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Dan
Yungerman
chucksterace
VacationLover Part 1
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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 604015 times)

Offline moisheyb

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1460 on: March 02, 2017, 02:00:02 PM »
And how much interest is the cheese factory, vineyard, and caviar farm, when you can't even sample their products,
as it's cholov akum, Yayin Nesech, and caviar from sturgeon?

Agreed agreed and agreed although I would still consider a cheese factory as I don't know of any jewish ones locally.

Offline ari9

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1461 on: March 02, 2017, 10:29:18 PM »
Does anyone have an information or experience for staying in Geneva over Shabbos?
- Place to buy Shabbos food when I land on Friday
- Shabbos compatibility for the President Wilson hotel or Hotel de la Paix
- Walkable shul to either of those hotels

Thanks!


Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1462 on: March 03, 2017, 02:53:51 AM »
Does anyone have an information or experience for staying in Geneva over Shabbos?
- Place to buy Shabbos food when I land on Friday
- Shabbos compatibility for the President Wilson hotel or Hotel de la Paix
- Walkable shul to either of those hotels

Thanks!

See: http://www.jewishgeneva.com/   Although the residents probably do their
shopping over the border in Gaillard, France as it would be a few times cheaper.

President Wilson would be a great place, but it would be 2km walk to the shuls.
Hotel de la Paix would be much closer - but for me shabbos compatibility would
be issues with the electric card key, access to the stairs, motion sensors, etc.


Offline bestwatchman

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1463 on: March 03, 2017, 07:26:12 AM »
Does anyone have an information or experience for staying in Geneva over Shabbos?
- Place to buy Shabbos food when I land on Friday
- Shabbos compatibility for the President Wilson hotel or Hotel de la Paix
- Walkable shul to either of those hotels

Thanks!


chabad will set you up with families for the meals if that interests you or you can order from
Private Catering:
Mrs. Gisèle Levy
+41 79 265 44 79
President Wilson is about 40 min enjoyable walk on the lake from the shuls. La paix maybe 30 min.

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1464 on: March 03, 2017, 08:16:45 AM »
chabad will set you up with families for the meals if that interests you or you can order from
Private Catering:
Mrs. Gisèle Levy
+41 79 265 44 79
President Wilson is about 40 min enjoyable walk on the lake from the shuls. La paix maybe 30 min.

I would say 25 minutes walk from President Wilson, and 12 minutes from La paix to the Machzikei Hadas shul.

Offline ari9

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1465 on: March 03, 2017, 11:04:09 AM »
See: http://www.jewishgeneva.com/   Although the residents probably do their
shopping over the border in Gaillard, France as it would be a few times cheaper.

President Wilson would be a great place, but it would be 2km walk to the shuls.
Hotel de la Paix would be much closer - but for me shabbos compatibility would
be issues with the electric card key, access to the stairs, motion sensors, etc.

Thanks!
I had looked at that website but couldnt figure out which store would be most appropriate for Shabbos type of food.
I'm looking in to Hotel de la Paix - they told me they have stairs that access the rooms. Do you know for sure that there are motion sensors or other Shabbos related issues?

Offline bestwatchman

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1466 on: March 04, 2017, 01:42:42 PM »
I don't believe there are motion sensor issues at hotel de la paix

Offline ari9

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1467 on: March 05, 2017, 01:00:47 AM »
I don't believe there are motion sensor issues at hotel de la paix
thanks

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1468 on: March 05, 2017, 08:20:04 AM »
Thanks!
I had looked at that website but couldnt figure out which store would be most appropriate for Shabbos type of food.
I'm looking in to Hotel de la Paix - they told me they have stairs that access the rooms. Do you know for sure that there are motion sensors or other Shabbos related issues?

I never stayed there, so I wouldn't know. I was just saying in general to research all the issues and not just distance from the shuls.
Relating another story, a few years ago, I was in a hotel in Calgary, and they confirmed with me that I would be able to use the stairs.
Coming back to the hotel after my 5-km walk on Friday night, the door to the stairs was locked.  I had to argue with the hotel staff for a long time, as they insisted that somebody will escort me on the lift. Finally, after half an hour, they let a staff member escort me up the stairs.
And then having to use electric tape on the door, so I can enter without a card, with all the trouble, I prefer the Airbnb route.

As far as food, there is a community restaurant Le Jardin, that can provide you with meals that can be delivered to your hotel.
The supermarkets are in Gailard, France:  e.g. Espace Casher. To get there, take Tram #12 to the last stop, Moillesulaz Thônex, cross the border and it's a few minute walk from there.

Offline davidtron

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1469 on: March 14, 2017, 12:25:52 PM »
After reading through the forums one thing is  not particularly clear. If i purchase a Swiss Travel Pass which includes unlimited travel , does that include a cable car ride up mt. pilatus for example? Or ill have to purchase another ticket on top of the Swiss Travel Passn in order to go up. As well  does it include the boat ride? Also i was wondering if this is a good itinerary -

Land in zrh 11:05 sunday morning , take the train to hotel, check in then head to lucerne and take the boat ride and walk around and maybe go up piltus if its nice weather, head back to zurich , for the night. Monday take train to Wengen and go on the gondola then go back to zurich for supper at shein un fein and go to sleep and leave early tuesday morning.

Does this sound ok or i'm doing something wrong or missing something.

Thanks!

