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Global Travel Planning
Switzerland Travel Planning - Explore with Swiss travel expert Carolyn Schönafinger
Ever dreamed of traversing the tranquil landscapes of Switzerland, but unsure where to start? We've got a treat for you this week, as Carolyn Schönafinger, the passionate founder of HolidaysToSwitzerland.com and host of the Holidays To Switzerland Travel Podcast, joins us to paint a vivid picture of this picturesque country.
Carolyn takes us on a virtual journey to her three favourite spots - Lauterbrunnen, Spiez, and Mount Pilatus, weaving in personal anecdotes from her own travels that will leave you craving a Swiss adventure.
Are you concerned about the budget? Fear not, Carolyn has got your back as she shares invaluable tips on how to make the most of your visit without breaking the bank. Her savvy advice on rail passes and reusable drink bottles will ensure you can savour the Swiss charm while keeping an eye on the piggy bank.
Don't miss this episode for a delightful and budget-friendly Swiss sojourn.
Guest - Carolyn Schönafinger from Holidays to Switzerland
Show notes - Episode 6
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Hi and welcome to the Global Travel Planner podcast. I'm your host, trace Collins, who, with my expert guests, takes you on a journey to destinations around the globe, providing itinerary ideas, practical tips and more to help you plan your next travel adventure. Hi and welcome to episode 6 of the Global Travel Planner podcast. In this episode, I talk all things Swiss with Switzerland Travel Planning Expert and fellow podcaster, caroline Schoenefinger. If you are planning a trip to Switzerland, Caroline's website and podcast should be your first port of call for travel inspiration, resources and practical tips. So, without further ado, let's hear from Caroline.
Speaker 2:Thank you, trace. It's a great pleasure to be here. It's a bit different being on the other side of the microphone for a change, so I'm really looking forward to it. As you said, my name is Caroline Schoenefinger and I'm the founder of a website called HolidaysToSwitzerlandcom and the podcast Holidays To Switzerland Travel Podcast. Yeah, there's plenty of resources there. I'm passionate about traveling to Switzerland and visiting Switzerland and exploring as much of the country as I can, so I'm happy to share all my experiences and tips with anyone out there who is also keen to explore the beautiful country of Switzerland.
Speaker 1:Well, as you know, Caroline also loves Switzerland, because I was lucky enough to live and work there in the early 1990s, and actually my mum lived there for quite a number of years too. However, my enjoyment of Switzerland and love of the country is nothing compared with the love that you have for it. So my first question has got to be when did you first fall in love with Switzerland?
Speaker 2:Well, it goes back a very long way and I don't want to reveal my age here, but it was way back in the late 80s. I went on a Kentucky tour with my boyfriend, who's now my husband, so it was a long time ago and it was a bit of a whirlwind tour. It was my first trip to Europe. We we were there, I think, six weeks altogether, but part of that we did a two-week Kentucky tour that visited about seven countries. It was just ridiculous really, but it was such a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:But one of the places that we visited on the Kentucky tour was Laltabrunnan, which is in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland, and we had a two-night stop there. But I can vividly remember, as the the bus drove into the valley, I was just like blown away with with the beauty of it. It's, yes, such an amazing place and even now that I've been back, you know a dozen or more times and spend quite a lot of time there. It it never fails to to touch me, and so I think because of that that first experience, I was just keen to explore more of Switzerland and see what else it has to offer.
Speaker 1:So it was basically love at first sight, then Caroline, oh absolutely Absolutely. So Because you've been so many places around to some and seen such a lot, I'd love to know what are your top three favorite places that you always go to, always want to go to, when you plan your Swiss itinerary.
Speaker 2:Well, this is a really difficult question and if you asked it to me next week, then probably be a couple of different answers. One place that will always be number one, of course, is Laltabrunnan. We, yeah, we just love going back there so much and it is quite a touristy destination these days and that's been interesting to watch that sort of change over the years as well. Yeah, sure it was. You know it was a bit of a well-known place when we went, but just each, each time we visit, we see, you know, the increase in the number of tourists. So so that's been interesting. But I think the fact that we actually stay there and you can really appreciate it more each day when all the daytrippers have have left, it's just, it just becomes so tranquil then and getting out, we love to go for a walk in the evening around the village and and by the river and you know, you know there's cows in the, in the paddocks and their bells are ringing. You've got the sound of the waterfalls. It's, it's just so beautiful.
