Interior of Cathédrale de Lausanne
Author: Arnaud Gaillard (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
About Switzerland
Switzerland, or officially the Swiss Confederation, or Confœderatio Helvetica in Latin, is a relatively small landlocked country in Central Europe. It has a total area of 41,285 sq km (15,940 sq miles), making it slightly bigger than the US state of Maryland. The country is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Much of Switzerland is mountainous, with most of its 7.8 million inhabitants concentrated in its major cities.Switzerland is home to two global cities, Z&uum;rich and Geneva, which lead the country in having some of the highest per capita gross domestic product in the world. Three major languages are spoken in Switzerland, predominant according to region. They are German, French and Italian. In the canton of Graubünden, the people speak Romansh, an obscure language believed to have been derived from Vulgar Latin. Together they form the four national languages of Switzerland.
Traveling in Switzerland pose a challenge to many budget travelers at it is an expensive country. Having said that, every major town and city has at least one budget hostel. Alternatively, you should compare the price of hotel rooms in Switzerland before making any bookings. (Use our free hotel search engine - scroll down below - to compare prices quoted by different booking sites.)
Klein Matterhorn Bahn
Author: Patrick (public domain)
Fast Facts about Switzerland
Grand Combin glaciers as seen from Verbier, Switzerland
Author: Jphoto (public domain)
Budget Travel to Switzerland
By Plane The major airports in Switzerland are located in Zürich, Geneva and Basil. Budget travelers can also opt to fly to Friedrichshafen in Germany, a short distance from Zürich.By Train
Being in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is connect by rail to most of the major cities on the continent. There are several high-speed trains that links Switzerland to its neighbors. Major Swiss cities are served by the French TGV trains from Paris, Avignon, Dijon and Nice. The German ICE links Zürich with Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin as well as to Amsterdam.
Lac de Moiry, near Grimentz, Valais, Switzerland
Author: BraunW (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Budget Travel within Switzerland
The most practical form of transport in Switzerland are the trains. Switzerland has a high level of public transportation that is famously punctual. When traveling in Switzerland, you should get the Half-Fare Card entitling you to half fare on all national buses and trains. The card costs CHF99 for one month and CHF150 for a whole year. The Half-Fare Card is available from the train station ticket office.Here's some tips to understand the train schedule sheet in Switzerland. The yellow sheet shows departures while the white sheets are the arrivals. Express trains are printed in red while regular trains in black.
Useful Links
Scenic view of Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Author: CalistaZ (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
View of Paradiso in Lugano, in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland
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