Normally associated with overworked sometimes inebriated Japanese salary men, capsule hotels squeeze a lot of humanity into a small space. From the 5 November 2018, residents of Switzerland will no longer need to travel to Tokyo to experience a night in a 3 cubic metre space. Instead they will be able to travel to Luzern, […]
Lake Geneva’s beautiful paddlewheel boats – getting there is way more than half the fun
They say that “getting there is half the fun”. But sometimes it’s more. A lot more. For example: a Lake Geneva cruise on a grand historic paddlewheel steamboat. Destination? Who cares? On a recent gorgeous Sunday afternoon, I, your intrepid reporter, along with my intrepid stepson and two intrepid nephews, provisioned with our intrepid bottles […]
Switzerland’s most beautiful village contest
To the Swiss, it can seem like every time they turn around they’re being asked to vote on something. But this vote is more fun than choosing a city council candidate. The online polls are open for the annual Most Beautiful Swiss Village contest, with 12 to choose from, each one shamelessly enchanting, as you’ll […]
Foxtrail – an adventure game on the streets of Lausanne
As we zoomed down the metro line, the puzzle unfolded with the first clue we were given: watch for the fox’s green paw print on the rail track. Later, during our half-day adventure chasing the “fox”, we had to figure out a series of other clues: a barometer showing a thieving alligator, a particular sewer […]
Lausanne’s Olympic Museum – a great family day out
In 1915, the Olympic headquarters moved from Paris to Lausanne, a peaceful stable place at a time when war was tearing Europe apart. It is still there today, on the shimmering shores of Lake Geneva. Today’s picturesquely set modern International Olympic Committee (IOC) building contains a fascinating Olympic museum, spread over three levels, packed with detailed […]
Spring weather set to bring heavy traffic over May’s long weekends
When sunshine combines with public holidays, Swiss roads grind to a crawl. May has three weekends extended by public holidays: Ascension (10 May), Pentecost (20 and 21 May) and Corpus Christi (31 May). All three are likely to bring freeway frustration. Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) warns drivers to expect delays on the A2, particularly […]
Some Swiss train fares to fall in June
This week, ch-direct, an association of public transport providers that sets ticket prices, announced there would be no ticket price rises in 2019. Instead the prices of some tickets will fall slightly on 1 June 2018. The price small cuts on standard fares in June relate to the shift from 8.0% to 7.7% VAT at […]
Going underground – Touring Switzerland’s oldest salt mine
There is a reason why the Swiss excel at digging tunnels: they have been doing it for a very long time. In 1680, tunnels were dug into the Vaud Alps near Bex to get at salt buried there more than 200 million years earlier. According to legend, a young shepherd noticed his goats preferred to […]
Chaplin’s World – enter the home and life of a comic genius
Film legend Charlie Chaplin spent 24 years living in the Manoir de Ban, a grand old mansion above Vevey in Switzerland. In 2016, his charming former home and grounds were cleverly and artfully transformed into Chaplin’s World and opened to the public. Wandering through the rooms of the mansion it is easy to imagine you’ve been […]
Geneva to Zurich for half the price of a Swiss train
Switzerland’s transport authority (OFT) recently gave Domo Swiss Express SA, a Zurich-based bus company, a green light to run three routes across Switzerland. The first will run from Zurich to Lugano, via Basel and Luzern, the second from St. Gallen to Geneva airport, via Zurich and Bienne, and the third from Chur to Sion, via […]
