Swiss cheese or Swiss chocolate?
Lucerne or Bern?
Car or train?
Winter or summer?
Let’s settle this once and for all.
Most Swiss travel videos are a list of things to do that all sound great. The longer you watch, the longer your bucket list grows.
But in this video, we’re actually choosing sides to help you make some real travel planning decisions. So sit down, grab a cup of something warm, and let’s dive in. Because our opinions might surprise you.
Want to Watch instead of Read?
Jungfraujoch or Matterhorn Glacier Paradise?
Brett: Okay, the first question on our list is one we get asked quite often. That is, Jungfraujoch or Matterhorn Glacier Paradise?
Jana: Ooh. Okay. I think this is easy for me because there is just so much to do at Jungfraujoch. Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is awesome and has its own experiences, but you get everything at Jungfraujoch.
- You have the train ride through a tunnel.
- You’re on the longest glacier in Europe.
- You can hike to a mountain hut.
- There’s the ice tunnel, the ice palace.
I mean, there’s just so much there. You could easily spend 3 or 4 hours, where I feel like at Matterhorn Glacier Paradise after an hour, maybe an hour and a half, you’ve done and seen it all, time to go back down.
Brett: Yeah. To me, the best thing about Glacier Paradise was the ride up there.
Jana: By the way, all these questions came straight from our email subscribers. So if you want to learn behind the scenes content about life in Switzerland, or get discounts on our new travel guides, or even just have a chance to influence our future content, then be sure to sign up and save as a spot in your inbox every Saturday.
Traveling Switzerland by Train or by Car
Jana: And the next question: Traveling Switzerland by train or by car?
Brett: All right, this is pretty easy to me. If it’s your first trip to Switzerland, or even your second, third, or fourth, and you’re visiting most of the famous, well-known areas — go by train. It’s just the easiest, most convenient way to travel. You can look out the windows and enjoy the scenery instead of worrying about traffic and navigation and parking.
I think it’s really important to mention, too, that even though you can get off the beaten path with a car, you cannot get to most mountain destinations with a car. So even if you’re renting a vehicle, you’re still going to need to have some sort of train pass in most cases, and have to ride transportation to actually get up into the mountains.
Swiss Hotel or Airbnb
Brett: Next question is hotel or Airbnb?
Jana: Okay, I know we’re going “this or that”, but I kind of have both on this one. If we’re staying somewhere for like three nights or less, I think a hotel is just super convenient. Usually has free breakfast. It’s usually a really central location.
Tip: Get 30 CHF off your annual HotelCard membership using our affiliate link!
But for more than three nights it tends to just be more practical, convenient, and cost effective to just stay in an Airbnb.
Brett or Jana? (just kidding!)
Jana: Next question: Brett or Jana? Oh, I’m just kidding.
Brett: Okay, well, yeah, we’re not going to pick sides because we’re a package deal. So if we haven’t met, we are Jana and Brett, Aplins in the Alps, and our mission is simple. And that’s to help you travel Switzerland with confidence.
Now, I tend to be the numbers nerd and the ideas guy, whereas Jana is the one behind all of our written content and graphics. Basically, she makes things look and sound pretty and she is pretty.
So now that we’ve gotten that silly question out of the way, let’s get back to the more impossible questions.
Lucerne or Bern
Brett: This is a good one. I think a lot of people are actually pretty curious about comparing different cities. So let’s go with Lucerne or Bern?
Jana: Oh, you’re right, we do get asked this question a lot, but it’s no secret that Lucerne is our favorite Swiss city. I just think it has so much to offer in a small city. It has nearby mountains. It has a beautiful old town. There are fortress walls, covered wooden bridges. It’s on a lake. There are museums and restaurants and culture.
And Bern has a lot of that, too. It’s just much bigger. And if you really could only pick one Swiss city, hands down, we would say Lucerne.
Brett: Yeah, I think it’s worth mentioning Lucerne actually is probably the most practical hub if you’re doing day trips in the mountains in central Switzerland (for example, Pilatus and Rigi). Whereas Bern, it just leaves you still like an hour by public transportation from the best mountain destinations in the Berner Oberland (for example, Grindelwald, Wengen, and Lauterbrunnen).
