ITINERARY SWITZERLAND 8 HARI 7 MALAM - Travel Our Way

Crash Landing on You jetty at Iseltwald

Gornergrat

Salam semua..bersua kembali.Seperti biasa,entry last untuk setiap trip adalah itinerary!Bak kata omputeh..save the best for last..

Bagi yang follow kesemua entries kami on Swiss trip..dari intro ke post hari terakhir,kami nak share semula kronologi sehinggalah mission to Swiss ni accomplished.

PEMILIHAN DESTINASI TRAVEL

Ada beberapa options..mula-mula kami ingat nak travel ke...

i-Korea (bawak anak bongsu yang tak berkesempatan join winter trip last Februari,2024 )..nak experience Korea in autumn pulak.Tapi,bila anak ketiga menarik diri,kami batalkan plan sebab kalau si bongsu travel dengan mama abah je ke Korea...macam kureng vibe Kpop-annya..ha ha.

ii- Hyderabad ..yang ni salah satu dari wishlist mama abah.Tapi,anak bongsu tak keen sebab dia dah gi India June,2023.

Tiket ke Swiss,dibeli on impulse..bila intai-intai,kami nampak price nya agak reasonable.Kiranya,we didn't plan or choose Swiss...Swiss chose us!Eh,boleh gitu??

TIMING

Seperti biasa,kami akan hanya pergi bercuti bila anak cuti (in our case- cuti semester IPT).Yang untungnya,kami dah takde anak sekolah.Jadi,tak perlu nak bersesak-sesak berjalan waktu cuti sekolah...biasanya destinasi dalam atau luar negara memang akan crowded dalam tempoh tu.

Setakat ni,dari anak kecik-kecik lagi...kami masih belum lagi 'mencutikan' anak semata-mata nak berjalan.Alhamdulillah.

2 orang anak kami dah kerja..2 orang lagi masih study.Dah lama kami travel tak cukup korum..last trip berenam adalah Ireland pada tahun 2018.

Autumn in November..

Winter in November too?

Unfortunately,it turned out that November is not the favourable month to travel to Switzerland.November adalah bulan peralihan dari musim autumn ke winter..banyak tourists attraction yang ditutup..tapi tak semua...Swisss tu besar , ada yang stop operating during winter..ada yang dalam persediaan untuk winter holiday...tapi jadual ni berubah-ubah.

Mount Titlis closes from 20th Oct tapi reopen on 17th Nov

Grindelwald First - closes from 27th Oct

Rhine Falls boat tour- closes from 4th Nov

Kandersteg Mountain Coster - closes from 27th Oct

Oeschinensee Boat Rental - closes from 11th-22nd Nov

Chillon Castle - closes from 19th Oct

Aduish...acaner tuh??

But it turn out to be blessing in disguise...Flight ticket ..Sewa kereta...and Air BnB semua harga yang boleh katakan murah berbanding dengan summer and spring. Emirate and Etihad boleh dapat sekitar RM2700....

TRAVEL AGENT ATAU DIY?

Waktu Kami mula mula start travel 2011(Kira lambat dah),kami ikut travel agent during our first two trips  iaitu ke Beijing dan Turkiye. Selepas tu most of our trip kami buat DIY atau pon menggunakan perkhidmatan supir (seperti di Indonesia dan Chiang Mai).

Most pakej ke Switzerland yang ditawarkan  oleh travel agent rata-rata di antara 9-15K/pax - bergantung kepada jumlah hari dan itinerary.Takde salahnya kalau anda ada rezeki lebih dan tak nak pening kepala buat DIY..cuma saya nasihatkan baca betul-betul itinerary serta syarat dan terma.Kadang-kadang ada banyak aktiviti berbayar yang tak dimasukkan...Swiss ni dahlah pricey,bukan macam Indonesia,Thailand atau Vietnam...kang sampai sana kena fork out a hefty amount for excursion...kacau jadinya.Dan tengok jugak samada full board meals included,atau half board je.Makanan kat Swiss sangat mahal..kebab takeaway paling murah dalam RM60.Tu baru sorang..sekali makan.

Bawak makanan dari Malaysia - tips jimat cermat

Untuk trip kali ni kami DIY jugak...so that we can choose and prioritize where to go and what to do..sesuai dengan kemampuan ekonomi kami.

For us,the excitement began as soon as we bought the flight ticket,way before we board the plane.Wouldn't you agree with us..that half of the fun is PLANNING for a trip itself?

TRANSPORTATION

Cerita sikit pasal train..

