Does anyone have information about the yodel festival in Gossau, Switzerland? It happens the first weekend in July this year. Suggestions regarding lodging, travel getting there from Germany, ease of travel without knowing any language but English would all be appreciated.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32198 posts
Barbara,
Where are you going to be in Germany? It's very easy to get to Gossau by train, but the specifics will depend on where you're travelling from.
Don't be too concerned about the language. It's always a good idea to learn some of the basic words such as "please, thank you, etc. You'll probably find that many of the people you're dealing with at hotels and so on will be able to function at least somewhat in English (although I've found that language can be a bit more challenging in the eastern part of Switzerland - you may want to pack along a German Phrasebook).
Posted by
Alabama, USA
271 posts
1, do it--I am SO jealous. I am marking this on my calendar for later!
2, use Tripadvisor (and Google Maps, zoomed in, if you need to) to find a hotel. Trust their reviews. Then, book directly through (ie call) the hotel, you will probably get a better price. That being said, I was on the road in Switzerland one time and called my favorite hotel directly. They said that they didn't have a room, but to check online through expedia or hotel.com as they might still have a room. Which they did and I was good-to-go. BUT, I always advise to call the hotel directly first. When you call, "Sprechen Sie Englisch" ('spreshen zee english?') is how to ask if they speak english--they always do but like it when you ask ;)
3, be polite and try and people will surprise you! You shouldn't have any serious problems sans germanic/french language skills.
4, how long will you be in Switzerland? There is an alpenhorn festival in south-western Switzerland toward the end of Juli...NOT to be missed.
Bon voyage! See, that's all the french I know!
Posted by
Alabama, USA
271 posts
The alpenhorn festival is in Nendaz ;)