A great thing about Switzerland is that you can pick the absolute cheapest accommodation and still feel confident that it will be clean and comfortable. After travelling through some other parts of Europe, going to Switzerland is like coming home to Mother.
I travelled in Switzerland 50 years ago as a student on a $5 (cdn) a day budget. I only ever ate in one restaurant because of the expense; however, the portions were so big, I had enough left over for another meal. What I did do was buy apples, bread and chocolate ( of course!) and ate in public parks. When I had arrived in Geneva, I asked at the tourist centre for the cheapest hotel and once there asked for the cheapest room. When I heard the price, I told them it was still too expensive and they relented by giving me a garret room which was still more expensive than others I had stayed in but it did include breakfast. There is no harm in bargaining, even in Switzerland. I did love the country though, so beautiful.
Nice to see my home town. The Ässbar (the name is a word play and could be translated either as “eating bar” or “edible”) seen at 6:09 serves leftover baked goods from other bakeries and supermarkets that couldn’t be sold the day before. Therefore it’s not only cheap, but also helps reduce foodwaste. The hotel you stayed at has a rooftop bar with a great view of the city. Although I’m not sure they’re open at this time of year.
@@jonathanjones906 there’s a few factors. The main one is probably high cost of labour. The wages are rather high compared to neighbouring countries, which will obviously drive up the prices to a similar level. And then there’s the exchange rate: the Swiss franc has become more expensive in terms of EUR, GBP or USD in recent years (it went from some 0.75 EUR/CHF to now about 1.00 EUR/CHF), which exacerbated the issue especially for tourists. This is mostly because CHF is in high demand in times of instability or crises that we’ve unfortunately lived in recently.
@@jonathanjones906 If you earn a Swiss salary, the prices are more or less affordable. It's the exchange rate for the CHF that is completely off. Blame it on all those rich people who trust the Swiss Franc more than any other currency. And then, food is especially expensive, because local agriculture is difficult due to all the mountains, and the state puts an extra tax on imported food so that local produce can still compete with the imported stuff. When it comes to restaurants, you have to add the Swiss salary costs to the already high prices of the food itself, and you get the prices down in the video. Especially in a very touristy city centre, where real estate costs can't be neglected either.
I love videos that put a cap on the expenses for the day and show us how you spent it. Even if the cap is $100pp. It is just helpful and enjoyable to see.
That view from the bridge of the city at dusk looked like a literal Holiday Village setup. Unbelievably picturesque and you shot it so well! Great video and showcase of frugality when appropriate.
This was so much fun! Reminded me of backpacking through Switzerland in 1976 on a $9/day budget! Stayed in a hostel in Berne and it certainly was not $100! I kept a tally of everything I spent because some places cost less, and others more, so savings on one day could be splurged on another day. I was travelling on a Euro-railpass so travel costs were not part of my budget. I remember I managed to have fun and see the sights - it was winter as well.
WhenI was young, I hitchhiked around the North Eastern US with practically no money, and stopped at restaurants and asked if I could do some work for a meal. They almost all said sit over there and we'll see what we can find, and they brought me delicious meals for nothing in exchange. And the Big Hotels did the same about 30% of the time for a room if the weather was bad. I was backpacking with tent and sleeping bag, but I hitchhiked all through NY, Vt, Mass, and NH & RI. Only cape cod gave me "Chores" to do in exchange for food. It was a great year !
Leese. 150 x 7 = $1050 Now think about this, you're travelling around Europe, you have all other costs to pay for during your day's sightseeing, trips, food etc. Travelling various countries is what you do, are YOU still thinking $150 for a room per night isn't too bad? & why is beer a food & part of a travellers budget? Are you an alcoholic? I don't drink alcohol & travel the world. It's never been part of my budget.
