Plan your trip to Switzerland and save money!

Are you dreaming of exploring the Alpine lakes, snow-capped peaks, and picturesque villages of Switzerland, but have heard it’s all expensive? Rest assured, we’ve asked ourselves the same question: is it really possible to have an affordable trip to Switzerland? After traveling across the country from one end to the other (often with a backpack!), we can tell you: yes, it’s possible — as long as you have the right information.

That’s why we created an ultra-comprehensive eBook on the subject. It breaks down the cost of a trip to Switzerland, provides all our tips for saving on accommodation, transportation, activities… and even takes you off the beaten path. Whether you’re planning a weekend or two weeks of adventure, you’ll find everything you need to make the most of it without breaking the bank.

The savvy travel guide to Switzerland : ebook presentation

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For years, we’ve been exploring Switzerland inside and out—its peaks, charming villages, hikes (more or less long), quirky festivals, picnics with stunning views, and a thousand local specialties (cheese and Sunday tresse at the top of the list, of course 😄). We’ve wanted to compile all this into an ultra-comprehensive, practical, and accessible guide to help you prepare your trip to Switzerland without breaking the bank, while experiencing the country like a local.

So, I say “prepare a trip,” but honestly, this ebook can equally be for Swiss folks looking for ideas for excursions and hikes within their own country! On the interactive map, there are over 100 hiking routes and 150 must-see viewpoints. I’m pretty sure you’ll discover plenty of new outing ideas to plan! 😉

This guide is a concentration of our love for Switzerland — 75 pages of great tips, itineraries, practical advice, and illustrations that we’ve carefully prepared to accompany you on the trails, on trains, or at the local market.

What you’ll find in this ebook :

75 pages of practical tips for exploring Switzerland, whether you’re a hiker, a foodie or a museum fan.
Ready-made itineraries (3 days, 1 week) tested and designed to suit all budgets.
Good deals on food, transport, accommodation and free activities
An interactive Google Maps map with over 500 selected addresses (hikes, viewpoints, affordable restaurants, museums, photo spots, cultural venues, etc.).
Useful translations, amusing Swiss vocabulary, essential practical information (plugs, store opening times, public holidays…).
A selection of events by season so you don’t miss a thing all year round.

The ebook is sold at the price of €15, which is the cost of a cheese crust at a mountain restaurant or 5 pots of aromat (and if you don’t know what a cheese crust or a pot of aromat is, then you definitely have no doubts about whether this ebook is useful or not haha).

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Switzerland is an expensive country, but it doesn’t have to be.

Switzerland is a beautiful country, and many travelers dream of visiting our small nation. But quite often, one of the main obstacles people mention is the cost associated with such a trip. So, we won’t lie to you— we don’t have a magic solution that would let you explore Switzerland for the same budget as a Southeast Asian country, for example. That said, I can promise you that there are definitely many great deals that make the overall expense much more manageable…

To give you an example, when we travel in Switzerland with Benoit, we usually stick to a budget of around €35-€50 per day per person. We often do these trips either in our van, but sometimes also as hikers, alternating nights in small mountain inns and camping under our tent. For comparison, we had a budget of about €25 in Andalusia and around €30 per day in Brittany when traveling similarly. So yes, it’s more expensive, but it’s not necessarily out of reach either!

Actually, when people think of Switzerland, many imagine that our lovely little country is just Geneva, Zermatt, Zurich, Lucerne, or Lauterbrunnen. 😉 I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t visit these places (it’s actually quite possible to enjoy them on a reasonable budget), but what I’m trying to say is that the most famous spots are also the most expensive.

vue depuis sous le Blauherd sur le Matterhorn

The Matterhorn (on the left) is magnificent… But don’t come telling us that the Dent Blanche isn’t beautiful too! 😉

How many friends have told us they were shocked to pay more than €30 for a simple dish at a restaurant? So yes, roughly speaking, it’s a price that seems “normal” when you think of very touristy spots or downtown areas… But I promise you, it’s possible to enjoy excellent meals for €12-€20 in many places across Switzerland. 🙂

There are also many great deals to find affordable accommodations, buy train tickets up to 70% cheaper, visit museums for free or at a lower cost, and attend dozens and dozens of free events and festivals across the country!

