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Who does not want to visit this country, Switzerland. There are many people who not daring of dreaming to travel to Switzerland. I also never thought I could go to Switzerland with my parents and family. Thankful parents are still healthy and their physical condition also makes it possible to travel to Switzerland, especially to the top of the Swiss Alps. It was never imagined before our family could travel to Switzerland, especially go up to the mountain which has eternal snow.
Honestly, only 2 days and 2 nights in Switzerland is really not enough. If you want to be satisfied, should be 1 week or more, so you can go around other cities or mountains. I really want to go to Lucerne, Zermatt, Zürich, Geneva and others. But it seems that the budget must also be very large, Switzerland is very expensive. 2 days 2 nights in Switzerland spent a pretty much budget, what if a week in Switzerland.
About Swiss
Switzerland is one of the countries that are not included in the European Union, but for matters of visa it is the same (both Schengen visas). Even though it is the most expensive country in Europe, the scenery is truly beautiful, the transportation is also very good, the cities are also clean and neat. Switzerland does not have its own language. The official languages of Switzerland are German (North, Central and East Switzerland), French (Western Switzerland), Italian (South Switzerland) and Romansh – Latin derivatives (South-Eastern Switzerland). So the official language in Switzerland depends on the region. But most of them can still speak English 🙂
For currencies, Switzerland has its own currency, the Swiss Franc (CHF). 1 CHF = IDR 14,000 (October 2017). Electric plugs in Switzerland are also different from other European countries, but usually lodging in Switzerland provides international adapters. Switzerland has a capital city in Bern, while its largest city is Zürich.
Itinerary 2 Days 2 Nights in Swiss
When I designed the itinerary in Switzerland, at that time I only knew that in Switzerland there were the cities of Geneva and Zürich. I also thought to play around in the city. But when I was reading in an English-language forum, some people commented like this, more or less, “If you only go to Switzerland for 2-3 days to go to the city, it’s better to go to the mountains of Switzerland to be more Swiss.” Then I feel this comment really on points. Switzerland is famous for its natural scenery (mountains and lakes). Unless it’s a bit long in Switzerland. If it’s only 2-3 days it’s better to explore the natural landscape of Switzerland.
Based on Rick Steves’ itinerary advice, if it’s only 2-3 days it’s better to explore the Bernese Oberland area. Bernese Oberland is a high rise area located south of the city of Bern. I then searched to find out where to go, what to do, and so forth in Berner Oberland. It turns out that here is a complete package to enjoy the beauty of nature in Switzerland. There are the Alps (Jungfraujoch), lakes (Lake Thun, Lake Brienz), and also small villages below & mountain slopes (Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Grindelwald, Gimmelwald, Mürren, etc.)
Berner Oberland also consists of several sub regions, so I choose the Jungfrau Region, because there are many of the most interesting tourist attractions in the Bernese Oberland. Bernese Oberland also belongs to Central Switzerland, so the language used here is German. Even so, their English is still good and smooth.
Hari 1: Interlaken, Lake Thun, Spiez
Highlight: Enjoy the city under the Alps, take a cruise on Lake Thun.
Hari 2: Jungfraujoch, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren
Highlight: Feel the sensation of riding the highest train in Europe, ascending one of the Alps (Jungfraujoch 3,466m), enjoying the beautiful countryside on the slopes of the Alps.
Transportation Card in Swiss
As we already known, Switzerland is the most expensive country in Europe. For transportation matter is also very expensive in Switzerland, but it is indeed good and clean. Therefore, the selection of transportation cards in Switzerland is very important.
Switzerland offers several choices of transportation cards, also known as Travel Pass. Click here to find out what transportation card options in Switzerland. Of the various choices, of course we have to do simple calculations first to find out which transportation cards are suitable for the itinerary that has been made.
Because I will only travel in the Jungfrau area, there is a transportation card called the Jungfrau Travel Pass. But there are also Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Half-Fare Card that I consider. Then I did a price comparison, and the result I was more fortunate when using a Swiss Travel Pass. In fact, I also do the calculation if I buy point-to-point tickets, and the results are much more expensive if buying point-to-point tickets. Click here to find out how to choose a Rail Pass in Switzerland.
Finally I bought a Swiss Travel Pass via its official website. You can also check Klook to do a comparison price. At that time I bought a Swiss Travel Pass 3 days for 7 people for a total price of 1450 CHF (or around Rp20,370,707), meaning per person was Rp2,910,101, aka almost about 3 million only for transportation cards in Switzerland for 3 days. It’s expensive. But the Swiss Travel Pass is indeed a magic card, and the best-selling card for tourists in Switzerland. This card covers almost all transportation in Switzerland, even if you go up the mountain (for example Jungfraujoch) there is also a discounted discount if you use this card. Transportation from any airport in Switzerland to any city in Switzerland can also use this card. No need to pay or buy a ticket again when in Switzerland, just by showing a Swiss Travel Pass ticket that has been printed at home, you can go anywhere in Switzerland.
Hotel in Interlaken, Swiss
When searching for lodging in Switzerland, I had imagined wanting to stay in a hotel with a balcony with views of the Swiss Alps. So when you wake up, what you see is the beautiful Swiss Alps. But hope is hope, in fact we are staying at the foot of the mountains of the Swiss Alps (aka Interlaken), so there is no story that when wake up, we can see the mountain scenery, well there is only a view of the road.
Initially I wanted to stay overnight on the slopes of the Swiss Alps, between Lauterbrunnen, Mürren or Gimmelwald. In fact I have made a list of hotels that will be selected in the villages. Most of the time, there’s only have guesthouse on the slopes of the mountain, not a hotel. But it looks comfortable and quite cheap too.
But because parents worry about being cold when staying on the mountain, and afraid to carry their luggage too, it is better to stay at the foot of the mountain. Interlaken also has its train stations, Interlaken Ost (Interlaken East) and Interlaken West. So it’s even easier take the train directly from the airport to Interlaken, then just walk to the hotel. If the villages on the slopes of the mountain, from Interlaken we still have to take a bus and some even still have to continue to ride the cable car again. If only I had gone with a friend, I would have chosen lodging on the Swiss Alps 😀
So when I knew I was going to stay in Interlaken, I was looking for a hotel near the Interlaken station, so I wouldn’t be carrying a suitcase. But all of the hotels in Interlaken are expensive, most of them cost around IDR 20 million for 7 people for 2 nights, meaning that per person per night is around IDR 1.4 million. Finally, I found a pretty affordable hotel near Interlaken West station, about 10-15 minutes walk. The hotel is a Crystal Hotel, and because I booked through the website directly, there is a special discount so the total price is 945 CHF (or around Rp13,250,392) for 7 people 2 nights, meaning per person per night is around 900 thousand Rupiah.
