Switzerland has a lot to offer a traveler: It’s spectacularly beautiful (tons of mountains and lakes? Yes please!), easily accessible from its many bordering countries, and has ridiculously good chocolate. What more could you ask?
Unfortunately, Switzerland is incredibly expensive, which can deter a lot of budget travelers. Worry not! there are plenty of ways to save money, making a trip to Switzerland quite feasible for those traveling on a budget.
1// Buy a Swiss Pass.
Oh man, did I mess up by not buying a Swiss Pass on my most recent trip to Switzerland. The Swiss rail site was a bit misleading when it came to train fares (somehow vastly underestimating them), and by the time I realized how much I was over-spending on rail travel, it was too late for me to save much money. Well, learn from my very expensive mistake, and definitely buy a Swiss Pass if you’re going to be doing a lot of traveling within Switzerland. An 8-day pass for youth under 26 years is under CHF 300, and since it also includes admission to a ton of museums and attractions, and covers most public transport, it’s very, very easy to get your money’s worth. Plus, the pass can be used on the famous Glacier Express, which alone will cost almost half the price of the Swiss Pass.
2// Buy your chocolate from regular grocery stores.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think Switzerland? Chocolate of course! Well, maybe that’s just me, but you can’t go to Switzerland without trying one of their most famous products. You’ll see specialty chocolate shops everywhere, and while those are fantastic, they’re a little pricey for the average budget traveler. Great news: chocolate is one of the few things you can get in Switzerland for very, very cheap–just buy it at the regular ol’ grocery store! I’m pretty convinced that they don’t sell bad chocolate anywhere in Switzerland, so it’s easy to find something good for about 2 CHF per bar. I’d recommend checking out Migros. They’re all over, and you can find a huge selection of chocolate of all kinds.
3// Explore your public transport options.
OK, I know this one’s a bit of a gimme. Public transport is a great way to save money in most any city. However, the public transportation in Switzerland is fantastic, reliable, super clean, and very extensive. If you have a Swiss Pass, you can usually take the bus or tram for free. If not, you can usually get a day-pass for 10-15 francs, which is great for a day you’re planning on taking a lot of transport (a short fare is about three franks, so it can pay for itself very quickly. In some cities, like Zurich, public transport also includes water taxis, which is a cheap way to get an hour-long boat ride around the lake.
4// Make lunch your biggest meal.
Eating out in Switzerland, like almost everything else there, is quite expensive. The secret to eating great meals without spending too much is to make lunch, not dinner, your big/nicer meal of the day. Many restaurants have great lunch specials, even for two- or three-course meals, and if you look carefully, you can get a great gourmet meal for CHF 20 or so.
Have any other tips for saving money in Iceland? Share them in the comments!
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