Switzerland On A Budget - A One Week Itinerary

Switzerland is a place that is incredibly close to my heart. I first visited back in February 2020, before Coronavirus really kicked off, and I was so grateful I was able to visit at that time, as the memories I made on my trip, as well as the idea that I could go back to Switzerland when the time was right, really helped me through lockdown.

I have been to a lot of beautiful places, but something about Switzerland just feels like home to me. I discovered after doing an Ancestry DNA test, that my ancestry actually originates in Canton Ticino, Switzerland's most southernly region that borders Italy. I guess maybe that contributes to the homely feeling that Switzerland brings me, or maybe it's the fact that it is such a beautiful, friendly and welcoming country. 

The only downside to Switzerland is that it is very expensive, in fact it is the most expensive country in the world to visit. When I was planning my trip to Switzerland for March 2022, I gave myself the ultimate challenge of trying to do Switzerland on a budget. At first, this was more of a fun challenge, where I could come away at the end and have a bit more money leftover than what I might have done if I hadn't attempted to do it on a budget, however on 22.02.22 my boyfriend and I had a house viewing for a house that we absolutely loved, and we put an offer in, which was then accepted. Just two weeks before I was meant to go to Switzerland, I needed to have my full deposit ready, which actually meant that I had to put all the money I had saved to go to Switzerland into my house deposit, so I was left with very little money, and I mean very little money for my trip, as well as for the rest of the month after I returned from Switzerland. What was supposed to be a fun challenge of doing the most expensive country in the world on a budget, actually became a necessity, as I no longer had a larger budget to fall back on in case this challenge failed. I visited with my parents, which most people might argue means I could have fallen back on them if I had failed, but at this point I hadn't fully paid my part in the accommodation or flights, and I wasn't going to let my parents finance me for the week. I will also mention at this point that despite travelling with my parents, it was myself who organised this entire trip, so I can account for how this trip was planned with a budget in mind. 

So, in this post I am going to tell you how I travelled to Switzerland for a week, how much I spent and all my tips for how I saved money.

Day One - Leeds Bradford Airport to Geneva

It's by no means the most creative tip, but we chose to travel to Switzerland during the shoulder season. Of course, Switzerland is a very popular ski holiday destination, so the winter months - unlike a lot of places - are not necessarily cheaper than they may be in the summer months. However, we chose March as it's not the peak of ski season, nor the peak of summer. I also used SkyScanner to see which date would be the cheapest and found that Sunday 6th March was cheaper than other dates throughout the month. We travelled to and from Leeds Bradford, our local airport, by bus which cost us around £2.50 each for a single fare (I will explain why we got a single fare later).

My return flights cost me £106.80 each, including baggage and insurance. Unfortunately, I tried to save money by not reserving seats in hope we might still be seated together, but we were sat apart. I was however very lucky and was sat on a row of three with just one other person, who was happy for me to have the window seat. Next time however, I will definitely book seats in advance, as on the way back I wasn't as lucky.

Unless I am waiting for a really long time, I don't tend to bother with airport prices for drinks, but given that we didn't have to wait a great deal of time until our flight, it wouldn't have been worth the hassle anyway. I did however treat myself to two mini bottles of wine (£8.00) and a mini can of Pringles on the flight (£2.00) as for me, there is nothing better than the pilot announcing that you have twenty minutes until landing, with a plastic cup of wine in one hand and a Pringle in the other haha.

When we arrived at Geneva airport it was around 6pm. The last time we arrived in Geneva, you were able to print a free train ticket that was valid for 70 minutes to take you to your connecting destination, however we were informed this was no longer a thing. So we purchased three train tickets to Cornavin Station, which came in at around 5 CHF in total or £4.38. 

We travelled to Cornavin, and arrived at Royal Manotel which was just around the corner from Cornavin Station. The last time I stayed in Geneva we stayed in the Warwick Hotel, which was an absolutely amazing hotel. However as this time we were travelling as a group of three, the Warwick was proving too expensive. I had to find accommodation that was budget-friendly, but of course when you travel as a group of three, you either have to upgrade to a larger room to accommodate you all, or book a twin room plus a single room. We weighed up the options and a triple room at the Royal Manotel only cost £167.00 for one night (excluding breakfast) as opposed to almost £300.00 at the Warwick (also excluding breakfast). I would definitely recommend the Royal Manotel still, as it was a very welcome overnight stay, before we set off to our second and final accommodation of the trip.