Speaker 2:Another place is it's not that far from Laltabrunnan, actually it's it's the small town of Speets, which is on Lake Thun. As much as I love the mountains in Switzerland, I also just love spending time around the lakes, and Spees is it's on a little bay In Lake Thun and, and as you look at it you know you can see the boats bobbing on the harbour. There's a beautiful medieval castle right on the sort of on the edge of the lake. Incredible views of the Alps again, and, yeah, it's, it's another place that. Yeah, just, I just feel so relaxed and so at home when I'm there, probably for number three, oh, it's really difficult.
Speaker 1:I know I put you on the. When I said three, I was like, oh, I know it. And when I get asked to UK it's like, oh, it's so hard yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I could say Zermatt, which is a really unique alpine village with the Matterhorn towering over it, and you can never yeah never get enough Matterhorn views. Lutzerne is such a beautiful city with its medieval Chapel Bridge and, yeah, so many wonderful sites there. But I actually chose Mount Pilatus and I've only actually been there once, so that might be a bit of a surprise, but this year, when we were in Switzerland in summer, we stayed a night on Mount Pilatus and it was just amazing to be up there on the mountain to see the sunset. And the next morning we got up really early on. I'm not an early riser I openly admit to that, but this day I set my alarm for five twenty and I got up and climbed up, you know, to the lookout area and watched the sunrise over Lake Lutzerne, and I'll never forget it. It was just so incredible. Yeah, definitely one of the best experiences I've had in Switzerland, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yes, I think. I think that would be up there for me as well. I've done that a few times because one wasn't too far from this, and so we've done that golden round trip around Pilatus a couple of times, which is fantastic because you get to do a boat and then the Cog Railway. You try lots of different things, but the views up there are spectacular.
Speaker 2:They are, and there's so much to do as well. Like not so many activities right at the summit, but if you stop on the way at the intermediate stations, there's lots of fun things you can do. There's like a toboggan run and there's ziplines and all kinds of activities. So it's it's. It's a really complete experience. You get the, the views and and the, the thrill, I guess, of being up on a mount and top, but you can also do those other activities along the way.
Speaker 1:Well, that's that's true. So, I guess, because that's a place and an experience, and the next thing I would kind of was wanting to talk about were experiences in Switzerland, and I guess you're going to be talking about some of the train. Yeah, well, definitely Train their journeys that you can take in Switzerland, because I know there's some amazing trips you can't eat.
Speaker 2:There are mountain excursions are really high up on my list of you know the best things to do in Switzerland, and I've always, and that's probably one of the reasons why I hadn't been to Mount Pilatus before is because I'm actually scared of heights and so I'm not really a fan of cable cars. So if there was ever a mountain excursion where I could just go up and back on a train, I'd do that one. So I had actually put off a lot of the cable car rides for a long time, but then I don't know if it was post covid or what, but last year when I was there, I just thought you know what I'm missing out big time here. I'm just going to have to deal with it. So I'm still not comfortable, I have to say, on a cable car, but I figure, for that short amount of time that I'm uncomfortable, the rewards I get from putting myself through are well worth it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think a piece of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. There's been some amazing mountain excursions. I love the Shiltorn, which is a mountain butch you can access easily from Laotabrunnen. So that's, the views from up there are just amazing. And another one on the other side of the Laotabrunnen valley actually is Mannlikken, and last year was the first time that we went up there, and again, just incredible views. But when it comes to trains, there's the Kogwheel train up to the Jungfrau Jok, which is probably one of Switzerland's most famous mountain excursions. The Gornagrat train, which goes from Zermatt up to Gornagrat, where you just see the absolute best views of the Matterhorn. And there's just so many. There's some that you've never heard of, but they're just incredible. And to think the engineering behind these railways and cableways is incredible and the fact that they were doing this like 1800s and 1800s.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. I was just like wow.
