What is solo travel?(22) Switzerland

(17) Switzerland,

Switzerland occupies only 14% of the total Alps, but 48 of the 82 Alpine peaks are in Switzerland, and the remaining 34 are mostly within 20 km of the border. That’s why when you think of the Alps, Switzerland comes to mind.

As a country surrounded by the Alps, which can be said to be the roof of Europe, it has a natural environment, and 60% of the country is in the Alps, and it is surrounded by several lakes, so you can see beautiful scenery everywhere.

Switzerland is a country made up of a federation, so each region has its own characteristics. Therefore, the language spoken in each region (canton) is different, and even the holidays are different in each region, so you can see the old town and castle where the body culture is well preserved, such as festivals in each city.

The most spoken official languages in Switzerland are German, French, and Italian. However, you can basically speak English well, so even if you only know English, there is no big problem in traveling. However, the basic language varies from region to region, so it is good to know at least the basic conversation of each region.

Its central location in Europe and its excellent transport infrastructure makes it easy to reach other major tourist destinations such as France, Italy, Germany, and Austria. Therefore, Switzerland has the densest railway network in the world, so much so that it is nicknamed the railway kingdom.

More than 9,000 trains of various types operate every day, and they can be used according to the exact schedule pattern. But most importantly, the prices are so high that it is a place that is financially burdensome to go sightseeing in many places with peace of mind.

Because of this problem, there are quite a few cases where people look at Switzerland for a day or two when backpacking in Europe or even leave it off altogether. And Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Agreement, but it is a non-member of the European Union, so it uses its own currency.

There are two main travel styles in Switzerland: if there are no variables in the city or nature, there is no big problem with the trip, but if you want to enjoy nature, you must plan your itinerary considering the weather. It can be said that weather luck is very important.

As a travel tip, it is said that it is good to put nature first and the city second. When the weather is good, enjoy nature, if the weather is bad, change the itinerary to the city, and if you have personal leeway, it is also a good idea to add an additional itinerary in anticipation of bad weather.

There is no major problem with travel because the transportation system is well-developed, but the price of transportation tickets is quite expensive because of the high prices in Switzerland. Therefore, if you are a traveler and purchase a Swiss Travel Pass, you can ride unlimited means of transportation during the period of use, except for some sections.

There are also benefits such as free admission to museums and free mountain trains on certain sections, making them a must-have when traveling to Switzerland. On some excluded sections (mountain trains, cable cars, etc.), tickets can be purchased with the Swiss Pass for up to 50% off.

In addition to passes, there are ‘half-price cards’ that allow you to get up to 50% off one-time transportation tickets and ‘Super Saver tickets’ that allow you to purchase predetermined routes at special prices, but if you are traveling for more than one month, it is more effective to purchase a ‘GA Travel Card’ for one month instead of a pass.

There are taxis, but the fares are extremely expensive, and it costs about 21 km/120 francs (about 180,000 won) from Interlaken East Station to Grindelwald Station, about 11 km/64 francs (about 100,000 won) from Interlaken East Station to nearby villages, and 2~3 minutes from Grindelwald Station to nearby accommodations/20 francs (about 30,000 won).

Switzerland is a country surrounded by mountainous areas, so there are many paragliding and hang-gliding points, including Interlaken, Grindelwald, and Zermatt.  And Switzerland is called a hiking paradise. In fact, there are hiking routes everywhere.

Switzerland is generally safer than other European countries. However, if you are not too careful, you can get into trouble. The common opinion in most cases is “I thought it would be safe because it was Switzerland”.

Of course, this is a story about misdemeanors such as pickpocketing and theft, and as far as violent crimes are concerned, the security is as good as that of developed countries. In other words, there is no problem with personal safety. However, you should be careful that possession of a certain amount of drugs is legal.

If you are pickpocketed or stolen while traveling, you can go to your local police station and fill out a police report to get some compensation if you have travel insurance. For more information, see Options when purchasing travel insurance.

There are many nature tours, and you can enjoy a variety of activities, but when using each activity, you should carefully understand the precautions to enjoy it safely, and it is essential to purchase insurance. From light medical treatment to simple outpatient treatment, it can cost hundreds of thousands of won.

In the top 3 countries where it is said that it costs up to about 1 million won to get  injured during a trip, and if it is difficult to evacuate in a vehicle such as an ambulance, you can use a rescue helicopter, but there is also a case where you were charged 10 million won for a short ride for 5 minutes without being called.