Where can I put my bags on the trains?

In general, we find that luggage storage is quite limited on trains — so pack light!

There are luggage spaces/racks near the doors and near the seats. But we suggest keeping your bags below the seats or on the overhead shelves.

For strollers, there are sometimes separate carriages with extra room or foldable seats. (We are so grateful for this extra space when we travel with our son!)

​P.S. Did you know you can have SBB ship your bags instead?​

Where would you take first-timers?

We love this question! Find all of the answers here ⬇️

But here are the highlights:

1 | Jungfrau Region

2 | Lucerne and Central Switzerland

3 | Montreux and the Swiss Riviera

4 | Zürich

5 | Then Zermatt, Bern, Appenzell, Ticino, and beyond

What are the most family-friendly destinations?

Now that we're parents, we get asked this question a lot!

The Jungfrau Region and Central Switzerland are so family-friendly — think lots of playgrounds, kids areas in restaurants, kid trails, etc.

👉 Allmendhubel and Männlichen are our favorite kids playgrounds in the Jungfrau Region.

👉 For older kids/teens, look up Pfingstegg, Brunni, and Mostelberg.

​Zermatt can be great for older kids/teens because of the adventure activities and trails.

Cities have lots of parks, museums, and there are playgrounds everywhere. You're never far from a kids activity!

BONUS

Kids under 6 are always FREE on public transport.

And in most museums, and kids 6–15 get a reduced rate.

How easy is it to find bathrooms? (And are they free/paid?)

From one tiny bladder to another, I understand! Nearly all transportation stations have bathrooms. (Typically paid in the bigger cities but free in smaller areas.)

But the toilets are FREE on the trains/boats!

Zürich has free WC throughout the city (see a map here), and so does Lucerne (see a map here). And many towns have free public toilets in popular areas, like near the Montreux promenade.

How can I make plans based on the weather?

Don't trust your phone's weather app, or even your favorite weather provider. (Those will say it's always raining, haha!) MeteoSwiss is the most accurate, and includes hourly sunshine or precipitation — which is what you need to know when you're planning your day!

Bonus tip: All of our Swiss Travel Guides include rainy day activities!

What are some cultural things about the Swiss that we should be aware of?

Always greet the Swiss with eye contact and a formal greeting, like "Hallo" or "Bonjour."

Try to speak their language. They are often much more patient when you attempt a few words before launching into your questions.

They appreciate privacy, so it's respectful to ask permission before taking photos/videos of people, staff, shops, etc. (Yep, we do this every time we film videos!)

The Swiss tend to speak softly and are very respectful of others.

They love children and dogs!

How much should food cost per day?

(Assuming you have a free hotel breakfast.)

We recommend eating one cheaper meal from the grocery store and one meal in a restaurant.

Plan to spend about 10–20 CHF per person for lunch if you grab a sandwich or salad to-go from a grocery store.

Example: Sandwiches are 6–10 CHF, salads are 9–12 CHF, chips are about 5 CHF, and drinks cost 1-5 CHF.

Estimate 25–50+ CHF per person when dining in a restaurant, especially if you're eating a dish with meat or ordering dessert.

Example: A standard chicken or schnitzel with veggies costs around 25–30 CHF, plus a few CHF for a drink.

Don't forget to enjoy a coffee or pastry too! These often cost 5–7 CHF each.

As for tips, they are included in the costs. But if you find the service to be really nice, you can round up your bill to the nearest 5–10 CHF.

What are the best hikes for little kids?

The kids trails are top-notch here! And everywhere. A few we like: Lieselotte (Männlichen), Brunni ball run (Engelberg), Leisee ball run (Zermatt).

Here's a great list to launch your research!

Best cost-efficient accommodations?

We're huge fans of HotelCard because it offers discounted hotels, and they're usually family-run which we like.

But if we're staying longer than a few days, we browse Airbnb (especially to have a kitchen).

And sometimes we even look on the tourism websites for holiday apartments hosted by local families.

How can I live in Switzerland?

LOTS of you asked this. We live here as Italians (since we have dual Italian citizenship) so we are not familiar with the process to move here as non-EU citizens. Sorry!

But it's fun to know that so many of you would like to live here. 🇨🇭

Fascinating Switzerland Facts

YouTube Community

Planning a trip to ZÜRICH? What's your #1 reason for going?

Zürich Old Town

Lindt Home of Chocolate

Rhine Falls

...or something else?

Or check out 35 more things to do in Zürich here!

Behind the Scenes

A brief look at our lives behind the camera and computer.

LOVING: The pockets of Spring weather, even if it's only 50°F and sunny!

RUNNING: Brett signed up for the Jungfrau Marathon in September! The race is called "the most beautiful marathon in the world" and runs from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg to Wengen to Eigergletscher.

Are you also running the Jungfrau Marathon? Will you be in the area at the same time? Let us know if we should host a meet-up after the race!

BUYING: Stickers for Baby Aplin. Heavier hand weights for Jana to workout at home. Electrolytes and protein bars for Brett's race training.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week, we dropped a new video about 35 things to do in Zürich, which correlates with our *new* 3-Day Guide to Zürich!