A friend dropped me an email asking for any pointers as to what she should visit in Switzerland when she comes for a vacation in December. I owe her an apology for the late reply - this is it :)
The problem with December is that if it's the kind of winter we got last, then the best thing to do is really to sit in the warmth of your own living room and enjoy some great movies. Unless you enjoy extreme snow and cold, you really don't want to go outside. Anyway if this is the only time you have then there is no choice. Thus, my recommendation.
1. Upon arrival in Zurich, spend a day or two visiting the city. A number of places around the vicinity should be considered:
- the Top of Zurich or Uetliberg, a small highland near the city when you can view the whole Zurich from up a tower and have great sledging rides. To get there, there is a short train ride from the Zurich main station.
- the Zurich Lake - you want to consider taking the boat from the main jetty at the end of the Bahnhofstrasse, and stop by at places around the lake. One that is recommended is Rapperswil - a scenic old Swiss town. Nearby, there is a Tierpark (animal park), with touchable domestic animals; goats, donkeys, ponies, chickens, pigs (!) etc.
- the Zurich old town - located parallel to the Bahnhofstrasse. You can find the sign to get there at the train station
- if you are with big wallet / purse and into shopping, don't forget to visit some the most famous watch and jewelry shops and designer labels along the Bahnhofstrasse.
- if Bally is a brand you are seeking, check out the factory outlet in Schönewerd. There is a train that goes there, stopping very close to the outlet area. Check www.sbb.ch for the train schedule. Some discussions can be found here.
2. From Zurich, I think you should head first to the French part of the country towards Geneva. To be honest there is nothing much to see in Geneva. Personally, it's not one of my favourite Swiss cities for various reasons. But, around to the lake there are some beautiful places - again try taking the boat, or combination of boat and train (in case time is a constraint). Close Geneva, there are also some cities worth visiting, Montreux and Lausanne. In the latter, try finding time to check out the Château de Chillon; worth a visit.
3. On the way to the French part (or on the way back), you may want to consider also visiting the central region where you find the famous Lucerne (or Luzern) and the capital Berne (or Bern). In Lucerne, there are two popular mountain spots - Titlis and Pilatus. If you need to choose one, I suggest the latter. Slightly further down the region you will reach Interlaken where the famous Top of Europe or Jungfraujoch is - a bit expensive though to go up.
4. The best region for me personally is Ticino or the Italian part of the country. Don't ask me why, I just simply love it. Could be the language, could be the people, the landscape .. I don't know. May be the combination of all that. I'm not sure what's the shortest route to it from Geneva - again you may check at www.sbb.ch. There are a few places you should visit - Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona (there are all close to each other - so perhaps you could use one as the base). There is famous factory outlet called the Foxtown you where you find all the designer labels at cheap to reasonable price. At the end of December there should be some Sales (after Christmas).
IF YOU WANT TO BE REAL TOURIST, then consider the Glacier Express, only if the weather is good (clear sky and all that). If not, don't bother, not worth the cost. If you do, stay somewhere close to Zermatt; nice place - some pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shreky/sets/72157604230953438/with/2358386651/
That's pretty much what I think should be in the agenda. Enjoy ..:)
