Switzerland is INCREDIBLE But the Prices Are Insane
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2023
- This is Part 2 of my day of exploring Sargans, Switzerland and Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. In this video I arrive back at the train station in Sargans, walk through the town to my hotel and talk about how the three-day Swiss Travel Pass I bought was a bad deal that actually cost me $150 more than if I had just purchased the train tickets individually. You can watch the video about Liechtenstein here: • LIECHTENSTEIN | Tiny C... And here's another video in which I talk more about the prices of things in Switzerland: • SWITZERLAND | The Most...
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Gabriel is a world traveler and travel writer who has been adventuring around the world since his first trip to Europe in the summer of 1990 when he was 18 years old. He is author of "Gabe's Guide to Budget Travel", "Following My Thumb" and several other books available on Amazon.com and elsewhere.
Thanks a lot for watching and safe journeys!
People have clarified in the comments that the price I showed in the beginning of 45 francs for the train from Zermatt to Bern was actually the price if you have a Swiss half fare card, which is different from the three day Swiss pass that I had. The real price for a one way ticket from Zermatt to Bern was in fact 90 francs. So if you double the prices of all the trains I took during those three days of travel, that means they would have been around 200 francs in total to purchase individually, instead of 100 francs. The good news is that means I only lost around $40 by paying 232 francs for the three day Swiss pass, instead of losing $150. But the bad news is that means the train tickets are all twice as expensive. The best way to go seems to be the half fare card, which costs around 120 francs for a month and gives you a 50% discount on all train tickets.
Here's the other video I recorded on the same day, exploring the tiny country of Liechtenstein: th-cam.com/video/VngZbaX8gpo/w-d-xo.html
And here's another video talking more about the prices of things in Switzerland: th-cam.com/video/WcgEkPmGL_8/w-d-xo.html
I spent 5 nights in Switzerland and I bought the half fare card from day #1, it worked out to save some $ even just for few days, the optimal days would be to stay one month. Overall Switzerland is a very expensive country. I was thinking next time maybe I should hire a campervan from Germany and do a road trip to Switzerland would be cheaper???
Go next time to Pindos, the Vikos Canyon (highest in the world!), Meteora and the Olympos Mountains where prices are reasonable. We're waiting for you to come back Gabriel once you're allowed to stay again in the Schengenzone
You could have got a month of unlimited travel for 330 francs in June / July / august.
If you book long enough in advance, you can get a full day’s unlimited travel for Fr.52. And even less with the half price card. You just have to know how to play the system.
Wow, so it's pretty crazy if you have to use local transportation. Probably much better for Europeans who visit using their own car. But on the bright side, Switzerland looks amazing indeed and it's not crowded 🙂
It’s like no one’s travelling there as it’s too expensive and serious, everyone whispers ..
Prob afraid of being mandated and given the Brittany spears
@@igungfarben9612yeah three dart finish I avoided it
I have lots of relatives in Switzerland so I save money by staying with them. There are so many beautiful corners of the country that aren't tourist-heavy like Zermatt and Lucerne but have pleasant hikes in the countryside and mountains. The country is definitely worth exploring even if I can only make short visits because it is so expensive.
Was that 68 dollars for a chicken Kiev ? You know they are 3 dollars at tesco
Yes, and two glasses of wine. Castle prices.
You’re going to find Austria with exactly the same views and much more down to earth and 1/3 the price I think. Plus they will smile and get tipsy
Yes Austria
Austria is fantastic.
Yes Austria is cheaper but you much less spectacular than Switzerland. In Switzerland every city and almost behind every corner it can be breathtaking. And I don't talk about Lucerne and Zermatt, etc as I am not interested at all in these touristy places.
SALZBURG cannot be missed ! It’s magical
Good to know, heading there tomorrow.
