bicycle tour through switzerland - Before you go
Switzerland is a small multi-cultural,
multi-lingual country located in the very heart of Europe. It
shares common frontiers with five countries - Germany, France,
Italy, Austria and the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein. Switzerland
is therefore at the crossroads of the continent. It is a focal
point of international air, road and rail traffic and easily accessible
within hours from major European cities and centres.
Day
1 Arrival Switzerland Geneva 10:56 AM Train 1425
Lausanne
11:40 AM
Day
1 Arrival Switzerland from Paris
Paris:
Gare de Lyon 7:58 AM
Lyria 9261
Lausanne
11:52 AM
Day
6 Departure Switzerland (Interlaken) to Geneva 10:31
AM 1070
Basel
(arrive 12:32)
-Take
train 624 departing at 1:03 to Geneva
3:46
PM
Day
6 Departure Switzerland (Interlaken) to Paris 12:31 PM
train 1074
Basel
Sbb (arrive 2:32 PM)
-Take
LYRIA train 9216 departing at 3:02 to Paris Gare d’Est 6:34 PM
Zurich Airport: comfortable lounges, immaculate restrooms
Flughafen Zürich is located 12 kilometers
(about 7 miles) from downtown Zürich in the suburb of Kloten.
It's one of two major international airports in Switzerland, the
other being in Geneva. There's a good chance that you'll arrive
here if you're flying to Switzerland, since Zürich Airport
is served by at least 60 airlines and charter services and is
the hub of Swissair's worldwide flight network.
After leaving the plane, head for the arrival hall and go through
passport control. This shouldn't take more than a moment or two.
The Swiss immigration officials are much more efficient than their
U.S. counterparts, and they wouldn't dream of herding visitors
into long, slow-moving lines. Customs clearance is also simple:
Unless you have something to declare, simply head for the Green
Line after you've claimed your baggage.
Baggage carts are free. They're also
large enough to hold a family's luggage, and they're designed
to go up and down escalators. Just make sure your luggage is firmly
packed on the cart before you approach the moving staircase. You
can take baggage carts down several flights of escalators to the
platforms in the train station--and again, there's no rental charge.
By train:
Thanks to its convenient central location, Switzerland is also
served by fast reliable inter-European rail services from at least
a dozen countries. Daily services operate from major cities in
Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Scandinavia, and the Benelux countries. Most trains include dining
cars, bars and a wide range of other amenities and - for night
travel - comfortable sleeping compartments.
By car:
For travellers arriving by road, Switzerland is linked to Europe's
extensive motorway network. Cross-border travel is trouble free,
with the minimum of delay and formalities.
Swiss International Air Lines is the national carrier of Switzerland
serving 70 worldwide destinations in 42 countries from its home
hub in Zurich, and from Basel and Geneva international airports.
Zurich and Geneva airports are fully integrated into the Swiss
railroad network and have their own railway stations. Trains to
the two city centres run every 10 to 20 minutes, with a travelling
time of approximately 10 minutes. Hourly intercity and direct
trains leave right from either airport station and will connect
you to many cities and towns. In Basel, a bus service links the
airport with the downtown area. The bus stops right outside the
main railway station. The buses leave every 30 minutes and the
ride takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Travel times:
From Zurich to the following towns and cities (in hours and minutes)
|
Air |
Train |
Car |
| Basel |
0:30 |
1:05 |
1:10 |
| Berne |
- |
1:10 |
1:15 |
| Geneva |
0:40 |
2:55 |
2:45 |
| Lugano |
0:45 |
3:00 |
3:00 |
Taxi transfer costs:
from the airport to the town centre:
| Centre Zurich: |
ca. CHF 50 (approx
USD 41.00)* |
| Centre Geneva: |
ca. CHF 35 (approx
USD 29.00)* |
| Centre Basel: |
ca. CHF 40 (approx
USD 33.00)* |
| Centre Lugano: |
ca. CHF 40 (approx
USD 33.00)* |
| Centre Berne: |
ca. CHF 40 (approx
USD 33.00)* |
Currency
Please note that Switzerland remains with the Swiss franc, usually
indicated as CHF. While Switzerland is not part of the European
Union and thus is not obliged to convert to the Euro, many prices
are nonetheless indicated in euros so that visitors may compare
prices. Merchants may accept euros but are not obliged to do so.
Change given back to the client will most likely be in Swiss francs.
The Swiss franc comes in the following denominations:
Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50 Cents and 1, 2, 5 Francs
|
 |
Bank notes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000 Francs
|
 |
The VAT you pay on purchased
goods in Switzerland is 7.6 %. You may ask at the shops for your
Global Refund Cheque and reclaim the VAT: The total purchases
in a shop must amount to CHF 400.00 (including VAT). The tourist
must be resident outside Switzerland and the goods must be exported
within 30 days.
3 easy steps to claiming your refund in Switzerland:
In the store
Your total purchases in a shop must amount to CHF 400.00 (Including
VAT). You must be a resident outside Switzerland and the goods
must be exported within 30 days.
Through customs
When leaving Switzerland the Tax-free Shopping Cheques have to
be stamped by Swiss customs authorities after they have seen the
goods.
Collecting the refund
You have several choices: immediate cash at a Cash Refund Office,
direct crediting to a chosen credit card or bank account, a bank
check and even, for
