Swiss Via Alpina 2023

I flew in and out of Flughafen Zürich, otherwise known as Zurich Airport. It is fairly central to either end of the Swiss Via Alpina, plus there are nonstop flights there from my home city of Boston, which made it a no brainer!

I used Google Maps to get transit directions from the airport to Vaduz. It involved two trains and three bus connections.

For the train: To purchase train tickets, I did so the morning I arrived on sbb.ch/en/home.html using the web browser on my phone. The link I provided is specifically for the English version of the website. But you can change the language in the menu section if on mobile and at the top of the page if on desktop. I’m glad I waited until arriving in Zurich to purchase tickets, because my flight ended up landing an hour late.

I purchased a point to point ticket online from Flughafen Zürich to Sargans. The website pulled up several options with this input, so be sure to double check the departing and arrival times. The cost was CHF 37.00, or about $43 USD. I received an email confirmation with a QR code. No one ever scanned my ticket on either train, but I had it handy on my phone just in case.

Note that there are plenty of signs to get to the train station in the Zürich Airport. From there, you can read the electronic signs to find your platform (Google Maps also shared the platform number). The trains were impeccably on time, and there are other trains running frequently. So be sure you hop on the correct train, and not one arriving and departing, say, five minutes before yours on the same platform!

For the bus: From Sargans, the next step was to take several bus transfers to get to Gaflei. Upon arrival in Sargans, I walked to the customer service counter inside at the bus station (right by the train station), and showed the clerk my Google Maps itinerary and asked for help with purchasing the tickets for the correct buses. They printed my bus tickets for me and directed me where to go. Be sure to pay careful attention to the bus stops and where you need to get off to transfer. Google Maps was very handy for keeping track of this. Unfortunately, I got excited and got off a couple stops early for my last connection, and missed my last bus! The next incoming bus wasn’t going to arrive for another 90 minutes, and I didn’t have that much time to spare. So I ended up calling a taxi company for the last bit of the journey (note: the country code for Switzerland is +41. My phone wouldn’t automatically add the country code when calling local businesses, and I had to do it manually each time).

For the Taxi: With the help of a store clerk in Vaduz, I was able to call a taxi company and get a ride for the final portion of my trip to Gaflei. From Vaduz to Gaflei it is a very steep, winding drive up! I was kind of glad to be in a car and not a bus, though I have no doubt the bus would have been just fine. The driver charged me CHF 50.00, or about $58 USD. A steep price to pay for missing the bus, but I was glad to arrive on schedule and get my hike started. I was glad I had taken out Swiss francs in cash at the beginning of the trip–this was just the kind of thing I wanted to have cash on hand for, just in case!

Montreux has a large train station. The western terminus of the Swiss Via Alpina goes right through it en route to the finish by Lake Geneva. You can purchase tickets to your destination (in my case it was the Zürich Airport) on sbb.ch/en/home.html. Transit directions on Google Maps came in handy for planning my trip (I purchased my train ticket online the night before departing).

I relied mostly on the free SwitzerlandMobility app. You can view the route in its entirety, or you can view it stage by stage. You can view where you are on the map at any time, so long as you have cell phone reception. The only downfall is that you can’t download the maps for offline use. However, it was rare not to have cell phone service so this was hardly an issue.

The route is very well marked with signs and trail markers, however, it is very easy to miss the signs if you’re not paying attention. For example, you may be walking downhill on a road and not realize you walked right past a sign to make a turn from the road onto a single track trail. To keep wrong turns to a minimum, I ended up creating maps for each section on Strava then uploading them to my Coros watch (I have the Coros Apex). My watch would beep at me if I got off route. This saved me many times.

As a backup in case anything happened to my phone, I also carried a copy of Long-Distance Hikes in Switzerland, a high quality, water-resistant paper map of the trail.

For the most part, I filled up my water at the drinkable, running water fountains found in towns (and sometimes along roads and farms). These were everywhere! In fact, there are over 1200 unique water fountains located around Zürich alone. I only ended up filtering water at streams a few times during this hike.

