Traveling around Switzerland

When it comes to public transport, I think Switzerland is  a very good example of how it should be. Not only all the big cities and little towns are connected one to another by lots of different train-bus connections, but there is also a website and app that makes it even easier for you to move around the country. It's fast, simple, you can buy the ticket right there at any moment and have it all on your phone... Switzerland is definitely a country with a lot of things to learn from.

In my case, I have the Half Fare Travelcard, which allows me to buy any ticket for half its price, and I also try to buy tickets in advance so that they're cheaper too.

Anyway, if anyone reading this is interested about traveling around Switzerland by train, I'll let the link to the website right here:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html


FRIBOURG

In the canton of Fribourg, its capital is always a nice place to visit. It's know as Bern's little sister due to how close they are (20-30 min by train) and for the similarities between their architecture and the way they were "designed".

P.S.: If you love steep streets, this is your city.

MONTREUX

Beautiful city by the Lake Léman, in the canton of Vaud, where some of the most beautiful sunsets take place. Also known because of Mountain Studios, where bands such as Queen,  AC/DC or The Rolling Stones recorded some of their songs.

Christmas Market by the lake, December 2018 

Christmas Market, December 2018

"When I was given the sun" 

MÜRREN

This village is a bit lost, up in the mountains, and you can get there either by foot or taking the cable car. Nevertheless, it's not the village itself what brings visitors there, but the breathtaking views of the Alps and the cliffs that allow those reckless risk takers to practice base jumping and paragliding.

LUCERNE

Known for its famous Kapellbrücke over the Reuss River, Lucerne is a must during your stay in Switzerland, and I don't think you'll ever hear anyone say that the visit is not worth it. It's not its only touristic attraction, but it surely is one of those places that are perfect to take a chill, relaxing walk with those views and the atmosphere there is.

BASEL

I really, really love Basel. This city is in the north west of the country, in the border between Switzerland, Germany and France.

SCHAFFHAUSEN

So far, this is one of my favorite destinations in Switzerland, and since I already talked about it on a previous entry, you can check it out by clicking on its name, Discover EU InterRail Experience (Part 2).

THUN

I've been here twice, and it is the perfect city for a one day visit. The views from the church and the Castle are totally worth it.

BERN

I haven't visited it the way I've visited other places, but it is worth the visit. After all, it's the capital and it has plenty of things to do and visit.

GENEVA

Another great administrative city in Switzerland. The views from the higher part of it can be very pretty.

LA GRANDE DIXENCE

The highest dam in Europe, the Grande Dixence Dam, in the canton of Valais/Wallis is in such an amazing, beautiful environment. There are some crazy views from there.

P.S.: There's been some time since i started this post to the moment i posted it, and I've changed to a travel card that allows me to take any train I want, at any time I want... New stuff coming up soon ;)

Skiing in Switzerland and the Magic Pass

"Ski is to Switzerland what soccer is to Spain"

Views from Evolène

I love skiing. We don't get to see much snow in Alicante, and that's why going to ski during Christmas holidays is so special for those of us who love winter sports. 

Now you can imagine how happy I got when I knew I was coming to Switzerland, a country in the heart of the Alps. 

That's not all though, because not only am I in Switzerland, but I'm also in Sion, a city SURROUNDED by ski stations. It doesn't matter where you look, you'll always see some ski facilities, it's fantastic!

I was lucky to borrow the material from my host family, and to buy a season pass that gives me access to more than 10 different ski stations for a very reasonable price, the Magic Pass, probably one of the best purchases I've ever done, and that I'll ever do. 

18-1-2019, Crans Montana

Since I came back from my holidays in Spain I have been skiing at least once per week. Just imagine going on a Friday, when everybody is working or in school, and having all the slopes for you and maybe a few other tourists, there are no words to describe that, I swear.

What's more, it's hard to get bored by a certain station, because you can always to a different one the next day. 

