We asked representatives of four travel companies - ARTEX, Zagorye, Sky Line and Telehouse - to tell more about Switzerland and the Swiss Travel System.
According to our interlocutors, the best way to get to know Switzerland is by train, steamer and bus. Swiss Pass and Swiss Flexi Pass travel passes provide virtually unlimited, cost-effective access to all types of public transport in the country. Swiss Passes are valid for an unlimited number of trips over a period from 4 days to a month. The Swiss Flexi Pass is valid for 3 to 8 days within a month. If you are traveling as a couple or with a whole group, everyone gets a 15% discount (Saver Passes). There are also benefits for young people under 26: the price of a Swiss Youth Pass for 4 days in second class is 180 Swiss francs.
And if you haven't yet come up with a travel route, the so-called panoramic trains are at your service. The routes are designed specifically for tourists and pass through the most picturesque corners of the country. There are also special routes that combine not only railway trips, but also bus and steamer trips. There are more than a dozen such fascinating routes. Just the names alone: "Glacier Express" (from Zermatt to St. Moritz), "Golden Pass" (from Lake Lucerne via Interlaken to Lake Geneva), "Wilhelm Tell Express" (by steamer on Lake Lucerne and by train through the Alps, including the famous St. Gotthard). And also - "Palm Express" (by postal bus from St. Moritz to Lugano), "Chocolate Train" (with a visit to cheese and chocolate producers)... By the way, many panoramic routes have audio accompaniment for the trip.
Elena Osadchaya, ARTEX travel company:
- I would highlight the following directions in Switzerland: ski holidays, sightseeing tourism and SPA resorts. Most of our tourists want to travel around the country, and here, of course, Swiss Travel System passes are absolutely indispensable. By the way, I would like to draw attention to the fact that these tickets also give their holders a number of bonuses: discounts on ski lifts, on excursions to famous mountain peaks, free admission to many museums. There is also a service like Fly Rail Baggage. Check in your baggage to your final destination in Switzerland at any airport in the world, and it will be collected at Zurich, Geneva or Basel airport and delivered to the point you specify.
Many people mistakenly think that Switzerland is an expensive country. If you choose inexpensive apartments for living, you can have a great time and not spend too much. The most important thing is that everything in Switzerland bears the mark of quality, whether it is a prestigious expensive hotel or modest but comfortable apartments. And it is simply impossible to describe Swiss nature! This crisp air, shining sky, snow-capped mountain peaks, crystal lakes - the soul opens up.
Panoramic tours open up amazing opportunities for curious tourists. Switzerland's uniqueness also lies in the fact that in one trip, for example, choosing a route from north to south, you can visit as it were three different countries - France, Germany, Italy. Only by traveling around the country can you truly "taste" Switzerland. While wandering, look, for example, into the castle-town of Gruyères - the birthplace of the famous Swiss cheese. There you will see the entire process of its "birth". And the one who correctly answers the quiz questions will receive a prize - of course, a wheel of cheese! Taste real fondue - made from a special type of cheese melted in white wine with spices. Refresh yourself with croutons with the famous raclette - cheese that seems to have been ironed with a special hot iron. Whether it is the magic of the Swiss mountains or some other national secrets, I have never eaten anything tastier than pieces of bread with this cheese! And then get back on the train and go forward - to new cities and their secrets!
Igor Korolenko, Zagorye travel company:
- Switzerland is, basically, a country of sightseeing and active tourism. Amazingly colorful views, picturesque towns, and, of course, mountains - you are unlikely to want to sit in one city for a long time. And Swiss Travel System makes it possible to save significantly while traveling on all types of transport: rail, water, and urban. At the same time, you can simply travel - then panoramic trains are at your service. And if you are on a business trip to a specific city, you should choose the Swiss Transfer Ticket or Swiss Card. I myself have used this system many times while in Switzerland. The trains are clean, the seats are comfortable, and the air conditioning works. There are first and second class carriages. In addition, most trains have a dining car. The carriage ceiling is glass, which gives an excellent view, because the most beautiful thing in Switzerland - the mountains - is visible in all its glory. During the trip, various drinks and food are constantly offered. The trip can last from 30 minutes to 3-5 hours, but you don't feel tired - the train is so comfortable and the view outside the window is so beautiful. And, of course, it is financially beneficial.
