Sinong nakapunta na ng Switzerland o Germany?

[chikitita]

Actually I haven't gone myself..but I'm dying to! :D So to those who've been to or are living in Switzerland or Germany..How's it like? What's there to see or do? :)

[makiling]

do not live in Germany or Switzerland but I travelled in some cities
in the past.

I loved both countries and Europe in general but Switzerland is one of
my favorites.

Germany:

1. Romantic Road

Being a romantic by heart and sometimes a mushy person this route is in
my list of favorites. You can travel this in one day starting from the
northern city of Wurzburg down to Munich.

The route is lined with medieval houses and decors, fairy tale like and
simply romantic. You can ride a bus which travels this route and stops
in selected picturesque cities. The longest stop though is in
[B}Rothenburg [/B]since it has the most number of interesting and
beautiful sites to behold.

In our case we stayed here overnight since a few hours of going around
is not enough. Its just like camelot :) I remembered there was a
McDonalds restaurant built and decorated like the middle ages.

2. Heidelberg

picturesque, remember Rizal stayed here?, lovely flowers

3. Koln or Cologne

where you can see the beautiful Gothic (?) cathedral which contains the
chapel of the Magi- they say the bones of the 'Three Kings" are here.

4. Rhine River Cruise

I will never forget this cos I took some video shots of the lovely sites
we passed through while cruising but alas, my video was stolen :(. The
ferry cruises along the Rhine passing through several cities....everyone
though stands to get a good photo when the boat passes by the Lorelei
statue...remember the tale of the mermaid?

5. ICE

you have to try the high speed trains of Germany. TGV is the fastest in the whole world but ICE is competing.

Switzerland

1. Lucerne

For me this is the loveliest small city in the country. Post-card like
sceneries...walking along lake lucerne and experiencing peace and
tranquility...cross the chapel bridge (in existence since medieval
period) which runs through the lake...

2. Our Lady of Einsiedeln

This is not really a tourist attraction but one for the pigrims. The
city is located a few mins from zurich. The Madonna is said to be
miraculous. It is a lovely city as well.

3. Lugano

first city from italy to switzerland. i love the beautiful site of Lake lugano and the flowers and park....

4. Mt. Titlis

The highest point in central switzerland. snow almost all year round. you have to take lots of cable rides to reach the peak. there is a panorama restaurant atop where u can eat and take coffee while admiring the view....such fun playing with snow...

[KingTriton]

I havent been to Switzerland but i really want to go there someday, my mom says that it is really a lovely country, she liked Geneva the best.

I have been to Germany and my visit to Germany was not that great. First it was December and the temperature went to -16 and we just stayed in our hotel in Frankfurt for 4 days :( And if you are planning to go to Germany dont go to Frankfurt, its a very boring city. Go to Munich, Berlin or to the other cities in germany.

[chikitita]

makiling - wow, thanks for the detailed tour! it's very helpful..i'm really planning on going..i'll keep these places in mind. :D

KingTriton - why did you go to Germany during winter? Naku, sige, i'll cross out Frankfurt in my itinerary :D

[NoisyCricket]

A big mac meal in Switzerland in 1997 when the Swiss Franc was P18:SF1, was SF10. Egad! P180 for a big mac meal.

An original swiss army knife was SF29 or P600 (about). A Swiss Military Watch was SF299 :) (P5,500)

For me, it was the most beautiful country of all the European countries in terms of natural beauty. Don't miss the trip to Mt. Pilatus, the highest point in Switzerland (I think).. Oh my God.. it was like touching the sky. :)

Lake Lucerne Boat cruise is also a good idea. Don't forget to feed the pigeons!

