When you are on a tight budget.....

....you don't need to be with a tight stomach also. As with U.K and many other European countries, Switzerland is pretty expensive in most everything including food. If you will be going out for a long trip or even just a walk in the park, it is best to bring your own food rather than go to a restaurant when hunger strikes. Hotels and restaurants in Switzerland can be very expensive, even McDonalds can be expensive also if you compare it with the prices in the U.S. The best thing to do is pack you food ahead. You can also buy your food in the grocery stores like Migros and Coop. A bottle of coke or water can cost twice in the restaurant or the train stations than in the grocery stores. Some Migros and Coop branches have also restaurants which offer cheaper choices but are nevertheless good quality food.
I also find souvenir items cheaper in resorts compared with those found in the stores in Zurich or the Malls.
....AND the best tip if you want to enjoy your stay in Switzerland and spend less is to stay with a relative or a friend. If you will be staying for more than a week, it is best to stay with a friend rather than a hotel. Hotels are only good if you will be staying in resorts for a a day or two. Staying with a friend will not only be cheaper but you will meet a lot of new friends in the process. You will also experience how to live in Switzerland, in a real house not a hotel.
So plan your trip now.

The Swiss Pass- The Best Way To See Switzerland

Switzerland is a relatively small but rich country. The landscape is just spectacular. It is almost a picture perfect scene most of the time anywhere in the country. If you love nature, then this is certainly the place to go. If you want to see glaciers, lakes, mountains, vast orchards and not to mention beautiful architecture at one time in two to three hours then you will be disappointed.

Visiting Switzerland is expensive but you can be creative and still truly enjoy this marvelous country. Because of its small size and thanks to its efficient transportation system, you can travel from one region to the other in a few hours. Zurich to Geneva is only approximately 4 hours travel by train. In a matter of hours you will be transported by the efficient Swiss railway system from the German speaking Zurich to the French speaking Geneva in the west.

Buying a train ticket on every trip will probably cost you a fortune especially if you are planning to stay for weeks in this beautiful country. So how did me and my sister survived with little money in our pocket and were still able to visit almost all of Switzerland?

The answer is the SWISS PASS. Before knowing that this exists, we were tied to the house of our cousins most of the time. The most we did was to hike around the area, which was not bad at all considering that the scenery was so beautiful. But we knew that there was so much out there waiting to be explored. Our cousins and friends were more than willing to show us around but they have to work too. Its good enough that we have a place to stay and somebody to feed us...especially helpful since food in Switzerland is really expensive.

The Swiss Pass is a ticket for unrestricted travel on the entire network of the Swiss Travel System including the train, bus, and boat. This is all you ever need to get to all of Switzerland. You can also take the Post Bus where the train could no longer go. We bought a Swiss Pass that is good for one month since we were there to travel and enjoy for more than a month. You can hop and get off the train, bus, tram, boat anytime you want leaving no room for you to worry whether you miss a stop or need to get another train. Its hazzle free and enables you to go around Switzerland for less. You can book for trains going to scenic routes, see the glaciers, visit Zermatt where the Matterhorn is, the possibilities are endless.

Schengen visa is now accepted to enter Switzerland

as of December 12, 2008, schengen visas are now accepted to enter Switzerland. Anyone holding a schengen visa is now allowed to enter Switzerland without having to apply for a separate Swiss Visa. This also means that anyone holding a Swiss issued schengen visa can already enter any schengen state. Now this is good news to everyone. Visit this website for more informations:
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/eur/vbel/ref_visinf/visbel.html

