Unfortunately for Cheapos, the Alpine paradise is not exactly Europe’s most budget-friendly destination. In fact, it often goes down as Europe’s most budget-unfriendly destination! It’s no Portugal or Spain…

But that doesn’t mean that you need to steer clear of Switzerland, or that a visit has to empty your entire bank account. You may have to “adjust” your standards a bit — and get creative — but the chance to explore this spectacular European country is well worth the effort!

Related:

• Switzerland on a Budget: Our 5-day cheapo itinerary
• Switzerland: A Budget travel guide to Interlaken
• Switzerland: A Basel budget travel guide to help you save

Switzerland Budget Travel Guide: 50 Tips for saving

Here are 50 of our best tips for spending fewer Swiss francs on your trip. Whenever possible, we’ve also included links to more in-depth articles for further advice. We’d love to hear about any additional tips you have in the comments section at the end.

Geneva, Switzerland is easy on the eyes. Photo: Daniel J.

When to go

1. AVOID MAJOR EVENTS IN BIG CITIES

Want to keep your trip on budget? Avoid popular events in big cities like Geneva and Zurich when room rates can double or triple. Not sure when events are on? Look up each city’s calendar of events on the Swiss tourism website.

Desperate to attend a major event like Switzerland’s biggest carnival in Basel? Book as far in advance as you can manage.

2. PLAN YOUR TRIP FOR SWITZERLAND’S OFF SEASON

For the best airfares and hotel room rates in Switzerland, stay away from late spring, summer and the winter holidays. For the best prices and fewer crowds try late winter or early spring.

Getting Cheaper Flights to Switzerland

3. FLY OPEN-JAW

Don’t get attached to the idea of a round-trip fare into and out of Zurich. It may make your trip more expensive, and waste a lot of time. It might be cheaper to fly into one city and home through another. We found direct “open-jaw” flights into Zurich and out of Geneva for $600 or less in late September and early October.

4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO FLY INTO ZURICH

Depending on your travel dates, it may be cheaper to fly into Geneva, or into a major European hub like London or Frankfurt, and then hop a budget flight on to Switzerland.

5. ADD A STOPOVER FOR SAVINGS

While there are plenty of direct flights to Switzerland from New York, you could save some cash and gain a stopover in Iceland if you book round-trip flights with Icelandair. We found fares in late September for less than $500.

6. FLY BUDGET AIRLINES

Once you’re in Europe, hop a cheap flight with a low-cost airline like RyanAir or easyJet to Switzerland. Just make sure to pack light — excess luggage fees can get scary fast on these flights.

Want some more advice on how to get a cheap flight? Check out our guide to budget flights in Europe.

7. SKIP THE TAXI INTO THE CITY CENTER

Never take a taxi into the city center from the airport if you’re traveling alone. It’s just not worth the expense. Wrangle your bags and hop the bus or the train. If you’re traveling in a group, it might be worth the splurge late at night with lots of luggage.

Planning your trip

8. TAKE IT SLOW

Don’t try to cram in too many things. If you stay in one place, you’ll have time to discover off-the-beaten-path restaurants and shops along with free events and attractions. You could easily spend a few days in any of the country’s bigger cities just exploring museums.

9. FOCUS ON ONE REGION

Switzerland may be small and landlocked, but it’s covered in mountains. That means things are almost farther away (in time, if not in miles) than you imagine. Focus on one area or region for a better trip.

10. FOLLOW THE LOCALS

Skip touristy attractions and vacation where the locals go — which generally means renting a car and heading to villages that are more out of the way, like Gimmewald and Thun.

Want some more itinerary tips? Check out the following articles:

• Gimmelwald, Switzerland: A visit to the tiny mountain village
• Mythic Waters: The Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen

Saving on transportation

11. SKIP TOURIST PASSES

Generally speaking, extra tourist passes aren’t a great deal in Switzerland. For one thing, in many Swiss cities such as Basel and Interlaken, a transit pass for visitors is already included with hotel and hostel stays. If your hotel doesn’t hand it over at check-in, ask for your pass, and if you end up dealing with someone who isn’t willing to cooperate, head to the tourist office with a print out of your paid reservation and confirmation numbers.

12. BOOK TRAIN TICKETS BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Nowhere is booking train tickets ahead more important than in Switzerland where the train is lovely but terribly expensive. Fortunately for Cheapos, booking ahead of time will save you some serious cash.

13. BUY YOUR TICKETS DIRECTLY FROM SBB

Unless you’ve found an amazing multi-country deal with Eurorail, you’re best off buying your train trips directly from Switzerland’s national rail service. You can buy tickets at a local office after you arrive or on the SBB official website.