Most people especially locals would say that not taking train in Switzerland is a big mistake!Satu kerugian besar..kalau naik train,boleh tengok pemandangan Swiss yang cantik macam dalam kalender tu..

Kami naik train ni ke Gornergrat...train jugak kan?

Kalau nak naik train kat Swiss,anda disarankan guna 'travel pass' supaya lebih jimat. But it all depends on may factors, Cth brapa orang Dan Musim apa.Ada macam-macam travel pass - Swiss Travel Pass (STP -most popular),Swiss Half Fare Card,Swiss Travel Pass Flex,Berner-Oberland Pass to name few.Boleh check kat sini.

Untuk STP tu,anda akan dapat unlimited travel by bus,train and boats..free or 50% discounted mountain excursions.Boleh pilih yang 3,4,6,8 atau 15 hari

Contohlah kalau ada ambik STP 6 hari - harganya approximately 379 CHF / adult (2nd class).379 CHF tu dalam RM1800+...untuk sorang.So,boleh congak..

We chose to drive

Sankt Niklaus area sebelum sampai Tasch

Equally scenic view while driving...don't u think so?

Disebabkan kebanyakan mountain excursions tak beroperasi semasa tempoh pengembaraan kami,jadi kami decide nak drive je..Kalau tanya mana lebih murah,naik train atau kereta?We would say driving is much cheaper...taklah murah sangat,sebab kena consider kos sewa kereta,petrol dan parking fee jugak.Some accomodation provide free parking,some do not.Parking kat city lebih mahal (dan susah nak dapat). It depends also dgn jenis kereta yang anda sewa...kalau MPV(VW Caddy) harganya dua kali ganda Sedan(eg VW Golf). We were lucky dpt free upgrade to MPV.

Kalau berkereta,masa lebih flexible..tak terikat dengan jadual train. Nak berhenti mana mana boleh esp we as a Muslim.

Kalau naik train.....kena mengheret beg besar from one train station to another.. atau bila perlu berpindah-pindah  penginapan.Kalau peak season sometimes kena berdiri..dan luggage places limited.

Sesetengah hotel atau hostel yang murah terletak kat bukit-bukit yang agak tinggi..dan takde lift.Ni yang malas nih..beg pulak berat dengan winter attires/gears.

Kalau drive,lebih senang sebab beg-beg dalam boot kereta jer.

Contoh - kos kalau naik train guna STP..untuk kami 3 beranak

Kos sewa kereta

Kat atas tu price difference untuk 3 (2 adults dan sorang adolescent Umur 19). Kalau ambil STP  total 1135 CHF untuk 8 hari.

Utk kereta 617CHF (termasuk premium insurance)...cuma kereta kena add parking dalam 70 CHF and petrol 129 CHF=816 CHF total.

So ada difference 1135-816=329 CHF =RM1645 (penjimatan)

Cabaran bawak kereta di Swiss

i- Cabaran utama ialah..ni first time driving on the right side of the road (driver sits on the left side of the car)...and overtaking on the left.🚖🚗

Memang cuak dan seram sikit masa mula-mula bawak kereta.Hampir masuk salah lorong...Yang susah nak adapt tu,bila nak keluar simpang..At the beginning kekadang lupa nak check kereta yang datang dari sebelah kiri..dan masa nak masuk round about,kena masuk kanan,bukan kiri!

Nasib baik lah ada 2 co-pilots yang sentiasa dalam mode untuk alert kan driver! But semuanya akan jadi ok lepas 30-40mins drive.Yang penting ikut rules, ikut speed limit.

ii- Traffic rules are strictly enforced in Switzerland.Stick to road rules especially the speed limits.Jarang sekali dengar orang yang drive kat Switzerland..tak dapat 'surat cinta' (saman) bila balik Malaysia.Samannya bukan kaleng-kaleng.Ada calculator pengiraan terlebih speed ni..every extra km counts!

Alhamdulillah,kami tak dapat saman...

iii- Driving lane kecik,tak selebar kat Malaysia.

Kalau bawak kat alpine driveway,memang seriau.Yang driver takut bergesel dengan kereta lane sebelah..yang front seat passenger takut bergesel dengan tembok atau lereng-lereng bukit..

Kalau kat city pulak,laluan basikal / motor sama lebar dengan laluan kereta..dan tak semestinya kat sebelah tepi jalan.Ada kami jumpa laluan basikal terletak kat tengah-tengah di antara lane kiri dan kanan kereta.

