Hotel Recommendations in Switzerland
May 28, 2009, 1:50 am
#16
Join Date: May 2002
Location: SAT
Posts: 371
The Comfort Inn Royal Zurich
is right across the street from the Hotel Leoneck (see post #3, above). We stayed there 4 or 5 nights last summer -- we did it on points so I cannot say that the $$ value for the room was okay.
Rooms tend to be a bit small (normal for a downtown European hotel) but they were clean and all right [who spends their time in the room??].
The #10 tram stop is right outside the entry, and we ate one night at the Crazy Cow restaurant at the Hotel Leoneck across the street. Supposed to have been a typical Swiss dinner, and it was okay as was the price.
You can walk to and from the hotel to the main train station, but the walk from the station to the hotel is a steep uphill one [it is a short walk]; if someone in the group has problems, wait for the tram.
If you want to visit other sites in other cities, then go to that city. The rail system is superb, but you will be spending 1/2 of your day going from Zurich to the city and back.
Last, go to this site: http://www.tripadvisor.com/
You can check the responses of numerous people on the hotels in numerous cities.
Rooms tend to be a bit small (normal for a downtown European hotel) but they were clean and all right [who spends their time in the room??].
The #10 tram stop is right outside the entry, and we ate one night at the Crazy Cow restaurant at the Hotel Leoneck across the street. Supposed to have been a typical Swiss dinner, and it was okay as was the price.
You can walk to and from the hotel to the main train station, but the walk from the station to the hotel is a steep uphill one [it is a short walk]; if someone in the group has problems, wait for the tram.
If you want to visit other sites in other cities, then go to that city. The rail system is superb, but you will be spending 1/2 of your day going from Zurich to the city and back.
Last, go to this site: http://www.tripadvisor.com/
You can check the responses of numerous people on the hotels in numerous cities.
Jul 18, 2009, 7:21 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SAT / MAA / BOM
Programs: CO Plat; UA 1K; EK Gold
Posts: 5,110
Just wanted to update:
So I stayed at the Welcome Inn in Kloten (near the airport), because my friend decided to stay here:
http://www.hotel-welcomeinn.ch/
The hotel has half-hourly shuttles to and from the airport. Hotel rooms were clean and nice. Staff were generally good. But not stellar. Free internet in the lobby. Also, rooms had wired internet. It said that it was not free. But I used it once and did not get charged.
Did not try hotel restaurant.
One has to be very careful with the pay-per-view channels.....because you can accidentally switch on these channels while browsing TV channels. And you can get charged!!
There are grocery stores nearby.
Amazing bakery across the street!
Kloten train station is a 3-5 minute walk. Dont get confused with the previous station called Kloten-Balsberg!! (We did, and got so lost!).
Post office is 2 minute walk.
Overall, a good experience.
So I stayed at the Welcome Inn in Kloten (near the airport), because my friend decided to stay here:
http://www.hotel-welcomeinn.ch/
The hotel has half-hourly shuttles to and from the airport. Hotel rooms were clean and nice. Staff were generally good. But not stellar. Free internet in the lobby. Also, rooms had wired internet. It said that it was not free. But I used it once and did not get charged.
Did not try hotel restaurant.
One has to be very careful with the pay-per-view channels.....because you can accidentally switch on these channels while browsing TV channels. And you can get charged!!
There are grocery stores nearby.
Amazing bakery across the street!
Kloten train station is a 3-5 minute walk. Dont get confused with the previous station called Kloten-Balsberg!! (We did, and got so lost!).
Post office is 2 minute walk.
Overall, a good experience.
Jul 24, 2009, 11:50 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7
Me and the wife will be having a short vacation in zurich from friday 31st JUL to sunday 2nd AUG. We'll be staying at the Leoneck hotel recommended here and rent a car from Budget for forays into Lucern and possibly Lichtenstein.
BUT:
After booking our trip I noticed that saturday 1st AUG seems to be the national day in Switzerland. I had planned that we take the Golden round trip around mt. Pilates on saturday. It remains to be seen if it is possible to do this, In Finland mostly everything is closed on independence day so I fear that there is nothing to do but drive around the countryside on saturday.