Day Two - Geneva to Interlaken

The next morning, we were due to travel to our accommodation for the remainder of the week, which was in Interlaken. We hadn't booked breakfast at the hotel and would have usually bought coffee and a Boule de Berlin at Cornavin, but as we were on a budget, we chose to head over to Lidl (which was less than a minute away from the hotel) and buy some croissants instead. At around 30 cents each, this was obviously a much more budget-friendly option and as it was early in the morning, they were incredibly fresh and still warm.

When we arrived at the train station, it was time to book our tickets. I would definitely recommend looking into purchasing a Swiss Travel Pass, which offers unlimited train, bus and boat travel throughout the duration of your stay, as well as free admission to more than 500 museums and attractions, and discounts on mountain escursions. The last time I visited Switzerland, I purchased a 3 Day Pass which was well worth it, as we were travelling 2 hours each way on most of the trips we went on. This time however, I had chosen accommodation in the centre of the places we wanted to visit, so the train fares were ultimately a lot cheaper. In my case, as I am classed as a youth (under 25) it was worth me purchasing a Swiss Travel Pass for the 6 days, which cost me 254 CHF or £222.00. In the case of my parents however, the cost of the STP (359 CHF) outweighed the cost of booking individual tickets, so they chose to purchase individual tickets for each trip instead. The staff at the train station are super helpful and incredibly patient, so please do ask them to work out for you if it will be cheaper to have a pass or individual tickets, as this will save you a fortune.

When we reached Interlaken West, our Air BnB host, Antonio kindly picked us up, and drove us around Interlaken to show us the amenities, before we reached our accommodation. Our accommodation was by far one of the cheapest options in Interlaken, as it was actually located in Matten Bei Interlaken, a residential village that was just a five minute walk from Interlaken itself. 

The accommodation that we booked, Little Chalet Pirelli, was absolutely gorgeous. A traditional Swiss Chalet on the outside that inside, splits into an upper and lower apartment, that contained all the amenities you would need throughout your stay. I would say that this was perhaps a little small for three guests, but I think for a couple it would be perfect. I usually like to book accommodation that is really central, but the walk into Interlaken each day was so pleasant and we really felt like locals in this area. There is a Migros supermarket at the top of the road, and a Lidl just around the corner too, so it was really easy for us to do shopping throughout the week, and cook meals in the chalet to save money.

This accommodation cost me £655.35 for six nights, which was definitely one of the cheapest options in the area. We chose to stay in Interlaken, as Bern was very expensive and a lot of the places on our itinerary passed through Interlaken anyway, so I was really happy with this price.

One of my top tips for visiting Switzerland is to not waste money on buying bottled water. There are lots of water fountains in Switzerland, two on our street alone, where you can fill your water bottle with super fresh drinking water, so bring a bottle on your trip and enjoy the free water!

Our first day in Interlaken was spent settling into the chalet, as well as a short walk to the Alpenwildpark to visit the ibex. 

Day Three - Lauterbrunnen and Wengen

So day three is the first real free day of the holiday, and I planned to spend that first day in Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen was on my itinerary for my last trip to Switzerland, but unfortunately we didn't have time in the day (after hiking to the top of the Harder Kulm) to visit. Lauterbrunnen was just a short train ride away from Interlaken, getting there in around 25 minutes.

Words can honestly not describe how incredibly beautiful the journey to Lauterbrunnen was, and the beauty does not stop when you reach the village itself. An alpine village nestled in a valley of high gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks, and characterised by its impressive Staubbach Waterfall, Lauterbrunnen is quintessentially Swiss and honestly just jaw-dropping. I had researched in advance the best spot to get a photo of the famous church with the waterfall in the background, so that's where we headed first.