Speaker 2:I know Well the Gornagrat railway. I think this year celebrated its 125th anniversary. So amazing Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah as well. I think that's the thing as well. When you're on them, you realise how steep they are. It's a bit like wow, you actually been able to put a Kogwheel way up that kind of gradient and then obviously through bits of the mountain. So yeah, crazy. I think my favourite is probably the Benino Express. That's one that I love that one. Yeah, it is definitely beautiful yeah.
Speaker 2:But, also like late cruises too. Like you know, that's such a relaxing way to get around Switzerland, and I mean you can do it as a leisure cruise, or you can use the cruise to get from point A to point B, and it's really nice to be able to see some of the towns and villages from the water. You get a different perspective too, so that's always something that I enjoy doing.
Speaker 1:And you can get to see some of the houses as well. That's my favourite on Lake Lucerne because some of those houses I've seen actually the house I would buy if I ever become a billionaire, because I probably need a few billion to afford to buy it. But I have a photo of that house and it's got an artist in the background and I'm like, yes, that's wonderful when you're on the lake you can relax with a drink and enjoy the scenery and do a little bit of kind of retail shopping, absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 2:One other experience that I really enjoy and I don't think this is high on your list it's hiking no it's definitely not on my list.
Speaker 2:Now when I say hiking I don't mean like hardcore hiking, I mean just, you know, a nice gentle stroll, maybe for a couple of hours, but oftentimes we'll take a cable car or a train up to a mountain peak and then we might either walk around on some of the trails up there or even hike part of the way down. So that's something I enjoy being outside in the beautiful nature and hearing those cowbells, and, yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 1:It's lovely, and you were there over the summer, so you got some fantastic weather as well. So I was kind of wondering about that in terms of when would you recommend? Well, when is your kind of favorite time to go, or is there a kind of recommended? If people are thinking or I want to visit Switzerland, what would you say would be kind of the best time to think about going?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, traditionally for us, we've nearly always visited in summer. I mean, we have been in spring and in winter, and I think, typically for us, the reason that we have tended to go in summer is to escape the winter here in Australia. And also, once you're over there during the summer months, you get the longer daylight hours, so that's a real bonus and, as you mentioned, the weather is usually pretty good, everything's operating at full steam and you can spend a lot of time outdoors, which I really enjoy. But, yeah, as I mentioned earlier, the past couple of summers have been really busy. Now, that could be a combination of pent up demand because of the pandemic, when people couldn't travel, or it could be because Instagram and those social media channels are Hot cast. Yeah, exactly, and my website, of course, Of course.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, like people are becoming more aware that Switzerland is such a fantastic destination to visit, so it has been pretty busy in some of the last. Well, this year and last year, one season I have never visited in which I really want to is the autumn or fall. The autumn would be really good times for people who don't want to have to deal with all the crowds. Most things are, you know, operating as normal, that there may be some reduced hours, but you're going to still hopefully get generally good weather and, yeah, it's going to be far less busy, for sure.
Speaker 1:So what about the winter season, Caroline?
Speaker 2:Well, yes, I really enjoyed our winter trip a few years ago and we actually have a winter visit planned for next year. So my husband is having a significant birthday His birthday is at the end of the year and so he said a few years ago we're going to go to Europe, we're going to have Christmas over there and our kids are coming our adult kids. So it's, yeah, that's going to be fantastic. So I don't have heaps of experience visiting in winter, but I'll be doing plenty of research and planning accordingly for that.
Speaker 1:Magical time to visit, I have to say, because I just love the snow and because I lived on Lake Geneva, on the French side of Lake Geneva, so I explored a lot over the winter months and the draw just been over just a few times ago skiing I don't ski anymore, but just the snow and the magical, the way that the resorts are decorated. It's just fabulous. It's probably. Yeah, I mean I love the summer but it's just getting really busy. So it's a good time to see a lot of Switzerland. But if you want that kind of magical Christmas festive season, I mean I love the Northern Hemisphere. I do kind of miss that, living in Australia, so I'm looking forward to sharing it back in the Northern Hemisphere Christmas, but I couldn't think of anywhere better than being gorgeous.