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1470 on: March 14, 2017, 02:41:15 PM »
After reading through the forums one thing is  not particularly clear. If i purchase a Swiss Travel Pass which includes unlimited travel , does that include a cable car ride up mt. pilatus for example? Or ill have to purchase another ticket on top of the Swiss Travel Passn in order to go up. As well  does it include the boat ride? Also i was wondering if this is a good itinerary -

Land in zrh 11:05 sunday morning , take the train to hotel, check in then head to lucerne and take the boat ride and walk around and maybe go up piltus if its nice weather, head back to zurich , for the night. Monday take train to Wengen and go on the gondola then go back to zurich for supper at shein un fein and go to sleep and leave early tuesday morning.

Does this sound ok or i'm doing something wrong or missing something.

Thanks!

The cable cars such as Mt. Pilatus, you would only get a 50% reduction. The boats are part of the integrated Swiss public transport system, so they are free/included with the Swiss Travel Pass. My recommendation would be to head out straight to Luzern from the airport, a direct train would take a little over an hour. Leave your luggage either in the lockers or in the left baggage office (there closes at 7pm) in the Luzern train station, and explore. Instead of heading back to Zürich, why don't you stay in a hotel closer to Wengen for the night, so you don't have a long 3 hour train ride in the morning. You take a train from Luzern to Interlaken, and stay in a hotel overnight there. Have a productive Monday morning, you have 12 hours of daylight from 6:30am. Store your luggage in Interlaken Ost train station, and then go on to Wengen (45 minutes away), and explore the other alpine villages such as Gimmelwald, Grindelwald, Mürren Schilthorn, etc. Afterwards, travel back to Interlaken, collect your luggage, and continue on a train to Zürich.

see https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Interlaken
http://wikitravel.org/en/Interlaken
http://wikitravel.org/en/Gimmelwald
http://wikitravel.org/en/Grindelwald
http://wikitravel.org/en/Murren

Offline davidtron

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1471 on: March 14, 2017, 03:15:28 PM »
On this website
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/holidays--short-breaks-in-switzerland/swisstravelsystem/swiss-travel-pass.html

it says included in the swiss travel pass "Including mountain excursions to: Pilatus, Rigi and Schynige Platte" . is there an additional cost that is not stated on the website?

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1472 on: March 14, 2017, 03:31:50 PM »
On this website
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/holidays--short-breaks-in-switzerland/swisstravelsystem/swiss-travel-pass.html

it says included in the swiss travel pass "Including mountain excursions to: Pilatus, Rigi and Schynige Platte" . is there an additional cost that is not stated on the website?

Wow, at first, I thought this was a mistake but I now confirmed that Pilatus was added as of this Jan 1st, 2017 to be free with the Swiss Travel Pass. 

Offline davidtron

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1473 on: March 15, 2017, 06:53:30 PM »
Are you able to buy the Swiss Travel Pass online and print at home or use on your phone? When i attempt to purchase it says mail only

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1474 on: March 16, 2017, 12:16:30 AM »
Are you able to buy the Swiss Travel Pass online and print at home or use on your phone? When i attempt to purchase it says mail only

https://shop.swissrailways.com/swisspass.html?affiliateid=23&language=en&currency=CHF

There is an option to collect it at the airport.

Offline mn524

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1475 on: March 16, 2017, 02:46:01 AM »
If one drinks Chulov Stam, is one allowed to drink the milk throughout Switzerland?

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1476 on: March 16, 2017, 05:55:50 AM »
If one drinks Chulov Stam, is one allowed to drink the milk throughout Switzerland?

Yes, but note there are 1.59 million cows in Switzerland, and the kosher stores in Zürich carry long-life
milk (UHT) that doesn't need to be refrigerated till opened.

The following links, you can get the kosher list including cholov stam products.

www.irgz.ch/downloads/koscherliste_aktuell.pdf  -- The Swiss youghurts are very nice.

Also, not related, but wanted to add a friend of mine was in a Swiss cheese factory (non-kosher), and the government inspectors shut down the entire factory because there was a small leak in the bathroom.

Also, note, in Switzerland the milk mostly commons from dozens of small farms, so the cholov yisrael mashgichim have to make multiple rounds to a few farms each morning.

Offline mn524

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1477 on: March 16, 2017, 07:29:03 AM »
Yes, but note there are 1.59 million cows in Switzerland, and the kosher stores in Zürich carry long-life
milk (UHT) that doesn't need to be refrigerated till opened.

The following links, you can get the kosher list including cholov stam products.

www.irgz.ch/downloads/koscherliste_aktuell.pdf  -- The Swiss youghurts are very nice.

Also, not related, but wanted to add a friend of mine was in a Swiss cheese factory (non-kosher), and the government inspectors shut down the entire factory because there was a small leak in the bathroom.

Also, note, in Switzerland the milk mostly commons from dozens of small farms, so the cholov yisrael mashgichim have to make multiple rounds to a few farms each morning.

I will be going straight to davos, and won't be in zurich at all. Can i buy that milk or any other types there?

Offline Saulius

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1478 on: March 17, 2017, 10:04:37 AM »
I will be going straight to davos, and won't be in zurich at all. Can i buy that milk or any other types there?

Yes, but only in the Summer months in the Spar supermarket...

Offline gubevo18

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Re: Switzerland Master Thread
« Reply #1479 on: March 24, 2017, 04:50:36 PM »
Which part of Switzerland would be most accommodating to see the alps with a 1 year old in tow?
I'll have a week in total.
Summer months