And collect postcards :)

[makiling]

Originally posted by KingTriton:
And if you are planning to go to Germany dont go to Frankfurt, its a very boring city. Go to Munich, Berlin or to the other cities in germany.

hay naku i had a terrible experience in frankfurt. my parents and i were dining in Wienerwald, its supposed to be a good rest.,mom and I stepped out to check a flea market accross the street, when I came back the waiters were telling me not to worry cos they called the police! Apparently two guys grabbed my video camera on top of our table and my dad couldnt ran after them :(

It was awful not only bec. of the video eqpt but the tape! It will so hard to bring back those memories on tape or even go back to all those places :(

We discovered later that Frankfurt is a melting pot of cultures so they say it might be those immigrants which rob tourists. I really don't know but I never wanted to go back to that place again!

[makiling]

Originally posted by Noisy Cricket:
Don't miss the trip to Mt. Pilatus, the highest point in Switzerland (I think).. Oh my God.. it was like touching the sky. :)

[/B]

nope Mt. Titlis is higher than Mt Pilatus at 10,000 ft :)

[NoisyCricket]

Originally posted by makiling:
nope Mt. Titlis is higher than Mt Pilatus at 10,000 ft :)

hehehe.. woops! at least inamin!

[Ice Burn]

I'll be going there to Switzerland and Germany in December! :D
So sa december ko pa ma-popost ang dapat makit dun... http://www.pinoyexchange.com/lol.gif

[the_Good_Doctor]

I agree with Makiling! especially the Rhine River cruise! If your going to Germany, the best place would be Berlin! It's history and technology in one place! Im a history buff, so that was really a great city for me. Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate! Koln or Cologne is ok, but i agree, don't go to Frankfurt. You won't see anything there, its just like a business district with lots of buildings. :)

[yuri]

chikkita summer time da best trip.(July)

have fun euro

[dudung]

I've only been to Berlin, Germany but it's all worth the trip. Berlin is undergoing a lot of reconstruction nowadays because it's going to be the official capital of the Unified Germany, so they're gonna make it the show window of Germany (maganda na nga, lalo pang pinapaganda!)Generally, going to Berlin is like walking down history lane. It's very spacious and very green.

Germany per se is a very environment-friendly city. Make sure that you know how to sort your trash (so before you throw something, think whether it's biodegradeable or not). Also whenever you go to a supermarket, please bring a platic bag with you because they don't give free plastic/paper bags in their supermarkets. Stores also close very early (around 6pm, if I remember it right.)

The mode of transportation in Berlin is very efficient. Everybody's so "on time." If the train did not arrive on time, my friend told me, they can even sue the operator of the train system.

The best stuff I brought home from Germany is their fruit tea. Sobrang sarap lalo na when I drank it during winter time out there (pero masarap din sa Philippines during summer, lagyan lang ng yelo!)! By the way, winter time can be harsh in Berlin, that's why there are hardly any people in the streets, kaya pag winter, parang haunting and ghoulish ang dating ng mga bulidings. My friend told me that the government doesn't allow the destruction of old buildings. They merely renovate.

Places I visited aside from those mentioned: The Red Box (parang container van na kulay red), tsaka iyong zigezweiller (tama ba spelling ko? Iyong golden angel na nasa isang tower) tsaka museums...kakasawa!

[chikitita]

kainggets naman kayo. i might go though, sometime in the next year or so...exciting! :D i hear switzerland is one of the cleanest places in the world..tru ba? are the ppl nice and friendly (in either country)? is there any language barrier or is english widely spoken? should i just go backpacking with some friends or should i take some kind of tour? sori kung makulit a :D

[makiling]

Originally posted by chikitita
kainggets naman kayo. i might go though, sometime in the next year or so...exciting! :D i hear switzerland is one of the cleanest places in the world..tru ba? are the ppl nice and friendly (in either country)? is there any language barrier or is english widely spoken? should i just go backpacking with some friends or should i take some kind of tour? sori kung makulit a :D

yes switzerland is very clean....in most of the places i had been to they are nice and friendly...i remembered one time i got lost in lucerne....i asked directions from a man in the park, and he went out of his way to walk to towards the place i wanted to go to...this happened a couple of times in other places too since I get easily lost. most of the people speak english. in some places though its hard for them to speak this but they try to the best they can, unlike in france, they will not even try even if they know how....

backpacking or tour? it really depends on you. If at least one of your companions in the backpack group has much experience then i think it would be fun :) if none, then better join a tour. if you guys are really very adventurous, and must have some extra cash, go backpack. the reason for the extra cash is if everyone is inexperienced, you might just ran out of cash which will be ghastly.

