Tips For Switzerland

Hi everyone!

My name is Alexis and I have been traveling the world full-time for the past 6 years. I've gone back and forth between whether or not to launch a travel blog, and after many requests, I've finally decided to go ahead and do it! So let's kick things off with my FAVORITE travel destination - Switzerland. Everything about this beautiful country makes my soul sing, the people, the scenery, the cleanliness of the environment and the food. 

To kick off Have Magic Will Travel I will be introducing you to my absolute must sees and must do's for your next Swiss trip.

The best time to visit: Spring and Summer

Which airports I recommend: To get the ultimate Swiss experience I recommend flying into Geneva or Zurich airport. 

If you're renting a car and want to immediately go to the mountains I recommend flying into Geneva and renting from Alamo (which I've rented from multiple times and ALWAYS had a great experience with).

If you are planning on using public transportation, I recommend flying into Zurich. Zurich has great public transportation options directly from the airport.

Places I recommend if you fly into Geneva:

In Geneva: For a classic Swiss meal on Lake Geneva ( A VIBE) I recommend: Buvette Des Bains. It's pretty expensive but TOTALLY worth it.

We only briefly explored Geneva but there is a TON of shopping and places to eat. I recommend spending a day here and then moving on to the mountains. 

Embd: We stayed at this cozy bnb in Embd for only $80 / night which made for the perfect non-touristy destination. The bnb was quiet, convenient, and had the most beautiful views.

If staying in Embd: Remember that you will need to take the car transportation train to get to Zurich/Lucerne/Bern. It usually costs about 35 francs each way and takes about 15 minutes.

When visiting The Matterhorn (about 45 minutes from Embd): You CANNOT drive to Zermatt, you will need to park in Tash and take the train to Zermatt and then from there take the mountain transportation up to Matterhorn. It will cost you about 60 francs to get to Blauherd Gondola Station (which is where we got off to hike to Lake Stellisee). Lake Stellisee has incredible photo opportunities for capturing The Matterhorn, plus it's a super easy hike!

If you want to stay in a more touristy area, I recommend using Interhome Group and staying in Wengen. There are some beautiful photo spots in Wengen. If you hike down to the waterfall and find the water spicket across the bridge you can capture this...

and if you happen to get hungry and they happen to still be there you've gotta check out Betty's Corndogs because they are AMAZING!!! I tried every single one when I was there and all of them had my tastebuds floating on cloud 9.

Now...let's talk about some MUST SEE'S that I recommend if you fly into Zurich or any other airport.

My favorite big city in Switzerland is absolutely Bern. This city is full of charm, character, hidden gems, and friendly people. Not to mention they have a bear conservation in the middle of the city and a beautiful lake that surrounds it. Could you ask for more? I think not. To get the most out of this city, visit when the lake water is at its peak so Spring or Summer. My favorite places in Bern consist of the following:

• Bear Pit: Must Do!
• Kleine Schanze: A beautiful park
• Munsterplattform: Some of the best views of Bern
• Zytglogge Bern: Great inner city photo spots!

My second favorite city is Lucerne and I highly recommend visiting in late Spring or early Summer. Once you navigate your way to Kapellbrucke, you can explore the most beautiful part of the city on foot from there.

My favorite hikes:

1. Mount Pilatus, but be warned - it is difficult. But not so difficult, you can't do it in sneakers. This hike will take roughly 4 hours and I recommend starting here and then working your way up from the hidden trail (you'll see it on the hillside) this spot is super secret so shhhhh!

2. Kandersteg to Oeschinen Lake. Don't forget to ride the Mountain Coaster!

My favorite Swiss Spa is Mineralbad and Spa Rigi Kaltbad. The views are immaculate and the spa is top quality. Keep in mind, you'll need to take a gondola to reach it! But once you do, the experience is worth the journey. This is the cable car you will be taking to reach the spa.

For swimming, castles, and a really incredible caves experience I highly recommend exploring the town of Thun. You can swim almost anywhere but the Mountain that is worth the visit is called St. Beatus Caves. I was fortunate enough to have one of my students take me here on one of my visits and it was SPECTACULAR.

The last recommendation I have for this beloved country is going to be for the city of Zurich.

For incredible local waterfalls check this place out

For the Lindt Chocolate Factory

For sightseeing and shopping

A very cool panoramic bar

That's all for now friends! Leave me a comment if you have any questions ♥

Made with love,

Alexis Boyett