Best way to travel through Switzerland is an e-bike and a tent! 😉
They probably all at bohemian grove or wef meetings thinking about how to clear the people of the world
Yep
Davos not too far..😂😂😂
@@michaelahass2695 yes one needs some garlic and stakes to go anywhere near davos
It is 45 only with a Halbtax (it's a yearly membership that cuts the price in half) ("ab" means "from" prices start at...)
That is exactly what I plan to do to save money- hostels, camping when i go on multi day hikes and buying food in grocery stores. Even then, I know I'm going to feel the pain.
Go to Madeira Portugal, by the way in Switzerland you can go realtievely cheap, if you eat in Migros(supermarket chain) or fast food
"The smell is really cool" Gotta be the quote of the year.
They should make a cologne called Castle.
Where is everyone ?? Bodysnatched ?
To be fair, the castle dinner seems worth it. Having that meal in a Disneyland restaurant wouldnt be any cheaper most likely and this is an actual castle in an amazing location and Ill bet the food and wine are much better quality than anything you would get in a fake Disney castle :D
According to salary data from the Conference of Education Directors for German-speaking Switzerland, a secondary school teacher can expect to earn CHF110,590 in the first year, or CHF8,506 per month under the Swiss 13-month salary system 110,000 a year !!!!!!!!
Whoa, good for them.
Nice scenery but it is way too expensive for me ..........thank you Gabe for showing us the town/city
hi from england great vlog and very nice channel
I Remember paying around 50 bucks for 2 cups of coffee in Zurich.Switzerland is very expensive country to visit.
Although Switzerland is very expensive, I almost think you got scammed. Been to Lugano a few times, one of the more fancy places in Switzerland and there coffee/cola is about 6-7 francs, so say about 8 dollars. If you paid 25 dollars for a coffee somewhere, that is not normal, far from it.
I’ve been traveling in the cheaper countries around the world and if I see a coffee more than 3 dollars I leave immediately haha
@@Haksdo2 seems like it
the price of 45 chf from Zermatt to Bern is only available if you possessed the half price card, so it's 90 chf one way ticket full price
Another really positive surprise. This Sargans Castle experience really made up for disappointment at Vaduz Castle (of being locked and full of works) as castles are very similar to each other, both with amazing views on the valley and mountains. Have a nice time in Austria, one of my favourite countries.
Looks to me like these prices only apply if you own a half fare ticket. So without that, the guy in Zermatt probably gave you good advise. The ticket machines always show the cheapest price for people with the half fare card.
I live in Lugano Switzerland and can tell you im probably the poorest resident here. There are billionaires kicking out the millionaires. Its insane. What i love about Switzerland is how unbelievably Safe, clean, beautiful place to live.
No criminal can afford to live here lol
I've actually seen George Soros here in Lugano at Ristorante Arte. Actually I've seen a few pretty big celebrities there.. Steven Spielberg and wife and kids... Elton John with Paul McCartney just to name a few.
LOL🙂
I love Lugano, my all time favorite Swiss town. It’s unreal how expensive it is there but the food and drink is incredible and worth it
This is a very attractive adventure in an old Swiss town. I like to try local Swiss food and its wine which is so tasteful. I would like to try local Swiss food if I go back to Switzerland again.
I don’t know where you live in the states but $67 is a deal in Miami with 2 glasses of wine. Love your vlogs, did the Glacier Express and Zermatt so thanks for old memories.
No wonder the restaurant is empty with those prices 😆
I don’t quite get the Irish music at the start of the video 😂 But another great video Sir!
It sorta had castle vibes, so I went with it.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos That’s cool I’m only joking. Stay safe out there!
restaurant in the castle: normal swiss prices 😎 especially for such a location.
Switzerland is the only central western European country that didn’t have the US Air Force make extensive changes to its architecture
It does look like a nice place to visit if you can afford to
It makes more sense to buy a longer term Swiss Rail Pass. A 3-day pass is $283 and a 15 day pass is $524. For 46% more money you get 5 times the amount of days. Also, included in the pass is free entrance to over 500 museums, 50% discount on most mountain excursions, and travel on trains, buses, boats, and public transport. Plus, trains and cable cars that go up the mountains of Rigi, Stanserhorn, Stoos, Brunni, and Klewenalp. In my opinion the pass can make sense for some travelers but not for all.