We had planned to eat in a café in Lauterbrunnen, called Airtime,  that I had heard great things about, but strangely almost everything in the village was closed that day. I don't know why this always happens to me, as this also happened in Hallstatt in Austria, but sometimes I think it's a blessing as of course everything is a lot quieter and you can enjoy the scenery you came for, rather than compete with other people for photo spots.

We had a walk round Lauterbrunnen and of course took lots of photos, and then we spotted a green and yellow train going high up into the mountains, so we decided we would head to the train station to find out where it was going. The train was heading off towards Schynige Platte, a mountain ridge overlooking the Bernese Oberland, however the tickets are not covered in the STP and were quite expensive when booked individually at around 100 CHF each, so we decided to opt for a shorter journey towards Wengen. Before our train departed, we bought lunch from the nearby co-op, so my lunch only cost a grand total of 4 CHF (£3.50). 

Getting on the train to Wengen, we didn't know how far we would be travelling and what the journey would be like, but we did feel we were in for something great as the windows were almost panoramic.
  Well, the train journey to Wengen blew my mind. I have never in my life witnessed such incredible scenery before, and I was actually almost tearful that I was in a place that was so ridiculously beautiful. The train journey was only supposed to be a bit of an adventure, as we didn't have a clue what was in Wengen, but honestly it was one of the absolute highlights of my entire trip. So beautiful!

Wengen is a ski resort and there were lots of shops and restaurants you could pass the day in. The funny thing about the time of year that we visited was that lower in the valley, the weather was boiling and I was constantly carrying my coat around in my bag, but of course on higher ground, the temperatures were a lot lower and we were met with blankets of snow everytime we got off the train.

We headed in the direction of the Evangelisch Reformierte Kirch, a church overlooking a vista of snow-covered mountain peaks and valleys below. There were benches here, so I was able to eat my lunch with the most incredible view, that no photo of could ever possibly do justice.

We had a good walk around Wengen afterwards, but sadly at some point we had to leave, and took the train back to Lauterbrunnen. We then headed back to Interlaken, where we had time to reach Lidl before it closed to buy something to make for dinner.

That night, we had pizzas from Lidl which only cost 2 CHF each, and stocked up on some breakfast items, and drinks. One thing that is super cheap in Switzerland (the same can be said in Austria) is wine, and I have to say that Swiss wine is gorgeous. Swiss wine however is rarely exported, so is best to enjoy while in the country itself, and it is reasonable enough in price (around 7 CHF a bottle in a supermarket) that you can take advantage of one luxury without a huge price tag!

Shopping in Lidl, and using the facilities in the chalet to cook our own meals saved us a huge amount of money, as we only spent around £150.00 for food for the week, when excluding meals out. 

Day Four - Kandersteg and Oeschinensee

The next morning, we set our sights on Oeschinensee, a beautiful blue lake that I added to my bucket list only a few months prior to visiting Switzerland. We first headed to Interlaken Ost, where we caught the train to Spiez. We didn't have a huge amount of time to wait in Spiez for our train to Kandersteg, however we got on the train and didn't realise that the train split down the middle and went in different directions, and we had got on the side heading in the opposite direction towards Zweisimmen. Luckily, the train conductor was actually a lovely Scottish lady who explained to us that we needed to get off at the next stop, head back to Spiez and get on the opposite end of the train, heading in the right direction!

It was very hard to be stressed waiting at a train station in Switzerland, surrounded by mountains and beautiful countryside, so we just took it in our stride. When we actually got on the right train, the scenery again was absolutely beautiful. Again as we ascended higher into the mountains, we left behind the warm weather below and stepped out of our train into a beautifully snowy Kandersteg.

                           

 
Kandersteg itself is a very pretty alpine village, with plenty of restaurants, and sport shops for those who are there to ski. We were of course there to see Oeschinensee, however with the exception of a few sign posts, I didn't think it was the easiest to find, perhaps due to the lack of tourists heading in that direction, or the lack of staff in the train station to ask how to get there. If visiting Oeschinensee from Kandersteg station - 

• Turn left out of the station, before turning right on to Bahnhofgässli. 
•  Turn left on to Äussere Dorfstrasse
• Turn right on to Sesselbahnstrasse
• Turn left on to Öschistrasse 

It is only a 12 minute walk, however of course this took us a little bit longer as we were toing and froing as to where we needed to be.