Jana: And Lucerne is actually in between a few of the scenic train routes. So that’s a nice plus.
Brett: That’s true. The Gotthard Panorama Express begins or ends in Lucerne, as well as the Luzern-Interlaken Express.
Brienzer Rothorn or Schynige Platte
Brett: Good question. I’m so glad it’s on the list. If you’re into nostalgic train rides, then the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn is pretty special. It is a working steam train, and there aren’t that many opportunities for a ride like that in Switzerland. It’s beautiful. The views of Lake Brienz and the mountains are incredible, but once you’re up there, there’s not a whole lot to do other than some longer hikes for the most part.
Whereas Schynige Platte has something for everyone. It’s also a beautiful train ride. You will have lake and mountain views. It’s nostalgic with old-timey carriage, original carriages. Once you’re there, there’s a restaurant. There is live alphorn music, and I just feel like the hikes there are more approachable. No matter who you are, you’re going to find something you like.
Jana: You forgot to also mention there’s a great playground at Schynige Platte. There’s an alpine flower garden there. And they just added this new Skywalk View. So there’s just more to do at the top of Schynige Platte than at the Brienzer Rothorn.
Brett: But both of these are just a taste of why we love our hometown area of the Jungfrau Region. So if you’re coming here, be sure to watch this video next to discover our favorite spots and can’t miss places.
Swiss Chocolate or Swiss Cheese
Brett: Maybe the toughest question on this list now? Glad we gave it to you. Swiss chocolate or Swiss cheese?
Jana: Oh man, that is hard because we are foodies. Okay, I think though, you can get really good chocolate other places in the world, like we did a chocolate tour in Belgium and it was so good. But I don’t feel like you can get this quality of cheese elsewhere in the world.
And I don’t mean Swiss cheese like you think in America. The white holey cheese — that is Emmentaler cheese.
I mean, there are so many varieties from mountain and alp cheese to Tête de Moine, but there’s just so much variety — and even raclette and fondue. I just think you have to pick cheese because you can get dozens of different kinds where I feel like chocolate is more similar, and there’s really good quality chocolate elsewhere in the world.
Brett: Yeah, I think I agree. I mean, you can taste the difference from one alp to the other. When you’re eating the cheese, you can even taste what the cows have been grazing on. So cheese is my pick too.
German- or French- or Italian-speaking Switzerland
Jana: This next one is three parts: German or French or Italian-speaking Switzerland?
Brett: Okay. Wow. Let me start by saying this. I think it’s really cool that you can actually have all three experiences in one small country, like the different cultures, languages, food, all that is really cool.
Having said that, and I’m probably gonna make some people mad, so feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments about this or any of the questions… Just keep it civil, this is supposed to be fun!
When I’m in French-speaking Switzerland or Italian-speaking Switzerland, I find that personally I would rather be in France or Italy. Nothing against these places. I enjoy all these places, but that’s my personal take. Whereas when I’m in German-speaking Switzerland, it’s exactly where I want to be.
Jana: Me too. That’s why we live here!
Winter or Spring or Summer or Fall in Switzerland
Brett: All right, well, since you gave me an impossible three-part question, I’m going to give you one of the four-part questions. And that is Winter vs Spring vs Summer or Fall in Switzerland?
Jana: Oh, man. I’m gonna give myself some grace and blend a little here, okay? I’m gonna pick Summer and Fall. So I love summer everywhere. I love the sunshine being warm. I love wearing shorts and a t-shirt. But when I think Switzerland, I think of mountains and lakes and, like, Summer and Fall is just the time to go hiking in the mountains, to go swimming in the lake, to go biking out by the lakes.
But I will say I’m a little biased because I didn’t grow up in the mountains and I didn’t grow up doing winter sports, so I’m naturally not going to choose it because I’m not a skier, snowboarder, anything like that.
Brett: Yeah, I think Winter is pretty obvious what you get and what you don’t get. Spring, I think, is the tough one. I would say that it is the most beautiful time of the year, especially in the Alps. You’ve got the wildflowers. There’s something unique about having so much snow in the mountains. It just adds different depths to the views. Waterfalls are amazing. So if you’re after the typical Swiss beauty, then April, May, even early June I think are ideal.
