Briefly about the main thing
The landscape of Switzerland is very diverse, densely populated cities are replaced by powerful mountain peaks and quiet snow-capped passes, prestigious lake resorts with dashing ski slopes, and idyllic alpine meadows with large financial centers. In total, there are 26 original cantons and more than 75 cities.
And all this is permeated by a logical, convenient and fast transport system that allows you to easily get to even the most inaccessible corner of this amazingly picturesque country.
Traveling by plane
Switzerland has seven airports: Geneva, Zurich, Lugano, Basel, Bern, Sion and Engandine (Samedan). In the last four, you can fly in your own private plane! SWISS Airline – the national airline of Switzerland – operates three flights daily from Moscow to Zurich and Geneva and a daily flight from St. Petersburg to Zurich. Travel time is 3 hours and 35 minutes. Since Switzerland is a "ski country", SWISS transports ski and snowboard equipment for free. Direct flights to Swiss airports (Zurich, Geneva) are also operated by Aeroflot. The cost of round-trip tickets starts from 17 000-20 000 rubles.
Traveling by train
Switzerland is located in the heart of Europe and is connected to the high-speed network of European railways. It doesn't matter where you are traveling from, – from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands or Spain – the international railway network connects all Swiss cities. Most trains are equipped with a restaurant car and a bar, and also offer a whole range of services that will make the trip as pleasant as possible.There is no direct railway connection between Russia and Switzerland, but if desired, you can take a train to Berlin, Paris or Vienna and continue from there to Switzerland. So, from Paris, from the Gare de Lyon station, trains depart daily, every two hours, to Zurich (4 hours 10 minutes on the way), as well as five trains to Geneva (3 hours 16 minutes on the way). Seven direct trains run daily from Berlin (Hauptbahnhof) to Basel, 7 hours and 25 minutes on the way. Six direct Zurich trains depart from Vienna (Wesrbahnhof) daily (7 hours 50 minutes – 8 hours 40 minutes on the way). The schedule and the cost of tickets can be found at the official website of the Swiss railways.
Traveling by car
The Swiss motorway network is conveniently connected to the main European highways and expressways. Moscow is separated from Central Switzerland by about 2,700 km, and the journey along the M1 highway will take about 27 hours and runs through Belarus, Poland, Germany and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
To enter Switzerland, you must purchase a vignette that is valid for a year (CHF 40). You can pick it up at the airport, at the border at the entrance to Switzerland, or arrange delivery (CHF 18 – five days). On the official page of the Swiss Tourism Office, you can get acquainted with the details.
The most popular car rental services in Switzerland are Europcar and Herz. The most economical option from Europcar for a week, which can be picked up and returned, say, from September 1 to September 7, 2016 from Geneva Airport, – Volkswagen Up 1.0, will cost CHF 273. The most expensive – Maserati Ghibli 3.04x4 with GPS – in CHF 2152.
Travelers who prefer an exclusive level of comfort can turn to the services of a limousine service. It is not necessary to order a Limousine, but a high class of services and cars will be in the direct location of a wealthy guest of Switzerland. So, today the company Amag Chouffeur Drive offers a special offer – five hours of driving in an Audi A6 with a driver for just CHF 450.
Public transport in Switzerland
The phrase "public transport", which causes at least slight rejection among our compatriots, has a completely different tone in Switzerland. This is a very thoughtful, convenient and fast route network equipped with modern and comfortable vehicles. Most travelers and locals definitely prefer it to travel by private or rented car.
The ski country, Switzerland allows lovers of snow-covered slopes to move between ski resorts without problems: train cars are equipped with special compartments for transporting skis, and a well-thought-out system of ramps and elevators will allow you to cope with even the heaviest and bulkiest luggage without problems. Businessmen comfortably, quickly, go to negotiations across the country, from Zurich to Geneva. After all, trains run strictly on schedule, and departure is carried out every half hour.Railway stations and bus stations are a mini-world with its own infrastructure. Colorful fairs unfold here for the holidays, and the abundance of kiosks with food and souvenirs will please any gourmet and shopaholic. To find yourself at the Zurich railway station on Christmas Eve is a completely separate adventure, a mandatory part of the program when traveling in Switzerland.
Just a class
The device of public transport in Switzerland allows the passenger to choose the class in which he prefers to travel. It is worth noting that even the most inexpensive second class meets very high quality standards. The first class is more spacious and comfortable seats, less crowded cars, a number of additional services that make the trip even more enjoyable. In general, feel like a Swiss.
Luggage
Since 2015, Swiss public transport companies have been offering new baggage delivery services - Flight Luggage, Express Flight Luggage and Express Luggage, as well as an additional Door-to-Door service. Upon arrival in Switzerland, the luggage will be automatically sent to the destination of the guest of the country. This way travelers can save time and effort at the airport of arrival in Switzerland and go straight to the place of rest without waiting for luggage. Cost: CHF 22 per piece of luggage + CHF 30 one-time service fee. Delivery directly to the hotel is also possible, which will cost a little more.Types of travel documents in Switzerland
Reasonableness, logic and firm calculation are what distinguishes the scheme by which public transport passengers in the state are treated. Thus, the indigenous inhabitants of Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein move around their homeland on different terms than foreign guests, for whom a whole complex system of single tickets has been developed.