We then arrived at the Gondelbahn, where I purchased three tickets, which were 30 CHF each (£26.00) however if you have a Swiss Travel Pass, you receive a 50% discount on your ticket. Altogether, for two adults without a STP and one with them, the tickets cost 75 CHF or £66.00. 

My mum was dreading riding the gondola and at one point volunteered to stay on lower ground while my dad and I went to Oeschinensee, however I did tell a small white lie that I had already paid for the tickets so that she would have to get on. I hadn't paid for the tickets of course, but once we did, she got on the gondola and after a few moments of being incredibly scared, she relaxed and came away saying it was one of the highlights of the trip! Of course for those who go skiing frequently, riding a gondola is just part and parcel of ski trips, but if you've never done it before it's an experience in itself.

When we reached the top, we then had to descend down towards Oeschinensee, which was not an easy task whatsoever as the snow cover meant it was of course very slippy. The walk itself is around 35 minutes, so my mum did give up halfway and decided to join the Apres-Ski while we headed towards Oeschinensee. I've done some walks in my life but I think this was the first walk in my life I spent the entire time clutching onto my dad in an effort not to fall in the snow, while simultaneously trying to dodge being hit by someone on skis. I powered through though, as I was so excited to get to finally see the lake at the bottom.

Oeschinensee is characterised by its bright, azure-coloured waters, set deep in the alpine valley, and is surrounded by rugged and majestic mountains, that are adorned by lush pine trees.
   My experience of Oeschinensee however was snow. Lots and lots of snow. In fact, the whole thing was completely frozen over to the point people were walking over it as if it were no different to the roads they drove on to get to Kandersteg. I was a bit gutted to say the least, as I thought because it was on lower ground it might not have been frozen, but alas it was just a sheet of ice. So feeling very disappointed, I took all of three seconds to look at Oeschinensee and headed back to the Apres-Ski to console myself. 

The highlight of the day ended up being the Apres-Ski, as I realised that as much as I didn't get to see the lake that we spent all day trying to get to, I did get to have a very nice cold glass of dry rosé at the top of a mountain, while surrounded by the most incredible winter wonderland I'd ever seen, so it wasn't all that bad. The wine also made the gondola trip back down the mountain a lot more fun too, and I realised when we got to the bottom that I wasn't that disappointed - it's just another lake (I'm already planning my next trip back to see it in warmer weather).

Despite being at the top of the mountain, my glass of Swiss wine cost 7 CHF (£6.13) which really isn't that bad. I suppose when you add in the cost of the gondola ride, it does make it a bit more of a pricier glass of wine, but I at least got to enjoy some amazing panoramic views and learnt a valuable lesson - if you're going to visit a lake, make sure it's not frozen.

Day Five - Lucerne

Lucerne or Luzern is a city that I have wanted to visit for a very long time, and I just couldn't visit Switzerland again without making it a part of my itinerary. Around a two and a half hour journey from Interlaken, I really maximised the value of my Swiss Travel Pass on this day, and the scenery en-route was of course absolutely incredible. 

On the top of my list for things to do in Lucerne was the Kapellbrücke or the Chapel Bridge (pictured above), a 14th century wooden footbridge that spans the River Reuss. The Chapel Bridge is synonymous with Lucerne and no visit to this city is complete without a creaky walk along the bridge. There are often musicians playing on the bridge, which makes it a pleasant way to cross from the iconic Jesuitenkirche into the Old Town.

Second on my list of things to see was the Löwendenkmal or the Lion Monument. The monument, which is carved into the rockface, pays tribute to the Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. There is a dedication above the monument reading "Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti”, which translates to “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss". It is free to visit the lion monument, which is located in a small and peaceful garden, just a ten minute walk away from the Chapel Bridge.