14. BOOK TICKETS ONLINE FOR BIG SAVINGS

The best deals to be had on train tickets in Switzerland are online. Using the SBB official website, you can book “Supersaver” tickets and pay substantially less than what you’d owe for a walk-up ticket in the station.

15. USE YOUR FEET
Switzerland’s beautiful scenery and compact city centers are often best explored on foot. And the good news is that walking is completely free.

16. BUS IT FOR A CHEAP RIDE

Want to travel between cities for less? Forget romantic notions of Swiss travel and hop on a bus. There are limited schedules (and it’ll take slightly longer than in the train), but taking the bus just might be worth the sacrifice for Cheapos. Check out schedules and ticket prices on the SBB website.

17. CONSIDER A RIDESHARE

While Europe’s growing rideshare company BlaBlaCar isn’t currently available everywhere in Switzerland, it is  available between bigger cities like Basel, Zurich, and Bern. For a fraction of what it costs to travel via train or bus, you may find more flexibility when it comes to scheduling and meet an interesting local.

Need some more tip on using ride-sharing services in Europe? Check out our guide to BlaBlaCar.

18. FLY BUDGET FOR LARGER DISTANCES

It may sound ridiculous, but with the onset of budget airlines flying between Swiss cities, and the expense of Swiss trains, sometimes it’s cheaper (and faster) to fly between Swiss cities than to travel overland, especially if you haven’t booked super saver tickets ahead of time. Do a budget air search here.

Rental Cars and Driving

19. BOOK A CAR WITH FREE CANCELLATION

Book your rental with free cancellation — that way if your plans change or you find a better deal, you’re covered. Most of the agencies we work with do offer free cancellation, but be sure to double check before booking. Find rates for Switzerland car rentals on CheapoSearch.

20. BOOK EARLY

The earlier you book your car, the better selection you’ll have to choose from. This is especially important if you want a cheap car, or a car with certain amenities (automatic transmission, etc).

21. CANCEL IF YOU FIND SOMETHING BETTER

If you’re not satisfied with the vehicle and price you booked in advance and find something better, cancel your existing reservation and re-book. Just beware of sneaky fees and deductibles.

22. PICK UP YOUR CAR AT THE AIRPORT

It’s almost always easier to pick your car up at the airport. It usually costs the same (or sometimes less) and can save you time driving through the city.

23. GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME FOR PICK-UP

Don’t book your car pickup too close to the time your plane lands or expect to pick up a car just before the rental office closes. Allow yourself lots of time to avoid stressful last-minute surprises because of delays.

24. ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR DROP-OFF

Sometimes there’s a line to drop-off your rental, and you want to have plenty of time for a careful inspection you can sign off on to avoid any fees. Give yourself extra time to return the car — especially if delays could make you miss your flight.

25. PARK CAREFULLY

Switzerland is expensive. You don’t need to add a parking ticket to your expenditures. Unless you’re really sure that space on the street is free, stick to parking garages open to the public — it’s worth ponying up the parking fees to avoid the much bigger expense of a parking ticket.

26. KEEP YOUR SPEED UNDER CONTROL

Drive carefully and keep your speed within legal maximums and minimums. And don’t run any lights! If the rental car license is ticketed by a camera, the bill will get to you eventually — trust us.

27. HAVE A PAPER MAP AND GUIDEBOOK

Batteries die and sometimes you don’t have reception or the GPS hasn’t been updated — paper maps and guidebooks are a good back up for this probability.

28. USE GPS

If you don’t have reasonably priced data on your phone with a maps program, pay extra for a GPS with your rental. When you’re trying to find that picturesque Swiss chalet in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be very grateful.

29. DON’T DRIVE IN BIG CITIES

Large cities in Switzerland have dependable public transit systems, and while they’re not exactly what we’d call cheap, they’re certainly cheaper than paying for gas, a rental car and parking. Besides, driving in cities is almost never worth the headache for visitors.

30. PICK UP YOUR CAR WHEN LEAVING TOWN

If you’re flying into a big city (like Zurich or Geneva) and sticking around for a few days before heading off through the mountains, start your car reservation when you’re leaving town. It will will save you the hassle of having a car in the city, and the expense of extra days of renting (and parking!).

Hotels and Accommodations

31. BOOK EARLY FOR THE BEST PRICES

Book as far in advance as you can manage for the best selection of rooms at the best price in Europe. Search and book on EuroCheapo, and check out our favorite budget hotels in Zurich.

32. STAY CENTRAL

You can find deals way outside the city center, but you’ll spend a lot of your time and money on getting around.