But a lot of people are caught off guard because they want to do some high mountain trails, do some hiking in the Alps, and you will often find those snow covered even into late-June and early-July. So if that’s why you’re coming, Summer and early-Fall are best. In fact, my favorite times of year the last couple years have been late-September and early-October. Beautiful!
Jungfrau Region or Zermatt
Brett: Here’s a question that many first-time travelers to Switzerland are dying to know an answer to. And that is Jungfrau region or Zermatt?
Jana: That is a tough one!
Brett: These are all tough ones!
Jana: They’re all tough, you’re right. But here’s the thing. We have so much to say on this topic. We’ve already made another video all about it, listing the pros, the cons, and the best experiences in each destination. So instead of spending way too long trying to explain our answer here, I’ll just point you to that one!
The Most Underrated Swiss Canton
Jana: So very recently we just visited our 26th Swiss canton, which means we’ve been to every canton in Switzerland. So your question is: which one is the most underrated?
Brett: Most underrated…I guess that would assume that it’s not well known. So I’m going to go with Canton Glarus.
We were actually last here five years ago. Which means I think we’ll have some pictures, but we’re not probably going to have any videos that we can show you. But it’s a small but mountainous and just beautiful canton.
So the things I remember most from traveling there, we had this picnic on Klöntalersee, which is just this gorgeous little lake, a little picnic breakfast in the morning, and then there’s a mountain area, hiking area called Braunwald that was really, really, really pretty. We also saw some waterfalls there. We began a drive over the Klausen Pass from there.
It’s not a huge Canton. It’s not going to keep you busy forever. But even just as a day trip, maybe from Zurich or elsewhere, I think it’s a hidden gem and definitely a place that people, especially in this case if you have a car, should be checking out.
Jana: I know there are 26 of them, but I would actually say the exact same.
Brett: No way!
Jana: When I thought about this, I thought probably Glarus. I just felt like we were there with locals and there weren’t a lot of tourists, but it had so much to offer. So I agree.
Brett: And by the way, we actually didn’t know what each other was going to say say, so this is super fun for us too.
Best Day Trip from Switzerland to a Nearby Country
Brett: What would you say is the best daytrip from Switzerland to a nearby country?
Jana: Italy, hands down. Italy, no questions there.
You just come to Switzerland, you get the nature, you get the mountains, the lakes. Like you just have all this outdoor time. And then I feel like you go to Italy and you get the food, you get the wine, you get this totally different culture. You cross the Alps and you get the Mediterranean climate, culture, food, people.
So Switzerland and Italy are like best friends to pair together.
Brett: Okay, so I’m going to disagree with you there. I think Switzerland and Italy is the best combo of like two countries to visit in a trip. But I don’t think it’s the best day trip. Maybe you could go to Como because that’s actually only like 40 minutes from Lugano. But most of the really great places, I wouldn’t only want to see on a day trip. It would take longer to get there, and then I would want to spend more time.
Jana: So you’re going to say Liechtenstein?
Brett: I’m not gonna say Liechtenstein, I’m actually going to say Colmar, France. And the reason is it’s beautiful. It’s got these Beauty And The Beast vibes. And it’s less than an hour by train from Basel. So actually it’s a really cool thing to stay in Basel during the Christmas market season because Basel has some of the best markets in the entire country.
But it’s also so easy to go to Colmar and Strasbourg from there.
Jana: I didn’t even think of that and we did that with the Christmas markets, so that’s a good answer. But I might still stick with Italy.
Brett: She’s got Italian heritage :).
Fondue or Raclette
Jana I hope you’re not hungry because the next one is about food: fondue or raclette?
Brett: Well, you can do chocolate fondue…so there’s that. My family actually has been doing a fondue tradition on New Year’s Eve for, like, 25 years. No joke. So I’ve been exposed to fondue for a long time, but, I don’t know.
I just think with raclette, you can have your own little stove in your house. You could do it in a restaurant. Also, the most traditional way is to just do the huge cheese wheel over an open flame and just scrape it off. It’s just awesome. I’ve got to go with raclette.
