Mar 10th, 2011 at 3:00PM: Every couple of years, the World Economic Forum crunches a bunch of numbers and releases a list of the top countries in the world to visit. While ranking 139 countries, they measure aspects such as pricing, culture, environmental protection, safety, and infrastructure. For the 2011 report, Switzerland remained at the number one spot - the returning champion from the last report in 2009. Nine out ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
switzerland posts
Top 20 travel destinations - The 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
Mar 10th, 2011 at 3:00PM: Every couple of years, the World Economic Forum crunches a bunch of numbers and releases a list of the top countries in the world to visit. While ranking 139 countries, they measure aspects such as pricing, culture, environmental protection, safety, and infrastructure. For the 2011 report, Switzerland remained at the number one spot - the returning champion from the last report in 2009. Nine out ...Schengen and the disappearance of European passport stamps
Mar 1st, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Creative new use for border crossing posts at German/Austrian border.
In the late 1980s, an American spending a summer traveling across Europe with a Eurailpass would see his or her passport stamped possibly dozens of times. With a few exceptions, every time a border was crossed, an immigration agent would pop his or her head into a train compartment, look at everyone's passports, in most ...Gadling's favorite destinations for 2011
Dec 7th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
We travel a lot, to destinations both well-known and unfamiliar. In our defense, it is our job to travel like mad, to explore the world and then write about our discoveries.
Though most travel writers find something or other of interest in most places we visit, there are always those personal favorites that rise above the rest. This year, we decided to scribble our favorites down for you. ...Top ten hostels in Europe
Oct 25th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
Staying in a hostel in Europe is a rite of passage for budget-conscious travelers making their way around the continent. This is particularly the case for budget-conscious younger travelers. Here are ten hostels across Europe that either receive particularly high user-review grades or are notorious enough in one or another way to be noteworthy.
St. Christopher's at the Winston, Amsterdam, ...Ecotourism's next evolution: Rent a cow in Switzerland
Sep 10th, 2010 at 10:30AM: Need to get away from it all? How about a month or season on a picturesque Swiss farm? Thanks to to enterprising Swiss farmers, professionals can now contribute to the local economy and "participate physically in the life of a medium-size mountain farm and to acquire at a preferential price genuine goods produced on the estate."
Sure... but what does that mean? According to bmi Voyager, the ...Daily Pampering: Luxury ski chalets for the ultimate winter retreat
Aug 27th, 2010 at 4:00PM: Have a few hundred thousand dollars to spare and want to do something special this winter? You're in luck! The Abercrombie & Kent group just added 18 new luxury ski chalets to its already grandiose offerings and starting this December, they're available for you.
Enjoy the very best in private ski accommodations in the French and Swiss Alps, including your own personal chefs, housekeeping ...Hotel cooking classes let you savor travel memories at home
Jul 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: You know what they say..."take only pictures, leave only memories." But what if you want to take it home with you? That searing pad ka prow that leaves a film of sweat on your brow, a fragrant bouillabaisse, schnitzel so thin and crisp it practically floats?
What you need is a cooking class, from one of the many resorts, hotels, or cruises offering full or half-day demonstration and hands-on ...Daily Pampering: Guided walks around the world
Jul 8th, 2010 at 4:00PM: Usually when we discuss the luxe life, we talk about things being brought to us, not about things we have to go out and get ourselves. After all, the very foundation of 'pampering' comes from people being waited on, so why would anything in Daily Pampering ever require us to move from our comfy spot anywhere around the world? Well, because some of life's luxuries are simply worth seeing for ...Photo of the Day (6.22.10)
Jun 22nd, 2010 at 6:30PM:
No matter how remote your current location, it's a pretty safe bet that you've seen some trace of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa over the past 10 days. This humbling shot comes from travel photographer Austin Mann - taken at the Spain v. Switzerland game at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The Moses Mabhida Stadium is capable of seating nearly 63,000 fans and features a support arch ...From World Cup to contemporary tourist destination: part two
Jun 20th, 2010 at 10:00AM: The World Cup provides an opportunity for participating countries to put their best foot forward and invite visitors in. Earlier I looked at fabulous and in most cases affordable hotels in countries in the World Cup's Groups A through D, hotels that fit their country's national brand well. Here are some suggestions for hotels that sum up the best of the local national brand from countries in ...Daily Pampering: Detox at The Dolder Grand
Apr 16th, 2010 at 4:30PM: This Switzerland retreat knows you've had a rough winter. All those hot totties by the fireplace skewed your usual caloric intake, and the cold winter winds wreaked havoc on your skin. No worries, the healing process is about to begin.