Speaker 2:Last time we were there in winter, we we flew home just before Christmas, so we did sort of see some of the Christmas markets and and you know the decorations, so that was pretty magical, but, yeah, we didn't actually spend Christmas Eve or Christmas day there, so that's something that, yeah, I'm really looking forward to.
Speaker 1:Well, that'd be really excited. I guess Switzerland is famous for a few different foods. Well, I'm going to take chocolate straight off the bat, and obviously it's Swiss cheese Fondue is really good, but obviously there are some wonderful Swiss foods and dishes that you can try when you're in Switzerland. So do you have any particular favorites?
Speaker 2:I do, of course, chocolate's up there Hair could not be. But when it comes to a meal, the one I would definitely have to recommend is called Zuri Gischnatzlets, and this is pan fried veal strips in a creamy mushroom sauce. It's just amazing. It's a typical dish of of Zurich, but you can often find it in other places around the country, and it's usually served with Rosti, which is a hash like a hash brown, so it's a really hearty meal Better.
Speaker 2:Better yeah absolutely Better than a hash brown. So yeah, that that would be my number one pick. If that's on the menu, I'm having it.
Speaker 1:If we're in Switzerland at any point together, that's what will both be happened. Okay, that is my number one favourite as well. Every time I was over there, I have a particular restaurant that I really like to go to where mum and stepdad will be, but that was the first thing that I would order on the menu, because it's delicious.
Speaker 2:It is Absolutely delicious yeah.
Speaker 1:But yes, we'll definitely sit with a glass of wine and enjoy. That for sure Sounds good. So obviously you're the travel planning expert for Switzerland. So, Caroline, what are your top tips?
Speaker 2:Okay, Well, I thought I would mainly focus on ways that people can save money or get the best value from their dollar, because Switzerland is an expensive country and a lot of people do get a bit of a shock when they get there.
Speaker 2:Now, it's not too bad at the moment if you're used to US dollars the currency exchange is quite similar as we speak, but for people from Australia, for instance, it's quite terrible. But having said that, there are plenty of ways that you can actually save money. So my first tip is to buy a rail pass. Now, this obviously depends on how much travel around Switzerland you're planning to do or how many mountain excursions you want to do. There are different passes for different areas and different situations, but once you've got the rail pass, it basically acts like a hop-on-hop-off ticket for public transport and offers discounts or free travel on mountain railways. Some passes include free entry to museums and castles. So because you've purchased that in advance, you've got that major expense out of the way and, though it's still a significant investment, it doesn't feel like you're dipping into your pocket all the time because you've bought that in advance.
Speaker 1:And you've got a resource to help people as well, choose the right pass for them, haven't you? That's right.
Speaker 2:Yes, we've got like an online calculator that people can input their well actually, just choose from a drop-down menu the trips that they want to do and the calculator works out for you which is the best pass for your itinerary.
Speaker 1:Perfect, so we'll link to that in the show notes as well. Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2:Next tip is to take a reusable drink bottle with you or purchase a nice Swiss drink bottle when you get there. Switzerland is famous for its free drinking fountains, and the water is just amazing. In fact, there's 1200 fountains in Zurich alone, and so if you've got this drink bottle with you, you never need to buy water. Just go and fill up at any of these fountains as you need to, so that can save quite a bit of money, and it's also better for the environment, of course. And then buying picnic food from the supermarket is a great idea. If you're going out sightseeing for the day, you can stop first in at the supermarket. There's a great selection of pre-packed salads or sandwiches, or you can just buy a few little pieces and make your own, take your own picnic with you, so that can save quite a bit of money as opposed to eating at a restaurant for each meal. And after 5pm the supermarkets usually reduce the price of a lot of the food, so that's a great time to go and get an even better bargain, whether that's for dinner that night or to grab some items for the next day as well. Feel on the topic of food, look for self catering accommodation because, as we all know that can save you a lot of money if you're happy to prepare your own meals. It is very expensive eating out in Switzerland all the time, and having the having the ability to to make your own meals can definitely save you a lot of money.
