Switzerland tours

The Swiss know how to time things perfectly and, in many ways, our holidays that take you hiking and cycling around their array of adventure playgrounds are representative of that. With the Alps omnipresent, timing is led by topography, so the trail timetables are pretty precise. You can circumnavigate Lake Constance from as early as April, but if you want to go around Mont Blanc on the iconic TMB (Tour du Mont Blanc), starting and finishing in Switzerland, you have to wait another three months. And, for pure joy on the Jura Crest Trail, our holidays are available between May and early October. We are always here to help with your timing, however, and have a chocolate box full of tips in this bespoke blog. 

There are four distinct seasons in Switzerland, but the Alps bring ice and snow of course, so autumn slips into winter, and the latter can bring freezing temperatures to spring. And as we have no winter adventure tours in Switzerland, your focus should be on spring and summer, with temperatures ranging from 16C and 22C at their peak in July. We do have some Swiss tours running as late as October, when average temperatures range from 07–15C, but often with lovely clear skies. Strangely, July is also the month with the highest rainfall, due to summer thunderstorms gathering strength over the mountains. If you want to take on the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc, then they are available June to September. For more information, see this blog.

It certainly does, and is one of three countries where Mont Blanc casts its stupendous shadow. As the Tour du Mont Blanc (or TMB) is a 170km circuit of this magnificent massif, it also takes you through France, Italy and Switzerland, with the majority of tours starting in France. We also offer an itinerary that starts and finishes in Martigny in Switzerland, which is a quieter starting point. 

Travelling by train in Switzerland is spectacular, speedy and sustainable, and it boasts some of the most exhilarating train journeys in the world. As responsible travellers, you significantly reduce your carbon footprint by taking the train, and your holiday will get off to a much more relaxed start too. By booking in advance, you can also get some great deals on Swiss railways. All of our tour pages have details on how to get there, and we have filtered the ones that are reachable by rail. For more information, see our blogs on Best train journeys in Switzerland and How to book cheap train tickets. 

We do have some bespoke family adventures, such as cycling in Switzerland’s Chocolate Region or cycling around Upper Lake Constance, as well as walking along the Rhaetian Railway. In addition, it’s worth checking out our easy/moderate level walking or easy/moderate cycling holidays, to see if they appeal to all family members. If you have older teens, for example, who have walking experience, you may want to explore more moderate level hiking or cycling holidays. Our adventure specialists are here to cater for your needs, and we can often adapt a day’s itinerary if you think it’s going to be too hard or too easy.

Most definitely and we welcome solo travellers on many of our tours, such as Cycling at Lake Geneva, hiking the High Passes of Valais or the Via Spluga. If you want to take on some of the tougher long-distance trails, such as the Tour du Mont Blanc, then you need to join a guided trip for safety and logistical reasons. There are some longer adventures where we are happy to book for solo travellers, such Walking the Way of St James, or the Jura Crest Trail. You can find all of our solo trips in Switzerland here, but please remember that a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared.  

Sip back and relax, Switzerland’s tap water is not just safe, it’s top tier. It’s strange how many people who would never normally buy bottled water at home feel a need to buy it when travelling when in fact, tap water in Switzerland has a much better ecological balance than bottled water. It’s fine to ask for tap water in restaurants, although not common practice for some reason. If you are hiking in mountain areas, and want to drink from streams, where there can be a risk of harmful runoff, we recommend investing in a filtered water bottle to ensure water is free of any toxins. 

Switzerland has excellent healthcare with no major health risks and it is also rabies-free. No vaccinations are required, but the WHO recommends routine vaccines such as tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella before travelling. Ticks can be a problem when hiking, so you do need to take precautions. Wear long sleeves and trousers, and tuck your trousers into hiking socks when possible. Lyme disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) are both tick-borne, so always check yourself fully after hiking and carry a tick remover with you too, so that you can catch them quickly. As with all international travels, it’s always worth getting up to date information at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for UK travellers or similar foreign office advice in your home country.