If you’re headed to Zurich, one of our favorite cheap and stylish options is near the city center. Rooms at Zum Guten Glück start at only $70 per night for a single room —a bargain for the country’s biggest city.

33. DON’T BOOK A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Those mountain views out your hotel window in Switzerland sure are pretty… expensive! Since your room is really only a place to sleep, you can skip the view and save your francs for other activities. And who knows, maybe they’ll give you the view for free.

34. RENT SOMETHING WITH KITCHEN FACILITIES

Prepare yourself: A cup of coffee will cost you about $4 a cup, and eating out can be exorbitant. You’ll want to cook some of your own meals. A kitchen with your hotel stay would make that easier.

35. SLEEP IN A CAMPSITE

Where available, Swiss campsites are well priced for an alternative to a hotel. Some campsites even have cabins if you don’t want to pack a tent. Here’s a list of more than 200 campsites on the official Swiss tourism website.

36. STAY SOMEWHERE NICE WITH A LAST-MINUTE BOOKING

If you don’t mind gambling a little, you can wait until the day of to book a hotel and sometimes you can stay in an upscale place for the same price as a budget hotel. Read our guide to when to book for the best rates.

37. SEARCH BUDGET HOTELS ON EUROCHEAPO

Know your travel dates now? Search over 11,000 hotels across Switzerland. Save on your hotel bill and have plenty leftover for sightseeing and dining!

Seeing the sights

38. HIT UP THE TOURIST OFFICE FOR ADVICE

First stop: The tourist office for some free advice! The people at the tourist offices are there to help you and will do their best to save you money if they can. If nothing else, you’ll get a free map. Every city has one — usually in the train station and in the city center.

39. PREBOOK ANYTHING YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE

Switzerland’s a popular destination, so if there’s something you really have to see (especially during high seasons at Christmas and in summer) you should go ahead and pre-book it. You’ll save yourself time waiting in line.

40. PRIORITIZE FREE ACTIVITIES

In large urban areas like Basel and Zurich, most museums have at least one free day or afternoon a week. Check those days in advance, as the savings can be substantial (plus you’ll feel less guilty about just popping in for an hour or so).

41. BE CAREFUL BUYING PASSES

As noted in #11 above, be careful when buying city tourism passes that include city transportation and museum entrances. Why? If you’re staying at a hotel in the city, a city transit pass will already be included in your stay. Thus, these other tourism passes are really just covering museums and sightseeing, so do the math and see if they’re worth it.

Do you like cheap eats? Keep an eye out for bakeries and supermarkets on your Swiss vacation. Photo: Kecko

Saving on eating and drinking in Switzerland

42. EAT OUT AT LUNCH

If you want to eat well for less, go out for lunch, not for dinner, and go for a fixed price menu. Lunch deals are much easier to come by in Switzerland than dinner deals.

43. HEAD TO THE SUPERMARKET

In Switzerland, food is expensive, especially when compared to destinations in Southern Europe. If you want to save on dining, eat out less, head to the grocery store for pre-made meals and groceries, and cut down on your meat buying (even in grocery stores). It’s so expensive in Switzerland that lots of locals have adopted at least one meat-free day per week.

For cheap and filling prepared meals, try the restaurants at area supermarkets like ALDI and COOP — don’t expect anything terribly fancy though. Imagine eating at a Swiss IKEA, and you’re pretty much on the mark.

44. FORGO FAST FOOD

Think you’ll save by simply eating out at international fast-food chains? Think again! Even chains like McDonald’s will hurt your budget in Switzerland. In fact, a Big Mac meal is more expensive than takeaway from many popular Indian and Chinese restaurants in Basel.

45. DON’T OVERTIP

When you do dine out, a service fee is typically included in the bill at Swiss restaurants. If you’re exceptionally pleased with your experience, you can always round up to the nearest franc, but more than that isn’t expected.

46. CUT BACK ON CAFFEINE

If you have a serious coffee habit, you may want to cut back during your Swiss vacation. Caffeinated drinks can be pretty expensive. In most establishments, a coffee starts at around $4.

Another option? Drink as much as you can at your hotel’s breakfast service, and make yourself instant brew in your room. Or you could switch to tea…

47. CAREFUL WITH THE PRICEY ALCOHOL

When you’re on a budget in a pricier destination, alcohol price tags can quickly add to your costs. Sticking to water and cutting out soft drinks wouldn’t hurt either. When you want a tipple, stick to beer and wine (they’re always the cheapest) and scope out area hostels with happy hours for an inexpensive buzz.

