Planes, Trains and Travel
Getting There and Around
Let's face it, air travel is expensive these days. Plane fares have been going up lately and a round-trip airfare from the US to Switzerland can easily cost over $1000, depending on where and when you fly. If you can, you might look to travel outside the high summer season when deals can be found - I love late-May and the month of September. You can often find good airfares in these "off-season" periods. Also, if you use credit cards a lot and have time to plan, consider getting one that rewards you with frequent flier miles. There's usually a bonus of 5,000-15,000 miles for signing up, and you often get discounts on tickets when you use the airlines credit card to purchase them. You can find lots of offers online with a quick search using the Google search box here.
Search: for frequent flier credit cards, cheap tickets and more...
But unless you already have lots of frequent flier miles, most of us are going to be buying a ticket. For buying a ticket, your best bet is still to find a good local travel agent who can do some looking around for you. If you're going to travel to other places in Europe, you should always consider flying open-jaw, flying in to Zurich but home from Paris, for instance. You'll not only save the expense of backtracking to get home, but more importantly you'll save time. And time will most likely be precious on your trip, so use it well. Don't fly to out-of-the-way places trying to save a little on your airfare - it will most likely cost more in time, train tickets and hassle. Planning a trip is enough work already, so make it easy on yourself and choose the right destination. Zurich is the best entry point for most international flights to Switzerland, but Geneva works very well for most people as well.
The internet also has a lot of good resources for flights to Switzerland. You may have your favorite, I like to use www.travelocity.com. You might also try booking through a consolidator such as www.cheapoair.com or www.justfares.com. Consolidators buy wholesale seats in large volume and then sell them at a discount. You'll probably have fewer choices, and cancellations and changes normally are restricted or come with large fees, but it's hard to argue with the prices. If you think your dates might change later, you should consider buying Travel Insurance.
Once you're in Switzerland, you'll be amazed at how extensive and efficient their train system is. Literally any place in the country can be reached by train, bus or cablecar. Trains leave often, with departures every hour for most destinations, they are clean, and they always run on time (it's fun to watch your train leave exactly as the minute hand hits the departure time... unless you're not on it yet!). There are well-connected stops at both the 
Zurich and Geneva airports. In short, Swiss trains are the perfect way to get around. Wear comfortable shoes and try to pack light (most people bring far too much - be creative, and plan on buying a few things while you're here), because connection times can sometimes be as short as 3-5 minutes. You can check out their schedule, in English, online at www.rail.ch.
But the trains in Switzerland are not cheap. There are tons of different kinds of rail passes, and for almost any trip to Switzerland you will want one of these passes. I think the Swiss Card is a great deal (a rarity in Switzerland) and is the pass I'd recommend for most travelers. It gives you free travel on your first and last day and 50% discounts on all travel in between for up to a month. This is a great bargain, especially for those mountain cablecars and railways that you won't want to miss, and it's the best pass for most travels in Switzerland. The Swiss Flexipasses and Swiss Card passes also offer 50% discounts on almost all of the high-mountain railways, and free museum entrance on the "free" travel days, making them a better bargain as well. Get a family card with any of these railpasses and kids under 16 travel with their parents for free. You want to buy them before your trip, and you can get free shipping as well! So buy one here before you go.
RailEurope is the leading seller of Swiss Rail passes.
If you're not able to buy a railpass before your trip, you can still get a one-month half-price card upon arrival in Switzerland. This gives you 50% discounts for a month on all regular trains, boats and busses, as well as on most of the high-mountain cablecars and scenic trains. It will generally pay for itself with just 2 days of train travel, and is a much better option than having no pass at all. You can buy them at the airport train station ticket counters.
OK, despite how much I love the trains, it's pretty fun to have a car in Switzerland too, especially if you like to explore without a set travel plan. The trains are great if you have a few specific destinations you want to travel to, but it does take awhile. If you like to travel around and see little places along the way, you'll want a car. Roads are narrow and winding and steep, but in general it takes about half as much time to travel from place to place by car than by train. Of the various options, I think www.easycar.com is one of the more affordable.
Now that you're investing so much into your travels, and especially if you're taking a tour, you will want to insure your trip. While you never expect anything to happen, it's surprising how often something does come up - a family emergency, lost luggage, etc. Trip cancellation and travel insurance through TravelGuard is affordable, relatively hassle-free, and is just a smart investment in your trip. I've looked at many companies, and TravelGuard has definitely been the most professional and easiest to work with that I have come across. Check out their site and consider it for your trip.
|