Swiss Travel Pass This is a single ticket that allows you to use rail and sea transport, as well as buses throughout the country (75 cities). It is purchased for a fixed amount and has an expiration date. For example, it will cost CHF 210 for three days in second class, and CHF 704 for 15 days in first class. As a bonus, the traveler is offered free access to more than 500 Swiss museums, a 50% discount on most mountain railways, free trips on most panoramic routes, free travel for children under 16 accompanied by an adult with a Swiss Pass, as well as a 15% discount for young people under the age of 26. Kids under the age of six travel for free. This pass can be purchased in Switzerland at any railway station. It is also offered by foreign agencies – authorized agents of the Swiss Travel System (STS) and in the online store Ticket Shop.
Swiss Travel Pass Flex a travel document valid for a certain number of days within a designated time period. It is suitable for travelers who do not know exactly how many days they will stay at each of the destinations, or those who plan to make a voyage several times a month. Travel Pass Flex can have a validity period of three, four, eight, 15 days within one month. CostIt varies from CHF 239 for the most inexpensive option in the second class to CHF 774 for 15 days in the first. It provides bonuses similar to those available to the owners of a regular Travel Pass and is purchased exactly according to the same scheme.
Swiss Transfer Ticket a ticket valid for travel between two destinations within a month. It is ideal for skiers and allows you to get from the Swiss border railway station or from the airport to the resort and back. The cost is CHF 141 for the second and CHF 226 for the first class. Please note that this ticket cannot be purchased in Switzerland. It is offered by foreign agencies – authorized agents of the Swiss Travel System (STS) and in the online store Ticket Shop.
Swiss Half Fare Card A convenient travel card for those who plan to stay in Switzerland longer. It provides a 50% discount on travel on trains, buses, ships and mountain trains. You can purchase a Swiss Half Fare Card at railway stations in Switzerland, as well as at many agencies in Europe. The cost is CHF 120.
Swiss Family Card – is provided free of charge with any ticket of the Swiss Travel System (STS). Children under the age of 16 travel free of charge accompanied by at least one parent with a Swiss Family Card. The Swiss Family Card is provided free of charge at railway stations in Switzerland and when booking STS tickets on the website. Unaccompanied children under 16 have a 50% discount on all tickets of the Swiss Travel System (STS).
Panoramic routes
An absolutely unique phenomenon on the Swiss travel map is panoramic and themed routes on trains and ships. They pass through the most picturesque corners of the country - the ones that take your breath away, and impressions peremptorily take the place of the best memories in the memory card. Panoramic trains on these routes are equipped with special carriages, in which the windows are expanded to the maximum, so large that they allow you to take a look at almost all 360 degrees of an unforgettable panorama. The first-class panoramic route service is a five-star adventure with champagne, a luxurious dinner with sparkling cutlery and a corresponding picture outside the window.
The choice of route depends only on the mood of the traveler and, perhaps, the time of year. It can be a tour through the picturesque vineyards of Lavo, and the path at the foot of the Jurassic Mountains, and the Bernina express connecting the cool north with the warm south. One of the routes combines a train journey and a cruise on a ship - this is the Wilhelm Tell express, going from Central Switzerland to the picturesque canton of Ticino.
And the legendary Glacier Express is the slowest (but, for sure, the most picturesque) express in the world, going from Engandin to the legendary mountain peak – powerful «triangle » Matterhorn. It connects the trendy Alpine resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt, revealing to travelers the beauty of the surrounding landscape and amazing engineering finds that allowed them to erect impressive structures right in the middle of the landscapes of wildlife. The red and white train passes through 91 tunnels and 291 bridges, overcomes a pass with a height of 2033 meters above sea level, passes through mountain passes and viaducts protected by UNESCO. It goes for seven whole hours, but it's definitely worth it!
Transport in Switzerland is a logical continuation of the way of life of this amazing Alpine country. Punctuality, comfort, convenience and "user friendliness" are found on every route. And even if you are traveling with a large family and with immense luggage, the journey is likely to turn into a pleasant adventure, and the landscapes that sweep through the windows will make you want to come back here again and again.
«Transport» news of this season
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On December 11, 2016, passenger traffic opens along the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the length of which is 57 km. This is the longest tunnel in the world!
- In December 2016, a new railway station opens in St. Moritz on the eve of the 2017 Alpine Skiing World Cup
- At the end of 2016, new trains will start running on the Chur-St. Moritz route, there will be a reading lamp above each seat, electric blinds on the windows, and each train will be equipped with panoramic cars with large windows and cars with a children's playground.
- Schilthorn, in which one of the Bond films was shot "In the service of Her Highness", will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017.
- Every Sunday of this September, on the Quöllfrisch Express, on the route between Gossau and Wasserauen, the local Locher brewery offers all passengers a free glass of beer, if they have a Swiss Travel Pass.
Portal HomesOverseas.ru thanks Maria Makarova (Marketing and Public Relations Manager Switzerland Tourism) and Yulia Sharonova (General director of the real estate agency SharonoFF).
Photocredits: swiss-image.ch / Marcus Gyger / Markus Greber / Christof Sonderegger / Tibert Keller
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