Livin it up in a castle. Love it. Enjoy!
Hi Gabe, thank you so much to took us to beautiful places. We are waiting next video. Chaos
Im playing a drinking game. Switzerland is expensive. .4 BAC
Always love to watch
Good morning from Arizona 6 AM 98 degrees 2PM Switzerland
I just spent 3 days in Switzerland....I traveled on trains with a Eurail Pass. It was one of the 6 countries I visited. Stayed in a hotel for 100 Swiss Francs a night, then there was a grocery store right near the train station and hotel. I bought all my food at the grocery store. The grocery store wasn't that much more expensive then other ones I shopped in Europe, but it definitely was a bit more for groceries.
Wow Gabriel that castle and view was amazing.
Looks like you travelled in time back to 1500. I was expecting to see a knight holding a sword passing by at any time 🙂
A half fare card gives me also 50% on the cable car tickets.
I've been following you for years and bought your first book. Always great stuff and awesome insight. Thanks Gabriel!
Looking forward to Eastern Europe hopefully I'll be there next summer. 😊
Switzerland 🇨🇭 looks so very magical and enchanting.
The mountains look enchanting but the towns look dead
I visited Italy last month, but did not make it to Switzerland🙂
@@briansmith4520they are not dead at all 😂
My friends in college thought I was an idiot for taking 2 years of German let alone making Swiss friends. Now they know why!
Odd friends lol
Kufstein is in Tirol and famous for its Cristal.
If you're staying in austria for a bit you could visit riegersburg. It's one of my favourite places.
Thank you brother for your video 🙂👍
Hi Gabriel, Sargans is a pretty little town. I loved it, but what impressed me is the fact that you never came across another human been, not even a car. What a contrast to Greece with the fires there and the 44c heat. You are so lucky you escaped all that. Have good trip in Austria and stay safe. Greetings from Queensland Australia
I worked for a Swiss company for many years, and I miss the beautiful landscape, high quality food, and the floral hints lingering in the fresh air. The rail system is pretty amazing and makes it so easy to get around. As a solo traveler I just paid as needed. The pass is a good deal if you are traveling with kids, and includes other modes of transport to get around. The younger generation is very fluent in English, and willing to help you get around, or let you know about festivals etc. The older generation can be a bit standoffish and least likely to speak English or offer you advice. Just my experience.
Happy travels!
Another cheap way to get the train is buy a saver day pass. Without the half fare card it's usually chf59, and chf29 with the half fare card. Gives you the same coverage as the card you purchased, but you need to plan ahead and book these passed in advance as they are limited availability, plus prices increase as more tickets are sold.
Greece for ever Gabriel🎉
Hi Gabriel, you should check out supersaver tickets if you are able to plan in advance, those can give some significant reductions. Also, you should definitely have a look at easy ride - which will actually book the most affordable option the next day for the previous day of travelling. Enjoy your trip!
Everything is expensive there. What we did, flew in to Bergamo( Italy) or any other cheap airport and rented a car and pay the extra 30 euros to drive in to Switzerland. I would visit Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. Just beeing at the bottom of the Eiger's north face, i would consider one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and i was lucky to see a few places in my life.
They had the whole restaurant open and waiting just for him. No surprise that it’s expensive.
Gorgeous town, incredible castle but I can't believe how deserted it is! How do they make any money? I imagine most people stay home due to the high prices.
Looks like they do stay home
I visited the Lake Como area in Italy, last month, but didn't make it to Switzerland!
Kufstein: you will be amazed by the castle, Kufstein Fortress.