While in Lucerne, we did want to visit the Swiss Museum of Transport, which showcases a whole host of trains, boats, cars and planes, and also houses a theatre, a planetarium, and an exhibition dedicated to Swiss chocolate. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and the museum really is a full day's worth of activities, so sadly this will have to be put on the list for next time. I do know however that you do receive a discount on admissions if you have a STP, which again can save you some money.

After a walk through Lucerne's glorious old town, we sat at an outdoor café and I had a lovely glass of Prosecco for 7 CHF (around £6.00). The weather in Lucerne was boiling, and we couldn't believe that just yesterday I was having my alfresco drink surrounded by snow.

Lucerne, although great for a day trip, really is a city that you would need to spend a few days exploring to tick off half of what there is to do. So I will definitely be visiting again in the future.

Day Six - Grindelwald and Iseltwald

As we came to the end of the week, our desire to venture further afield than Interlaken wasn't quite as strong, as we had covered a lot of ground and had some great experiences (and a lot of very diverse weather). For day six, we stayed a little closer to home and decided to get the 30 minute train to Grindelwald.

I must admit that while I found Grindelwald very pretty, I found it very hard to find anything to do. The village very much feels like a ski resort and caters to those coming down the slopes for something to eat and drink, however without having the budget to visit the Jungfrau and with my mum being unable to participate in any outdoor or winter sports, it perhaps wasn't the best place for us to visit all together. After a pint of Rugenbräu for my dad, we headed back towards the train station and back towards Interlaken. From Interlaken Ost, we then got the bus to Iseltwald. Our Air BnB host had kindly given us tickets for free public transport around the Interlaken area, so the short 20 minute journey didn't cost us a penny.

Iseltwald is situated on Lake Brienz, one of the lakes that sandwiches Interlaken, and we found a great spot to sit by the water and get some great photos. I even had the opportunity to test out my drone, and get some great shots of the mountains that surround the water. Again there isn't a huge amount to do in Iseltwald, other than enjoy the water, but it was a really relaxing evening nonetheless. When we went back for the bus a few hours later, I noticed that there was a play park just across from the bus stop. With 20 minutes to spare until the bus came, I took the childish opportunity to play in the park and was joined by another lady (and my equally childish dad), where we shamelessly played on the swings together. It was quite nice in that moment not to have any obligations and not to have to act like an adult, and we had a blast!

The bus then came and me and my new friend parted ways as she got off at her stop, as we headed back towards Interlaken. 

As it was the penultimate night of our holiday, we decided to eat out at Restaurant Taverne in the centre of Interlaken. This restaurant was absolutely amazing, and of course a trip to Switzerland would not be complete without cheese fondue! Our meal only came to around 80 CHF (£70.00) which included fondue to share, a Swiss halloumi burger, a chocolate fondue, a glass of wine and a pint of Rugenbräu. The meal was perfection, and it was a nice way to round off as we neared the end of the week.

Day Seven - Thun

The next day we headed in the opposite direction of Lake Brienz towards Thun. A beautiful city that is situated on the crystal clear Lake Thun. Thun is a city filled with stunning architecture and home to an impressive castle, which was the first thing on our agenda.

I'm not usually one for museums and castles, as a lot of them can be (I hate to say this) a bit boring, but Thun castle was actually really great, as the exhibits were very interactive. The admission was free with an STP and discounted with an Interlaken Card.

The climb to the top of the castle was difficult, as of course the staircases are in places very narrow and windy, however the view from the turrets was well worth it. 

After our trip to the castle, we then took a walk along the Aare that passes through Thun, and stopped for a pizza, a pint of beer, and a glass of wine at a cafe overlooking the river (which cost around £35.00). The atmosphere in Thun was great and very comparable to my favourite city in Europe (I still stand by this!) which is Ljubljana. We sat for ages as the weather was absolutely beautiful and even got to stroke the cutest puppy, which belonged to a little German-speaking girl and her family. 

Our last day was spent relaxing more than anything, but I'm sure we could have covered more things to do if we had felt like it. I did really want to visit the Oberhofen Castle on Lake Thun, as it's incredibly imposing and beautiful, but sadly it was closed for the entire duration of our stay.

