Destination: Switzerland

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Buses, trains and taxis are widely available.

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our longstay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Switzerland, world-famous for the beauty and uniqueness of its landscapes, is a mountainous and landlocked country, located in Western and Central Europe. Switzerland covers and area of 41,293 square kilometres is well known for the Alps in the south and south east.

Switzerland experiences many climates due to elevation above sea-level that ranges from 193 to 4,634 metres.

Seasonal precipitation can be high in some areas, so check the weather reports and prepare accordingly depending on when you intend to travel.

Switzerland has 12 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List. You can view the official list of the sites here (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ch/). The current World Heritage Sites in Switzerland include:

Abbey of St Gall, The Convent of St Gall, a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery, was, from the 8th century to its secularization in 1805, one of the most important in Europe.

Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, with its surface area up to 82,400 ha. The site provides an outstanding example of the formation of the High Alps, including the most glaciated part of the mountain range and the largest glacier in Eurasia.

Switzerland is well-known for its music, jazz and rock & roll festivals. The International Balloon Festival is held in January every year. Château-d’Oex hosts this festival as it is the capital of Swiss hot air balloons. Geneva Motor Show is held in mid-March every year. Many well-known companies display their cars on this show for the first time before the whole world. Versoix hold the Festichoc festival every year – a “must visit” for every chocolate lover.

A Concise History of Switzerland, by Clive Church

Switzerland – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture, by Kendall Maycock

Switzerland, by David Birmingham Swiss Watching: Inside the Land of Milk and Honey, by Diccon Bewes

The cuisine of Switzerland tends to be made up of German, French and Italian influences. Meals tend to have an emphasis on bread, dairy and cheese with cheese being a massive part of the Swiss culture. There are more than 100 different varieties of cheese found in the country. Despite this large amount, cheese is not mass-produced; rather it is made by hundreds of dairies with very strict rules and regulations. Popular dishes include:

Fondue: This dish consists of Emmentaler and natural Gruyère cheese (either mixed or separately) mixed with other local cheese, melted over a portable stove, combined with white wine. Bread is then placed on long stemmed forks and is dipped into the cheese.

Racletteis both a cheese and a type of dish. It is heated raclette cheese in front of a fire, and once it starts to soften, it is scraped onto a plate.

Pastetli is a Swiss meat pie that often has different fillings, served with rice and peas.

Rippli are pork ribs that are popular in Bern, served with bacon, beans, and potatoes.

Generally speaking, Switzerland is safe to travel in, though always exercise common sense while travelling.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. Croatia’s electricity supply runs at 230V and 50Hz. Croatia uses both the Type C and Type J electric plugs, so make sure you have the right travel adaptor with you.