Topic Wiki

Trip Reports
Dan
Yungerman
chucksterace
VacationLover Part 1
VacationLover Part 2
Chapshnell
Tzadik Nistar
@Yehuda - 1 day trip
sam28
Sam28 St Moritz Switzerland kosher Grand Hotel Kempinski
Yehudaa - 18-hour Zurich stopover


Kosher food list 2022

Zurich
HOTELS
-The Park Hyatt is fantastic and a 10 minute walk to shul.
Tram stop: Stockerstrasse

RESTAURANTS

Meat:

Florentin - Located inside he JCC https://florentin.rest/
Tram stop: Bahnhof Enge

Grill Cave

Food truck. Check website for opening hours. Burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs etc.
https://www.thegrillcave.co/


Milk/Parve:

Babi's Bagels (Bederstrasse corner Klopstockstrasse 8002 Zürich) Tram Stop "Waffenplatzstrasse"

Bakery:
Ma'Adan Bakery
Manessestrasse/Schimmelstrasse
Has delicious pastries and also sells sandwiches, salads, and some sushi.

Butcher:
Metzgerei Kol Tuv

Can preorder for pickup.
Can also deliver throughout Switzerland by post.
See website for details.

https://www.koltuv.ch/en

ATTRACTIONS
-Walk around the lake area
-Bahnhofstrasse window shopping
-Take a train to Lucerne and buy the golden ticket, included a boat ride on Lake Lucerne, cogwheel train and tram. Then take bus back to Lucerne
-When you arrive in Lucerne you can go to the tourist office to see a live view from Mount Pilatus (Or you can check online). If it's cloudy skip the cogwheel train and just take a nice boatride and explore the town, ancient bridges, and walk on top of the old city fortress walls.




Options in the Alps

Arosa: Metropol Hotel - quaint little old hotel. Not very fancy - it's like honeymooning in your grandmother's house (HT: Mrs. Moishebatchy). The food is very basic, but delicious. Mikva on premises. If skiing is your thing, the have an agreement with one of the ski places (Härtner) not to charge Metropol customers for ski rentals over Shabbos.


Need a meal on shabbes, please PM me (Chuchem). I live 15 minute walk from the hyatt, close to chabad. Zürich has no eiruv!

Major Attractions
“Please edit the wiki to add more attractions”

Central Switzerland
-Lucerne, Pilatus Offers: Cogwheel, Gondolas, Alpine Sliding, Mini Zip-line and fun area
-Titlis Offers: Gondolas, Snow Tubing, Trutti Bikes, Ice Museum, Row Boating
-Brunni Offers: Gondolas, Alpine Sliding, Stroll in Lake(!)

Jungfrau Region
-Jungfrau/jungfraujoch Click here for the Kosher hotel in Wengen / 360-degree panorama of Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe
-Grindelwald Offers: Gondolas, mega Zip-line, Trutti Bikes

Eastern Switzerland
-St. Moritz
Davos / Klosters
Arosa Click here for the Kosher Levins hotel

Southern Switzerland
-Zermatt - "Matterhorn"
-Saas-Fee Offers: Gondolas, Alpine Sliding, Mega Zip-line, Trotti Bikes, (Saas-Grund has Monster Trotteres) and on top of "Allalin" you can go Snow Tubing and Skiing even in the summer!
-Crans Montana You can email the Kosher hotel in Crans Montana Hotelmk@gmail.com  or call them at 0032485640498 or 003233011600


HalbTax Pass

A HalbTax pass (or Half Fare card) is a card designated for tourists and not for Swiss residents (officially...). The card gives you half price on all public transportation like buses, trains, trams, boats and also on "most" cable cars (attractions). There are basically 4 kinds.

