Switzerland is one of the most beautiful, picturesque, and outdoorsy countries I have been to thus far, but it is expensive!! Don’t get me wrong, I recommend that everyone should go visit Switzerland and I would go back to this country is a heart beat, but you should be warned that it is pricy. BUT there are ways to still have the time of your life in Switzerland without breaking the bank. 

Bern

The capital of Switzerland is encircled by a river with mountains in the back drop. The city is clean, the people are friendly, and you have plenty of things to do and see at your fingertips!

Things to do:

Rose Garden: After walking up a very large incline you reach the rose garden which has the best panoramic view of the city! Definitely worth the leg burn from walking up the hill. Plus you can count it as your work out for the day. The garden is gorgeous and is lined with a variety of different colored roses.

Floating down the Aare: If you are in Bern this is a must do! Floating down the Aare river in Bern is a very popular thing to do. Think of it as a natural lazy river. It is so popular that the city made river entrances and exits along the banks. There are even signs telling you where the last exit is haha. It’s basically a water highway for people. You walk up the river, find an entrance, and jump in! The current is strong enough that you can float down the river until you want to get out. People bring dry bags to keep their belongings with them and the bags can also be used as a flotation device (but if you aren’t a strong swimmer or have young children, do not use this in replacement of actual flotation devices) Safety is still important! There is a great sense of community as tons of people float, swim, paddle board, and boat down the river. 

Pool: Another awesome part about Bern is that the city pool is free! They have multiple pools along with a diving well. The pool is also near the river so you can swim in the pool then go jump in the river! 

Bear Pit: I always tend to have mixed feelings about zoo type things, but to be fair, the bears have a ton of space to walk around with a natural forest-like atmosphere and a few pools to swim in. Legend has it that the founder of Bern fought a bear when the city was being built, so the bear is a symbol of the city. You can observe bears in Bern’s Bear Pit and learn all about them. 

Altes Tramdepot: This is a brewery right next to the Bear Pit and it has very decently priced drinks. We could bear-ly wait to get beer! The food is expensive so we did not eat there, but the menu does look delicious! It rained one day in Bern and it was the perfect place to relax and grab a drink while we waited for the weather to clear. 

Sightseeing: Bern is a perfect city to go sightseeing as you can easily walk the whole city. They have 11 colored, allegorical fountains that you can look for, a beautiful cathedral (free to go in, but costs money to go up the tower), Albert Einstein’s apartment (I felt smarter just standing in front of it), a moving clock tower, and more!

Interlaken

Only ~1 hour trip via train from Bern, Interlaken makes for a perfect day trip if you are staying in Bern. 

Things to do:

Hiking: Switzerland has a very large hiking community and Interlaken is a great place to go hiking as it is surrounded by lakes and mountains. A majority of the people on our train on the way to Interlaken had hiking gear on and were ready to enjoy a day in the outdoors. There are lots of trails to hike in the region (around 455 trails to be exact!) so click here to see the top hiking trails to help plan out your hikes in Interlaken.

Paragliding: Obviously not budget friendly, but this was a big thing to do here. So if you are an adrenaline junky and feel the need to run and jump off a mountain then this is the activity for you! The views are amazing so I’m sure the ride down the mountains is something to remember forever.  

Harder Kulm: We only went to Interlaken for a day and had limited time, so we cheated and took a funicular up to the top of one of the mountains (Harder Kulm). The view from the top was breathtaking and I was in my happy place. You could see mountains all around while overlooking the city and its lakes. While up at the top you can enjoy food, beer, and do some hiking.

Zürich 

Things to do: 

FIFA World Football Museum: So this museum isn’t budget friendly…but it is totally worth the splurge. I’ve never played football, aka soccer for us from the United States, in my life and this museum was still awesome. The layout and visuals of the museum is nothing like I’ve ever seen. There are floor to ceiling videos, interactive parts, and a life size soccer arcade! I learned that I don’t have the best eye-foot coordination while playing some of the games. We spent hours here learning about the history of FIFA and the sport. Plus the actual World Cup trophy is kept there so that is a must-see! 

Swimming: In Zürich, there is a river running through the city which opens up to a lake. You are able to swim in the river and lake at multiple locations. Most of which are free! There is one beach area that costs money, but if you are on a budget there are plenty of free locations to swim at. Basically any place you can put your stuff down, jump in and are still able to get out works. The water is crystal clear, all shades of blue, and a great way to spend your day relaxing and cooling off. 

Parks: Zürich has a few parks where you can go relax, have a picnic, and enjoy your summer. 

Budget Tips

• Cook your meals: This will always be my number one tip for anyone budget traveling. Cooking your meals saves so. much. money! There are grocery stores called “Coop” all over Switzerland that you can buy groceries at. It was hard to find a meal under 20 USD per person at restaurants. Even Mcdonald’s is expensive!
• If you do want to eat out I suggest eating out for lunch instead of dinner. The meals are slightly cheaper during lunch time.
• Limit your drinking – we all love a good drink or two, but limit yourself or buy drinks at the grocery store instead of a bar.
• Take advantage of Switzerland’s lakes and rivers! They are so clean, blue, and FREE! The water is so refreshing and you can swim pretty much anywhere so grab a towel and your sunscreen and spend the day outside! 
• Walk! – skip the public transit and use your feet to explore. Yes, Switzerland can be hilly, but you save money and get to see more of the cities you are exploring! Plus, who doesn’t loved toned legs?
• Stay at an Airbnb or hostel – these types of accommodations tend to be cheaper than hotels. I would also recommend staying outside the city center as it can be more reasonably priced staying outside of the heart of the cities. 
• Eurail/InterRail pass benefits – if you have a Eurail or InterRail pass for the train, always check the pass benefits in each country! We got a discount on the funicular ticket that took us to the top of the mountain in Interlaken.
• Use credit card points- always look to see what you can use your credit card points on..we have been able to book free accommodation or tours through our points.

But most of all, enjoy Switzerland! The views, landscape, architecture, and people make it a must see country!

If you are traveling on a budget be sure to check out my blogs about Iceland and Venice!