Zurich's Dolder Grand is offering "Detox" and "Retreat" packages with 30% savings to encourage health and wellness this spring. Whether you're in need of a detox ...Photo of the Day (10.20.09)
Oct 20th, 2009 at 8:00PM:
Today's beautiful Photo of the Day comes from Flickr user jrodmanjr. It's an interesting composition - the lush green hills in contrast against icy cliffs and sky, separated by a thin formation of low clouds. Having never been to Switzerland, this is exactly the scene that I visualize when I imagine the stereotypical beauty of the country.
The shot was taken in Grindelwald, Switzerland ...Inside Zurich's finest hotel, Baur au Lac
Sep 23rd, 2009 at 8:00AM:
Zurich is famous as the financial and cultural capital of Switzerland, a vibrant metropolis of over 1.6 million residents, a city full of sharply intelligent, extremely focused, well-dressed people. It's a clean, refreshing environment, with culture and class balanced perfectly to create the ideal city and tourist destination. Baur au Lac, arguably the best hotel in the city, reflects these ...Zurich through the wide angle lens
Sep 2nd, 2009 at 2:00PM: One of the most entertaining instruments in the photographer's toolbox is the wide angle lens, a massive creature full of glass, angles and depth. Contrary to traditional optics, wide angle lenses broaden the field of view available to the camera, resulting in massive, sprawling images from one single shot. It's also got the effect of stretching anything at the periphery of the image, so often it ...Lady in the House: Chef Anne-Sophie Pic's Simple Elegance
Aug 12th, 2009 at 9:00AM: As someone who has done her fare share of cooking, I have mad respect for anyone undertaking the daily grind of working in a professional kitchen, let alone running one. Yet as a woman, I can't help but revel just a wee bit more in the achievements of the many female chefs out there who are gaining the culinary respect they so deserve. Take Chef Anne-Sophie Pic, for example, of the newly opened, ...Bargain Europe: Camping Across The Continent
Mar 10th, 2009 at 9:30AM: In these economic times we're all looking to find ways to save a little cash without giving up our travels. Airfares are more affordable than they have been in a long time, which means that we can at least afford to get to the places we want to visit. But what happens once we get there? Are there any affordable places to stay? Most travelers making their way across the pond to Europe tend to stay ...Photo of the Day (2.19.09)
Feb 19th, 2009 at 5:00PM: This picture taken in Gimmelwald, Switzerland by the appropriately named StrudelMonkey made me laugh. And that's enough to get my vote for Photo of the Day. I chuckled at the out of focus cat, which made me think it was going to be a perfect shot until it was rudely interrupted by a cat that was simply seeking a little attention. It reminded me of this wonderful YouTube documentary about what ...Five Places To See Before Climate Change Ruins Them Forever
Feb 18th, 2009 at 8:00AM: CNN.com has an interesting article naming the five places that everyone should see before they are forever altered by climate change, which is already having an indelible effect on our planet. This list was compiled by Bob Henson, the author of The Rough Guide To Climate Change, who wants to give travelers a heads up on the best places to visit in the near future, as they are also the most likely ...20 Great Mountain Huts
Feb 17th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Looking for a great mountain lodge to book for you next ski vacation? Something that affords stunning views with limited crowds and great access to the backcountry? Then look no further than this list created by Eric Kendall for The Guardian. The list is broken down into subcategories, such as "Gourmet/Luxury", "Easy Access", and "Glorious Isolation". There are even suggestions for non-skiers who ...Too cheap for a hotel? How about a wine barrel?
Feb 7th, 2009 at 1:30PM: We've covered weird and wacky hotels here on Gadling, but this is the first wine barrel bedroom I've come across. The "room" is one of several converted wine barrels at the Madulain camping site in the mountain village of Madulain in Switzerland. Each room comes with electric heating, 2 beds, a gas stove and some basic blankets, but you'll have to bring your own sleeping bag. Rooms are just $15 a ...