Jana: I think so too, because you can buy raclette with different spices and herbs in it, so you can have different flavors and you can put it over potatoes, you can put it over bread, you can pair it with sausage. I mean there’s just all these varieties. So I agree. And actually if we ever go out somewhere and there’s an option of fondue or raclette, we always pick raclette.
Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card
Brett: This one’s a little bit more about practical trip planning than about fun experiences. But it’s an important question. Swiss Travel Pass or the Swiss Half Fare Card?
Jana: You always talk about train passes. So I’m honored you’re sharing the spotlight with me for a little bit!
Okay, so we traveled with the Swiss Travel Pass way back on our honeymoon in 2012, but since then, we’ve really only traveled with the Half Fare Card, and now we have the one year Half Fare Card because we live here, that just makes the most sense for us.
But to really answer this, it depends on your travel plans and preferences, because everyone’s itinerary is different. So we actually have an entire Ultimate Swiss Train Pass video and free checklist to help you really pick your best train pass for your itinerary. So I’m just going to point you to that instead of spending 30 minutes trying to answer this question.
GoldenPass Express or Glacier Express
Jana: Let’s keep on with the train topic. GoldenPass Express or Glacier Express?
Brett: So the Glacier Express is an eight-hour train experience. How can you top that? However I’m going to say GoldenPass Express.
I think it’s every bit as beautiful. It’s also just way more practical in my opinion for most trip itineraries, because you can go from Interlaken to Montreux. Those are two places that a lot of travelers have on their trip plans already.
It’s about 3 to 3.5 hours. You’re going to see a lot of diversity — not the higher mountains like you would on the Glacier Express. But you’re going next to Lake Thun. You’re ending on Lake Geneva. Those are so pretty. And you’re also going through some gorgeous little alpine towns. I also just think the experience on board the GoldenPass Express is pretty unique and diversified.
If you do Prestige Class, there’s nothing quite like that in the Swiss scenic train world. But I don’t know. It’s cheating a little bit because it’s not technically the GoldPass Express, but on that same line, you also have the opportunity to do the GoldenPass panoramic trains (so cool), as well as the Belle Epoque trains that make you just feel like you are transported to 100 years ago.
So overall, GoldenPass Express.
Lake Thun or Lake Brienz
Brett: You’ve got to choose between Lake Thun or Lake Brienz.
Jana: This is easy for me, Lake Brienz. I find whenever I want to go to the lake, I go to Lake Brienz. The color of it is just so blue-turquoise. I think it’s so beautiful. There’s not as much to do on this lake. There are a few small towns and the Giessbach waterfalls. But when I just want to go swimming or rest on the lake and look out at the water, I always go to Lake Brienz.
Lake Thun does have castles and it has boat rides. The St. Beatus-Höhlen caves are there, there are more towns, but I don’t know. I just feel like Lake Brienz is a little more of an authentic alpine lake.
Swiss Beer or Swiss Wine
JanaL Are you ready?
Brett: I hope so.
Jana: Swiss beer or Swiss wine?
Brett: Swiss beer or Swiss wine? Swiss wine is really kind of impressing me and growing on me. I’ve had good experiences in Swiss wineries, but I’ve had really, really fun experiences in small Swiss breweries where you just go in and you instantly kind of feel like you know the people that work there.
It’s maybe less about the taste of these things because I do enjoy both. But if I had to pick one, I’d say Swiss beer. Even though if I had to choose one drink overall to enjoy for the rest of my life, I would choose wine.
Jana: I don’t feel like I’m qualified to answer because I don’t like beer, I don’t drink beer. However, I feel like I have to say if you do like wine and want to try Swiss wine, you need to do it while you’re here because Switzerland only exports 1% of their wine.
Brett: That’s a good point.
Jana: So if you like both, there are lots of opportunities to try both, but you really should try the wine here.
Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titlis or Mt. Rigi
Jana: This is another three-part question: Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titlis or Mt. Rigi?
Brett: Oh man. Switzerland has so many amazing places. In fact, you need to read this next because it’ll tell you not only how to choose between these three incredible mountain destinations, but it also has even more day trips that you can enjoy while you’re in Lucerne. So read that next and we’ll see you in Switzerland!