1) An annual pass, the price is currently 175 francs. If i remember correctly it has a photo ID of the recipient, so double check before sharing it.
Click here for the annual pass

2) A 30 day pass, the price is currently 120 francs, it does not have a photo ID on it.
Click here or here for the 30 day pass

3) - Recommended for frequent traveling Swiss Travel Pass - you prepay a set amount per day and get unlimited for that day (plus "optional" for a fee, for 1 month including the days you chose, it is a HalbTax, even on the prepaid free days, it's only free for all transportation, on cable cars you only get half off). The price per day depends on how many days you prepay, for example if you prepay 8 days, the price per day will be about 53 francs, if you prepay 3 days the price per day will be about 73 francs. If you are 25 y/o or younger, you can get the Youth Pass which is cheaper - If you prepay 8 days  the price per day will be about 40 francs a day, if you prepay 3 days the price per day will be about 62 francs.
Click here (or here) for the prepaid pass

The card comes with a few days “you could chose your dates later”, officially when you want to use a certain day for the free day you should fill in on the pass that date, and when the first conductor comes he punches that day, but technically you can leave the date blank until the conductor comes, that way you have a chance if no conductor asks you for your card (happens quite often) you can save it for the next day :)

4) Swiss Transfer Ticket" This card costs 141 francs and is valid for 2 trips from and to the boarder or airport, for example you are traveling from the airport to Arosa and are not planning to go anywhere else or take any other transportation, with this card you will effectively pay 71 francs per way. This card is only valid for trips to and from the airport or boarder and no (long) stops allowed. Technically if you will travel one more day, the Swiss travel pass mentioned above will probably be cheaper.

Make sure to order your pass a few weeks before leaving, it takes about 1-3 weeks for the pass to arrive. But you can always buy it in the Airport, though you might have to wait in line and also if you want to buy the Youth pass (for 25 y/o or younger) they might ask you for proof...

There is also a family pass if you travel with a large family, I am not familiar with that.


Fast Baggage
There is a service via SBB, They deliver your luggage for you!! For example you are traveling from ZRH to Arosa, you don't want to be busy Shlepping around your luggage, You can check in your luggage in the airport and they (SBB) will deliver it to the train station in Arosa. This service is available "from and to" most train stations in Switzerland. You can ask about the Fast Baggage by any train station or read here or here

You can even buy a tag that you put on the luggage before checking in your luggage in any airport (i.e. JFK) and Rail Europe will take your luggage from the airplane in Switzerland and deliver it either to your hotel or to the train station in the city you're going to.  Read about Flight Luggage Here




PS. When doing research and getting to a website in German, just add /en (after .ch) to translate to English.
And Hey, Don't forget to write a TR ;)

Sample Itinerary for 9 hour stopover on Swiss flight from TLV to U.S. that lands at 810 and takes off around 5
Copied from @cholent:
Here it is: landed in zrh, crazy line for entering country but moved pretty quickly, about half an hour. Picked up sim in the airport. Rented car through Priceline from europecar. Drove to Titlis, stunning scenery along drive. Missed a turnoff because I couldn't get Waze to talk and I was trying to do some stuff online while we were driving, added half an hour to get there, but the stunning scenery made it worthwhile. Got there, parked, you pay at the entrance if you're going to park for more than an hour. Paid, took the cable car. Got off at there halfway station by mistake, gorgeous lake. Went back on and back up to the top. It was somewhat cloudy which was a pity. Suspension bridge was fun but no view because of the clouds. Took the ice flyer to the other peak, then went sledding down the hill, lots of fun. No tubing because there wasn't enough snow. We didn't have enough time for the ice cave because of the extra time driving there and we weren't sure where it was anyway. Made some new Israeli friends and took the cable car down with them. Got back to the airport, returning the car took less than five minutes, getting through the airport took a little longer so we didn't have time for showers at the lounge. It was amazing all around, I would definitely recommend

« Last edited by yyzzrh on October 20, 2022, 01:16:48 PM »

Author Topic: Switzerland Master Thread  (Read 603979 times)

Offline moish

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 10006
  • Total likes: 297
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Programs: AA LT Plat, Avis, SPG Plat
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #40 on: June 15, 2010, 01:08:02 PM »
is the hotel closing down or are they only going to be open winter?  another hotel ive heard rave reviews about in st moritz but havent stayed there myself is the badrutts palace

