- While traveling in Switzerland, I made a few mistakes that would be easy to avoid next time.
- I visited Zurich, the country’s largest city, and two towns in the Swiss Alps: Sion and St. Moritz.
- Restaurant reservations and bus stops caught me off guard, as did a few other surprises.
I went to Switzerland for the first time last year, taking the train from Zurich and crossing the Swiss Alps.
although I to have I have a lot of experience traveling in Europe, but some of the country’s norms caught me off guard during this nine-day trip.
On my way first to Zurich, then to Sion and finally to St. Moritz, I made a few travel mistakes that I will definitely avoid next time.
Trying to get into a restaurant without a reservation
Several people recommended I eat at Zeughauskeller, Zurich’s most famous classic Swiss restaurant, so on my second night there I wandered in.
Even though it was a Wednesday, the old medieval armory was packed. I joined a group of about a dozen other people who hadn’t booked and were waiting outside.
When I peered into the vast dining room with its high, wood-beamed ceilings, where each long table was filled with people eating and drinking, a waiter told me over the din that the wait could be more than an hour.
When I arrived in Sion, a small mountain town, I thought I would be fine without restaurant reservations. But every restaurant I went to in Sion refused me a table, telling me they were full.
When I arrived in St. Moritz, I had learned my lesson and called ahead to make a reservation. I had no problem getting into these restaurants.
Not realizing that water costs more
I made another blunder inside Swiss restaurants. Coming from the US, I thought water was free with any meal.
Later, when I looked at my receipts, I realized that still or sparkling water cost 3 to 5 Swiss francs more in almost all restaurants.
According to the restaurant directory swissrest.ch, only one of the country’s 26 cantons (like the U.S. 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
When I booked my trip, I first checked Airbnb as it was much cheaper than hotels during my recent visit to France.
I didn’t have many options, but I found an Airbnb in Zurich that turned out to be the worst place I stayed during the entire trip.
The tiny studio consisted of an uncomfortable bed with rough 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 road below, or close them and let the room become stuffy.
Luckily I only stayed 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 kitchenette, which I didn’t need.
The city has plenty of Airbnb options, so I probably could have gotten a nicer studio if I had spent more money or booked further in advance.
Moreover, there could be even more options in the future. In its Q4 2023 earnings report, Airbnb said it was expanding its “game plan” into a few European countries like Switzerland, continuing its efforts to “invest in underpenetrated international markets.”
In Sion and St. Moritz I had booked rooms in boutique hotels and they were very nice.
Use Google Maps to locate bus stops
Switzerland lives up to its reputation for efficient, punctual and clearly signposted trains, but I can’t say the same about buses.
In Zurich, I had a hard time finding the bus stops. I walked to the exact spot where Google Maps indicated the bus stop and saw no signs or benches. I walked around looking for the bus stop while watching several buses pass by me without stopping.
Each time, 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 saw in the app.
Also, the buses didn’t come as often as advertised on Google Maps.
Next time, I won’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.
Buy a single-device plug adapter at the airport
I forgot to bring an adapter to plug my American devices into Swiss outlets, so I had to buy one once I arrived at Zurich airport.
Unfortunately, it only charges one device at a time.
As I was carrying a phone, a cell phone battery, AirPods, two laptops, an electric toothbrush, and a camera, I would have preferred some extra charging capacity.
Every time I was in a hotel room or coffee shop, I would plug something in. Many nights, I would brush my teeth manually with my dead electric toothbrush.
I could have saved myself a lot of hassle and about $15 by ordering an adapter with multiple USB ports on Amazon before my trip.