We used hotel points in Zurich, they had lounge access, complementary breakfast, drinks and snacks. We had lunch at the supermarket and went out for dinner. (Family of five). We stayed at a bed and breakfast in the mountains, brought groceries for lunch and ate dinner out. Lasagna with Swiss cheese was better than the lasagna I had in Italy. It had a cheese fondue edge. Omg! 🤤
A hotel with breakfast included is always a great idea because you can really full up and only need a light lunch or nothing til the afternoon. And I usually steal a muffin or two for a later snack haha
Great video. Our daughter lived in Basel for 4 years, so we have been over many times. Yes it is expensive but they do have Swiss Pass and Swiss half pass to save money. If you ride a motorcycle the Alps are a must do. We rode the Swiss Alps twice, my daughter is now in Texas but we may return to Switzerland again just to ride the Alps for a third time.
My partner & I are long-term travelers who prioritize seeing and doing over eating & drinking, so staying in AirBNB’s allows us to make inexpensive meals on the regular and, often, we can even do laundry! Sure, we’ll grab lunch while we’re out exploring (food stalls & grocery stores like you) and occasionally splurge on a pub or restaurant… especially during World Cup! This vid was a great fun lesson for vacation planners!
Hi Mart, have you seen the prices of Airbnbs in Switerland, because most of the times a hotel is the cheapest option. I think that plan works almost anywhere except here
Love your videos. We did Switzerland and stayed just outside, Interlaken. Turned out to be our cheapest week on a 3 month tour. 7 nights at a Hobby 3 campsite and paid for 5 nights. Free travel passes including the dog. Did our research before and did a massive food shop in France before we entered. It can be very expensive but such a beautiful country. Can't wait to go back. Enjoy every minute making wonderful memories.
I have been living in Germany for the past ten years. Switzerland is my favorite country to travel to in Europe. Since it’s so expensive I do it over long weekends. My hotel stays include breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day, so I fill up then and usually get a light snack during the day and eat dinner out, or vice versa-lunch out is often cheaper and then finish the day with a snack. Everywhere I’ve traveled to in Switzerland I have enjoyed. Probably my two most favorite places are Lauterbrunnen and Mûrren.
I was in Switzerland, including Bern, in October 2022 and loved the memories this brought back. Congrats on finding some solid deals! I'm a budget traveller at heart, but as I'm getting older I'm adjusting what this means to me, implementing some basic standards and assessing where it is reasonable to spend that extra money. Spoiler, it's usually related to comfort - I don't want to stay in a 20 person dorm with triple bunks and a 6.5 rating, or take multiple overnight bus trips in one week, it sounds really unpleasant haha.
When we travel, I only establish all our residential accommodations before we leave the States. Our last trip to the UK was in 2018, and we spent a month touring. We started at Gatwick and drove to the Penrith area for two nights. From there to Stirling, Scotland, for a week. Then down to Huntington in East Anglia for five days. From there, we returned to Gatwick to drop off our granddaughter and her husband for their return to the States. We then drove up to just north of Oxford for a couple of days, then moved over to Wales and down to Cornwall, which we spent ten days doing, and then back to Gatwick. All that, including round-trip airfare on Virgin Atlantic from Las Vegas, NV, ran us about $12,000. I was pleased with the total, but you can see why we don't travel more often.
All Swiss hotels offer free public transport tickets to people, which I think is a great way to encourage sustainability. It makes so much sense, I wish they did that everywhere. And Läderach: best chocolate ever!!!
The supermarket is so lovely. I can imagine the smell of bread. I came across your channel the other day and loving it so much. How both you engage with each others. The detail of the clock tower makes it so worth while in walking around. There are even moving parts. Enjoying catching up on your other video’s.
We drove through Switzerland last summer and it was the most beautiful country we drove through. Your video inspired me to go back and camp next time in our VW camper. Thanks for all the tips!
Wow, those meals do seem excessively expensive. But the whole world is much more expensive these days as well. Still fun to watch the challenge, so thanks for bringing us along :).
@@English.4Beginners I know the feeling! I have lived in & travelled to different countries since I was a child - it definitely broadens your horizons!