Keeping in Touch

48. NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR CARRIER BEFORE YOU GO

Switzerland’s phone services don’t have agreements with the rest of Europe for roaming, which is disappointing, to say the least. Unless you plan to stay for a month or more, Switzerland is the exception to our general advice to buy a local SIM card when visiting Europe.

Instead, negotiate ahead of time with your carrier at home and use any services on an as needed basis. Your best option? Keep in touch with loved ones with your hotel’s free WIFI.

If you’re traveling in Europe long-term, grab a SIM card in a country that’s a full-on member of the European Union with a carrier that offers free roaming in the European Union, wherein you’ll be paying local rates for data, and calls wherever you go.

Banks and Money

49. USE NO-FEE CARDS

Call your bank and credit card company before you go to find out about fees and exchange rates (and let them know when and where you’ll be traveling to avoid unpleasant surprises). Then stick to using those cards and accounts with good rates and no (or low) fees to get the best deal on Swiss francs.

50. DON’T CHANGE CASH

While changing money at the airport is still common and sometimes a necessary evil, the exchange rates and fees never work out in your favor. You’re much better off taking out as much cash as you think you’ll need at an ATM. Remember, Swiss francs are only good in Switzerland, it’s not like you can use them anywhere else on your trip.

That said, in Basel, Euros are accepted at important places like the central train station and the airport.

Bonus Tip: You might want to buy travel insurance for your Swiss adventure. The coverage might be helpful for any hiccups that come up during your trip.

Your Switzerland budget tips

Have you been to Switzerland? Share your best money-saving tips in the comments section below!

The post Travel Guide: 50 Ways to Save in Switzerland appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

It’s not, however, known for being a budget traveler’s paradise, or even a budget-friendly destination — and with good reason. That’s why we came up with this Basel budget guide.

There are several ways to make your time in Basel easier on your bank account. You’ll have to be flexible, and a little creative, but Basel on a budget is more doable than you might imagine. Especially since at the time of writing, the exchange rate of Swiss Francs (CHF) to USD is nearly 1 to 1 ($1 buys 1 Swiss Franc).

Related articles
• Recommended Zurich budget hotels under $100
• Switzerland by Train: Alternatives to the Glacier Express
• 5 Tips for finding cheap eats in Zurich

Basel budget travel guide

How to get there

Basel’s airport, EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, is a small international airport operated jointly by France and Switzerland and actually has three official airport codes: BSL, MLH and EAP. And get this: The one-building airport is located in France and connected to Basel city proper via a 1.6-mile-long customs road ceded to Switzerland by France.

At the time of writing, there are no direct transatlantic flights to Basel, so depending on your European itinerary, it may make more sense to fly into a major hub outside of Switzerland, like London, Paris, Barcelona, or Munich and then hop a budget flight on to Basel (which start at around $50 one-way).

Trains from elsewhere in Europe are slightly more expensive than flying with European low-cost carriers, and tickets start at around $60. If you’re already in Switzerland, buses and rideshares like BlaBlaCar are your cheapest option, but if your heart’s set on riding the rails you can save money on train fare by booking a super saver fare ahead of time online on the SBB website.

The tram is a fun way to get around Basel. Photo: schnitzel bank

How to get around in Basel

Once you’re in Basel, the city itself is mostly flat and quite walkable. That said if you’re staying in a hotel or a hostel, you should receive a Basel Mobility Ticket at check-in. The ticket covers all public transport in the city and surrounding areas (zones 10, 11, 13, and 15 including the airport) for the duration of your stay.

If you fly into Basel-Mulhouse that means you should be able to hop the bus from the airport to the city center from the airport for free. Just make sure to have your hotel reservation on hand, if possible printed in German to show the driver if he asks (he probably won’t, but better safe than sorry).

Why in German? Because, for whatever reason, our confirmed reservation print-out included the note about the free transportation in German, but not in English. We had to nicely ask the lady at the information desk to double-check when she told us we’d have to buy tram tickets to our hotel after quickly glancing at the English printout. When she wasn’t to keen on cooperating, we showed her the German version, and she checked everything out. Turns out we did get to ride the tram for free, and when we reached our hotel, we got our mobility passes.

Basel City Hall features exquisite frescoes. Photo: Jean

Free and Cheap Things to Do in Basel

Basel’s known the world over as a capital of culture and art. Unfortunately, many of its attractions have a price tag in line with that renown. On the plus side, there are a few different ways around paying full price for a few hours of culture.

Fondation Beyeler
At the Fondation Beyeler, visitors under 25 can see the collection of masterpieces by Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol for free, and students under 30 for 12 CHF (instead of 28 CHF) with appropriate ID.