A closer look at the chapters of this ebook

Our ebook contains 9 chapters, each covering a different essential topic for preparing a trip to Switzerland.

Introduction: here we take a look at the current situation. Why is Switzerland an expensive country? What are the average budgets for discovering our country, depending on the type of trip? What are the essentials you need to know before you leave (type of plugs, a Swiss-German glossary of useful words, Swiss words that French people might not know, etc.)?
Accommodation: ouch… we’re going straight to the heart of the matter! Here we share a few tips on how to find hotels for less, the different types of accommodation you might not think of (and no, I’m not going to tell you that the only way to spend less is to take your tent and sleep under a bridge 😉 )
Transportation: a crucial part of any trip to Switzerland! Here we look at the differences in budget depending on whether you’re traveling in Switzerland with your own vehicle or using our ultra-efficient public transport system. And when it comes to trains, we’ll be sharing our tips on how to save money on tickets, and whether or not the famous Swiss Travel Pass is worth it.

le train du mont rigi sur le lac des 4 cantons

Food: How much can you afford to eat in Switzerland? Where to shop? What specialities shouldn’t you miss (and how much to pay for them)? We tell you all this and more
When to visit? Probably one of the most frequently asked questions… when we think of Switzerland, we imagine either skiing in winter or hiking in summer, but what about the other seasons? We take stock of the situation and give you some advice on choosing the best period to suit your desires.

Activities and events : A big chapter covering all the free things to do in Switzerland (and I promise, there’s a lot!). We’ve also put together a yearly calendar with ideas for festivals and events you can attend without spending a cent, and enjoy 100% immersion in Swiss culture.
Explore : In this chapter, we give you 10 examples of typical Swiss activities! Where to go for an Alpine cheese-making workshop, experience a traditional carnival from the inside or spend the night in a typical mountain hut. We also share iconic viewpoints and some of our favorite hikes!
Itineraries: This section is designed to give you ideas for itineraries. In fact, it’s more a question of thematic suggestions that are realistic (because no, visiting Zurich, Lucerne, Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen and Ticino in 3 days is not realistic… and God knows we sometimes see such suggestions on the net). We’ve put together 8 itineraries on a variety of themes, ranging from 3 to 7 days (which can be combined), each with an associated budget.
Resources: The last part of the ebook is devoted to useful resources. Here you’ll find a list of the (free) mobile apps you need to travel in Switzerland, book ideas and, above all, a link to our interactive map containing over 500 points across the country.

Our interactive map about all the best things to see and do in Switzerland

For several years, we’ve always tried to enrich our articles about regions or cities with Google MyMaps interactive maps, but we’ve never considered doing it on a country-wide scale. 😉 Now, we’ve finally done it haha

By obtaining our ebook, you will also receive the link to our personalized Google MyMaps, where we have listed:

over 200 viewpoints and places of interest
nearly 100 hiking routes throughout the country (from short digestive strolls to multi-day treks, there’s something for everyone)
a hundred or so accommodation and restaurant addresses
must-see museums or activities/events not to be missed

Everything is organized by category, so you can easily zoom in on a specific region and view only the content that interests you. For each point, when you click on it, you’ll at least see a photo of the location to give you an idea—especially for viewpoints. And for hikes, there’s always a link to our blog article that details the itinerary in question.

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We hope you enjoy this guide about Switzerland and that it will be helpful in preparing for your upcoming trip to our beautiful country. Our goal is to provide you with all the tips and tricks to travel smart and make the most of your experience. Feel free to share this article with your friends, family, or anyone interested in Switzerland. 😉