When we travel we are probably more frugal than anyone would expect and we often hit up the grocery stores which is also fun to see how they differ from ours. We do splurge on food but usually only dinner and keep other meals simple (thankfully ham and cheese baguettes are so good in Europe!). We liked Switzerland but did not enjoy the high costs and there are so many amazing and affordable places to visit elsewhere that we won’t be heading back anytime soon. We’d rather see the alps in Austria or Germany next time and not stress so much bout how expensive it is! Love that you guys are still traveling even with a little one on the way!
I am swiss and I was in Bern a few days ago. Even for us Swiss citizens it is expensive, unless you have a huge salary like many do ( but I don't). For ordinary earners, you really have to count every centime !
The Äss-Bar you got the cheap food from actually gathers bread, sandwiches and sweets from local bakeries at the end of the day (which otherwise they would chuck out) and sells it the next day! So it's not very fresh, but definitely still edible and very affordable! I found you video very nice to watch and you're doing a good job exploring my home town. Cheers!
Loved this challenge/video...well done Alex on surviving on 20. I have a thing where I like to go to McDonalds in every country that I go to at least once, I guess it's just a bit of a novelty, but I also like to experience the cuisine in nicer places too. I think as a traveler you can do both cheap and not so cheap and still have a fabulous time 🙂
I have tried McDonald's in many places, more because we travel on motorbike and sometimes you just want to get out of the cold/rain and sit on something other than a motorbike seat. I usually stick to the coffee though. McD's does decent coffee and a low price, and you can warm up for as long as you need to/like! Other chain self-service fast-food places don't always do coffee, and my wife and I hate colas.
We're kinda like Emma, no fixed budget while on holiday! We're sensible and look at the prices obviously, but we don't think "that meal's as much as a week's groceries" every time we eat out. We can't do too many meals eating out though, so we always prefer an AirBnB where we can cook a few breakfasts/dinners ourselves. Especially breakfast - unless it's a place with cuisine completely different from what we're used to. We try to look up local recipes and ingredients when cooking in our AirBNB so it still has that holiday vibe - more for health reasons that the cost. I wouldn't pay for water at a restaurant though. My wife probably would (even if she grumbled about it)!
The supermarket at 6.30 is again one of the "fancy variations of" supermarkets that have popped up recently and more expensive than if you go into the bigger one 500m away to streets over... (coop marktgasse vs coop ryfflihof) Sometimes Migros and coop have those takeaway lounges built into their entrances too, it is more often than not cheaper to go down into the store and find the exact same bottled drinks cheaper on the actual supermarket shelves than in the "to go" sections of the store
I 100% agree that the food is a huge part of the experience! This was a great challenge, though, because it does show that if you are creative, you can still eat and enjoy some local dishes even if you're on a very tight budget - certain places don't need to be off limits to a budget traveler. I think it was great that you pointed out that aside from the food, you can explore places very affordably in Europe. Even in Switzerland. We live close to San Francisco, so honestly, some of the prices at the restaurants didn't seem completely outrageous. We definitely save up some for our travels so we can spend what we would like at restaurants, etc. But we also like to have fun at local grocery stores and we've made our own food, too. We recently took our kids to Europe for the first time and they had so much fun at the grocery stores checking everything out.
Geneva and Zürich are the two most expensive cities in Switzerland; If you're on a tighter budget, going to smaller towns is probably easier to find less expensive accommodation and food; as you discovered, Coop and Migros both have inexpensive meal options, though for groceries, our monthly food budget (near Zürich) is, on average, about CHF 40 per day...
I'm born in switzerland and live here. Its not cheap here, but If you know how to save is go to eat in Coop or Migros Restaurant or to Ikea. Some Migros have a dely corner where you can microwave your (junk) food you bought in the supermarket. Thats the way you can save or do it like we swiss cook your rösti at home för CHF 2.60. As a camper I very rare eat in a restaurant if i stay in switzerland...or go to Coop or Migros Restaurant they are much cheaper then others or go in countryside for lunch its much cheaper then on evenings....ask for lunch menu (card).