Kunstmuseum for free
The Kunstmuseum, home to the largest and most significant public collection of art in Switzerland, has a free “happy hour” Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 6 p.m. and is free the first Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Basel Minster
A turn around the iconic red sandstone spires of Basler Münster, the city’s cathedral, can always be had free of charge. This striking building was built over the course of several centuries, and Erasmus of Rotterdam is buried there. The back courtyard is a lovely place to take in views of the Rhine and the city.

City Hall
Visitors can also take a look at the frescoes in the courtyard at the Rathaus, Basel’s 500-year old City Hall building for free.

The BaselCard (Now free!)
One final option for Cheapos who want to spend less is the BaselCard. This tourist card gives free use of public transport, 50% off admission to pretty much all of the museums in town worth seeing, the zoo, walking tours, theater, and even a free ferry ride across the Rhine. So what will the BaselCard cost you? Nothing! Every hotel guest receives this card for free when they check in. Read more about the details and perks of BaselCard here.

Carnival: Basel’s biggest street party

Basel’s carnival celebration (“Fasnacht“) is the largest in Switzerland and the most famous protest carnival in the world. It dates back to before the 14th century. It’s a three-day celebration starting the Monday after Ash Wednesday at 4 a.m. In the city’s old town, the streetlights are turned off and masked participants kick off the festival marching around with hanging lanterns to drums and piccolos.

This organized chaos is free to observe, but if you don’t want to spend a good-sized chunk of your time picking confetti out of your hair, you might want to spring for a Blaggedde carnival badge. They’re sold at kiosks around town during the festival and by participants themselves starting at for about 9 CHF ($9) and afford you some good will from local revelers as the sale of the badges helps fund the event.

It’s also important to note that for obvious reasons, accommodation during the festival will be substantially more expensive and harder to come by.

Cheap eats and drinks

Basel, as all of Switzerland, isn’t the cheapest place to eat and drink by any means. Compared to countries like Portugal and Spain, the prices seem borderline obscene. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to reduce the expense.

Grocery stores
For the most savings, travelers are best off shopping at grocery stores and cooking for themselves. Keep an eye out for the German chain ALDI which is cheaper than local chain COOP. Either one, of course, is cheaper than eating in restaurants!

Street vendors
Street vendors are always a good bet for affordable snacks (think about $5 for a hot dog) but the quantity to quality price ratio might mean you’re better off at a restaurant.

Our favorite cheap restaurants
For the best prices at restaurants, focus on informal Asian and Middle-Eastern restaurants or go out at lunchtime for a fixed price menu. Here are some cheapo prices (for Basel!)

• Kebabs and Falafels run around $8-10.

• A medium takeaway pizza will cost you about $15.

• For authentic local food, we like the open-faced sandwiches for 3.50 CHF each at the Brotli Bar (Gerbergasse 84).

• Or fill up on a plate of Indian Food for 11 CHF at Ganapathy (Mattenstrasse 50).

• A portion of Raclette (grilled/melted cheese) in a traditional restaurant like Walliser Kanne costs around 20 CHF.

Coffee culture
Coffee is particularly expensive, and pretty much everywhere I ordered one it cost $4-5, which incidentally, is the same price as a glass of house wine, or a pint of beer on tap in many establishments. Nice coffee shops will include a glass of tap water and maybe a traditional Leckerli cookie with your caffeine fix.

Tip: Skip major fast-food chains unless you’re dying to try McDonald’s “Raclette Burger” and willing to pay twice as much as you would stateside for your McMenu.

Cheap Sleeps in Basel

Very basic and centrally located accommodations in Basel with a private bathroom can be had from about 60 CHF per night.  Hostels are more wallet-friendly starting at around 25 CHF for a bunk in mixed dorms. Search budget hotels in Basel for your dates now.

Double rooms are modern and affordable at STAY@Basel SBB.

Hotel & Lounge by Hyve Basel SBB

For a very comfortable budget experience in a good location, we like the Hotel & Lounge by Hyve Basel SBB’s rooms with shared bathrooms and a fully-equipped kitchen for guests.

If your accommodations offer free breakfast or the possibility of adding breakfast for $5 or less per person, it’s probably worth it — remember a coffee will cost you about that. Even if the breakfast is just coffee and tea with cereal, toast and pastries, it’ll be well-worth it. Even better, there will probably be fruit, cheese and cold cuts, too.

Browse and book over 150 hotels in Basel

If you can’t find a reasonably-priced hotel in the city center for non-negotiable dates, don’t stress too much about booking something a little further out — you’ll still get a mobility pass, and Basel’s transit is fast, comfortable, and efficient.

Your Budget tips for Basel

Have you been to Basel? Do you have any good budget tips of your own?

