Nestled between France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein, this small yet diverse country captivates visitors with its majestic Alps, pristine lakes, charming cities, and world-class amenities. Whether you are an adventure seeker, a history enthusiast, a food lover, or simply someone looking for a peaceful retreat, Switzerland offers an unforgettable experience for every kind of traveler.
Switzerland is the most expensive country in this network and the one where knowing how to manage costs most changes the experience. I’ve lived in Zürich for nine years and the Switzerland I know, the lake swimming in summer, the neighbourhood Beizen, the regional train journeys through the Alps, the farmers’ market on Saturday morning, is accessible to visitors who arrive with the right knowledge. The Switzerland of CHF 25 main courses at tourist restaurants and hotel breakfasts at CHF 35 is a different country that you can largely avoid.
The case for solo travel in Switzerland is simple: it is one of the safest, best-organised and most visually extraordinary countries on earth. The train network is the finest in Europe by any measure, punctual, comprehensive, comfortable, and extending via cable car and cogwheel railway to mountain summits that would take hours to reach on foot. As a solo traveller, you move through this infrastructure at your own pace, stopping in Interlaken because the Jungfrau is visible, or in Lugano because the lake looks exactly right at that particular afternoon light.
Zürich, Geneva, Bern, Lucerne, Basel and Lausanne are all city-guide destinations in their own right (each has a dedicated city page on this site). A brief orientation: Zürich is the financial and cultural centre, largest city, best arts scene, and has the Langstrasse neighbourhood that is the most interesting non-touristy part of any Swiss city. Geneva is the most international, home to the UN, with a French-speaking character and the Carouge neighbourhood that is genuinely Mediterranean in feel. Bern is the small, well-preserved capital. Lucerne is the most immediately beautiful and the most tourist-saturated.
The Swiss Alps are the reason many visitors come, and the train-based access to them is the specific advantage Switzerland has over every other Alpine country. The Glacier Express (Zermatt to St Moritz), the Bernina Express (Chur to Tirano in Italy), the Jungfraujoch (highest railway station in Europe) — these are experiences that require no hiking ability, no car, and no specialist equipment. A Swiss Travel Pass covering trains, buses and boats makes the country effectively free to explore once purchased.
The Migros and Coop supermarkets are your friends. Prepared food sections, bakeries with excellent pastries, and ready-to-eat lunch options exist in both chains at prices that are genuinely reasonable by Swiss standards. The university Mensa in Zürich (Rämistrasse) and in other university cities is open to non-students for CHF 10–14 three-course lunches. Mountain hut lunches (Bergbeizli) are surprisingly affordable for the views they come with.
Written by Laura Meier, Zürich-based travel writer at allaboutswiss.com and gotravelyourself.com. Laura has lived in Zürich for 9 years.
