Uri.) Where one gets only information dialect there - maybe they will try to talk the visitor into a German learned but very mixed with local dialect.
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The landscapes...
Large green pastures with the Alps in the background and many lakes and could summarize what you'll find if you go on the road in Switzerland. And if you're lucky enough to be snowed a picture is even more beautiful, ideally snow in a day of your stay to see snowed, but only one day so we will not bother our wanderings by Swiss land.
Surprisingly I found an incredibly romantic country, I do not know if it was the landscapes and tranquility that reigned there, but I found it perfect for a romantic getaway, a lot more (to my taste, although with few differences) that cities like Paris or Rome .
But more than my green pastures stressed me through the water, always have a lake and seeing how much there (over 1500) does not surprise me.Typical prairie Heidi did not see, maybe it was one of my disappointment because I expected more in this aspect.And finally the Alps, the great mountain range that accompanied us with their views in the distance for most of the journey, is beautiful, and if we add a beautiful lake with these "small" hillocks background, and you can not ask for more . ^^
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The tourist cities in my opinion are: Lucerne, Bern, Zurich and Neuchatel. Cataracts are impresincibles.
Having said all this, now I will talk about the specifics of all the cities where I've been. How important it was just me for visiting Basel, a city I've been told that looks perfectly at 4 hours but that is not much.