The post Switzerland: A Basel budget travel guide to help you save appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

This is the common response I receive when telling people about my favorite Swiss destination of Gimmelwald. While not many people have heard of it, it’s more because of its remote location than its lack of offerings. Located in the Bernese Oberland, the tiny mountain village sits at an altitude of 4,500 feet and overlooks the UNESCO world heritage listed Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn.

Leaving the adrenaline-pumping Interlaken, I made my way to this car-free and quiet retreat by taking the cable-car from Stechelberg. Drifting higher and higher into the mountains, the buildings on the ground become like Monopoly pieces as you gently glide into the clouds. And when you step foot into Gimmelwald, it’s like heaven.

Gimmelwald isn’t a place you go for nonstop action, world-class restaurants or bustling attractions. Instead, it’s where you go to experience the quieter side of the Swiss Alps. Cozy timber homes and flower-rimmed guesthouses line the streets, which are actually footpaths since there are no vehicles allowed.

Gimmelwald offers easy access some of Switzerland’s most scenic and challenging hiking trails.

Things To Do

Because the village sits high in the mountains, you get the feeling you can fall off the edge if you stray too far. In reality, wandering beyond the wood buildings will lead you to some of Switzerland’s most scenic and challenging hiking trails. There are also easy hikes for beginners and families looking for something more leisurely than heart-pounding. Once you’re in the forest, you’ll see trail signs pointing in the direction of the nearby villages so you don’t have to worry too much about getting lost.

If you like waterfall hikes, head two hours downhill toward the powerful Trummelbach Falls, noted as Europe’s only subterranean waterfall, which sits at the base of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. There’s also the challenging Gimmelwald to Tanzbodeli hike, a steep 90-minute climb commencing in a bird’s-eye vista of the Swiss Alps. And for something leisurely, opt for the Gimmelwald to Chilchbalm trek. With no notably difficult sections, it’s two hours of caves, wild Alpine flowers, rivers, lush greenery and panoramic mountain and village views.

Say hello to Erica, the "Cheese Lady.”

It’s also worthwhile to visit one of the 13 farms in the village, selling eggs, milk, sausage and cheese. During my visit, my friends and I visited Erica “The Cheese Lady.” She brought us into the small wooden building where she ages her cheese and sausage and let us sample some of the varieties. Because there aren’t many restaurants in Gimmelwald – aside for the ones in the guesthouses – it’s a great opportunity to purchase some fresh local foods for a picnic.

The main thing to take advantage of when in Gimmelwald is the ability to relax. Read a book by the fire, play a game of Jenga with new friends, sip local wine while indulging in some Swiss cheese or chocolate or stare off at the white-capped peaks while breathing in fresh mountain air.

Playing Jenga and drinking wine with new friends at the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald.

Where to stay in Gimmelwald

If you’re on a budget, Mountain Hostel is a backpacker favorite and costs about $30 per night. There are single-sex dorms as well as one mixed dorm ranging in size from 6 to 16 beds. While there isn’t any nightlife in the area, this is the closest you’ll come, as travelers share bottles of Swiss wine and cheese and play board games until late hours in the cozy common area. It also doubles as a popular restaurant serving everything from pizza to fondue to homemade lasagna.

Esther’s Guesthouse also offers cozy accommodation in the form of two apartments and seven rooms with one to four beds. Each morning an expansive homemade breakfast as well as the chance to socialize is offered for $16, and there’s a community kitchen if you want to buy groceries from nearby Murren for cooking. In the summer, you can barbecue in the garden. Rates start at $59 per night, although you receive an $11 discount when paying in cash for three nights or more.

For those who want something rustic and romantic with breathtaking views from their room, Hotel Mittaghorn provides just that. Hosts Walter and Tim provide a welcoming ambiance, with Tim giving great advice on hikes and Walter whipping up delicious homecooked meals each night with dessert and wine accompaniments, all for $16. There is also a free breakfast of hearty breads, jams, cheese and coffee included in the $90 per night room rate.

Your visit to Gimmelwald

Have you visited Gimmelwald? Tell us about your experience in the tiny village in our comments section below.

Also in our guide: Visiting Switzerland can be hazardous to a Cheapo’s budget. If you’re planning your Swiss trip, swing by our guides to budget hotels in Geneva and Zurich. Yes, Cheapos, it is possible to enjoy this famously pricey country on a budget.

The post Gimmelwald, Switzerland: A visit to the tiny mountain village appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

For years we’ve steered clear of these pricey cities (and the country in general), assuming that Switzerland was simply inhospitable to budget travelers. With many hotels starting north of $250, how could any Cheapo afford to visit?

