While Christmas may be considered an over-commercialised affair, the Swiss hold true to their roots. Traditional Swiss Christmas typically lasts from the beginning of Advent (Sunday 1 December 2019) to the end of Epiphany (6 January 2020). While each Swiss home may give the tradition a slight twist, some customs have remained intact: the excitement, […]
The colourful history of Swiss mountain air rescue
Today two notable organisations provide mountain rescue services in Switzerland. Prior to 1946 mountain air rescue did not exist. Air Glacier SA is based in Sion in Valais, and Swiss Air-Rescue Rega in Zurich. Rega has twelve operational bases around Switzerland but does not operate in Valais. In Valais, Rega uses the services of Air […]
Zermatt temporarily cut off after rock fall
Road and rail access to the Swiss mountain resort of Zermatt were cut off between Monday evening and Tuesday this week. Rock fell across the road and rail link at around 19:30 on Monday between Randa and Herbriggen, around four kilometres south of the Zermatt, according to Radio Rottu Oberwallis. The nations most in love with Zermatt (Le News) The […]
Website shows how Swiss train delays vary hugely depending on the line and service
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