By the way, our students in Switzerland also willingly use Swiss Travel System. In Ukraine, we were the first to start offering Swiss Travel System, and now almost all of our clients going to Switzerland use this type of travel. Judge for yourself: an eight-day single travel pass for bus, ferry and train, and without any limit on the number of trips for all eight days, can cost only $167. All of Switzerland for $167 - isn't that tempting?
Evgenia Lubnina, Sky Line travel company:
- What I liked most about Swiss Travel System was the panoramic routes. Traveling by panoramic train creates a feeling of celebration, as if you were a child again! I also really liked the special carriages for mothers traveling with children. For little ones there is a special "pen" with toys. There are also carriages for smokers. Bus, train, funicular, tram - you can travel 24 hours a day. We once calculated our chosen route, and the savings turned out to be almost double.
Quite recently, a married couple bought Swiss Passes from us. They lived in Zurich and traveled to different cities in Switzerland. Imagine, you can come to some town and, if you like it there, stay for a couple of days. You are given a brochure with train schedules. So you can plan your trip yourself.
Maria Prilipko, travel company "Telehouse":
- You can get Swiss Travel System passes literally within a few minutes - if you have the desire! You need to have a foreign passport and a photo of your child if you plan to get a Family Card. Families traveling with children receive a special Family Card for free. It allows children from 6 to 16 years old to travel around Switzerland for free provided that at least one parent accompanies them. Children traveling on their own get a 50% discount on all types of Swiss Travel System passes. Which ticket to choose? It all depends on how you plan to relax. If you have planned intensive excursions, for example, over three or four days, take a Swiss Pass with specified travel dates. A Swiss Pass can be purchased for 4, 8, 15, 22 days or a month. And if you want to relax at a Swiss resort and only occasionally go somewhere, it is worth choosing the Swiss Flexi Pass - it is not tied to specific dates, but is valid for several days (3, 4, 5, 6 or 8) over the course of one month. In winter, Swiss Transfer Tickets are very popular. They allow you to significantly save on travel to famous ski resorts. Usually tourists arrive on the Kiev - Zurich flight, and then to the hotel - either by taxi or a pre-arranged transfer. And if you bought a Swiss Transfer Ticket in advance, you will get to your destination by train without any problems.
Still, perhaps the most beautiful thing in Switzerland is the mountains. It is no coincidence that there are about one and a half hundred ski centers here, a third of which can be counted among the best resorts in the world. The most famous are Davos, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Saas-Fee and others. And thousands of cable cars connecting different valleys! Even just climbing to a mountain pass and surveying the whole world in a bowl of mountains is an unforgettable experience. When you go up by train from Interlaken to the Jungfrau, you see such beauty that is hard to imagine. The entire route passes, as it were, inside the mountain massif. And at the top there is a panorama of all seasons: you see icy mountain peaks, tourists skiing, below - green alpine meadows.
A separate topic is relaxation at Swiss SPA resorts. It's no secret that in our dynamic, nervous times we all get tired. Is it possible to quickly and effectively heal the body, rejuvenate the body and refresh the soul? It turns out it is possible - if you use the life-giving power of water. The SPA system organically combines elements of health practice and aesthetic cosmetology. Currently, Swiss SPA resorts enjoy worldwide fame.
- I would say that SPA vacations are chosen by people who love themselves, - says Elena Osadchaya. - Of course, mainly women come to bask in thermal pools, but men also occasionally appear. Relaxation in thermal pools has a very interesting feature: through the open pores of the body, all useful minerals penetrate the body much more effectively than if you drank this water. In addition, blood circulation improves, the body is saturated with oxygen. There is a general improvement in health and a surge of strength.
- For me, Switzerland is not only delightful nature, but also... the secrets of female beauty, - shares Evgenia Lubnina. - Of course, we are talking about Swiss SPA resorts! In all languages of the world, SPA means "water resort", "quick rest through relaxation". Recently we visited Leukerbad. This is a wonderful SPA resort surrounded by mountains. And there are several thermal water springs there. And here you are lying in an open thermal pool where the temperature is about 36-40 degrees. And the mountains are all in snow - right in front of you. For centuries, people at healing springs have healed broken hearts, while strengthening the body, getting rid of melancholy, forgetting about family troubles and other life's worries.