It’s the kind of budget travel challenge we love, however. After pounding the (immaculately clean) pavement in both cities, we’re thrilled to announce our new guides. Here are a few things we found along the way:

Rooms at Zurich’s Anwand Lodge offer wooden beams and flat-screens for as low as $110 a night.

Hotel prices

We found several Geneva hotels under $125 a night, (CHF 125) including some in the heart of the Old Town. Visit during the spring and fall for the lowest rates, and remember that, as Geneva’s hotels are often packed with business travelers, weekends tend to be cheaper.

Although Zurich can even be more expensive than Geneva, we found 10 central hotels in Zurich with rates under $130 a night (CHF 130), including some three-star hotels. Rates are similarly cheaper during the shoulder season and weekends, and clear of convention dates. (Check out the convention schedule ahead of time on Zurich’s Web site.)

Easy ways to save

We were happy to find that most museums in Geneva charge less than CHF 10 (about $10) for admission, and many charged quite a bit less. Even better, as we note in our budget tips article, many museums are free to enter, including the Maison Tavel, Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Musée de Carouge and the Natural History Museum!

Zurich’s museums are surprisingly affordable, with most charging about CHF 10-15 (about $10-15). However, we recommend that serious sightseers spring for the ZurichCARD, which covers admission to all city museums and public transportation, and even offers some shopping and dining discounts. Read more in our Zurich budget tips article.

Transportation savings

Geneva’s efficient public transit is a gift to budget travelers: Anyone staying in a hotel, hostel or campground is given a Geneva Transport Card, granting free transportation on the city’s buses, trams and trolleys. Read more about getting around Geneva.

Zurich charges CHF 5.20 (about $5) for a daily transportation pass (or CHF 25.60 for six days, about $25), although many sights are accessibly by foot. However, Cheapos are encouraged to hop on Zurich’s free bike program. Pedal off some of that delicious rösti! (Read more about Zurich transportation.)

So, Cheapos…

What are you waiting for? With a little advance planning, both Geneva and Zurich can be on your budget travel itinerary. There’s simply no reason to miss Swiss.

The post Switzerland Just Got Cheapo: EuroCheapo launches guides to Geneva and Zurich appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We first stumbled on Jonglez’ work in Brussels, when his guidebook Bruxelles Insolite et Secret led us to parts of the Belgian capital that lie well off the regular tourist trails.

The “secret” formula

Since then books from Jonglez Publishing have become firm favorites that give us a fresh perspective on some of the most celebrated cities on the west European tourist circuit. That first Brussels book included cameo accounts of factories and allotment gardens, and descriptions of intriguing toilets and apartment blocks, to complement more predictable Brussels fare such as art and architecture. And that first guide was quickly translated into English.

Subsequent Jonglez volumes follow the same formula, though as the series has evolved the company has placed more emphasis on the supposed authenticity derived from having local authors. “Local guides by local people,” runs the blurb on recent English-language volumes covering Rome, Madrid, Venice and London. So these guides are an antidote to globalization, a chance to pause and take note of what is peculiarly distinctive about the cities covered by Jonglez guides.

Secret Paris

This is a marvelous series of books. They are all impeccably researched and well-illustrated, with little inset boxes succinctly explaining the background to the various sights. We learned, for example, why there are so many crêperies in Montparnasse and why so many Paris theaters lie north of the Grands Boulevards.

And it is not as if the Jonglez guides neglect to mention more established sights. It is merely that they reach the parts of European cities that other guides simply ignore. And the books are hugely effective in endowing the reader with a sense of having privileged access to areas of European cities that lie well beyond the regular tourist haunts.

So we must confess that, when recently in Paris, we skipped the Mona Lisa and instead followed the call of Jacques Garance and Maud Ratton, authors of Secret Paris, to see the only level crossing in Paris, visit an Antoinist temple and discover a pagoda converted to a cinema.

The series

Éditions Jonglez publish English-language city guides covering Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Florence, Geneva, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Venice. They also have area guides to the French Riviera, Tuscany and Provence.

The books are titled Secret Amsterdam, Secret Barcelona, etc. Additional titles are available in French, and some books have been translated into Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch. In the USA the books are distributed by Globe Pequot Press.

The post Jonglez Guidebooks: Europe with a “Secret” Twist appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Onwards to Italy

Even before the coming of the railway, Brig (or “Brigue” in French) held a commanding position in transport across the Alps. Napoléon had decreed that a carriage road should be built over the Alps, and over 5,000 workers struggled to build the Simplon Pass highway over the mountains to Italy.

