Tips & Tricks

We have included some tips and tricks in order to make your visit to Switzerland much more enjoyable. These can be used during your planing before you come to Switzerland or while visiting us.

Planning

  • Interlaken is centrally located within Switzerland. You can get anywhere with the national railway within two to three hours. Wouldn't you like to stay a little longer, unpack, and relax rather than packing your suitcase and moving from city to city?
  • Instead of renting a car, think of getting the Swiss Pass. This is an all-inclusive ticket for transportation throughout Switzerland. It includes trains, boats, buses, trams and some cable-cars. It also includes admittance for some of the museums.
  • If you wish to purchase the Swiss Pass and have more than one traveller, purchase the Swiss Saver for a 15% discount. You can purchase the Swiss Pass or Swiss Saver Pass at this site.
  • Don't plan every single day before you arrive in Switzerland. There are many things to see and do here. Take your time, look at the weather, and plan in the morning while having breakfast with us. We will be glad to offer you adventures that will fit your mood. Relax and have fun!

Traveling by car

  • When entering a freeway, notice that there are two colors of signs; Green or Blue. Green indicates a high-speed freeway and Blue is more of the "country style" road. If you wish to use the Green high-speed freeway, then you MUST purchase a "Swiss Motorway Sticker".
  • Be aware that speeding tickets can be quite expensive. Here is an informational chart.

Traveling by train

  • When you arrive at a train station, look for the yellow sign that says "Abfahrt". This means "departure". There are usually two of these types of signs in the train station. Look for the train or bus symbol in the upper left corner of the sign. Your day is will be less stressful if you know the times to return before you start your daily adventure.
  • Not all train doors open automatically. There might be a green button to push or a handle to pull.
  • When you arrive at your train track, look for the signs above your platform. This will tell you your destination, time of departure, and also where you can catch either a first class or second class coach.

  • On the IC (Inter-City) and ICE (Inter-City Express) trains, all of the stops will be announced in German, French, English, and possibly Italian. English is usually not included when riding on the RE (Regional) trains. If you are unsure of when you will reach your destination, please ask the conductor (ticket collector). He or she will be glad to assist you.

  • A few of the regional trains often split into two parts and continue to different destinations. Check before your departure to make sure that your destination is for the front or the back half of the train. If you find yourself on the wrong part of the train, there will be an announcement at the station where the train splits. At this time, you can change to the opposite part of the train in order to continue your journey.

Returning Home

  • If you are departing from Switzerland and returning directly home from either the Geneva or Zurich airports, give yourself a treat. Any local train station will take your luggage and check it to your destination. This must be done 24 hours in advance. There is a minor charge of approximately 20 Sfr per bag. Check the exact cost at the train station.

Hiking

  • Look for the little yellow/orange signs with arrows on them. These are called "Wanderweg" (Hiking way) signs. They will point you to your destination and usually tell you how long it will take to complete that section of the hike. Additional tip: Stunden means "hour" in German. So, 1 Std 30 Min means 1 hour and 30 minutes.

General (Assistance or Help)

  • Do not be afraid to explore. 95% of the Swiss people speak English. Ask for directions, tips, tours, and/or hikes that you should take. The Swiss are very friendly and want to help.
  • If your group gets separated, setup a meeting point where you can find each other again. Each train station in the major cities have a "Treffpunkt" (Meeting Place) sign. This will look like four arrows pointing to circle in the middle.
  • When you arrive in a city or town, locate the Information Center. These are usually located in or very near to the train stations. Most cities have a walking tour map plus information on things to see and do.
  • Carry your passport with you. You never know when you might need it for identification.

General (Other tips)

  • Don't forget to pick up your "Interlaken Visitors Card" from our staff. This will give you half price on some events, plus free transportation within town.
  • The water within Switzerland is excellent for drinking. Unless it says "non potable", it is even safe to drink from the fountains.

Emergency Phone Numbers

  • Ambulance or Medical - 144
  • Fire department - 118
  • Police - 117
 
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