Rick Steves' Switzerland 2005 [Paperback]

Rick Steves (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rick Steves | Publication Date: October 11, 2004

Who but Rick Steves can tell you the best way to visit Zü rich, Gimmelwald, the Berner Oberlander, Interlaken, Bern, Murten, Lake Geneva, and French Switzerland? With Rick Steves' Switzerland 2005, you can experience everything Switzerland has to offer-economically and hassle-free. Rick Steves' Switzerland 2005 includes color maps and photos, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Switzerland have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Steves preaches a low-cost, low-to-the-ground style that not only saves money, but gets you closer to the real Europe, the way Europeans experience it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing (October 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566918820
• ISBN-13: 978-1566918824
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some additional sites and comments, July 7, 2006

By 

Jean Pellegrini - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Switzerland 2006 (Paperback)

The book does not mention the city of Solothurn just 20 miles north of Bern. This city is packed with sights on a small space: Monolithic late baroque/early classical cathedral built by Vatican architect Gaetano Pisoni, very ornate early baroque Jesuit church, baroque Vauban type city fortification, medieval city gates, clock tower older than in Bern, colorfull renaissance fountains, Europe's second biggest collection of medieval armours and an interesting art museum with paintings from Hodler (Wilhelm Tell), Cuno Amiet and Frank Buchser who portrayed famous Americans such as John August Sutter (art museum Solothurn), General Lee, General Sherman, President Andrew Johnson (art museum Bern and Basel). Close to the city at the end of a gorge is a very authentic hermitage (Einsidelei). In fall the chairlift up to the Weissenstein offers stunning views of the Alps.
The book otherwise gives a fair picture of Switzerland omitting some other places of interest (that I admit require more special interest) such as Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds with their watch museums, the monastery cities of Einsiedeln and Sankt Gallen. North of Zurich are a couple sights too, Kyburg castle, Chartreuse of Ittingen, the Rhine fall (biggest water fall in Europe and very impressive because you can walk up to it as close as to a Yosemite waterfall). In the children zoo in Rapperswil you can pet and feed rhinos, giraffes and ride elephants. Close to Basel is another roman city 'Augusta Raurica' that demonstrates roman live north of the Alps. Hidden in the village of Seewen south of Basel is the Automatic Music Instrument Museum. Self playing Grand Pianos and entire Orchestrons from the 19th century play music recorded 100 years ago. I do not totally share the authors preference of the Berner Oberland over Zermatt or the Wallis / Valais in general. Hiking beneath the Matterhorn or hiking up to the Hoernli hut (2 hrs from Schwarzsee station)from where the Matterhorn climb starts is as impressive or even more exciting than hiking beneath the Eiger north face in the Berner Oberland. Also keep in mind that if you hike anywhere in the Wallis and especially in places like Zermatt or Saas Fee you are surrounded by a multitude of peaks reaching over 4000m, whereas in the Berner Oberland you are often on prealpine terrain facing the Alps only to the south and looking at prealpine lower mountains to the north. The south Alps frequently have better weather too. For kids the Briger Bad (hot spring river pool near Brig) is fun (closed in winter), other hot spring pools are in Leukerbad.
In bigger cities in Switzerland stay in chain hotels close to downtown shopping areas, if you have money and like it old choose Romantik hotels.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Geneva is ommitted, April 3, 2008

By 

Dan Newman (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rick Steves' Switzerland (Paperback)

I bought this book because I am planning a trip to Geneva--but Geneva is completely omitted from the book! It is not even listed in the index. Buying this book was a waste of time and money for me.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worst book by Rick Steves, April 1, 2008

By 

A. Matalon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rick Steves' Switzerland (Paperback)

I'm a Rick Steves fan. In our yearly vacations to Europe, his books were always the most accurate, detailed and useful.
But this one is really different, as if there is some (political? commercial?) agenda behind it - for example -
- Gimmelwald as the center of the Bernese Oberland alps? Are you insane? A vilage with two BB and no restaurants... Is someone reviewing these books?
- And Grindelwald (there) is only mentioned as a side comment while it is the largest resort in that area.
Not even mentioning that Geneva is poorly covered (not interesting...). And these are only the items I've seen until now.
If you are going to Switzerland, specially if focusing on the Bernese Oberland, do yourself a favor and don't buy this book. Don't even read it because you will only get confused, specially if you used to believe Rick Steves.