Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation

Learn 15 top tips for making your Swiss vacation budget go further, from booking flexible airfare to enjoying high-quality experiences while saving money. Discover valuable tips on saving money on accommodations, including comparing rates for holiday apartments and staying outside popular destinations. Find out how to make the most of your budget with transport passes and local city cards. Get tips for saving money on food, such as shopping at supermarkets and dining at affordable restaurants.

From late November until Christmas Eve, market stalls appear in many cities and towns across Switzerland. These Christmas Markets are a much loved tradition and offer not only a place to purchase gifts and specialty items for Christmas, but also a chance to socialise and catch up with friends.In this episode of the podcast, I chat with three Swiss locals - Natascha Martin from Basel Tourism, Diccon Bewes from Bern, and Celine Guido from Montreux-Vevey Tourism - who share the highlights of their city's Christmas Market and tell us about other festive events that are worth a visit.Even if a Swiss Christmas isn’t on the cards for you this year, after hearing what my guests have to say, I’m sure there will be plenty of reasons to make a Swiss Christmas a priority for you in the future.For more information about the Christmas markets and events mentioned, and the full show notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode34.Visit our shop for great Switzerland travel resources.Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️

In this episode, I chat with Beth who recently returned from a week-long trip to Switzerland. Despite only having seven days in Switzerland, thanks to her careful planning, Beth and her husband were able to maximise their available time and see plenty of highlights.  In this episode you'll learn:Beth and Jay's story, where they are from, and why they chose Switzerland for their celebratory trip An overview of their tripHow they travelled around SwitzerlandWhere they stayed and what they did in each locationSpecial meals they enjoyedWhat surprised them about SwitzerlandWhat they wish they had done differentlyFor details of Beth's itinerary, more information about the places mentioned, and the full show notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode33.Visit our shop for great Switzerland travel resources.Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️

In this episode I chat to Diccon Bewes, best selling author of seven books about Switzerland and a confirmed Swiss chocolate lover!Diccon lives in Bern and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Switzerland - ask him about Swiss history, chocolate, watches, famous Swiss residents or practically any topic related to Switzerland, and there’s a fair chance Diccon will know the answer.You'll learn all about his books on Switzerland, and where to get them, as well as Diccon's  top tips for visiting his home city of Bern.For more information about the places, events and food mentioned, and the full show notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode32/Visit our shop for great Switzerland travel resources and trip planning tools.Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️

Discover the delicious Swiss specialties you must try, including raclette and rosti. A Swiss-Canadian pastry chef shares childhood memories of Swiss food and cultural differences. Learn about the origins and versatility of rusch dee. Explore Swiss dessert specialties like zugrkirstorte cake and Rivella. Hear about the experience of making and photographing cookies for a book. Get information on where to find the featured books and resources.

Switzerland is known for its snow capped mountain peaks and for every mountain - regardless of how high it is - there’s usually a mountain railway or a cable car to take you to the top.In fact, Switzerland is home to Europe’s oldest mountain railway, the Rigibahn, and in 2021 the railway is celebrating its 150th anniversary.  It’s incredible to think how many tourists must have taken the journey to the top of Mt. Rigi in a century and a half. A lot has changed in 150 years but one thing has remained the same - the breathtaking 360 degree views from the top of Mt. Rigi.In today’s episode I’m joined by Frederich Fussenich, the CEO of Rigi Railways, who tells us about the history of the railway and shares all the reasons a visit to Mt. Rigi should be top of your list when you are in Central Switzerland.For more information about the places mentioned and the full show notes for this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode30/Visit our shop for great Switzerland travel resources and trip planning tools.Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️

Margo and Eric, members of the Switzerland Travel Planning Facebook group, share their delayed honeymoon trip to Switzerland. They discuss trip preparations, transportation, and their stay at B2 Boutique in Spa Hotel. The podcast covers their experiences exploring Switzerland, including encounters with cows and chocolate-making workshops. They also share tips on navigating the country and enjoying mountain excursions.

Today’s guest is Kristin Reinhard, an Australian who spent her gap year in Switzerland and is still there today, some 20 years later!In this episode, Kristin tells us how her journey to Switzerland began and why she stayed (hint: ❤️), she gives us an insight into life in Switzerland with a family and shares her favourite family-friendly places to visit. Kristin also tells us about the website Swiss Family Travel that she created a few years ago as an outlet for her writing and photography and to provide an insider’s guide to Switzerland.  Kristin and her team have recently rebranded the website and we’ll learn more about the new version - z-Nuni - in this episode.As someone who frequently daydreams about living in Switzerland, I loved hearing all Kristin's nuggets about life in Switzerland and I'm sure you will, too.For more information about the places mentioned and the full show notes for this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode28/Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️

Although it is one of the smaller cantons of Switzerland, the canton of Schaffhausen is quite well known thanks to the Rhine Falls. Many visitors come to the area on a day trip from Zurich and I too am guilty of doing just that.With so much more to see and do in the canton than just the Rhine Falls, I invited Patricia Seif from Schaffhauserland Tourism to tell me more about this northern part of Switzerland.Patricia not only works at the Tourist Office, she also takes guided tours of Schaffhausen, so she knows the whole area intimately and her passion for her home town is evident.As well as discovering all the highlights of the canton, there are lots of interesting and fun facts that you'll learn in this episode, too.Did you know, for instance, that the canton of Schaffhausen shares 80% of its borders with Germany and only 20% with other Swiss cantons? Or that the city of Schaffhausen is home to 171 oriel windows - the most in any town in Switzerland?These are just some of the interesting facts and tips you'll learn in this episode that will have you adding Schaffhausen to your Swiss itinerary.For more information about the places mentioned and the full show notes for this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode27Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️

When Australian Jacky and Swiss Bernhard first met in Australia many years ago, they had no idea that they would eventually marry and move to Switzerland to operate a hotel and restaurant. But fate stepped in and they find themselves owning and operating Hotel Gloria in Beatenberg, a small village just 10 kilometres from Interlaken.With the hotel perched on a sunny terrace overlooking Lake Thun and with panoramic views of the Bernese Alps, it's no wonder the couple love welcoming guests to their hotel and restaurant.Bernhard is a chef who has worked in 5 star establishments around the world, and together with Jacky, who has a real passion for making her guests feel like family, they have created a hotel that guests return to again and again.  "Our guests are never just a name and room number," is their mantra.After listening to Jacky and Bernhard's story in this episode, you'll get a real sense of their commitment to offering their guests a homely, welcoming base in the gorgeous village of Beatenberg.And you'll be booking your stay at Hotel Gloria!For more information about the places mentioned and the full show notes for this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode26/Support the showIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️