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Lucerne in December -- COVID, and other things

Posted by (Vancouver, BC) on

Looks like I'm going to Switzerland (Lucerne) alone to deal with a family matter between now and Christmas. I'll fly from Vancouver to Germany and then Zurich, train to Lucerne.

  1. What are the COVID requirements for Switzerland? In Vancouver, we have a proof of vaccination app that is on my phone that I show with a piece of ID to go to a restaurant, movie, etc. I know France has something similar, and Italy has their "Green Card." What does Switzerland need me to show to travel around, check into hotels, and eat in restaurants?

  2. I may have a chunk of time on my own . . . I don't want to just fly 10 hours (plus layovers, trains, etc) and then fly back home. I'm going all the way to Switzerland, so I might as well do something. I've been there in December once before so I know to hit up the Christmas markets. I've also been in May (it snowed). I've seen Lucerne, Zurich, Bern, St Gallen, Locarno, Lugano. I've been as far as the Lungern Pass, so I think a trip to the Lauterbrunnen area is the thing to do. Not sure I'm going to be much in a mood for lots of big adventures or sites, but a nice sightseeing trip maybe . . .

I'm a fairly active 50 year old woman.

Also not interested in going to Zermatt on this trip. But I would consider revisiting Lugano, which I think is magical. Also, I've been studying Italian so that could be fun.

Definitely not renting a car, so trains and buses all the way.

I've been aching to go to Europe since my 2019 trip, and was heartbroken when my husband & my 2020 trip to Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland was Covid-cancelled . . . but I didn't really want to get back to Europe alone in winter having to deal with crap. But maybe I can make something out of it!

Posted by
4695 posts

The Swiss Travel Pass is offered at 25% discount if purchased now, so you may want to check out the SBB site, as you are planning. Safe travels!

Posted by
367 posts

Thanks! Helpful

Also, does anyone know if there are any holidays (Lucerne, Zug) between now and Christmas? (by that I mean days off work for office workers in those cantons)

Posted by
1370 posts

You could take the train to Lauterbrunnen via Interlaken. Once in Lauterbrunnen you can take either a train or cable car up into the mountains. Research the towns of Wengen and Murren and see if either interests you. Scenery in the Berner Oberland area is fabulous and easy to access.

Posted by
367 posts

Original poster here . . . so if I need to be flexible with hotels over the first half of December, for one person, I think I should be okay, right? I will book my first 5 nights in Lucerne, but then I don't know where I'll be. But it's early December, so I think I'm okay. Opinions? I used to travel to Europe with no hotel reservations at all, but I haven't done that since 2009. And I'm only 1 person, and I'm not on a budget. With Covid and all, it just seems like you can't do anything spontaneous anymore

Posted by
367 posts

Jennie - my daughter sent me pictures of the Rigi spa - enjoy! And my favourite Christmas market is the one at the Zurich train station, so if you can, make time for it.

I've had a development with my trip and my daughter may accompany me now, which means that despite the family problems, I can make a trip out of this and not just having to deal with bad things alone. Which means we will book at least a week and also fit in some fun.

Posted by
11315 posts

I would make cancellable reservations as much as possible in case of changes. I would not expect spontaneity to work even in December, especially late in the month as lots of people go for skiing.

Posted by
367 posts

Laurel - yes, I agree. I was looking at going any time from this coming weekend, but preferably early December. Now that my daughter is coming (I had assumed she was busy at university, but she can do everything online after Dec 3), we are looking at 10 days in the first two weeks of December. I'm so relieved to have her along. Fun will be had, afterall.

Yes, I always book things I can cancel, unless there are no other options and I'm willing to absorb the loss.

Also, no skiing this trip. I actually quit skiing after my 2017 trip to Austria (I'm too old and out of shape, and was never a good skier in the first place, so the Alps seemed like a good place to hang up my skis), and if my daughter wants to ski, she can figure it out, but we won't be hanging at a ski resort this winter.

Posted by
367 posts

Another update:

I applied for the Swiss Covid passes on Friday noon, Vancouver time, which is after office hours in Switzerland. I've read it takes up to 5 business days, but also "about" 5 business days, and then I read elsewhere on this site someone who didn't get theirs until they were ready to leave Switzerland. So I spent this weekend feeling slightly anxious about it, but thinking of what I'd do if I didn't have it before I leave this coming weekend.

I just got home Monday evening and our covid passes are in my email and ready to go. Two thumbs up for Swiss efficiency!

That said, with the new variant and lock downs and quarantine restrictions coming in all over the world today, at this point I don't think I'm actually making it to Switzerland this time next week.

But "yay!" to Swiss efficiency.

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