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #41 on: June 15, 2010, 01:29:55 PM »
is the hotel closing down or are they only going to be open winter?  another hotel ive heard rave reviews about in st moritz but havent stayed there myself is the badrutts palace
Badrutts palace, Suvretta, Kulm and Kempinsky are the nice hotels in St. Moritz, but they cost alot. Most will start with 400 USD a room. The hotel that I gave is very basic but 1/3 of the price. So if you have the cash and its important to you then go to the mentioned 4. I dont think its worth it. You can have a drink at night in any of these places. The room is nicer, but thats it

Offline AtallD

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 271
  • Total likes: 11
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: NYC
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #42 on: June 15, 2010, 03:10:11 PM »
We went to switzerland last summer for five days and then to Israel. We stayed in Lucerne - abosolutely beautiful! a quiet, gorgeous, 'city,' surrounding 'Lake Lucerne.' We took 2 day trips to surrounding mountains with 'Best of Switzerland'  - booked through Viator.com (Day 2: Mt. Pilatus - up by cable car and down by steepest cogwheel train (48% gradient)  mt. is 7,000 feet high, beautiful views and hiking trails. and Day 23: Mt. Titlis - up and down by 3 cable cars (one revloving one) mt. is10,000 feet high, iceflyer (wide chair lift where you can see close-up crevasse views), and sledding!). Day 4:We rented a speed boat at the lake for a reasonable price and it was absolutely beautiful - surrounded by mountains and clear blue water! Lucerne is not as touristy as St. Moritz and you can find really nice hotels at much cheaper prices. We stayed at the hotel Astoria (make sure to get superior room) which was just 5 min walk from the main train station and from the shul. The only down side is there is not much kosher food. There is kosher bread in a bakery near the shul. You will have to get a list of which ones are good or jsut ask at the shul. There is a small kosher grocery that sells a few kosher items but you ahev to call and make an appointment for them to open up for you. We stocked up in Zurich before we headed by train to Lucernce (approximately an hr train ride.) Our hotel had a fridge so it worked out great.

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #43 on: June 15, 2010, 04:46:52 PM »
We went to switzerland last summer for five days and then to Israel. We stayed in Lucerne - abosolutely beautiful! a quiet, gorgeous, 'city,' surrounding 'Lake Lucerne.' We took 2 day trips to surrounding mountains with 'Best of Switzerland'  - booked through Viator.com (Day 2: Mt. Pilatus - up by cable car and down by steepest cogwheel train (48% gradient)  mt. is 7,000 feet high, beautiful views and hiking trails. and Day 23: Mt. Titlis - up and down by 3 cable cars (one revloving one) mt. is10,000 feet high, iceflyer (wide chair lift where you can see close-up crevasse views), and sledding!). Day 4:We rented a speed boat at the lake for a reasonable price and it was absolutely beautiful - surrounded by mountains and clear blue water! Lucerne is not as touristy as St. Moritz and you can find really nice hotels at much cheaper prices. We stayed at the hotel Astoria (make sure to get superior room) which was just 5 min walk from the main train station and from the shul. The only down side is there is not much kosher food. There is kosher bread in a bakery near the shul. You will have to get a list of which ones are good or jsut ask at the shul. There is a small kosher grocery that sells a few kosher items but you ahev to call and make an appointment for them to open up for you. We stocked up in Zurich before we headed by train to Lucernce (approximately an hr train ride.) Our hotel had a fridge so it worked out great.

Thanks for your input and small tripreport. Lucerne is very nice, but its not in the mountains. Its a regular city surrounded by nice mountains. But its not the swiss Alps. St. Moritz is 1800 m high and a proper mountain village. Its surrounded by little villages, that are very scenic and there are beautiful hikes around.

You cant compare St. Moritz to Lucerne, its totaly diffrent. But I will say it again, especially since this is the last year of "kosher" st. moritz, go there!


