Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
Carolyn Schönafinger - Switzerland Vacation Planning Expert
Are you planning a vacation to Switzerland? On the Holidays to Switzerland travel podcast you'll get practical tips and advice from Swiss travel experts to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. Your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, the founder of HolidaysToSwitzerland.com and a Swiss travel expert, shares the best places to visit in Switzerland based on her experiences, along with all the Swiss travel tips she has gathered over 30 years and on dozens of visits, for planning a trip to Switzerland.
Discover the best things to do in Switzerland, and learn essential information about train travel in Switzerland, food, language and so much more.
You'll also hear from special guests who offer tips about the top destinations in Switzerland like Zurich, Grindelwald and Zermatt, as well as some off-the-beaten-path gems that only the locals know about.
Don’t finalize your Switzerland travel plans until you’ve listened to this podcast. Tune in and let us help you plan the perfect Switzerland vacation. If a visit to Switzerland is part of your Europe travel plans, this is the only Switzerland travel guide you'll need!
Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode of the Holidays to Switzerland travel podcast.
You can find full show notes, travel guides, resources and much more on our website >> https://holidaystoswitzerland.com
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Top 10 Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland and Switzerland's Premium Panoramic Trains
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
05/04/21 • 47 min
Every train journey in Switzerland is scenic, so travelling from one destination to another can be just as much of a highlight as the destination itself. For this reason, the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland was introduced. It's a suggested route to help visitors combine journeys on the premium panoramic trains with visits to the country's top highlights. Andy Nef joins me in this episode to explain all about the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland and how you can incorporate rides on the premium panoramic trains in your Swiss rail itinerary.
For more information about the places mentioned and the full show notes for this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode19/
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
What to See and Do in Lucerne, Switzerland (including a Hidden Gem!)
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
04/30/25 • 37 min
Don’t leave your sightseeing in Lucerne, Switzerland to chance! Join me in this episode as my guest, Celine Deplazes takes us on a Lucerne city tour.
Celine shares some of the top things to do in Lucerne which include visiting the Chapel Bridge, Water Tower, Old Town and the Lion Monument, and she tells us why a cruise on Lake Lucerne is a great idea.
There are plenty of interesting stories shared, too. You’ll learn why many of the buildings in Lucerne’s Old Town have painted facades, where to enjoy the local specialty, Lucerne puff pastry, and which restaurant pipes its beer directly from a local brewery.
As well as the most popular attractions, there are some hidden gems that Celine recommends you add to your must-see in Lucerne list, too. You’ll discover what they are and how to get there, in this episode.
Tune in to discover what to see and do in Lucerne even if you’re short on time.
Safe travels,
Carolyn
👉 Show notes - Episode 132
📖 Free guide 21 useful things to know before you visit Switzerland - Get your copy here
Where to get more Swiss travel tips and inspiration:
•On our website
•Subscribe to our newsletter
•Join our private Facebook group
•On our YouTube channel
🇨🇭 Take advantage of our exclusive Switzerland travel discounts.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
How to Explore the Swiss Alps with Ease: Guided and Self-Guided Hiking in Switzerland with Epic Alpine Views
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
05/14/25 • 33 min
Hiking in Switzerland no longer means carrying a heavy backpack for days on end. Today’s Swiss hiking experience is all about comfort, flexibility, and unforgettable alpine views.
In this episode, I’m joined once again by Andrea Caspani, founder of My-Mountains, to reveal how you can experience the magic of the Swiss Alps on foot without sacrificing comfort, flexibility, or stunning views. Andrea shares how his guided and self guided hiking tours help travelers explore Switzerland’s beauty with ease.
We’ll walk through how his team curates memorable Swiss hiking tours, including the famous Via Alpina route, and how features like the included luggage transfer service and hotel stays make even multi-day hikes feel like a breeze.
You'll hear about scenic routes through Lucerne, Zermatt and St. Moritz, plus insider picks like the trail from Melchsee-Frutt to Meiringen and relaxed hikes around Mt. Rigi. Andrea also explains how to combine your hiking adventure with a scenic rail trip through his sister company, Echo Rails.
If you’ve ever dreamed of walking through the Swiss Alps surrounded by lakes, peaks, and peaceful meadows, this episode is for you. Let’s start planning your perfect alpine escape!
