Oh Switzerland, the one place that I can always go back to in my mind and instantly feel a sense of peace. Although I said goodbye to Copenhagen almost teary eyed because of all the unexpected fun I had and new friends I was leaving behind, I knew I wanted to end my week focusing on self reflecting and be off the grid for a few days. So I hopped on a train and made my 18 hour journey to my next location. Yes, I could’ve flown and saved time and money but I wanted to experience traveling internationally on a train. This meant taking five different trains to my destination.
My itinerary included: Copenhagen–>Hamburg, Germany–>Zurich–>Luzern–>Interlaken–> Lauterbrunnen. When I said I wanted to get off the grid, I meant it. The only train ride that I did splurge on was a first class ticket from Hamburg to Zurich. And boy let me tell you, being welcomed with wine and a bed to sleep on during an overnight ride was well worth it.
I had some time to kill before I before I made my way to my hostel so in true spontaneity fashion, I went hangliding! Booking through Hang Gliding Interlaken was such an easy process. They picked me up at the train station and had me up in the air in no time. Apparently they were named #2 on best adventure tours in the WORLD. Sign me up!
To be completely honest, I questioned what I was doing for a split second. One of my biggest fears in life is heights but I had to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ve also always lived with the thought “If it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go.” So, if hangliding does claim me, at least I’ll have died somewhere breathtaking like the Swiss Alps.
Where to stay?
I stayed at Valley Hostel in Lauterbrunnen. One of the reasons I chose this was because of the short walk from the train stations and cable cars. To top it off, the view was breathtaking. I woke up every morning feeling like I was in a fairy tail. The people here are some of the nicest I’ve ever met. One night when I was at –a the only bar in town, I had lost the back of my earring. I mentioned it casually to the guy sitting next to me and before I knew it, I had five strangers on the floor with their flashlights on trying to help me look for it.
One of the highlights of my trip was the hike I did through the Jungfrau region. As I said earlier, the hostel was a short walk up to the cable cars. (Cable cars are not for the faint of heart- but hey I flew over the Swiss Alps the day before so I could conquer anything at this point). I took a cable car up to Grüschalp and began hiking to Mürren, Grimmelwald and eventually back to Lauterbrunnen. One of my favorite parts was absorbing the charm of these little towns. Every corner was so picturesque. From what I recall, it was about 11 miles and the hike took me about 6 hours. I did stop for pictures and for a ham and swiss ( I mean, obviously). This was the perfect day to get some thinking done and absorb the beauty that this world has to offer. Being the chatterbox that I am, this was very different than what I was used to but it was quite the experience being able to be in your own thoughts, breathe in the freshest air you’ll ever take in and only hearing the sound of cowbells at a distance.
What would I do differently? I booked all my tickets in advance through Rail Europe. The only caveat was having to wait for my train tickets to physically come in the mail and carry them with me through my journey. It was a lot of emotional distress trying to not to lose all 10 separate train tickets (round trips because ya know, I had to come back eventually)
Pictures! I rely on my iPhone and tripod for all my pictures while I travel solo but my pictures simply do not do this country justice. I was trying to pack as light as possible and not draw any attention during my first trip by myself but in hindsight, I would bring my DSLR to capture the beauty of the Alps. So if you have a higher grade camera, please bring it with you but just be sure to bring a lock when not in use.
Let’s talk money. Switzerland was probably the most expensive country I’ve been to. I would’ve set aside a bit more or not have bought so many beers in Copenhagen in exchange for wining and dining myself in Switzerland. Although, I was content with all the ham and swiss I had, looking back, I wish I was a bit more versatile in my meals. Did someone say gruyère?
I ended my Swiss adventures in Zurich the night before my flight. I stayed at Linda’s Hostel and chose this because it was in the heart of the city. To be honest, it was one of the lower rated hostels I’ve stayed at but it was just for a night and the location made up for it. If I could, I would have included another day in Zurich because there was so much the city had to offer that I wasn’t able to experience.
Nonetheless, I had an incredible time in Switzerland and would highly recommend it to anyone traveling solo or with a companion. I sat by the Limmat river before I left for the airport, taking in all the adventures from this life changing week. I couldn’t believe I had finally accomplished doing something I’ve put off for so long. My first solo trip set a fire in me that I don’t think will ever go out.
AwaywithLiv 