Something cool about Switzerland is that it is very common for people to have this season pass I'm talking about or to start doing winter sports at a very young age. For instance, I take care of two kids, and the older one is 4 years old and has just started ski lessons.
Moreover, I've been several times to the ice skating rink with my friends and there are babies that are learning to skate and I don't know if they even speak! I find it so cool.

A sign warning about the danger of avalanche, Evolve

If I hadn't decided to take a gap year, this is something I would definitely not be able to live, and it sure is one of the many things that make this decision being worth it. So, again, if anyone who reads this knows of something who is thinking about taking a gap year or are considering it themselves, do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have and just know it is a once in a lifetime experience.

Thanks for reading!! 

P.S.: If you see any grammar mistake or misspelling let me know in the comments please ;)

DiscoverEU InterRail Experience (Part 2)

THIRD STOP: Zagreb, Croatia (17/10/2018-20/10/2018)

Wednesday night, after coming back from Bled lake and saying bye to my Slovenian host, I took a train to Zagreb, where I would meet my new, Spanish host.

I took that first night easily. I stayed at home with my host and a friend of his watching TV, playing PS4 and eating some of the jamón serrano I had brought him (he really missed it ;) ).

The following day we both went to the main square, where I'd join the group of people I'd later on did a guided visit through the city with.

St Mark's Church, Zagreb

It is very helpful to do these kind of tours and visits the first day since they help you a lot to get to know some places, where to go and were not to go, and also to understand better the story behind the buildings and monuments you are looking at.
As a European capital, Zagreb is quite small and a I'd say that a day is enough to visit it, two if you want.

Something exciting about my stay in Zagreb is that I got to experience a bit what the nightlife there is like. So the second night I went out with my host and the same friend from the night before to a couple of really cool pubs where we chatted, had a couple of drinks and a good time.

Dolac Market, Zagreb

On my second day in Croatia I decided to take a bus and go to the Plitvice Lakes, 2 hours far from Zagreb. All I have to say about that place is that it's beautiful. Green forests reflected over the crystalline waters of the lakes, really nice trails with a view over them or right by their shore.

Like lake Bled, it was breathtaking, and i was lucky to go on such a sunny, nice day. If you're planning a trip to the Balkans, the Plitvice lakes and lake Bled are a must.

Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes

FOURTH STOP: Appenzell & St Gallen, Switzerland (27/10/2018)

Once my holidays were over, I still had two travel days left and on weekend before the utility of pass finished, so the week after I came back I went to the places in Switzerland that are the furthest from Sion.
On Saturday I went to Appenzell, a little town in North-Eastern Switzerland, where a quite well-known beer is from, the Appenzeller. I'm not a big beer lover, but that one is all right. When it comes to the town, it's very little and easy to visit too, so when I finished wandering around I took a train to St Gallen, the closest big city to Appenzell, and visited it in the afternoon-evening.

This is an example of the kind of decorations you could see on the building's walls around St Gallen.

FIFTH STOP: Schaffhausen, Switzerland (28/10/2018)

Rhine falls with the Laufen Castle on the back

Even though I got home a bit late on Saturday, I couldn't allow myself to not use a travel day of my InterRail pass, so I made the effort and got up early on Sunday morning.
This time, the SBB train took me to Schaffhausen, on the opposite side of the country, in the border between Switzerland and Germany.

What is special about the Rhine waterfalls, which are beautiful, are the different views of them are from the village, from the castle or from a tour boat.

The Rhine waterfalls with the town of Neuhausen am Rheinfall on the background

Fun fact: The river acts as a natural border between the Canton of Schaffhausen and the Canton of Zurich, so if you've been on both shores, you've been on both cantons.

Rhine falls with the Laufen Castle on the back

SPECIAL THANKS

To conclude this chapter of my travels, I'd like to thank the Discover EU organization and the European Commission for helping this project financially.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to everyone who made this possible, the EU, my Couchsurfing hosts, and my friend Maria and her family for hosting me.

P.S.: If you see any grammar mistake or misspelling let me know in the comments please ;)