Nikki, Chantel and I are busy ladies which often drives us to want to take advantage of the time we do have to explore the world and push ourselves to do as much as we can, while still giving ourselves a chance to take it in. With that said, sometimes it's nice to slow things down and take in one place for longer, or try to anyway 😉. We ended up taking a quick trip to Ireland to visit some friends we haven't seen in a while, which saved us a bit of money as well.

Although I have been to Switzerland in the summer, specifically Lauterbrunnen, which I must say was absolutely gorgeous. I figured it would be just as gorgeous in the winter with the impressive Alps. This time we gave ourselves more time to take in the beauty that Switzerland. It can get just as pricey as it is beautiful between food and accommodations which is why we took a trip within trip to Ireland.

Here is a breakdown of what I learned about this awesome country this time around.

Swiss Train System

Before embarking on a trip to Switzerland be sure to buy a Swiss Pass. It allows for travel on trains, busses, and ferries. They might see pricey but they are well worth it. Switzerland is not the cheapest country in the world so save yourself a bit of money by investing in one. For example, a train from Zurich to Geneva will set you back about $230 for a one way ticket. A four day flexi pass within a month costs about $240 on eurarail.com. You can use the pass as much as you want on a day you choose to use it.

Be sure to write the date in each time, if you forget to do it ahead of time it could result in a hefty fine. Luckily the Swiss are suuuuper generous and nice when it comes to checking your travel pass. There were a couple times I forgot to write the date and they allowed me to fill it in as they walked up on us to check the tickets. You would think I learned my lesson ten years ago from the first time I got a travel pass about 10 years ago. My friends and I didn’t realize how the pass worked and had to figure it out the hard way of getting fines about 75 euros back in 2008, on a train trip to Italy. Didn’t think I would ever forget that again, but with all the planning and exploring we do while on an adventure it is easy to let things slip your mind at times.

As always, we were exhausted from the time change and the traveling so we found ourselves sleeping on the train trips more often than not. Normally, the people checking tickets will wake you to check your ticket, but not the Swiss, they are just way to considerate! It was awesome! Please don’t take advantage of there generosity and hospitable ways, you don’t want to cheat the system and ruin it for those of us that do pay our way. In Zurich, we also noticed they don’t really check fare on the tram system. You can probably get away without paying but it is always best to be honest.

Zurich

Zurich was a lovely city. We noticed everyone was very well dressed, not just casual nice, but REALLY nice, specifically the men. Zurich was a gentlemen's city for sure. It appeared that all men were straight out of a magazine. It as a very nice change of pace compared to the U.S., Canada, and most other countries we have ever been. I appreciate a well dressed person. There were men's salons, nail spas, clothing stores, etc. There were plenty of places for women but that is the norm in most places.

We spent our first night dining and exploring Zurich.

We used our Swiss Pass to take a few days trips while in Zurich. The first was to Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The second was to Geneva. Both were lovely cities but I found them to be similar to other bigger European cities. The biggest difference for me is that they didn't feel as dirty and they felt safer, maybe because Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world! Here are some pictures so you can see how are day played out, video to follow soon. :)

Bern

We weren't in Bern for long, for it was merely a stop on the way to Geneva. We walked a few miles through the central area where we stumbled upon a small clothing boutique that sold miniature cupcakes, moist and not too sweet.. It was a brisk cold walk in the shade but I'm glad I had my BauBax bomber 2.0 jacket (pictured in olive green above). I treated myself for Christmas with this jacket that was really difficult to get. Every time I tried to purchase it it was always sold out! It has so many things for travel, you wouldn't believe it. It has a neck pillow, eye mask, stylus, bottle opener, gloves, pockets, the list goes on. Even with the great Christmas discount it was still pretty pricey, normally about $300, I got it for $160 with a 40% off and an additional $10 off. I found a cheaper one on amazon that looks like it has just as much included at a cheaper value. I'm sure the quality isn't bad, at least according to the reviews. The link to the right is the one I found on Amazon.com. Feel free to use the same link for any shopping you have to do as well. :)

Geneva

We wondered the Streets of Geneva for a few hours working up an appetite. We figured this would be there perfect time to get some of that famous Swiss Fondue. We found a few places and trekked to the closest. After a few attempts to locate it without an internet connection we walked into an empty restaurant. We asked for a table for two only to get turned away because each and every table was reserved. It was nearly dinner time so there was no way to squeeze us in before everyone arrived for their reservations. So we ended up go to a pizza place down the road, which was delicious but not fondue. We would try again in St. Moritz.

Food isn’t as cheap anywhere in Switzerland as it is back home in Colorado, even after all the prices have gone up recently. At home right now, 2019, the average person will spend about $10-20 per person, wether it is fast food or a casual dining restaurant. In Switzerland you will spend about $15-25 for a fast food meal such as Burger King and dining out costs anywhere from $30-50 per person. So save up or take plenty of snacks to live off of! Trying a dish like fondue expect to spend $32 and up per person. Although fondue is good, expect the cheese to be very strong. The flavor might put you off after a little but also remember how filling cheese is! Normally, the fondue experience includes bread, meats and veggies must be ordered separately. You do not need much to get full, I promise. Be sure to make reservations! Many places require reservations for busy hours such as dinner and not all restaurants are open all day. Some only open for lunch and dinner or just dinner. Making reservations is usually very easy to do online.