Hi Gabriel and thank you for the excellent flow of interesting videos. We stayed in nearby Mayrhofen last September which has cheap hotels (Summer is off-season there, it being a ski resort), many fantastic hiking trails, two cable car destinations, and is easily accesible by rail from Jenbach station on the Ziller Valley Railway...Zillertalbahn. Also from Jenbach, which is only 20 minutes from Kufstein, is the Achenseebahn, a delightful small gauge rack and cog railway up to the mountains and the Achensee - a great turquoise blue and green coloured lake which is amazing to look at and be on. (You can take a boat ride on it from where the train stops). Unlike Switzarland, the fares are very reasonable. Since you will be very close by, and you love hiking, mountains and cheap fares, plus cheap accommodation and food, I would visit the Ziller Valley by rail from Jenbach and stay a night or two in Mayrhofen. Also, they have great beer, live Austrian folk music, and the original folkish vibe is something you will never forget, especially as you love originality in towns and villages.
The castle in Kufstein dominates the town and can be seen as you come into Kufstein railway station. It has many levels and is acccessed by an outdoor lift. Also check out the Kufstein Fortress Heroe's Organ which is the biggest free-standing open air organ in the world, and can be heard right across the town and over a mile away when played. Enjoy Austria, we're English and we did, so I really hope you do, too. Paula and John from Sussex on the South Coast of England.
I have been to Kufstein twice in 2006 & 2012.
I visited Switzerland in 2019 and followed Rick Steves' advice to buy the half-fare card to save money on trains.
That’s the way to go! 👍🏻
Beware of restaurants with white tablecloths if you are on a budget. Looking forward to your videos from Eastern Europe. Hello from a Slovak in Canada!
I hope you mean Central Europe. As a Slovak living in Canada surely you know that Slovakia is in Central Europe, right?
Over 1/2 million! Halaluja! Cong well earned Gabe..
My guess is that people use those passes on the scenic railways. Looks like a cheeky sales tactic by no explaining all the options.
Hi Gabriel. O cool that you will visit Slovenia again. Check the weather before coming here, because there are storms almost every day with wind blowing like crazy. take care
I am enjoying catching up on your latest videos. Such beautiful places in and around Switzerland. I noticed your travel log/journal you carry. I was amazed at all the countries you’ve visited. Almost as many Greek Islands, ha. You likely have thought of it but I recommend taking photographs or photocopies of your journal in case of the unthinkable, you loose it or it get destroyed somehow. Cheers man.
Very nice ❤
4:51 is the British Mountain climbing instructor you mentioned in the earlier video thats stalking you in switzerland
I am not surprised, even for us Swiss people the cost of living is outrageously high.
What would a 5-day skiing holiday in Aspen cost me on high season?
Have a nice time in Austria Gabriel
Maienfeld was/is the setting of the HEIDI book, written by Johanna Spiry. As a movie, it's known worldwide as well as the book which started the Switzerland romanticism. Nice village, was there as a child. Also very famous , nearby Bad Ragaz, is worth a visit. Since it's famous as a health retreat, I assume, nowadays, you can't afford this village.
Seems so 'dark coloured', these Switzerland videos😮, ok, I'm watching from Greece🇬🇷💙😘. Thank you for all the work. Safe travels, Gabe❤
Correct, it is also the Heidi's Village in Maienfeld as a tourist attraction. Cartoon series were made about Heidi and her life in mountainous Switzerland (although in original story she also lives in urban Frankfurt an der Main in Germany for some time and misses mountainous countryside). However, Gabriel was not aware of that story when he was there some years ago.
it seems to be very cool there
I think 40-50 francs is really the upper end of prices for a meal, you can get by with 20-30 francs.
In my case, buying the train ticket online in advance appears to be the way to save some money, and I will try that next time that I come to Geneva. At the train station, it costs CHF 22.80 to go to Morges, but the same ticket when bought online costs CHF 16 (full fare). The CHF 185 half fare card is only worth getting if you're taking several long distance train trips during your stay, or if you visit Switzerland often. As far as affordability, chocolate and fondue are the only items that are decent deals in Switzerland (when bought at Coop or Denner).
