Swiss trains are renowned for being on time, but whether your local train is typically on time or not depends on where you live and the service. Each day, 1.25 million passengers travel on the densest rail network in Europe. Figures from Swiss Rail say that 89% of its customers1 arrive on time – a […]
The Swiss cheese train to Chateau d’Oex – fondue and alpine tradition
It’s called Le Train du Fromage – The Cheese Train – but after this day tour, you’ll remember a lot more than that steaming fondue you had for lunch at an alpine village restaurant. You can board The Cheese Train (just one of several trains) in Montreux by Lake Geneva. The journey lets you experience […]
Sick animal meat ends up in restaurants
Last weekend, government staff from numerous EU countries were running around trying to find the meat of potentially sick animals illegally slaughtered in Poland and sold across the EU, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. While the hunt to identify the meat and pull it from shop shelves was underway, authorities in Poland confirmed that […]
The best way to save forests, according to a forester
Last summer, two mates and I set out on what turned out to be a “bridge-too-far” walking project. Switzerland is blessed with more than 60,000 km of walking trails crowned by seven iconic National Routes. The National Route 5 (which extends as the GR5 into France’s renowned “Grande Randonnée” hiking network), but is also known the […]
The Swiss town on the 2019 New York Times’ places-to-visit list
Every year the New York Times assembles a list of 52 recommended places to visit. This year it lists Vevey at number 49. 2019 is a big year for Vevey. It is the year of the Unesco-recognized Fête des Vignerons, an event held every 20 to 25 years. This spectacular wine festival, which began in […]
Swiss offers fondue on flights from Geneva
On 1 December 2018, Switzerland’s flag carrier started offering cheese fondue on flights out of Geneva. The dish is a new addition to the airline’s Swiss Saveurs menu, which was launched six months earlier. The pre-heated, specially packaged fondue, which is 50% Vacherin Fribourg and 50% Gruyère cheese, is available on Swiss flights from Geneva […]
Swiss Rail plans to test free WiFi on trains
Swiss Rail announced on Thursday that it would test free WiFi, named FreeSurf, on certain routes next year with a plan to extend the offer to all major routes from 2020, according to RTS. Train passengers benefiting from the tests in 2019 will be those travelling on InterCity trains between Lausanne and St. Gallen, Geneva […]
Switzerland gets its first capsule hotel
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