Check out this video...the challenging drive from Miltaltunnel to Staghohten....jangan hilang fokus!

Now,kami share itinerary kami sepanjang 8 hari di Swiss.

👉DAY 1

Arrival at Zurich Airport
Rental car pick up at Europecar
Check in to Wanderlust Guest House

Pilih airbnb yang jauh sikit dari city,lebih affordable.
Beautiful,unique place to stay is an attraction in itself

Beautiful neighbourhood..near to stunning Lake Lucerne

👉DAY 2

Check out from Wanderlust Guest House
Photostop at Mount Rigi Gondola Station.If you have Swiss Travel Pass,you can go up for free

Visit Lucerne Old Town

Chapel Bridge

Check out shooting location for Korean drama - Crash Landing On You at Lake Brienz,Iseltwald

No Captain Ri..no piano

Check into Airbnb at Spiez

Traditional Swiss house (our airbnb)

Visit a turquoise-blue lake,Lake Blausee

Even at night..it's still beautiful

Stop at Coop Supermarket

Visiting supermarket overseas is part of cultural thing that you should experience

Back to Airbnb

👉DAY 3

Experience car on train via Lötschberg railway tunnel to Goppenstein-Visp-Tasch.

Kereta naik keretapi

Take cogwheel train from Zermatt to Gornergrat.Enjoy Matterhorn- the world's most photographed mountain that once featured on Toblerone chocolate packaging.  

Spend some time at Zermatt,car free town

Back to Airbnb

👉DAY 4

You just can't miss Lauterbrunnen,the village that's famous for its steep clifts,72 waterfalls and views of Eiger,Monch and Jungfrau'.

Take a gondola at Stechelbergh station & explore snowy Mürren  and Gimmelwald on foot.

Jalan-jalan kat kampung...Mürren

Gimmelwald

Drop by Grindalwald

Back to Airbnb

Migros Supermarket

Back to Airbnb

👉DAY 5

Check out from Airbnb at Spiez

Drop by a 1000-year-old Spiez Castle

Relaxing at beautiful Schadau Park and enjoying the beauty of Schadau hotel-restaurant (once a castle)

Schadau Castle overlooking Lake Thun

Visit capital city of Switzerland,Bern - learn about Albert Einstein at Einsteinhaus & admire Zytgloggle (medieval clock tower)

Albert Einstein's house

Drop by Schwarzsee - beautiful lake with semicircular jetty

Check into Apartement Cosy,Tafers

Sightseeing at old town of Fribough

Back to Apartement Cosy,Tafers

👉DAY 6

Stop at Gruyères - home to the finest Swiss cheese (of the same name) and chocolate.

Gruyères

Montreux - sightseeing at Geneva Lake promenade,spot Freddie Mercury statue,visit a museum dedicated to legendary British rock grup,Queens at Queens - The Studio Experience,photostop in front of Chillon Castle

Lake Geneva

Queen Studio Experience

Top up groceries at LiDL Supermarket

Back to Apartement Cosy,Tafers

👉DAY 7

Check out from Apartement Cosy,Tafers

Stop at one of the most impressive medieval town-Baden 

Visit Rhinefall, the most powerfull waterfall in Europe 

Check into Ibis Budget Hotel,Zurich

Tram depan Ibis Budget Hotel

Take a tram to city centre,do window shopping at Bahnhofstrasse Expensive Road

Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zurich Central Station)

Back to Ibis Budget Hotel,Zurich

👉DAY 8

Check out from Ibis Budget Hotel,Zurich

Drive to Zurich Airport

Return car

Fly back to Malaysia.

Finally...the revelation..kos untuk trip  kami adalah around 7K++.all in/pax.💃 termasuk cost Flight and Mountain excursion ke Matterhorn.(Normal price CHF114/pax).

Remember,travel isn't all about reaching the destination..it's equally about enjoying the journey.Don't rush the trip...jangan ghairah nak tick all-must-go places sampai tiada balance antara rest and sightseeing.

Sandarkan pada kenangan...Swiss 2024💖

Takde itinerary yang perfect.It's true that well planned itinerary will provide structure,but do leave room for spontaneity and relaxation..Akhir kalam,you can still visit Switzerland on a budget and not break bank in the process.Semoga memberi inspirasi dan motivasi bagi semua yang bercita-cita untuk menjejaki Switzerland,insya Allah...

Alhamdulillah...semoga Allah memberi rezeki dan kesihatan yang baik untuk kita semua. Ameen ya Robbal Alameen.