Not many places in the world that make Sydney look cheap. But Switzerland definitely does
As a swiss I usually save money when I go on vacation.
As a Swiss, traveling around the world 365 days a year would be the cheapest lifestyle😅, love Sydney by the way!
@@thetobyg
🤣🤣🤣
😂
Great video Gabe!! Beautiful but real expensive! Too bad they sold you a return train ticket when you just needed one way!! Anyways, you would have loved staying at Stans Switzerland... Cheers from Canada!!
They didn't actually sell me a return train ticket. It's kind of complicated. I asked the train worker in Zermatt about the three day Swiss travel pass. He said it was 232 francs. Then I asked him how much the price of the ticket would be from Zermatt to Bern, where I was going the next day. He said it was 90 francs. Based on that I thought that it might be worth getting the three day pass. It turns out that what I showed at the beginning of this video where the price was 45 francs is actually wrong in a sense, because people commented saying that was the price with the half fare card, which I didn't have. So the guy in Zermatt was right, it was in fact 90 francs for the train to Bern one way, without any travel pass. So I didn't lose as much money as I thought but still, I probably would have spent a little less money buying the tickets individually instead of getting the travel pass. But the best deal probably would have been to get the half fare card. I don't know if that clears anything up, probably not, but what it all comes down is that Switzerland is expensive any way you try to do it.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos Yup...a little complicated for most folks that's for sure !! I guess you won't be back for a long time now haha.. This is more expensive than Iceland by far!!
Beautiful! Some of the areas reminded me the surrounding of Salzburg... pricey part of the world, Austria is a little better in the cost. You are right with those rail passes, I never get them, it's a elegant scam...😂
Switzerland looks amazing! Absolutely love watching your videos ! Have you ever been to New Zealand ?
Thanks. Haven't been to NZ yet but definitely want to go.
Beautiful town very quiet and the views from the castle were gorgeous. It’s a shame it’s so expensive I only spent 3 days there last year. l did Zermatt to Chur on the Glacier Express now that was expensive but once in a life time experience looking forward to Austria
Hi Gabe the normal (full) price to travel from Zermatt to Bern (one-way) is 90 swiss francs. The price of 45 chf is actually the 50% discounted price which you get with the “halbtax” train subscription. It’s confusing that the train ticket machine shows the price including the 50% discount card per default. I don’t think you lost money on your 3-day swiss pass based on the train travels you did. Cheers and happy travels 🍺🍺
Thanks for clarifying. That is bizarre that they show the 50% off rate. In that case I probably still lost a little money, probably around 30 francs by buying the three-day pass. I'd figured out that the tickets individually would have cost around 100 francs. So if you double it that's 200, whereas I paid 232 for the pass.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos Yes you are correct. you lost about 10 swiss francs. based on your vlogs the single bought tickets would have cost you totally ca. 220 chf (zermatt-bern, return ticket bern-avenches,bern-sargans, return sargans-vaduz).
in retrospect your best option might have been the 4 day swiss pass for 281 chf. It would have covered all your public transport and 50% eligible discount on your Zermatt gondola tickets. For the Zermatt gondola you also could have bought a multi-day ticket on 50% discount (eligible with the swisscard). Nonetheless I learned a lot of your vlogs. Thanks again! Cheers 🍻
I think they assume all Swiss people buy that half price pass
perfect video gabriel, you did it again!
Switzerland is a banking state, and a very controversial one since ages. Banking states or places are generally expensive, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. 80 usd for an unique dinning experience is ok. Well seasoned travellers know that your target budget is always exceeded, not to talk with a misfortune of a robbery, accident etc.