Switzerland on a Budget

The Swiss are known for their hospitality and for good reason. They will make your life easier in so many ways, enough to give me some hope in humanity. Everyone is so nice and so helpful!! It is worth the extra money spent on meals and accommodations, in my opinion.

Some of you may have noticed on our social media accounts how I mentioned that I “accidentally” booked a five-star hotel on our visit to St. Moritz on the snowboarding leg of our trip. On booking.com I booked a place in Rigi but started day dreaming and booked a fancy place as a possibility in St. Moritz. It was gorgeous and it was a free cancelation up to about 14 days before our stay. With everything going on for the holidays and NYE I planned on canceling it before it was too late. I usually put a reminder on my phone so I don’t run into the problem I did but my booking.com app always does such a good job of reminding me of when I need to cancel. Well, of course this time it didn’t work that way and my card was charged the full amount that I originally booked for $545. I wasn’t thrilled about it but decided to own my mistake.

A few days before departing home I looked back on the reservation I saw the price dropped to $378 for the night I was staying. booking.com gladly matched that price, what a releif! This is why I was happy to affiliate this company. I just had to send a screenshot of my invoice after my stay and they immediately sent me the refund after. I know that’s not cheap by any means but if you experienced what this hotel had to offer it was well worth it! I would do it all over again. Prices for this hotel were regularly closer to $1,000 per night and for good reason.

From the moment we walked our bags from the first hotel, from about a block away, the concierge came running to help us with our bags. They waited on you hand and foot. They turned down our beds, left slippers next to your bed, had amazing spa facilities, 6 saunas to be exact, an amazing gym, pool, and don’t even get me started on the breakfast. One of the fanciest, best breakfast I have ever had. The most memorable things for me were the live pianist, amazing chandelier, ceilings, and the fresh honeycomb you cut straight from the slab. As you can imagine there was caviar, fresh salmon, just about anything you could want for breakfast, all amazing quality. The service was the best I have ever had and ALL of what I just mentioned was included. If you can afford it, I strongly recommend it. You work hard, pamper yourself a little bit. ;) I must say, this one was of the best mistakes I have ever made. I almost booked a second night when I saw the price was the same for the night before, but I resisted the urge before I know how amazing it was. I would have splurged if I could do it all over again. I plan on doing it again.

The name of the hotel was Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski. Click here to find hotels in St. Moritz at a great price with many properties that offer free cancelation, the sooner you book the better. If you want to find a hotel elsewhere you can still use that link or go to our affiliate page.

If you are traveling alone I suggest using a hotel, that is the only way to find a place cheaper than $100/night in Switzerland. Always do the math because sometimes a nice hotel can be just as cheap if not cheaper when traveling with someone. I provided to link for Hostelworld.com at the bottom of this post, just click on the banner. Travelista Life has gotten away from hostels a little bit because it is cheaper to get a private room with multiple people but we still use them when it is the better deal. We use Hostelworld because you only have to pay a deposit, and you can pay a few dollars extra to guarantee a full refund, which is nice when plans change unexpectedly.

St. Moritz and the Slopes at Corviglia

Just across the road from the main entrance of our amazing hotel was the base to the Gondola that takes you up to the slopes of Corviglia. There weren't a ton of slopes like the resorts back home in Colorado but plenty to keep you busy for the day. Amazing views as you can imagine. The Alps have always seemed much bigger and more rugged to me than the Rockies back home. Also like back home, it didn't seem like they groomed the runs very often. They were very very icy which made me nervous on my snowboard. I don't like speed so as you can imagine I took my sweet time going down as I leafed down heel side. As me to hold that position in the gym for 30 min. I would laugh at you, but if it is a matter of life and death (I exaggerate) you bet I will get through it. My legs were on fire!🔥

Most of the hotels sell lift passes at the front desk. I thought they would be the paper ones you connect to your coat zipper but instead they were little reusable plastic cards that you must pay a deposit for. You get your money back for the card once returned. I guess some places back home do that but they just give you the card. You earn it after paying over $150 per person for a day. One day pass at Corviglia costs about $75/each, not bad considering how expensive everything else is in Switzerland.

It was a lot of work going down those icy slopes so we had to stop to sunbath and grab a beer. It was a very nice afternoon. I included some photos of the the other hotel, it had an old fashion ritzy feel, but in a way eerie with its wide open spaces and empty rooms. I liked it. The breakfast was also included and delicious but no live pianist ☹️, just kidding, I really don't need that. This hotel was called Hotel Reine Victoria by Laudinella. I wanted to go sit in the sauna or jacuzzi upon arrival but had a rough night the night before leaving Dublin, due to a death in the family. It was hard being away from home but did my best to distract myself with doing what I love, travel.

For the town of St. Moritz, it was simple to take the bus around. We didn't pay for it because we couldn't figure out to, but it appeared that all the locals were just getting off and on. There were not kiosks anywhere so it was a bit confusing. It was a cute town with plenty of shopping, hotels, and restaurants. It makes for a nice romantic getaway or guy or girls getaway. I would go back for sure!

Oh yeah! and we finally got fondue. Costs about $35 a person, which includes bread and cheese only. Fondue is worth trying once, but the cheese is very strong and sooo filling. I made a video about our fondue experience, which I will post as soon as I am done editing it . I hope you found this post helpful and interesting. Please feel free to ask questions and share. Please share if you enjoyed the read! Next stop Australia!

Disclaimer: We are affiliates of Amazon.com, Booking.com, and Hostelworld.com. We get commission from any sales made off of our links at no extra cost to you!

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