EuroCheapo's Switzerland Articles

Rural Europe: Landscapes to remember

The Lavaux region on the banks of Lake Geneva
The famous wine-growing region of Lavaux. Photo by zug55.

Jun 22 If you have followed our posts here on EuroCheapo over the last three years, then you’ll certainly know that we are not really urban creatures. True, we have spent many happy months exploring European cities, often those that are lesser known, and we have written about many of them—Roskilde, Poznan and Trieste, for example. Europe’s » Read more

Posted in Austria, Europe, Germany, Greece, hidden europe, Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Train Tickets: Great deals for summer 2010 rail travel

Train Tickets: Great deals for summer 2010 rail travel

May 26 It is that time of year when Europeans enjoy a number of weekdays off work, variously celebrating this or that religious feast or national festival. This month has already seen public holidays associated with Mayday and the Liberation or end of World War II (the latter understandably marked more by victors than by the vanquished). » Read more

Posted in Aix-en-Provence, Budget Deals, Europe, France, Germany, hidden europe, Italy, Paris, Switzerland, tips, Train, Travel Smarts, Trip Planning, United Kingdom

Coming to Grips with Europe: Who uses the euro?

Coming to Grips with Europe: Who uses the euro?

Oct 27 Okay, so you think you’ve got Europe absolutely sussed out? You recognize the difference between an ogonek and an umlaut, know your pelmeni from your pierogi, and can map with precision the boundaries between the six time zones that straddle the European mainland? (Yes, there really are six separate one-hour time zones on the mainland » Read more

Posted in Andorra, Cyprus, Europe, hidden europe, Money Matters, politics, Practical Info, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Thursday List: Monocle, NL, CH, Andy Hide

Aug 30 1. The September Monocle has a bit of a state-within-a-state theme going on. The issue includes features on Finland’s autonomous Åland Islands, Bolzano, the capital of Italy’s Süd Tirol/Alto Adige region, and an especially fetching multipage feature on Georgia’s Russia-supported breakaway region of Abkhazia. A Monocle dossier on European microstates would be the perfect follow-up. » Read more

Posted in Lists, Netherlands, Switzerland

Geneva: Free Transport Cards

Geneva: Free Transport Cards

May 03 The good people at The Foundation for Tourism in Geneva and Unireso have given Cheapos another reason to visit their fair canton (as if lounging about Place du Bourg-de-Four wasn’t reason enough.) As of January, tourists staying in one of Geneva’s hotels, youth hostels, or camp sites are entitled to a free Geneva Transport Card. » Read more

Posted in Budget Deals, City Transportation, Free Stuff, Switzerland

Zurich: Burn winter burn

Zurich: Burn winter burn

Apr 11 Those Swiss really know how to send winter out in style—or, as it were, in effigy! We think the folks in Zurich have the right idea with their spring Sechseläuten festival, which takes place on Sunday, April 15 and Monday, April 16. Sunday’s festivities will include a children’s parade, followed by Monday’s procession of the » Read more

Posted in Local Customs, Switzerland

Easter + Switzerland = Tango

Easter + Switzerland = Tango

Apr 06 Tango and Easter were never two things we put together before. Tango and Easter and Switzerland—well, now that’s crazy talk! Crazy yes, but also true. Through Monday, April 9, Easter and Tango enthusiasts alike will flock to Basel for the EasterTango Festival. Attendees will enjoy powerful performances by Tango masters, workshops for Tango-ers of all » Read more

Posted in Festivals, Performance, Switzerland

Switzerland List: Bern Top 3

Mar 28 We love the Swiss capital, and not just for its beautiful streets and quaint tile-roofed buildings. Here are some of the reasons we adore Bern: 1. Physics Lessons. Where was Einstein when he created that famous E=MC2 formula? Bern, of course. And that’s where the first Einstein Museum is too. Maybe you’ll learn what sort » Read more

Posted in Exhibitions, Lists, Switzerland

Helvetic: More Italy, No Croatia

Helvetic: More Italy, No Croatia

Mar 27 Today, Swiss sorta-low-cost carrier helvetic announced that their planned weekly Zurich-Split and Geneva-Split summer flights will not be going forward. Croatia fans up and down Switzerland are no doubt crying into their spätzle. Tied to this decision is the airline’s announcement that they’ll be ramping up service to Lamezia-Terme (Calabria) and Brindisi (Puglia) in July » Read more

Posted in Budget Air Travel, Italy, Switzerland

Flash: Cheap Swiss Rooms

Flash: Cheap Swiss Rooms

Mar 23 We just discovered rooms.ch, a network of over 200 Swiss budget hotels in over 140 localities throughout Switzerland. Given Switzerland’s Cheapo-hostile price index, a resource like this one is indispensible. We weren’t able to find any available rooms on the site for some random dates in July, however. We’re not sure if this inability reflects » Read more

Posted in Cheap Hotels, Switzerland