When you’re traveling solo, you are in control of your adventure. You have the freedom to do anything you want and go wherever you want. Although it has its advantages, it also has its disadvantages. You have no one to share the excitement. You have no one to share the amusement and fun. And most specially, you have no one to share the expenses.
Switzerland is one of the expensive countries to travel alone. Even if I want to explore every corner of this country, my budget wouldn’t allow it. So I ended up spending only 1 day here, for now.
How to Travel from France to Switzerland?
You can take the train, or airplane, or you can take the overnight bus if you are in a budget like me.
My Euro trip started in France – you can read my post about Paris here. From Paris, I traveled to Lyon, France. From Lyon, I took the overnight bus via Flix Bus to Zurich, Switzerland. The bus is really convenient. It is spacious and has a reclining seat. The bus terminal in Zurich is just a walking distance from Zurich HB train station which is the largest railway station in Zurich.
Where to Stay in Zurich, Switzerland?
I stayed in Zurich Youth Hostel which is very affordable, clean, and not too far from Zurich HB train station. The hostel staff are very friendly and accommodating. I arrived at the hostel early in the morning. When I can’t checkin yet, the staff offered to keep my luggage in their storage for free in case I want to go sightseeing in the city.
What To Do in Switzerland?
If you only have 1 day in Zurich, it’s possible to visit Grindelwald, Interlaken and Zurich. If your budget allows, you can even take the tour to Jungfrau also known as Top of Europe.
My original plan was only to go sightseeing in Zurich since I will be spending only 1 day in the city. But while I was in the hostel, I was browsing through their flyers and catalogs and I came across Grindelwald tour. The photo caught my eye and in that instant, I decided to do that tour. So I immediately approached the reception to ask about the tour and the receptionist told me that if I hurry to the bus station beside Zurich HB train station, I would be able to catch the tour bus which leaves at 10am. With no second thoughts, I ran out of the hostel to the bus station with my heart filled with excitement.
The trip to Interlaken and Grindelwald was scenic. We passed by hills, mountains, rivers and clear blue lakes.
It’s like scenes from a movie were presented before my eyes. Our first stop was in Interlaken, this is at the base of the mountain where you can find lots of shops and this is a landing ground of paragliders.
Interlaken
After spending a few hours, we moved to Grindelwald which is a little up the mountain. The view up there is breathtaking. The houses and shops are decorated with colorful flowers.
Grindelwald
One of the things I love about that tour was that it includes 1 free train ticket from Grindelwald to Interlaken. This train trip should not be missed. It’s the most beautiful train ride I ever had.
After my Grindelwald tour, I spent the rest of the day in Zurich. I crossed the bridge filled with love locks and saw swans swimming nearby. The old city of Zurich is a must visit. It is surrounded with interesting shops and restaurants which is open even later than 5pm. In other places in Zurich, most shops are already close as early as 5pm.
P.S. This was during my trip in June 2017.