[Free Agent]

Switzerland is a beautiful country. The weather's nice and the environment is great. For a nature lover, this is a place to see!

[Calypso]

I looooved Switzerland! :) Lucerne is a very lovely place, and Mt. Titlis too (although kinikilabutan na ako ngayon to think about it because a friend's companion in a recent tour group died at Mt. Titlis! :(). But what I enjoyed the most was exploring the smaller towns in Switzerland... especially this quaint little town called Sachseln. It was a real beaut! I felt like Belle song in Beauty and the Beast singing, Little town, it's a quiet village, everyday like the one before... :lol: while I was walking the streets... really fun! :) It was cool trying to talk with the Swiss kids pa... cuties! :*) And of course, kakaiba ang chocolates! Kahit simpleng Milky Way lang, Yumyum!! :yum:

Germany was a blur to me, although I do recall appreciating the beautiful countryside in spring, the grandeur of the Cologne cathedral, and Jose Rizal's university at Heidelberg (tama ba?), and then the Rhein river... I just can't shake off the trauma of losing my passport and then retrieving it almost three hours later at one of the halfway houses in Bonn.... yipe, TRAUMA!

[makiling]

Originally posted by Calypso
I looooved Switzerland! :) Lucerne is a very lovely place, and Mt. Titlis too (although kinikilabutan na ako ngayon to think about it because a friend's companion in a recent tour group died at Mt. Titlis! :().

oops :( what happened? stroke? attack? i remembered that they warn people who have hypertension not to go up since its very steep. how old was the person? i got dizzy one time i was there. one of my companions the first time i visited titlis got dizzy too and she was only in her early teens then.


But what I enjoyed the most was exploring the smaller towns in Switzerland... especially this quaint little town called Sachseln.

hmm sounds interesting, where is Sachseln in Switzerland exactly?


and then the Rhein river RHINE :)

I just can't shake off the trauma of losing my passport and then retrieving it almost three hours later at one of the halfway houses in Bonn.... yipe, TRAUMA!

was it stolen? where? My handycam was stolen in Frankfurt.

[virgo14]

i think they've said just about everything. like everybody, i enjoyed the rhine river cruise (i guess they take everybody on this one), from which you go past some of the oldest surviving castles in europe.:) english isn't an official language but it's widely spoken in switzerland. but i guess it helps if you speak german!:)

about backpacking...i wouldn't recommend it for a first-time visitor. it's so easy to lose your way unless you're with someone who really knows their way around. and even then...i know some people who did this a couple of years ago. they had fun and for them it was a real adventure but personally, i couldn't see myself washing up in the public restrooms of train stations in order to make the connections. there are tour companies for every budget. with them, at least you can relax and just enjoy yourself and not have to worry about anything. good luck! :)

[the_Good_Doctor]

I wouldn't recommend backpacking also. It's kind of dangerous, especially if your Asian. Most backpackers are Caucasians. Even though its bad to say it, the possibility of racism is still there. A tour would be the best way to go. When you arrive in a city (usually late in the day), clean up, then explore the city by yourself. Don't wait for the tour the next day. These cities have excellent public transportation, and they provide hotels with maps and tips.

[chikitita]

hmmmm....die erzahlungen hier sind sehr interessant...

vielen dank :D

[yuri]

guten morgen...

wiedersehen

[virgo14]

:lol:@chiktita

marunong ka naman pala e!:)

[chikitita]

hallo yuri..guten tag..die wort ist "auf wiedersehen" und nicht "wiedersehen" :D

virgo14..german-wannabe lang ako :lol: kaya nga kelangan ko nang mapractice sa germany!! :D what language do they speak in switzerland anyway? if i'm not mistaken..it's some kind of german-swiss dialect..tama ba?