Since the route hops from town to town and I had indoor lodging every night, I never had to carry too much food with me at a time (usually a half day to a day’s worth). Stopping at bakeries and cafés during the day was part of the fun of this trip. Just be aware that stores tend to close early, or might be closed all together depending on the day of the week or the season you’re hiking. If you have lodging reservations that include dinner, be sure to call ahead and let them know your ETA and confirm the hotel restaurant closing hours. If you plan to leave early in the morning before breakfast hours, let your host know the night before. They may be willing to pack a meal for you ahead of time.

I pre-booked most of my lodging online before my trip. This was a mistake. The route was more difficult than I anticipated, and I got off my intended schedule. This resulted in a late cancel for one of my stays and forfeiting $$. Ultimately, I ended up booking stays on the fly throughout my trip, either the day before or the day of. I only had my cell phone handy, so I’d google “[town name] lodging”, plug in the check in/check out date, and then call the hotel directly to make a reservation (note, I had to manually enter the country code 41 before entering the number).

Very useful to note- I found third party booking sites tend to charge extraordinarily high prices for lodging in Switzerland. I found that when I called and booked with hotels/inns directly, the price was much lower than the online listing, and they didn’t ask for my cc info (they simply asked that I call if my plans change). I found it was always better to book lodging directly. If you’re phone-averse, email is another good way to reach out (I often emailed my ETA the day-of to the places I stayed, and they were generally very responsive).

Finding last minute lodging was only an issue in very popular towns (I had to call nine places in Grindelwald before finding something with availability), and very small towns with limited lodging. For example, I had hoped to stop in the small town of L’Étivaz and called the day of but nothing was available. So I ended up hiking a little farther than planned and stayed in Château-d'Oex instead.

As far as the language difference, I think many hotels/hostels anticipate having foreign visitors, and every person I spoke with on the phone knew English. Typically someone would answer the phone in Swiss German or French, and I would start off by saying “Hello!” to indicate that I’m an English speaker. And of course use discretion with this–using an English greeting might come across as arrogant, but generally on the phone this was received well.

As far as specific places I’d recommend staying: honestly there wasn’t one place I stayed I didn’t like, with exception to a centrally-located hotel in Montreux (the end point) simply because it was expensive and in a touristy area. I only stayed there out of convenience as it was close to the end point of the Via Alpina and the train station, but in hindsight I wish I booked something less central and tucked away, and far from the busy city center. I stayed there on a Saturday night and let me tell you, people like to party in Montreux! There was a lot of commotion on the street right outside my window (thank goodness for ear plugs), and there were plenty of people still out and about when I walked to the train station early Sunday morning.

In general the towns along the Swiss Via Alpina were completely charming, and the hospitality everywhere I stayed was outstanding. Don’t overthink the lodging part. But in case it is helpful, here’s where I stayed with some notes:

Night 1 - Weisstannen - Hotel Gemse Weisstannen - they were so incredibly hospitable here! beautiful location, peaceful room, great food. After checking in and taking a hot shower, I treated myself to schnitzel, french fries, and beer at their hotel restaurant.

Night 2 - Unterschächen - Hotel Klausenpass - I emailed early in the day to share my ETA of 10pm and confirm that I’d still be able to check in. They said this would be okay, and even called as it got closer to 10pm to confirm I was on my way. They were very gracious to this stinky hiker at check-in. Since I let them know ahead of time I’d be leaving early in the morning, they pre-made my breakfast and lunch for the next day (you can add a packed lunch for an extra fee). I ended up just taking my breakfast upstairs and eating that for dinner, then I ate my “lunch” for breakfast the next morning. They have a nice little gift shop with souvenirs and post cards, plus a bunch of snacks and picnic items for purchase.

Night 3 - Engelberg - Hotel Schweizerhof - This was the night I had to cancel a stay in Engstlenap, as I felt way too fatigued to continue on. I had zero plans upon arrival in Engelberg. I literally just walked into this hotel and asked if they had a room available for one person, and they did! The manager on site was incredibly accommodating. I mentioned I would be leaving before breakfast hours and asked if it would be possible to pre-pack a breakfast. They have fresh baked goods delivered daily, and unfortunately I would be leaving before the morning bakery delivery. They offered to at least pack some fruit for me, which they delivered to my door that evening- much appreciated! I purchased additional breakfast items and food for the next day at a convenience store nearby, and treated myself to a Thai dinner just a few doors down at Hess Asia Restaurant.

