DK Eyewitness Switzerland

My goal was to go to Zurich (by plane), rent a car and drive around for a few days and see as much as I can in this country which I haven't visited before. This book did the trick for me. It took me a few hours of browsing through and figured out the daily trips I was going to embark. The problem with Switzerland is that it has so many attractions it is difficult to decide which way to go. Another dimension to this problem is that Switzerland is so culturally diverse. This is not just a country with beautiful mountains but a confederation of distinct cultures. I found this book very useful because it provided good explanations on the geography, infrastructure, culture, history and places to visit in a very compact and clever way. I used even the small maps of cities' central locations to find interesting piazzas and other places (such as the beautiful Jesuit Cathedral from Luzern). At a glance, I have been able to make conscious decisions on where to go; I had time to see the beauty of the Alps, but also to visit cities, museums, restaurants all in four days. I left not only loaded with a tone of photos and memories but with a better understanding of the history of that place.

I've always liked the Eyewitness Travel Guides for their great photos, maps, narrative and tidbits. This one lives up to the series' standard. And these books make a great keepsake after your trip.

We had one week in Geneva and this guide pretty much explained everything there was to see. Well written, easy to use, very well organized, it was possible to get a handle on any large Swiss city in about 30 minutes.

I'm not a seasoned or jaded traveler ... yet! So a comprehensive travel guide is critical to my preparation for a trip and a great way of post-filling information and details into some of the holes or places that I might have missed or had to rush through when I was actually on the trip. Along with photographs and trip journals, they're also a wonderful way to resurrect detailed memories of a trip long after you've returned home. Eyewitness Travel Guides seem to have the market beat by a long margin! That's not to say that Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin or the Blue and Green Guides miss the mark entirely but the Eyewitness series, in general, seems to be more informative. The photographs and illustrations instill a higher degree of keen anticipation and provide a better means of choosing in advance between a world of competing destinations and alternative tourist attractions. Their guide to Switzerland, in particular, was astonishingly accurate and complete - history, food, travel, hotels, geography, destinations, estimated costs, highlights, outdoor activities - every last one of them spot on and accurately described from the perspective of an actual trip through St Moritz, Lucerne, the Bernina Pass to Tirano, Italy and Interlaken. Even now the photographs of Swiss cuisine and cheese can set my mouth to watering! One noteworthy omission that my traveling companion and I discovered by accident - Switzerland offers a museum pass for 30 Swiss francs that will give admission for one month to virtually every museum in the country. That's a remarkable offer given that the countryside is positively littered with a host of attractive museums, castles and attractions most of which charge a 5 to 10 franc admission. We learned that little tidbit from the concierge of the Palace Lucerne Hotel - kudos to the hotel for over the top service and a great piece of advice! With that one small suggestion for addition to future editions, the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Switzerland easily earns a five-star review. And Switzerland, by the bye, is certainly a delicious five-star travel destination! Paul Weiss

As a Swiss/US dual citizen, currently living in Rhode Island, but having spent a good 30 years in Switzerland, I was eager to get this travel guide. I ordered it in part out of curiousity to see how my favorite travel guide publisher would portray Switzerland, and in part to have a book to be able to show my friends where I come from. I have to say that this travel guide more than pleasantly surprised me. With its beautiful illustrations, this book is not only fun to read, but also loaded with accurate and valuable information on all the major (and minor) sights that Switzerland has to offer. Having lived in Zurich myself, I was pleasantly surprised how thorough this guide explores the different points of interest and learned a thing or two I did not know myself. Even the list of Restaurants was excellent. Do go and enjoy a meal at my favorite restaurant in Zurich, the "Kronenhalle" (bit pricey but well worthwhile). For an inexpensive and hearty meal, I would recommend the "Zeughauskeller" in addition to the list. The book also contains a section on the different food specialties that Switzerland has to offer, which is a great feature for anyone who likes to immerse themselves in the local culture and is willing to live for a week or two abroad, resisting the urge of running to McDonalds. Take it from someone who lived there: This book is by far the most comprehensive guide to Switzerland available today.