Switzerland in 1.5 Days

I recently went to Geneva, Switzerland, and had an absolutely amazing time. I loved it so much I am ready to retire there. Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by beauty and mountains. In this blog post, I will talk about what I did in Switzerland and some recommendations, as it has been my favorite trip while abroad. Please note that Switzerland is a very expensive place; meals will probably range from $20-30, so keep that in mind when traveling!

Arrive in Geneva and take the public transportation to your hostel/hotel. Take a breather, get dressed, and get ready to explore. On my first day, I took the train from Geneva to Interlaken. I would highly recommend taking the train because this experience is unreal in Switzerland. I promise you the views on the train are entirely unmatched and this is also a great way to travel through the country. From seeing the Swiss Alps to valleys with houses, I was mesmerized by the beauty of this place. It took about 2.5-3 hours to get to Interlaken, but it went by a lot quicker than you would expect. Once in Interlaken, you will be taken aback by the tall mountains and surrounding nature. Take your pictures and a moment to soak it all in. I then walked to the cable cars that take you to the top of Interlaken, Harder Kulm. Once you are at the top, you will be able to see the entire town as well as the two lakes that are separated by the mountains, hence the name of the town. I spent a good amount of time here, looking at the views. There is also a hike that you can do if you would like to. Since I went in the winter, it was quite cold and I needed to warm up. So, my friend and I enjoyed some warm hot chocolate at the one restaurant at the top of this mountain, giving us a chance to warm up, and refuel. 

Once we came back down, we walked around the town and decided to take a short 30-minute train to Lauterbrunnen, a village outside of Interlaken. This gave me a really cute small-town vibe. There were lots of local businesses and places to eat and chat. You are also surrounded by mountains everywhere you walk. We walked to a small waterfall in the area, but you can hike to the end to see all the waterfalls. We then returned back to Interlaken and got some lunch. I would also recommend going to Grindelwald, another village outside of Interlaken. I have heard such great things about this place, especially its views in the summer. After a day of exploring, I went back to Geneva and got dinner and wrapped up my day. 

On my second day, I had half a day before I had to head back to the airport. So, I decided to explore Geneva. Here, I got brunch in the downtown area. This area is quite nice if you are looking to go shopping or find local chocolatiers! When in Switzerland, I knew I had to have some Swiss chocolate, so I went to a local shop and got the best chocolate cake I have tasted. Then, I walked around Geneva. I saw the UN and sat in a park overlooking the town. Since I went to the end of November, I have been lucky enough to see the Christmas Markets in Geneva. It was like a winter wonderland, and I absolutely loved it. I hope this was helpful and convinces you to travel to Switzerland :)

Tips: 

• Housing can get pretty expensive in Switzerland so I would recommend getting a hostel. If you are not comfortable with that, I would recommend looking at Ibis hotels as they are less expensive than typical hotels and are pretty good for a short trip. In fact, this is where I stayed in Geneva. 
• Ask your hostel/hotel about transportation cards. They will usually give you a card covering all of your local transportation expenses in the city you are staying in. Take advantage of this, as things can add up!
• Download the SBB app and look at the group passes when booking trains. I got a Friends pass for about $80, which can be used for up to 4 people under the age of 25 for 24 hours. Do not buy individual train tickets if you are staying for a while. Try to book train passes ahead of time. 
• Just a quick note that the cable cars are not included in certain transportation passes or train passes and cost about $35-40. Therefore, I would double-check to see if this is included in the train pass you purchased.