Arriving in Switzerland

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Dear Reader,

Today I would like to talk a bit about arriving in Switzerland. I arrived in Switzerland, as many people do, at the Zurich airport. This is one of the most well organized airports I have ever seen.

The arrival process is quick and efficient. After customs and baggage claim a hallway takes you to a large common area where all sorts of onward transportation is available. This is where the traveler has their first encounter with the SBB. The SBB is the Swiss national railroad. I consider it to be the finest passenger rail system in the world.

There is an SBB station right underneath the airport! Many intercity express trains pass through the Zurich Flughafen station every hour. It is worth noting that the Zurich Flughafen is well outside the city. However, trains to the Zurich Hauptbahnhof in the heart of the city run at regular intervals.

My own experience was great. Switzerland has it's own currency, the Franc. So, I changed some money at the SBB currency exchange window. I found that the SBB gives you the best rate with the lowest fees. Then I went to another window to have my Swiss pass validated. More on the Swiss pass later.

Once my Swiss pass was validated the clerk asked me "so, where would you like to go?" I hadn't really thought about it. I had been so busy getting to Switzerland that I hadn't really thought about where I would go once I arrived. "Zermatt?" I asked tentatively. After a few quick keystrokes I was handed a ticket. "take the right escalator down to track number 4 the train leaves in 5 minutes." Four and a half hours later I was staring up at the Matterhorn.

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Photos

Zurich Flughafen
Flughafen literally means flight harbor in German.

Swiss Air in the house!
Zurich Flughafen is the home of Swiss air.

St. Bernards
This is an advertisement for Kiosk. A mini convenience store / newsstand. Kiosks are found in almost every train station and even airports.

Chocolate!
The Swiss love their chocolate! Kiosks are handy but tend to be expensive and most close by 6 pm.

The Matterhorn
Next time I hope to talk about one of my favorite Swiss places, Zermatt.