Speaker 2:Another thing that you should consider if you're conscious of your budget is staying a little bit outside the hot spot or the you know the main destination. So, for instance, if you're visiting Zermatt, you might find accommodation at the next village below Zermatt called Tash. There's a shuttle train that runs very frequently between the two, so it's not like you're a long way from the action, but the accommodation prices might be considerably less. So just because you want to go and see Zermatt, don't think that you have to stay right in Zermatt itself. If you can find something cheaper that's suitable and it's only a, you know, a 10-minute train ride away, that's a great option.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and my last tip is, if you're doing a mountain excursion let's say, for whatever reason you have, you don't have a rail pass and you need to buy tickets for the trip itself up to the mountain Consider buying a one-way ticket and hiking back down, or the other way around if you're more adventurous, so you can. You certainly don't have to buy a round trip ticket. You can buy a one-way if you like, if you're prepared to put in a bit of an effort and and walk back down.
Speaker 1:So that's not me, caroline.
Speaker 2:You'll just have to buy the round trip ticket, tracy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's obviously bad. It's obviously bad, I'm not know. But yeah, it's great, great tips. Great tips because, as we know, switzerland is not. It's not a wallet friendly destination by any means, it is a. You really have to think about your budget when you go into Switzerland so that you know, yeah, because it is pretty pricey, for sure, absolutely. So I'm gonna ask kind of a one last question if somebody's visiting Switzerland for the first time, what would be and again, I know I'm putting you on the spot for this one, but what would be the one experience or one destination that you would suggest that they include in their itinerary?
Speaker 2:Can I say? Can I give two Thank you, okay. So, firstly, one thing that I really encourage people to do is to include a visit to a lesser known town or village in their itinerary. Of course you're gonna want to be going to those famous places, the tourist hotspots that's. That's totally understandable. But try and excuse me, try and include a visit to somewhere that's a little off the beaten trail. And there's, look, there's so many villages that are, you know, within 15, 20 minutes from from the major cities, and they're so easy to get there.
Speaker 2:You may find yourself, like I do, in one particular village. My husband and I were the only two people walking around the village streets and it was just magical. You know, it was some picture perfect, just like off a postcard, this village, and we were only, yeah, 15 minutes from from the, the next major town. So, yeah, try and do that. You don't have to miss all those Bucket list places and you can combine the camp on both. And secondly, of course, you want to make sure that you take one of the Magical train rides in Switzerland, the panoramic trains, like you mentioned before, the Benina Express, that's. The scenery is just incredible. But even some of the this, the more regional train lines you. You'd be amazed at at the scenery that you get, just looking at the window, even when you're traveling from from one city to another. So make sure you, yeah, hop on board and take a train ride in Switzerland.
Speaker 1:So, carolyn, before we end and before I say thank you, because I will in a second, I just want you to share again your name, your podcast and your website. I will be linking to them in the show notes, but just so, everybody, what they called.
Speaker 2:Okay, thanks, tracy. The podcast is the holidays to Switzerland travel podcast and it's on Apple and Spotify and wherever you find your podcasts, wherever you listen to global travel planning podcast, of course, and the website is holidays to Switzerland comm.
Speaker 1:Perfect. Thanks, karen, and thanks so much for coming on to the podcast. I know it's weird when you're on the other side of it and being interviewed, isn't it? It certainly is, but it's great. And thanks so much for sharing all your experience, knowledge, love of Switzerland and, obviously, all the access to all your different fantastic resources that you have available.
Speaker 2:Thanks, Tracy. It's been great to chat to you and I yeah, I hope I've inspired a few of your listeners to to visit Switzerland.
Speaker 1:Thank you, carolyn, for sharing your love of Switzerland with us. This episode Links to Carolyn's podcast website, swiss train pass calculator and Facebook group can be found in this week show notes at Tracy's travels in time comm forward. Slash episode six. That just leaves me to say until next episode, happy global travel planning.