Safe travels,
Carolyn
👉 Show notes - Episode 134
🚞 Get 5% off your My-Mountains hiking tour with our discount code
📖 Free guide 21 useful things to know before you visit Switzerland - Get your copy here
🎙️ Tell us what you love about the podcast by leaving a voice message
Where to get more Swiss travel tips and inspiration:
•On our website
•Subscribe to our newsletter
•Join our private Facebook group
•On our YouTube channel
🇨🇭 Take advantage of our exclusive Switzerland trip discounts.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
World record experiences for your Switzerland vacation
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
03/19/24 • 16 min
It may be the incredible scenery of mountains and lakes that has made visiting Switzerland a high priority for you but the country is also famous for its engineering prowess. In fact, Switzerland is home to many examples of pioneering innovation and design - many of which are world firsts - that you may like to include in your Swiss vacation.
In this episode, I share some of the incredible world-firsts and world record-holding sites that you can include in your Switzerland travel plans. You'll find them in some of the top destinations in Switzerland but also in some places you may not have heard of.
Listen now to learn about:
- First revolving aerial cableway in the World
- World’s steepest cogwheel train
- World steepest funicular
- World's longest suspension bridge
- World's highest peak to peak suspension bridge
- Longest railway tunnel in the World.
- World’s longest staircase
- World's oldest wooden truss bridge
For further information and the full show notes from this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode94
>> Take advantage of our exclusive Switzerland trip discounts.
Connect with us:
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
Visiting Switzerland? Add these 5 stunning waterfalls to your Switzerland itinerary
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
04/02/24 • 38 min
Let's go in search of five of the most beautiful waterfalls in Switzerland! In this episode, our guest, Melinda Schoutens, joins us to tell us about some of her favourite Swiss waterfalls. Each of these breathtaking waterfalls in Switzerland are easily reached by public transport - or on foot if you enjoy a hike - and will be a highlight of your Switzerland vacation.
Listen now to learn about:
- Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen
- Trümmelbach Falls near Lauterbrunnen
- Giessbach Falls on Lake Brienz
- Reichenbach Falls near Meiringen
- Engstligen Falls near Adelboden
- How to reach the featured waterfalls
- What steps you should take before your next Swiss hike
- Essential equipment you should bring while hiking in Switzerland
- How to find out the difficulty level of hikes
For further information and the full show notes from this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode95>> Take advantage of our exclusive Switzerland trip discounts.
Connect with us:
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
Berner Oberland Pass - the Swiss rail pass for the Bernese Oberland
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
05/17/22 • 35 min
One of the many wonderful things to do in Switzerland is to ride a cable car, funicular or mountain railway to the top of a mountain peak. There are tons and tons of choices for mountain excursions right across the country, and nowhere more so than in the Jungfrau Region.
But having such a huge choice of excursions can also cause a bit of a dilemma. Which ones do you choose and how will you afford them?
That’s where transport – or rail – passes come in. With just one ticket, you can ride on mountain railways, cable cars and funiculars as well as the regular public transport system within a certain area.
On previous episodes of the podcast we’ve chatted about the Swiss Travel Pass and the Jungfrau Travel Pass and today it’s time to discover all the benefits of the Berner Oberland Pass with my special guest, Jana Amacher.
Discover all the benefits of the Berner Oberland Pass (previously called the Regional-Pass Berner Oberland) in this episode.
For more information about the boat trips mentioned in this episode, as well as the full Show Notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode46/.
>> Visit our shop for helpful Switzerland travel guides and resources.
Connect with us:
Website | Newsletter | Facebook group | Instagram
This podcast is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism. #ineedswitzerland
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
The Grand Tour of Switzerland
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
05/03/22 • 28 min
If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you’ll be aware of Switzerland’s fantastic public transport network as there have been numerous episodes about the benefits of travelling around Switzerland by train.
But there is an alternative way to travel. Renting a car and doing a road trip!
So if driving is your preferred mode of transport but you’re struggling to come up with the perfect itinerary, I’ve got the solution for you.
In today’s episode I’m welcoming back Livio Goetz, Director of Switzerland Tourism Australia and New Zealand, to chat to him about the Grand Tour of Switzerland.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What is the Grand Tour of Switzerland?
- How long should visitors allow to drive the entire Grand Tour route?