[Tonette E.B.]

I've been living in Germany for the past 9 yrs.
RIGHT if you want to travel here the best time of the year is between May and Sept. Spring and summer to be exact.

Frankfurt like any other major cities in the world is where most of the crooks hang out. hehehe RIGHT again! most of the crooks are foreigners themselves.

But where ever you travel rule number 1 is never leave your things unattended.

Berlin is now the capital of Germany. It's a beautiful city to visit & lots of going ons. Clubbing is great in Berlin! Every year some time in July, they have the biggest street party in the world called "Love-Parade". And the "St. Christopher" for the gays in Köln.

Hannover's best tourist offer is the Expo 2000. It's a big Trade Fair, cultural & educational place to see.

In Köln/Cologne you will see the Dom/ Cathedral. It is Gothic & you can climb up to the peak if you're fit for it.

Not so far from Köln is Düsseldorf. It is where I live. It's the fashion centre of Germany. It's a small city of about 800 thousand inhabitants. Not that small but you can find everything here.
If it's Rhodeo Drive in LA, it's Königsallee in Germany. The Germans here are very chic. Great place to go out at night! Like the Checkers, a club where Claudia Schiffer was discovered.

Bonn is the former capital of the West side. It's also a charming place to see.

Heidelberg is student city. Good place to go out.

Wiesbaden is classy with it's hilly roads.

Stuttgart! where Ms. Saigon (with mostly Filipino performers) was a hit!

München/Munich where you will find the real castle w/c Walt Disney copied for Disneyland.

It's not just the big cities you have to see, but the small towns as well. What I like most are the churches, the old narrow streets, houses from 17, 1800. There are more than enough Castles to see. Oh soooo romantic.

Most of the cities have the traditional Weihnachtsmarkt/Christmas market. Where you can have a taste of Gluhwein (warm wine), ginger bread in all forms & candies!

Switzerland is just as pretty. They're German & French speaking.

If you want to go skiing... then best time is as early as Nov. ends in March or April the latest.

You have Luzern, Bern & Zürich to see. Might be an awesome experience to walk & think "Gosh! I'm walking on gold!" because underneath the streets are Rich men's money! & Gold!!!

Europe all in all is a great place to see with full of culture and .... Oldness.

Viel Spass!

[chikitita]

wow Tonette E.B., das ist sehr comprehensive! danke! ..i'm inventing a dialect of a deutsch-englisch mix, mala taglish. :lol: do you like living in germany? have you mastered the language? :D

[makiling]

Originally posted by chikitita
hallo yuri

virgo14..german-wannabe lang ako :lol: kaya nga kelangan ko nang mapractice sa germany!! :D what language do they speak in switzerland anyway? if i'm not mistaken..it's some kind of german-swiss dialect..tama ba?


it depends what canton or place you are in...there are german speaking places like the one in Lucerne and Zurich I think, there are french speaking cities like Geneva and there are those who speak italian like the city of lugano...near the Italian border.

[Tonette E.B.]

I like living here. Germans don't appear that friendly (not like the Yanks) but when you get to know them better they are friends for keeps and not just superficial.
Yes, I have mastered the language...hehehe not perfect but close to.
Kasi dito if you don't speak the language well, then you end up doing blue collar jobs. I'm not a looser...so no choice but learn the language. It is a very complicated one. That's why I say close to perfect, but not quite.

Wo hast du dein Deutsch gelernt? Not bad at all!

[chikitita]

Tonette E.B.: danke, aber ich spreche nicht so gut Deutsch...i can write it, alright, but speaking it is a different story! :lol: after 4 sems of german, i'm still..uh..barok... as with any other language, i guess i just have to practice it in it's 'natural environment' :D