So can you guess my next travel destination from my previous Paris post?😊
Warning: Glorious views ahead in this post 😊
DAY 1: Willkommen In Interlaken, Schweiz!
(Welcome to Interlaken, Switzerland!)
Interlaken is situated in the Bernese Oberland, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. It is presided over by 3 major mountains – Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau! So can you imagine the picturesque view I woke up to every morning?! 😀 With that cold,crisp Swiss air……mmmmmmmmmm.
How did we get to Interlaken?
Well, we took TGV Lyria from Paris Gare Lyon. But before we even board the train, we had to print the tickets in Paris that we have already purchased (4 months prior) on their website. Tickets can be printed from a SNCF self service terminal at the train station or at a ticket office before departure by retrieving using the booking reference.
From Paris Gare Lyon, we traveled to Basel and switched trains on a connecting platform to Interlaken West via SBB(Swiss Federal Railways). And all trains leave on time. 7.23am means 7.23am, not 7.22am! On this trip, we mostly did our exercise by chasing trains, with weights (backpacks) on our backs! Traveling from Paris to Interlaken took me awhile to grasp because it is SO soooo complex, but on the contrary, I LOVE planning every bit of it! I think I have found my calling. LOL! The satisfied feeling of completing a full on, planned out itinerary and actually following through it~Â
Happy faces in the morning~ 😀
Rushing for the connecting train~!
Tickets were purchased here and it costs about 300 SGD per pax. Yeah pretty pricey, I know. Cheapest option would be driving from Paris to  Interlaken. Just rent a car and you’re good to go. However it takes about 6 hours without stopping for breaks so take this route if you have time to kill! Another option is flying. Nearest airport  from Paris CDG is Bern. From Bern, you have to rent a car and drive up to Interlaken. Again, if you have time to kill, then go for it! Driving is always the better option to road trip from one city to the next! Just think about that epic views! Ok note to self – next Swiss adventure!
The views were stunning! Swiss, I LOVE YOU.
5 hours and sleeps later, we arrived at Hotel Central Continental, a 3 star hotel. A 3 minute walk from Interlaken west train station! Pretty convenient if you’re travelling with seniors and kids.
I rate this hotel 4/5 cookies!
What I LOVE about this hotel is its old school, vintage feel.
The damn nice patio
(Picture from Hotel Central Continental )
(Picture from Hotel Central Continental
Since we were on a budget, this was the best option as prices can be exorbitant in Swiss, from shopping to dining to accommodation. Hotel Central Continental comes with morning breakfast as well!
DAY 2: Reise An Die Spitze Europas
(Journey To The Top Of Europe)
Headed to Jungfrau – the Top Of Europe! We purchased tickets here!
Jungfrau sits at 4,158 metres, is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps! Due to its high summit, some people may get altitude sickness. It can strike if you walk or climb to a higher elevation or altitude too quickly. Â Symptoms include but not limited to, headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The best way you can lower your chances of getting altitude sickness is through acclimatization. In other words, allowing your body to slowly get use to the changes in air pressure as you move up to higher elevation. I guess for the train ride up, you can always get off a stop earlier before continuing your ascend to Jungfrau.
Surprisingly it wasn’t freezing or anything. With the scorching sun right above us, I was melting in the snow. Lol. And it gave me temporary snow blindness, due to the intense radiation at high altitudes and also because I did not wear sunglasses! I’ll share more tips on this in the next post!
About an hour ish or so, we took the same train back down to Kleine Scheidegg  for an impromptu snowboarding sesh!! I think we paid about $100 each for 1.5 hours? LOL.
This is what happens when you don’t plan stuff in advance! The beginner snowboarding class was actually meant for the whole day but we arrived late at Kleine and it closes at 4pm? So we only had 1.5hours of play time! ☹ Note to self – spend the whole day for the next Swiss adventure!
So of course my suggestion is to start your day early if you plan on skiing or snowboarding! Make your money worth!
OK So we were given 2 choices – Ski or snowboard. Of course, we went for the cooler option. LOL. There I was, ready to take on the Olympics. ROFL!
Preparation took time!
#passportready? NAH. #OLYMPICSREADY BRAH! 😀
The guy on the left is our instructor! The rope Shah is holding onto for dear life is the rope that pulls him back up to the top of the hill – like a pulley system.
Yep…..anytime now guys. Still waiting for them to come back up. LOL.
yay! my turn!!! Standing up is such a pain in the butt!
Pro lah.
I popped my head in for a photo because I really couldn’t move with my snowboard intact!
My feet were stuck in an awkward position. Removing my shoes from the board is such a hassle! Imagine having to put them on! I took like 15 minutes?!
Times where we couldn’t break and instead landed on our asses.
SUPER FUN! SKI NEXT DEFINITELY~!
Sadly though, when it comes to food, there’s no halal food available at Jungfrau nor at Kleine. So remember to pack food for your journey up, and TONS of mineral water! (PS: I’ll definitely summarize in a post, all halal food throughout my adventure in Europe!)
DAY 3: Roadtrip Nach Luzern!
(Roadtrip to Lucerne!)
Again, we didn’t plan much in Swiss. Wanted to go paragliding but it was a bit too expensive! ☹ It cost about $200 SGD per person? Maybe next time. But then again, if you’re all about the experience, then go for it! Check out some other activities available in Interlaken! There’s BUNGY!!!!
So we decided to rent a car for 6 instead from Europcar and drive up to Lucerne which is about an hour away.
Driving in Swiss wasn’t bad at all, except for when the fog decided to magically erase our roads, making us drive through blindly. But it was a good experience though! I can’t say the same for the driver. hehehe.
And there was one scenario whereby our car had to share road space with an oncoming truck on a winding mountain slope. I could literally see the drop down from the cliff.  If that didn’t make you piss your pants, I don’t know what will. LOL! But I guess drivers there are quite used to small road spaces ey.
Foggy driving conditions! But nonetheless, Shah got us safely, everywhere. 🙂
Freezing cold Lucerne!
Chapel Bridge. Oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland dating back to mid 14th Century. It was actually built as a part of a defensive wall for Lucerne. The purpose was to join the old and new part of the town and serve as a protection from any attack that would come from the lake at the south. Another cool thing about it is that below it’s roof, triangular paintings depict events from the history and legends of Lucerne! Ahh such a sucker for places with rich history!
VINTAGE SHOPS EVERYWHERE. I LOVE IT!
Shopping!
Giant sized Twix!
Made countless pit stops on our drive back to Interlaken! THE. VIEW. OMG.Â
Total of 3 days were spent in Swiss. Honestly, there is still SO much to explore and mountains to conquer! I would probably just do a road trip in Swiss and cover all the cities and mountains. (To my forever travel buddy – this is a yes, yes? 😊)
So where am I to next???!!!
Find out soon! Till then…
With Love,
ME