- The highlights of the Grand Tour
- Why visitors should consider a driving vacation and do their own Grand Tour
- Where to find information about the different legs and the driving distances
- Navigating around the Grand Tour of Switzerland
- Scenic photo spots along the route
- Is the Grand Tour suitable for all vehicle types?
- Tips for driving over mountain passes
- Swiss road rules
For more information about the places mentioned in this episode, as well as the full Show Notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode45/.
>> Visit our shop for helpful Switzerland travel guides and resources.
Connect with us:
Website | Newsletter | Facebook group | Instagram
This podcast is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism. #ineedswitzerland
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
Breathtaking boat trips to enjoy in Switzerland
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
04/19/22 • 26 min
In this episode we hear from Andy Nef of Swiss Travel System who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Switzerland's public transport network.
Andy has lots of info to share about Switzerland’s most popular boat trips as well as a couple of others that are not as well known. And the great thing about all these fantastic boat trips is that almost all of them are fully covered with the Swiss Travel Pass - Switzerland’s all-in-one transport ticket.
Topics covered in this episode include:
- What is the System Travel System?
- What is the Swiss Travel Pass?
- Boat trips included with the Swiss Travel Pass
- Combining boat trips and other forms of public transport
- International boat cruises
- River cruising in Switzerland
- Types of vessels and their onboard facilities
- Where to find boat timetables
- Theme cruises
Whether you prefer to enjoy a Swiss river cruise or a boat trip on one of Switzerland's many lakes, you will be spoilt for choice!
For more information about the boat trips mentioned in this episode, as well as the full Show Notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode44/.
>> Visit our shop for helpful Switzerland travel guides and resources.
Connect with us:
Website | Newsletter | Facebook group | Instagram
This podcast is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism. #ineedswitzerland
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
Decadent must-have Swiss chocolate experiences
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
04/05/22 • 39 min
Switzerland has a long chocolate-making history and is renowned for producing some of the best - if not THE best - chocolate in the world.
So it’s not surprising then, that eating Swiss chocolate is right up there at the top of most people’s must-do lists when they visit Switzerland.
Of course you can buy Swiss chocolate at the supermarket and at souvenir stores when you’re in Switzerland but for a really immersive experience and to learn more about Swiss chocolate, visiting a factory or taking part in a chocolate making workshop is a fun thing to do.
In today’s episode, we’re going on a virtual chocolate-tasting tour to three different places where you can learn more about the history of Swiss chocolate, watch it being made, make your own chocolate in a workshop, and eat chocolate to your heart’s content.
My guests today are Sandy Bolland from Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken, Caroline Derungs from Chocolarium in Flawil and Kai Spehr from Lindt Home of Chocolate near Zurich.
After hearing about the fun chocolate experiences that are on offer at each of these establishments, you'll be planning your Swiss itinerary around a visit to one - if not all three - of these delicious destinations!
For more information about the places mentioned in this episode, as well as the full show notes, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode 43.
Visit our shop for helpful Switzerland travel guides and resources.
Connect with us:
Website | Newsletter | Facebook group | Instagram
This podcast is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism. #ineedswitzerland
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
Tips for enjoying the most popular Swiss mountain excursions with Andy Nef
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation
06/01/21 • 43 min
Do you plan to enjoy one of the famous Swiss mountain excursions when you visit Switzerland? In this episode, Andy Nef joins me to chat about ten of Switzerland's most popular mountain excursions including Mt. Rigi, Mt. Titlis, Jungfraujoch and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. You'll learn how to choose the mountain excursion that's right for you, how much time to allow for your visit, what you can do at the summit, and much more. Before you finalise the itinerary for your vacation to Switzerland, tune in and hear Andy's top tips and advice for planning the ideal Swiss mountain excursion.
For more information about the places mentioned and the full show notes for this episode, visit https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode21/
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast app. ❤️
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FAQ
How many episodes does Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation have?
Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation currently has 134 episodes available.
What topics does Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation cover?
The podcast is about Places & Travel, Society & Culture and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation?
The episode title 'Things to Do in Lucerne: The City, The Lake, The Mountains' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation?
The average episode length on Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation is 33 minutes.
How often are episodes of Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation released?
Episodes of Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation?
The first episode of Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast - Plan Your Swiss Vacation was released on Jun 19, 2020.
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