There is no question that for those of us from the midwest, Switzerland is expensive.
In 1982 (the year we lived in Switzerland) the exchange rate was 2 Swiss Francs (CHF) per dollar. So if something was priced at 100 CHF, it actually only cost us $50. But now the exchange rate is 1 to 1 so 100 CHF equals $100.
Gasoline is currently at $5.50 per gallon. Meat is 2 to 4 times per pound what it costs in Lincoln. Simple meals at a restaurant start at $25. Hotels are $140 - $250 for a double room depending on the location. Boat rides on the lakes start at $30. Round trip rides on the cable cars are $50 - $120 depending on how high they go.
So managing the cost for 3 months in Switzerland was a potential challenge for these two chintzy Lincolnites.
So what are we doing to help manage the cost for this "once-in-a-lifetime" journey?
1. We are staying in apartments in private homes instead of hotels. By using Airbnb and Homeaway we were able to find Ferienwohnungs (holiday homes) in smaller villages away from the more popular tourist towns for $50 to $80 per night. That still adds up - but it is far better than $140 to $250 per night and we have an apartment with kitchen in a quiet location vs a single hotel room.
2. We are not eating at restaurants. While many food items are very expensive, bread, peanut butter, some fruits (nectarines, grapes, bananas, apples), apple sauce, apple juice, yogurt, spaghetti, potatoes, and lettuce are all comparable in price to Lincoln. The grocery stores are modern and we look for items on sale just like we do at home. Aldi's, Migro's, and Coop all have an extensive selection of quality foods. So - the basic menu is . . . yogurt with fruit (or bread with Nutella) and coffee for breakfast; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with fruit for lunch; and spagetti and salad and bread for dinner (or boiled potatoes or apple sauce or Rosti with some fried brats mixed in now and then). :-)
3. By leasing a 40 mpg SUV thru France's Renault buy-back program, we were able to reduce the cost (vs normal car rental) by 40%.
4. By flying Iceland air out of Denver, we were able to reduce the RT cost of flights by 30%.
So - back to the journey . . .
Yesterday, we drove a circuit through the country side between Schwyz and Zurich passing by lake Ageri (Agerisee) and then strolled along lake Zug (Zugersee) and the streets in the old part (Altstadt) of Zug. It is always interesting to try to envision what it was like in earlier centuries with the carts and animals in the narrow winding streets.
From a park beside lake Ageri (Agerisee) in the village of Unterageri
Lake Zug (Zugersee)
In the Zug altstadt (old city)