Yehaaa! ❤
go to Vlašić or Trebević in Bosnia Herzegovina for a cheaper Swiss experience with much better food
0:33 I think I saw Gary Vee 😂
Super 👍👍👍
Dont know if im correct but when you showed the ticked it seemed to state that it also included musea access. Now the museum of fine arts in Bern for example, seems to have a ticketprice of 24 Francs. So I dont think that pass is a ripoff per se if you are really in to things like that and plan to visit multiple musea. The person who sold it to you however is at fault here it seems. He should have explained better what exactly you were buying and maybe enquire about your plans and make a suggestion based on that. The pass was a lot of money, even for Switzerland, so a bit of customer service shouldnt be too much to ask, especially in a tourist town like Zermatt where you can expect that people from abroad might need that kind of help.
Hmm
Please consider going to Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia or Nepal (again)!
India, Bangladesh, Bhutan
The medieval architecture in that part of Europe seems to be similar across the former Holy Roman Empire.
Switzerland is magical only if you can afford it cuz price is indeed that crazy.
Switzerland 🇨🇭 is well known as the most expensive country in Europe 😊
Good morning! 🌲😎🌲
Howdy and good afternoon from Austria.
04:30 Yes. Can you even make the three-day pass pay off?
Would you need to just get on and off trains randomly wherever you can as much as you can for three days?
The plane trip from Sydney be way too long for me but beautiful place
I just came back from Switzerland, my second trip, went last year too. I changed trains at Sargans going from Appenzell to St Moritz.
I know Gabe clearly no country for a normal guy like me 😢
Wow! And people say my country Sweden is expensive! Well, a train ride from my town Sölvesborg to Malmö, which is a 148 km train ride, costs 129 Swedish krona which is about 11 euro, this is the full price right from the ticket machine, without any kind of discount. You can easily get a pizza or burger and fries for €10 at a restaurant (one of those pizza and kebab restaurants run by Middle Eastern immigrants) in Stockholm if you look hard enough, yes even in the Old Town, and the average hotel room in most of the country is about 800 krona per night, which is about 69 euro, but a little bit more expensive in Stockholm, not by much though, but even if you look hard enough there you can get a good room for 800 krona or less (or around 500 krona if you are looking for a private hostel or guest house room with shared bathroom). This is absolutely nothing compared to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, these prices are totally crazy!
With the prices you are happy to pay for your meals l think you are a secret billionaire
If you would like a more affordable castle visit try the hostel in Bacharach, Germany. (At least when I was there a number of years ago) the Plus there are many other castles along the Rhine, Danube, Main etc..
Have you ever tried using Google translate on your phone when you focus on designing foreign language and it translated for you?
It is beautiful apart from the expense… the people seem very reserved.. I’ve really enjoyed your hikes gabe ❤
I believe you have to be a certain kind of rich / affluent to live in Switzerland .. not unlike the Channel Islands
Swiss people are weird. Once they know you it's different, but until then, they sometimes seem to be overly prideful, and overly aware of appearances. Basically, Rich people behaviour. Judgey, and Exclusive.
Isn't this time of year considered the low season? I think the prices of accommodation would be higher during ski season. Man Switzerland has been on my bucket list for quite some time, but I always put it on the back because it is expensive. I'm also a solo traveler, but I think the only way I can visit Switzerland is going with another person and not eat in restaurants just to keep the cost low.
Bavaria is where I live and its not cheap. But Switzerland is really expensive even in comparison to München.
some parts of our money system to save is backwards. not always but sometimes
Hi Gabe, I can't believe you like to go to these places where's nobody is in the streets. I find it so depressing. I feel so lucky to live in Geneva where you meet people from all over the world. Not to mention all the beautiful areas from Geneva to Montreux, the famous festival and incredible landscape on the lake and the Alpes. For me, the best ever, and if Geneva would be on the mediterranean, I'd be even happier. I noticed that I cannot live without water. Safe trip for your next adventure to Austria. All the best ! 🍀... Anne
True..
Though you have the huge L'éman lake..really so beautiful !
Best greetings from Paris 🖐🍀
Absolutely epic view of the castle on the perfectly symmetrical hill...I think every $1 is well spent if anyone wants to enjoy the countless epic views in the "Heaven on Earth" called Switzerland
Gab what's the minimum wage rate?