Any suggestions on how to participate in the swiss national day celebrations (if any) in Zurich in the evening of 1st AUG?
BUT:
After booking our trip I noticed that saturday 1st AUG seems to be the national day in Switzerland. I had planned that we take the Golden round trip around mt. Pilates on saturday. It remains to be seen if it is possible to do this, In Finland mostly everything is closed on independence day so I fear that there is nothing to do but drive around the countryside on saturday.
Any suggestions on how to participate in the swiss national day celebrations (if any) in Zurich in the evening of 1st AUG?
Jul 24, 2009, 1:56 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,878
Whilst most stores and banks will be closed on 1 August, transportation will run normally and a number of tourist attractions will be open. If you are intending something particular (a museum for example), you will probably want to check on the website. Remember it's a bank holiday and the Swiss will be making the most of having a day in the country, so roads and trains can get crowded.
The Swiss celebrate 1 August with bonfires and fireworks in the evening. If you're out in the country, just about every village will have something going on. Typically a parade with lanterns in the early evening, speeches by local dignitaries, the oath of allegiance, the national anthem, then the bonfire and fireworks. It's usually quite fun, there's plenty of fried sausages and beer. The exact offerings will vary.
In the towns the whole thing will be a bit more formal.
I would guess any hotel will be able to tell you more about what's going on locally.
The Swiss celebrate 1 August with bonfires and fireworks in the evening. If you're out in the country, just about every village will have something going on. Typically a parade with lanterns in the early evening, speeches by local dignitaries, the oath of allegiance, the national anthem, then the bonfire and fireworks. It's usually quite fun, there's plenty of fried sausages and beer. The exact offerings will vary.
In the towns the whole thing will be a bit more formal.
I would guess any hotel will be able to tell you more about what's going on locally.
Jul 26, 2009, 6:36 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K MM, BA-S HH-D, MB-G LT Sil, IHG-Plt, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 3,803
On their National Day, most Swiss go for a walk in the countryside or the mountains. Two quick memories of Aug 1st when Mme 13F and I were living in Minusio, near Locarno in the Canton of Ticino:
One year, we saw a notice in the newspaper that Catholic Mass was being said at 1100 am on top of Monte Cardada (above Locarno at about 1200 metres altitude). If you were going to mass, the cable car was half price. The preist served wine, cheese and carne secca after mass. Then we decided to walk back home to Minusio. We were not drunk, but it still took us five hours! We were invited into a a stone cottage about two thirds of the way home for another glass of wine. It was a beautiful experience, but our musceles ached for three days.
We lived in Ticino over three summers. On the evening of August 1st there are fireworks going off all over the valley. If you are sitting outdoors it will be a spectacular site.
--
13F
One year, we saw a notice in the newspaper that Catholic Mass was being said at 1100 am on top of Monte Cardada (above Locarno at about 1200 metres altitude). If you were going to mass, the cable car was half price. The preist served wine, cheese and carne secca after mass. Then we decided to walk back home to Minusio. We were not drunk, but it still took us five hours! We were invited into a a stone cottage about two thirds of the way home for another glass of wine. It was a beautiful experience, but our musceles ached for three days.
We lived in Ticino over three summers. On the evening of August 1st there are fireworks going off all over the valley. If you are sitting outdoors it will be a spectacular site.
--
13F
Aug 3, 2009, 2:31 am
#22
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7
Thanks for everyone for their input concerning the 1st AUG celebrations. We had a great time in Switzerland and everything we wanted to do we could even with many places being closed on saturday.
Overheard an american complaining loudly on national day in Lucern about all the shops being closed and wondered how the locals can loose the most important business day of the week.He probably had no idea as to why the shops were closed, hopefully it dawned to him when they started the fireworks.
The Swiss really know how to have a nice party!
Overheard an american complaining loudly on national day in Lucern about all the shops being closed and wondered how the locals can loose the most important business day of the week.He probably had no idea as to why the shops were closed, hopefully it dawned to him when they started the fireworks.
The Swiss really know how to have a nice party!