Night 4 - Grindelwald - Hotel Gletschergarten - If I had to specifically recommend one place to stay in Switzerland, this was it. After calling nine places, I was lucky enough to nab the last room at this hotel. The hosts were so friendly and accommodating. They were curious and excited about my hike, they squeezed me in for dinner even though they were fully booked, and I was able to do laundry here which was amazing. They asked the kitchen to pre-pack a breakfast for me since I was leaving early, which I ate the next day, and it was the most delicious sandwich ever. The dinner, which was a fixed menu, was complete heaven. It was a pretty upscale restaurant, and I felt underdressed in my fleece night clothes, but not judged for it in the slightest. From where I was sitting, I was treated to incredible mountain views. The staff was so friendly. This was my favorite stay of the trip. I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

Night 5 - Hohtürli Pass (between Griesalp and Kandersteg) - Bluemlisalp Hut - My one and only mountain hut stay of the trip! What a reward for the toughest climb of the trip! I emailed the day of to see if there was any room, and thankfully the answer was yes. I arrived at 8pm, after dinner time, which the staff seemed a bit annoyed with me for, but they were friendly and accommodating all the same. They served me a late dinner along with some other late hikers. It was super hearty and delicious. Note: when you enter, go downstairs first to the shoe room where you replace your dirty hiking boots with slip on crocs, and there’s a place to leave your hiking pole. The lodging is bunkroom style. The beds are lined up right next to each other so you will likely be sleeping with a stranger on either side of you! There are toilets and running sinks, but no hot water or showers. This was a neat experience, and quite a luxury to have accommodation at a high mountain pass. However, you won’t have privacy, and I had difficulty with sleeping at altitude (over 9,000ft) and the extreme warmth of the bunkroom. So, do it for the unique experience, but don’t expect to be totally comfortable (unless you are a very good sleeper).

Night 6 - Lenk - Hotel Sternen - This hotel was fine, but lacked any kind of human interaction. I booked it online, and it was all self check-in, and there was no staff to speak of. So, not my favorite but it was fine! I hustled over to the nearby Coop Supermarket before it closed at 6:30pm to pick up some food for the next day’s hike, and had dinner at Restaurant Hirschen across the street from the hotel (local-sourced burger, fries, beer).

Night 7 - Château d’Œx - L'Hôtel de Ville - Totally charming stay! Easy check-in (they had the keys out on the reception desk for me so I could self-check in, but staff was around as well)

Night 8 - Montreux - Hotel Splendid - Not my favorite stay. Expensive, the foyer smelled of cigarette smoke, and the room wasn’t particularly clean. Essentially you’re paying for the central location and a lake view. I’d recommend booking something away from the downtown area instead, even if it means walking extra. There were other parts of Montreux that seemed quieter and more quaint. I treated myself to a sushi dinner celebration at Miyazaki a few doors down after completing my hike. Fantastic!

My most useful resource was the SwitzerlandMobility website and app. They’re free!

I also purchased this online guidebook created by Fabienne and Benoit, a couple from Switzerland with a popular travel blog. Their guide is full of useful info, tips, descriptions, practical Swiss German phrases, and general advice. Plus it has gorgeous photos and a recap of their own hike of the Via Alpina.

I treated this trek as sort of a part-hike, part-vacation. I did not carry sleeping gear, and there were not shelters along the way like what you would find on the Appalachian Trail in the US. The Swiss Via Alpina passes through a lot of private property and camping is prohibited in many areas, though not all. I didn’t do specific research on camping/tenting. From what I know, there are some places you can camp, but definitely double check and do your research beforehand. Check out this helpful guide for more info. From speaking with other hikers, it is pretty common to book lodging at the towns the Swiss Via Alpina is routed through. Though not as budget-friendly as camping, you can do this in a budget-friendlier way by booking stays at hostels / places with bunk-style sleeping accommodations. Be sure to pack some kind of sleeping bag liner to use as a linen, as you’re expected to bring your own in hostel-style/shared lodging (I encountered this at the hut I stayed in).