Offline kivabb

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2010
  • Posts: 747
  • Total likes: 84
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #44 on: June 16, 2010, 10:29:18 AM »
If I have a 36 hour stop over in Zurich on my way over to TLV on Swiss, what happens with my luggage? Lockers? Any difference if I fly business class? Would Swiss hold for me? Thanks

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #45 on: June 16, 2010, 12:23:49 PM »
no they will not hold it for you. Its a regular stop and you will have to collect, they will only send it to end destination if its less then 24 hours. Deposit it at the luggage storage at the airport or take it to your hotel.

Offline ChAiM'l

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jan 2010
  • Posts: 1823
  • Total likes: 51
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 4
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #46 on: June 16, 2010, 03:06:25 PM »
Arosa was great for me!

YAY! 30 posts!!!!

Offline kivabb

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2010
  • Posts: 747
  • Total likes: 84
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #47 on: June 16, 2010, 03:08:35 PM »
Deposit it at the luggage storage at the airport or take it to your hotel.

Anyone have ballpark idea how much it would cost to hold 4 bags in storage? I assume shleping 4 bags 2 ways on a train can be cumbersome. Thanks

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #48 on: June 16, 2010, 04:37:41 PM »
I dont know how much it is. What hotel are you staying and how many people are you. I can tell you how good its linked to public transport.

Offline AtallD

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 271
  • Total likes: 11
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: NYC
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #49 on: June 16, 2010, 04:44:25 PM »
There is a baggage storage at the main train station in Zurich so you could take your bags there and leave them. It used to be... 12 CHF per bag for day 1 and 7 CHF per bag per day 2 and 3. The prices may have gone up... check the Swiss Rail website (www.sbb.ch/en) for stations and services.

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #50 on: June 16, 2010, 04:58:29 PM »
This is the pricelist at the airport

http://www.zurich-airport.com/Portaldata/2/Resources/documents/dienstleistungen/ZRH_Gepaeckaufbewahrung_EN.pdf

Its not to bad. Dont shlep it with you!

Offline kivabb

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2010
  • Posts: 747
  • Total likes: 84
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #51 on: June 16, 2010, 05:11:42 PM »
This is the pricelist at the airport

http://www.zurich-airport.com/Portaldata/2/Resources/documents/dienstleistungen/ZRH_Gepaeckaufbewahrung_EN.pdf

Its not to bad. Dont shlep it with you!

Thanks. They don't call you chuchem for nothing.

Offline SuperFlyer

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 9351
  • Total likes: 414
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #52 on: June 16, 2010, 05:31:31 PM »
This is the pricelist at the airport

http://www.zurich-airport.com/Portaldata/2/Resources/documents/dienstleistungen/ZRH_Gepaeckaufbewahrung_EN.pdf

Its not to bad. Dont shlep it with you!
Thanks. They don't call you chuchem for nothing.

Not sure, the file doesn't open.

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #53 on: June 16, 2010, 06:10:26 PM »
It does, just tried again

Offline SuperFlyer

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 9351
  • Total likes: 414
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #54 on: June 16, 2010, 06:16:45 PM »
It does, just tried again

Maybe its my pc, but I promise you i cannot open it.

local pdfs I can.

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16909
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #55 on: June 16, 2010, 06:18:43 PM »
It works in IE but not FF for me.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline SuperFlyer

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 9351
  • Total likes: 414
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #56 on: June 16, 2010, 06:20:45 PM »
in chrome i don't get anything.

Offline chuchem

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 2323
  • Total likes: 30
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #57 on: June 16, 2010, 06:26:08 PM »
I use IE, so I guess whoever wants can check it on IE or find it through googling zuerich airport, passenger services

Offline ChAiM'l

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jan 2010
  • Posts: 1823
  • Total likes: 51
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 4
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #58 on: June 16, 2010, 06:32:41 PM »
I use chrome and pdfs never open in the browser. That's what I use IE for (that, and Bing cb)....

Offline SuperFlyer

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 9351
  • Total likes: 414
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #59 on: June 16, 2010, 06:34:41 PM »
I use chrome and pdfs never open in the browser. That's what I use IE for (that, and Bing cb)....
normally it goes.