Last year I travelled to Switzerland for the first time. I travelled by train from Zurich to the Swiss Alps.
Even though I have Having a lot of experience travelling around Europe, some of the country’s rules took me by surprise during the nine-day trip.
As I headed first to Zurich, then Sion, and finally St. Moritz, I made a few travel mistakes that I’ll be sure to avoid next time.
Trying to get into restaurants without a reservation
At the Zeughauskeller restaurant we had to wait a long time without a reservation. Morgan McFall-Johnsen
Many people had recommended me to eat at the Zeughauskeller restaurant, the most famous classic Swiss restaurant in Zurich, so on my second night there I headed there.
Even though it was Wednesday, the old medieval armory was packed. I joined a group of a dozen people without reservations waiting outside.
As I peered into the vast dining room with high, wood-beamed ceilings, where every long table was filled with people eating and drinking, a waiter told me over the din of voices that the wait could be more than an hour.
When I arrived in Sion, a small town in the mountains, I thought I would be fine without reservations at any restaurant. But every highly rated Sion restaurant I went to turned me away, saying they were full.
I walked around the streets of Sion for a while before finding a restaurant with a free table. Morgan McFall-Johnsen
By the time I got to St. Moritz, I had learned my lesson and called ahead to make reservations. I had no problem getting into those restaurants.
Not realizing that water costs more
I made another mistake Inside Swiss restaurants. Coming from the US, I assumed water was free with any meal.
Later, when I looked at my receipts, I noticed that in almost all restaurants, still or sparkling water cost between 3 and 5 Swiss francs more.
According to restaurant directory swissrest.ch, only one of the country’s 26 cantons (similar to US states) has a law requiring restaurants to provide free water. The directory asks customers to consider tap water a “hospitality service.”
Using Airbnb instead of a hotel
On the plus side, there was a nice view of the bridge near the Airbnb which I didn’t like. Morgan McFall-Johnsen
When I booked my trip, I first checked Airbnb because it was much cheaper than hotels when I visited France recently.
I didn’t have many options, but I found an Airbnb in Zurich that ended up being the worst place I stayed during the entire trip.
The small studio apartment featured an uncomfortable bed with scratchy sheets, a small table with chairs, a kitchen sink, and a bathroom.
I either had to leave the windows open and expose myself to direct sunlight and the noise of the busy street below or close them and let the room become stifling.
Fortunately, I only stayed there for two nights. I think I would have been better off in a cheap hotel room, which probably would have had a better bed and no kitchen, which I didn’t need.
However, the city has plenty of Airbnb options, so I probably could have gotten a better studio if I had spent more money or booked further in advance.
And there may be even more options in the future. In its Q4 2023 earnings report, Airbnb said it was expanding its “playbook” in some European countries like Switzerland, continuing its efforts to “invest in under-penetrated international markets.”
In Sion and St. Moritz I booked rooms in boutique hotels and they were lovely.
How to use Google Maps to locate bus stops
This sneaky bus stop was in an underpass beneath a building. Morgan McFall-Johnsen
Switzerland lived up to its reputation for efficient, punctual and clearly signposted trains, but I can’t say the same for the buses.
In Zurich, I had a hard time finding bus stops. I would walk to the exact spot where Google Maps said the bus stop was and see no signs or benches. I would walk around looking for the bus stop while watching several buses pass by me without stopping.
Every time I went, I had to ask one or two locals where the bus stop was. It was usually at least a block away from the location I had seen on the app.
Also, the buses didn’t come as frequently as Google Maps said.
Next time I wouldn’t rely solely on Google Maps to get around. I’ll probably use the SBB website or mobile app to find bus stops and public transport routes.
Buying a power adapter for a single device at the airport
I forgot to pack an adapter to plug my American devices into Swiss outlets, so I had to buy one once I landed at Zurich airport.
Unfortunately, it only charged one device at a time.
As I was carrying a phone, a portable phone battery, AirPods, two laptops, an electric toothbrush, and a camera, I would have preferred some extra loading capacity.
Every time I was in a hotel room or at a coffee shop, I would plug something in. Several nights I would brush my teeth manually with my dead electric toothbrush.
It could have saved me a lot of trouble and About $15 to order a multi-port USB adapter from Amazon before my trip.
