Swiss adds Biarritz as a destination from Geneva. The new route will commence in June 2015. This brings its total Geneva destinations to 40. In November last year it added eight new destinations to the Geneva-based network. Four all year round destinations: Florence (with four weekly frequencies), Valencia (with two weekly services), Sarajevo (with two […]
Basel airport might be saved from French taxes
Last week in Davos, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius and Swiss Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter agreed a way forward on discussions over the taxing of Swiss businesses at Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport. The airport is a French-Swiss public sector body based on French soil and governed by a convention agreed in 1949. Over the years France has […]
New York hotels most expensive in the world; St Moritz lags in 2nd place
According to GoEuro.com, a Berlin-based firm which assesses the European travel industry covering 150 cities, including over 60,000 hotels and other accommodation, New York remains the most expensive destination for Europeans. Tirana in Albania remains the cheapest. St Moritz ranks second in the listings, which take into consideration rail and bus travel, but also facilities […]
Swiss pulls out of Basel: Airline to move operations to Zurich
National carrier, Swiss International Air Lines is to stop its operations at Basel’s EuroAirport at the end of May 2015. The decision comes as no surprise (Le News passim) with the airline blaming a difficult political environment that offers little prospect carriers such as SWISS being able to operate profitably. Indeed, Swiss’ operations in Basel […]
1 hour faster to Milan
The Gotthard Base Tunnel running under the Swiss Alps is one step closer to completion: all 290 km of track for the new flat rail link are now laid. The 57-km tunnel, which is the central component of the CHF 9.74 billion project, will surpass the current world record for the longest tunnel held by […]
Skiing safety action
Portes du Soleil the massive Swiss-French ski domain has announced that it is to recruit ski monitors in an effort to reduce ski speeds. A spokesman claimed that many skiers, especially those with children, felt uneasy on the slopes. Skiers caught speeding or skiing dangerously would forfeit their ski passes. The news will be welcomed […]
Half of Geneva’s flights private
In 2013, Geneva airport recorded some 50’000 landing and take-offs (about 140 per day). What is interesting though is according to Wijet, a private aviation company, nearly half of these were private flights. The same company has announced that it is now offering private flights from Geneva to 1’200 destinations in Europe and North Africa […]
Swiss skiing – still the most expensive
Numerous Swiss ski resorts have been obliged to raise their 2014/15 piste rates even further this winter by one to four francs, despite strong competition with cheaper lifts in neighbouring France, Italy, Germany and Austria. Based on a survey by German language newspaper Blick, the most expensive stations include Zermatt St. Moritz, Laax, Saas Fe […]
European travelling insights – Les Relais Routiers, Logis de France and Le Chateau Blanchard
During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, British tourists became intrigued by Les Relais Routiers the red and blue-logoed truck bistros along the main roads of France, which offer solid, good value lunches and dinners. No French truck driver will ever put up with bad food (have you ever seen a French workman with a lunchbox?), […]
SMS tickets to move smoothly around town
Both Geneva and Lausanne transport companies have recently introduced easy ways to buy tickets on public transport. Travellers just send an SMS (text message) to buy a ticket on their phones and voila! But be aware that you need to buy your ticket before you get on the bus, tram or metro. Gaming the system […]