SWITZERLAND
COUNTRY CONTEXT
Size: 15,940 mi² (41,285 km²)
Languages: Switzerland has four official languages — German, French, Italian, and Romansh, each of them spoken in different regions. Many people also speak English.
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF) — though euros are also generally accepted
Something You Should Know: Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world… so prepare yourself and your wallet.
OUR TRAVEL SUMMARY
We spent about a week in Switzerland in late July/early August. We flew into Geneva for a meeting I had, spent a night in Gland and walked over the French border, then took a train across the country to see Swiss National Park. One of my favorite parts of our time here was this cross-country train-ride!
We relied fully on public transit (trains for longer distances, bus and metro in Geneva). Accommodations-wise, we stayed at an Airbnb then at a campground outside Swiss National Park. Overall, Switzerland was beautiful though also REALLY expensive — given high prices, we mainly cooked our own food which helped. While I'm a firm believer that you can make travel on a budget possible to most everywhere, this is definitely a place I felt that to be a challenge.
See below for our experience-specific guide on Swiss National Park!
