by Gergana Dimitrieva
First, I would like to start by saying that this is the first piece related to traveling that I have ever officially written and in that sense it is new, exciting and a bit scary for me. I guess a short introduction is also needed… My name is Gergana…I am a 26 years old Bulgarian lady…currently living and working in Sofia. I would like to also thank Andrada for the opportunity to share my adventure. So lets get into it.
Chooo…chooo
In the beginning of May 2019 me and a group of friends did a train trip through Switzerland and Italy for 10 days. We started in Geneva (03.05), then Zermatt (04.05), Chur (05.05), St. Moritz (06.05), Tirano (07.05), Como (08 -10.05) and ended the trip in Milano (11-12.05).
I separated the trip into two parts: 5-Days train trip in Switzerland & 5-Days train trip in Italy.
So the first 5 Days in Switzerland:
1. Arrival to Geneva
The travel crew gathered in Geneva from Bulgaria (where I am from), Finland and Italy, so we arrived from all over Europe to our starting point. I arrived at the Geneva International Airport in the afternoon on 3th May and headed to Geneva Main Train Station in search for my friends. A few tips in relation to travels and general survivor in Geneva:
From the airport to Geneva Centre, there is a FREE 80 minute ticket that you can use. The ticket machine for free ticket is located at the luggage retrieval hall and prints the free ticket without requirements or limitations upon the pressing of the button. The machine is located on the left hand side before the exit through customs. You to take an airport train (train from the airport to the center), bus, tram.
There is free Wi-Fi at the airport and at the Central Train Station in Geneva, which was really convenient
When on budget in Switzerland, which for many travelers is the case, you can rely on the supermarkets where the prices are much more bearable. MIRGOS and COOP became our favorite places
We had only the late afternoon in Geneva so we could not see a lot of the city but what we saw from the central part of it was beautiful. Must visit places in Geneva: Geneva Lake, Geneva Water Fountain, St Pierre Cathedral, L'horloge fleurie, Geneva old town, etc. If on a budget and can’t afford a fancy dinner in the city I recommend taking snacks from the supermarket and enjoying the view near the lake from Bains des Pâquis.
2. Travel to Zermatt
The first train ride was from Geneva to Zermatt. Since we planed the trip by ourselves and we were going for the affordable option, we choose to travel with Interrail Tickets (more on Interrail Pass here: www.interrail.eu), rather than buying a new ticket for each journey.
You don’t need to book seats on the regular trains in Switzerland, only the panoramic ones like Glazier Express and Bernina Express.
When using an Interrail Pass don’t forget to follow the instructions for filling it in; you have to right down each train ride that you are taking; it is quite easy and everything is very well explained in the small book that you receive with the ticket.
Zermatt is a beautiful small mountain resort. It lies below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn peak (famous from the Toblerone candy bars). In good weather… which was not exactly our case … you can see Matterhorn peak.
The main street - Bahnhofstrasse is full with boutique shops, hotels and restaurants and the train station is kind of the starting point of the shopping street so once you get out of the train you are more or less in the center of the town.
3. Travel to Chur
The first day on the Glacier Express – 5 hours full of breathtaking panoramic views. The Glacier Express as you will hear many time on the train is the slowest express train in the world. It is clean, bright & comfy and together with the view …it totally worth the price.
When traveling with Interrail Ticket in Glacier Express you need to book seats in advance through the Glacier Express website.
You can bring food and drinks with you on the train but also buy (for a higher price) snacks from the train itself.
You will see all four season during the train ride!
Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland with history of over 5,000 years. The historic Old Town is very much worth a visit and is completely car-free, full of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars.
When we arrived in Chur the weather was quite windy and our first mission, after finding our accommodation, was FOOD. 5th May was Sunday … and yes …you figured…noting was working.
We finally found the only (at least this is how it felt) open restaurant, which was so goooood…I believe we would have ended up there even if all the other places were open. The restaurant is called “Calanda”. Also try the local beer “Calanda” brewed in Chur. Before leaving for our next destination on the next morning, we took coffee and cakes in the old town of Chur… so pretty.
4. Travel to St. Moritz
Second day on the Glacier Express. We made our visit to the closes MIRGOS (supermarket) so we were all equipped to survive the next 3 hour train ride to St. Moritz.
The views were getting prettier by the day.
5. Spend the next day in St. Moritz before heading to Italy We arrived at St. Moritz .. tired ..but so happy of the amazing journey and this is what we saw once we got out of the train station:
St Moritz is a luxury alpine resort town. It has hosted the Winter Olympics twice.
The best time to visit St. Moritz in my opinion is in May - between the Winter and the Summer seasons. Which means no open shops or restaurants, but also cheaper accommodation and no tourist crowds. St. Moritz was a total surprise for me –small, astonishing, calm – definitely my happy place.
This sums up the first 5 days, a new article about the next 5 days in Italy soon to come.