Applying a Visa for Switzerland

I have been asked so many times how to get a tourist visa for countries like the U.S, Canada, and for Europe maybe because I have quite some experiences in this matter. Getting a visa is not easy especially if its your first time. You also need to know what are the visa requirements for a specific country. Most visa forms can be downloaded from the internet through the country's official website. I know a lot of people who have the money to travel the world but just don't have the patience, time or even guts to go to the embassy and apply for a visa. It is frustrating to apply for a visa and get denied even if you have the best intention of just being a tourist, no more than that...no hidden agenda or anything of that sort.
How exciting, frustrating, or nerve wracking is it to apply for a visa in any country? I was 27 and didn't have a job. I passed my board exam a few years back but didn't really wanted to practice dentistry. Then why not travel? i told myself. I wasn't doing anything just might as well go for an adventure...but where?SWITZERLAND!...sounds exciting!
I have few cousins who work in Switzerland for quite a long time already and getting a visa with sponsors may not be so hard.
So how one gets a visa for Switzerland?It was easier then in the '80's or '90's but if you have friends or relatives living there, it might still be not as frustrating as like applying a visa for the U.S or Canada.
Applying for a tourist visa for Switzerland during my first trip was almost a breeze. My cousin who lives there did all the processing for me. She went to the community office or Gemeinde in place where she lives. From there she gets the papers for sponsoring a visitor and have it approved by the police. Once it has the seal of approval, it is then forwarded to the the main Swiss Embassy of your country and in my case the Swiss Embassy in Manila. All you have to do is call the embassy and book for an appointment. Once you are there, it is almost as if your visa is already pre-approved. You just need to answer few questions to confirm your relationship with the sponsor.
Today, applying a visa for Switzerland has already changed procedures. Now you need to have an appointment with the embassy fill up an application form. If your travel will be sponsored by a relative or a friend, you need to send these papers to your sponsor in Switzerland who will have these processed in the Gemeinde and then return these back to you for another set of appointment with the embassy. A little more complicated than it used to be. If you are interested to visit Switzerland or have relatives there who are willing to be your sponsor, try to visit this website http://www.eda.admin.ch/manila . If you are planning to apply for a visa in any country, it is always best to have as much information as you can get from the internet before starting your application. The embassy's website will tell you how to apply and will give you very relevant information. It is more worthwhile than letting your travel agency do the processing for you. More often than not, the only thing these travel agencies know is to submit your application. It is also much better to asked those who have applied for a visa in that certain country, first hand experience is much better than relying on travel agents who might have not been able to travel or apply for visas themselves.
It is also best to get a Europe travel insurance. You can get one from axa travel insurance, AIG, or some other notable insurance companies. A travel insurance for Europe is a needed requirement for getting a schengen travel visa. You should always check your passport's validity before applying a visa and before travelling. Your passport should be at least 6 months valid at the time of your intended travel to avoid complications during your trip.

Can't wait to start ...

Its 12:43 a.m. The long holiday break has left me with nothing to do but sleep and eat. One week has passed and I want to do something different. Maybe blogging is different from what I usually do....

I always want to go to places even as a child. My dad worked as a salesman then a manager of an appliance store. We changed homes like we changed our clothes. But we loved the adventure sans the packing of things and moving.
Locally, i have visited places of interest in my country. I have been to Baguio, Davao, Manila, Bohol, Tagaytay, and Bacolod. Those were interesting trips but my real adventure started when I had my first trip abroad.

Being a filipino, I have to go through a lot of hazzle getting a visa. This is one reason why even those who have the money to spend in a trip abroad get discouraged to travel outside the country. Most embassies in Philippines are located either in Makati City or Roxas Boulevard. People who don't have the patience to spend time in busy Manila and secure a visa are left with no choice but to stay and spend their holiday in the Philippines or in other Asian countries which do not require a visa. Getting a visa is not easy. You can get denied even with the purist intentions.

I have been denied a Canadian Visa 5 times but that was part of my adventure. Now I can coach applicants on what to do to be granted a visa.

This blog will tell you about the places I have been to, how to get there and my adventures getting visas from the countries I have been to. This will be a fun ride so please be sure to come back and check my blog.

The Creation

Dec 30, 2009

After almost 20 years of using the computer and spending endless time in the internet, I decided to start my own blog. I have read a few blogs myself and thought that creating one might be fun.
I love to travel a lot and maybe i will be able to share with you how to go on trips without spending your fortune. However, if you have money to burn it would be different and it would be a different adventure. But for those who have less in their pocket but wants to see places then this is the blog to read.
Come journey with me!