When it was opened, travelers were surprised to find that in good weather a ten-horse carriage could make the journey from Brig to Domodossola in just 12 hours. Nowadays, sleek modern trains purr through the Simplon rail tunnel and reach Domodossola in just 25 minutes.

Visiting Brig

Brig is more than just a railway junction and the town certainly warrants a visit in its own right. Brig’s star building is the superb Stockalper castle with its handsome triple-tier arcade courtyard and stately cupolas. It is a mark of the town’s erstwhile wealth. That castle, a brace of fine churches and several good restaurants around a fine piazza all combine to make Brig the perfect place to linger.

A great base for exploring Switzerland

The town makes a fine base for rail-based holidays exploring central and western Switzerland. Few other European cities can claim to be as perfectly connected to key tourist destinations as Brig.

Top destinations by direct train from Brig include:

1. Kandersteg: one train per hour (travel time: 40 mins)
2. Stresa (for Lake Maggiore): every two hours (travel time: 55 mins)
3. Berne: two trains per hour (travel time: 1 hr)
4. Montreux: two trains per hour (travel time: 1 hr 20 mins)
5. Zermatt: one train per hour (travel time: 1 hr 20 mins)
6. Lausanne: two trains per hour (travel time: 1 hr 45 mins)
7. Milan: every two hours (travel time: 1 hr 50 mins)
8. Andermatt: one train per hour (travel time: 2 hrs)
9. Zürich: one train per hour (travel time: 2 hrs 10 mins)
10. Geneva: two trains per hour (travel time: 2 hrs 25 mins)

Holders of Eurail passes might just note that services to Andermatt and Zermatt are operated by the Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn (MGB), a private mountain railway company that does not accept Eurail passes. But the Swiss Pass (sold by Swiss Travel System) is recognized by MGB.

The post Brig, Switzerland: A major rail connection worth exploring appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Discontinued services

First the bad news. A number of services have been axed, notably:

1. The overnight trains or through carriages from Munich to Copenhagen, Warsaw and Moscow.

2. The overnight services from Prague to Zagreb and Zürich via Linz (although the long established City Night line service from Prague via Dresden to Zürich continues just as now).

3. The once daily direct train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Szczecin in Poland.

New links and improvements

But in a Europe where rail travel is becoming ever more popular, there were many notable improvements to services that came with the introduction of the 2011 schedules last Sunday. Some of the highlights include:

1. Dramatic improvements to services between St. Petersburg and Helsinki using sleek new Allegro trains that trim about 90 minutes off the journey times between the two cities.

2. More trains and faster journey times between Paris and Geneva, as the Haut-Bugey high-speed link through the Jura came into operation.

3. Increased frequency and faster travel times on daytime services linking Warsaw with Berlin.

4. More frequent direct services between Brussels and Calais on the French coast.

5. An additional daily service on the busy Paris to Amsterdam route.

6. Entirely new services linking Prague and Dresden with Szczecin in Poland.

7. New direct trans-Alpine trains from Venice to Basel (via the Gotthard route) and to Munich (via the Brenner Pass).

8. Better links from Hamburg with a new overnight train to Paris, and a new daytime service from Hamburg to Vienna via Hannover and Passau (complementing the existing daytime service via Berlin and Prague which continues just as in 2010).

9. An extra daily fast train on the Budapest to Bratislava route.

10. A new direct daytime train between Warsaw and Budapest (complementing the existing overnight service which continues as in the past).

In the weeks ahead

While most of the 2011 schedules came into effect this week, there are a small number of outstanding changes that will be introduced  in the weeks ahead. They include:

Effective December 19: An entire new Spanish high-speed route opens linking Madrid with both Valencia and Albacete. This will dramatically transform travel in eastern Spain, slashing the travel time from Madrid to Valencia by more than half.

On the same date a new high-speed link across the French-Spanish border will open, initially with just twice daily TGV trains from Paris to Figueres, where passengers must change for onward travel to Barcelona. With much reduced journey times, the new link will give much improved daytime connections between Catalunya and cities such as Geneva and London.

Effective January 7: New direct ski season services from Belgium and Luxembourg to the Tarentaise region in the French Alps and to resorts in both the Tyrol and the Salzburg regions of Austria.

You can review all the main 2011 rail schedules in each monthly edition of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable.  The December edition, which is already available, contains over 500 pages of the 2011 schedules.  The January edition (published next week) includes the full schedules (including late changes which were not available when the December issue went to press) and a useful fares supplement.  That comes as standard fare in each January edition of the timetable, and we find it especially useful as it gives indicative costs for journeys within most European countries as well as for international routes.

The post European Train Update: 2011 rail changes appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.