We spent our final evening in Interlaken packing our belongings, cleaning the chalet and watching Swiss TV. I felt very sad to be leaving Switzerland, as it had been a really amazing week, but my purse was definitely feeling the effects of spending one week in the most expensive country in the world.

Day Eight - Home

Sadly now it was time to return back to England. We walked back towards Interlaken Ost, where we got our train to Bern. The train back to Geneva was already waiting in the station by the time we arrived in Bern, and we managed to get to Geneva airport with hours to spare. To finalise a week of budgeting, when we arrived back in England at around 9pm, the bus from the airport back to my parent's house is free after 7pm, hence buying a single ticket to the airport! It was very bittersweet to be back on home soil, however I know that being at home is ultimately cheaper than being in Switzerland. With that being said, my money has returned months down the line, but those memories will last a lifetime!

So how much did a week in Switzerland cost me?

As much as I didn't have to rely on my parents, I wasn't expected to pay for everything, so a lot of the figures above can be divided by the three of us, and others (such as glasses of wine and lunches etc.) were my responsibility. So how much did it cost altogether?

Flights =  £320.40 in total or £106.80 each
Accommodation = £822.35 or £274.12 each
Transport = £738.88 or £246.30 each (this included my Swiss Travel Pass and train fares)
Food and Drink = £280.93 or £93.70 each

So the total cost for the week for the three of us was £2,162.56 or £720.85 per person for flights, seven nights of accommodation, transport around the country, and food and drink for a week.

Do I feel like I achieved my goal of doing Switzerland on a budget? Well I think that collectively it's a lot of money for one week, but in the most expensive country in the world, I think I did well to keep my spend at £103.00 per day to include accommodation, food etc particularly when an overnight stay in the town I live in can be well in excess of that. So I think I did achieve my goal, and hopefully next time I visit Switzerland, budgeting won't be so much a priority!

With moving into my new home etc. it did take me a few months to begin even writing this blog post, however I'm now well and truly settled in, and look back on my memories of Switzerland with a lot of fondness.

My top tips for Switzerland on a budget - 

- I hope to return to Switzerland before I am 25, so I can make use of the cheaper rate for the Swiss Travel Pass. If I were visiting again however, I would make my journeys longer, in order to get more for my money. Purchase a STP and make the most of it! If however you have a set itinerary, check if the cost of an STP will outweigh the cost of individual train tickets.

- Stay in an Air BnB. Although we had some really lovely meals out, having the chalet meant we were able to purchase our own food and cook in the chalet, which made things both easier and cheaper each day. Take a look at which supermarkets are close to your AirBnB and make use of them.

- Bring a water bottle - don't buy water. Again, there are so many water fountains in Switzerland that it's not necessary to pay over the odds for a bottle of water.

- Live like a local. Pick an AirBnB in a residential area, to get a real feel of what it is like to live in the area you visit. Avoid touristy gimmicks, that are often overpriced and don't reflect the ways of the people who live in the country.

- Apply for discount cards. Many areas of Switzerland offer a regional 'card' that enables you to get into attractions and use public transport, either for free or at a discounted rate. Our Interlaken Card meant we could use the bus without cost, and can save you money at Thun Castle.

- Use public transportation. Hiring a car isn't essential at all in Switzerland, as the public transport system is amazing. If you can, use public transport to and from the airport as well, so that you aren't overspending before you've even reached your destination.

- Check the weather. I promise this is about budgeting! I feel if I'd known Oeschinensee was going to be frozen, I wouldn't have added it to my itinerary and wouldn't have spent extra money on the gondola ride (although I did enjoy it). Switzerland is a hard place to pack for in the shoulder seasons, but it will cost you a lot more money if you don't check the weather and you bring the wrong clothes.

Overall, I do think Switzerland can be done on a budget, but I do hope next time I visit I will have been able to save to do a few more of the activities I would have liked to have done. I will also save so that I can visit in a bit more of a warmer season, and will visit Oeschinensee, when it is not frozen over. Until next time Switzerland!