Of course, this depends on the region that you are visiting but as with most of our adventures, you may be exploring remote terrain where weather conditions may be unpredictable. For that reason, we have some detailed blogs on packing, which may be of help: What to pack for a cycling trip and What to pack for a hiking trip. As well as that, don’t forget to pack your sense of adventure, plenty of sunscreen and a phrase book.

Switzerland is a linguistic melting pot. It has four official languages, German, French, Italian and Romansh, each spoken in different parts of the country. German takes the lead, especially in the central and northern regions. French is the language of choice in the west, around places like Geneva and Lausanne, as well as around the TMB. In the south, near the Italian border, Italian flows through daily life in the High Passes of Valais. Tucked in the mountains of the south-east, you’ll hear Romansh, a rare but proudly preserved language with Latin roots. So, depending on where you are, you might hear guten tag, bonjour, buongiorno or even bun di. The good news is that most Swiss people are impressively multilingual, so you will rarely get lost in translation. 

Overtourism is an issue in many parts of the world, and although we are all for people having adventures, we’re aware that some places just need to put the brakes on. Which is why we aim to take you off the beaten path, and also encourage travel outside of the peak seasons. You don’t really associate Switzerland with overtourism, as it’s landlocked and doesn’t have a cruise ship issue. And it’s not really top of the list for hen and stag parties etc. However, cities like Zurich and Geneva can be popular all year round with their historic sights, nightlife and shopping scene. While rural locations such as the car-free Zermatt and the adventure hub of Interlaken can be popular in peak summer and ski season. As mentioned below, we don’t operate any tours in Switzerland during the winter season, but we have an array of adventures off the well-beaten path in summer, such as around Ticino Lakes and Valleys or Walking along the Rhaetian Railway.

As above, we don’t have any winter sport holidays in Switzerland,​ such as snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, as the closest you can go is to Italy or Austria for those. Such as this winter treat of a cross-country skiing holiday.

We always endeavour to ensure that your accommodations are aware of any dietary needs when we book your trip. However, Switzerland is a foodie nation with strong traditions, so although your needs will be catered for in bigger towns and cities, it’s not always the case in more remote areas. But being gluten or dairy free is certainly not unheard of in Switzerland and you won’t be looked at strangely for requesting something different off the menu. 

It is the Swiss franc, or CHF. Switzerland is not part of the European Union and does not use the Euro. That said, the country is surrounded by European Union countries, including France, Germany, and Italy, so some businesses do accept Euro payments.

Notoriously pricey, Switzerland isn’t as bad as you might imagine, especially with the increased cost of living in Europe, the US and many other parts of the world in recent times. Of course, your accommodation, breakfast and most internal transport are included in the price of our tours. The Swiss have a sweet spot for chocolate and cakes, and are famous for their cheeses, so bakeries are not only delicious but surprisingly good value.

For eating out, a meal at an inexpensive restaurant typically ranges from CHF15 to CHF25, while mid-range places usually charge around CHF30-50 per person. A beer in a bar costs about CHF5-7, and a glass of wine averages around CHF6-8. Not bargain basement, but with a bit of planning and some well-timed bakery stops, your budget can definitely go the distance.

While a service charge is often included in the bill, leaving an extra tip of between 5-10% is the usual practice in restaurants. It isn’t expected in bars, but having some coins to round up the bill is very much part of the culture. 

Generally it’s excellent although it can still be problematic in some rural areas. In general, however, it has one of the average fastest download speeds in the world, which, for techies, is 159.09Mbps. For more information on speeds and providers, see here. The most useful wifi phrase you can have on your travels in Switzerland is ‘What is the wifi password, please?’ which, in German, is Wie ist das WLAN-Passwort, bitte?, in French is C’est quoi le mot de passe du wi-fi, s’il vous plaît? and, in Italian, Qual è la password del wifi, per favore?.