I was in Zurich for a weekend last summer during a 3-month trip in Europe. I paid 90 euros, cheapest I could find, per night for a very simple Airbnb room. Everything including groceries was significantly more expensive in Switzerland. I did not even bother checking out prices at restaurants cuz I knew dining out would've blown up my budget. Zurich is clean and pretty, but the stress coming from constant shock of price of things took away some of the fun. I was glad that I visited Zurich but getting out of Switzerland felt a great relief in terms of expenses.
Hello Travel Beans. Hope all is well. You asked the question ; would you do a low budget trip with fewer comforts. The answer is yes and no. If we were younger, yes. Generally, you have no money So, there's no choice if you want to visit places. As we are older comfort matters. Alex, you managed to do it quite well in of all places Bern, Switzerland. Love you guys' ❤❤❤ Happy New Year! Harriet, Jim and Yuki P.S. We just upgraded our membership on Patreon. Thanks Again.
Aw I wanted to know what that drink tasted like! Yep bakeries and supermarkets are always your best bet. I often do that when travelling, you can grab some cheap items and have a nice picnic somewhere!
When I was younger I backpacked around Europe, staying in hostel accommodation. Im not that Budget conscious on holidays anymore, but my younger self would have really appreciated this video!
Hi you lovely people. Happy new year. We travel in our Motorhome and can't afford to eat out unless in Turkey lol . We have a very small budget. Yes it is far to experience. So was the hotel. Love going in churches and Cathedrals but would not pay to go in. And wouldn't fancy the stairs well done Emma take it easy. We love to walk around seeing the fantastic building. And would go for coffee/ tea but never would we paid that much. You definitely get about last time you were in Japan. We are still traveling in Romania we want to see everything .and it so nice
E/A great fun vlog!! Yes, I have spent time in other expensive countries like Norway! I would still select " Alex budget style as I do on most travels throughout my lifetime. My reason is, if I save big on sleeping accommodations, no restaurants in the evening eating out, (I take away food at hotel breakfasts & buy a picnic making lunch at Market places), then I have enough cash left over to splurge on something worthwild & exciting! Oh this brings back flood of memories while I lived outside Lugano CH (mountainside villages). I spent 3 weeks in Bern, where I had main office bank account in the day. I stayed at Pension Hostel right off the river. It was in off season, so I did not have to share the water closet/bath room with anyone else, as I had the whole floor to myself. My bed had views of the river & old town below. I loved viewing your walks around the city. Just love it!💙☃️💙
I agree with you, for me too the food and beverages during the vacation are all part of the experience. I rather do some corner cutting at home before the vacation if I feel it is necessary prior to the vacation....eating more meals at home leading up to vacation, etc... The times I went to Hawaii, expenses were similar. In the US, skiing out west at a bigger ski mountain and eating at the ski village can be very expensive.
Drove there twice from Scotland lovely journey we were camping this was almost 40years ago it was so expensive we were camping so took almost all food and anything else we required had a brilliant time oh I forgot to mention the 2 crates of mc kewans tartan special beer could,nt leave home without it if you like mountains this is the place to go
We spent £2400 for 11 days, which is about £220 per day. This includes hotels and flights for 2 people, but we are very frugal and did mostly free activities like walking around the towns. Our hotels were in Thun, Lauterbrunnen, and Wengen to give others an idea of what they might be spending if they go on their own trip!
I am traveling to Paris, Rome, Barcelona for 10 nights. I have a budget of 3000€ for 10 nights for 3 person including my kid. This is excluding flight, visa, travel from one country to other. Will this be a stretch budget or its kind of ok?!
@@pappuchak8605 If it's excluding hotels then it's more than enough, you'll be able to have a great time without to much concern over money. If that's to include hotels, you'll have maybe €150 a day left, which could be a little tight for three people, but still totally possible if you watch your spending and don't eat at fancy restaurants.
@@NickHoddinott Thanks so much for your suggestion. Oh yes, we will be on budget. I just want to see tge splendid European architecture. We are not so foody😊..
Great video - a small tip: the next time you ascend the stairs with your woman, make sure she goes ahead of you on the way up and you go ahead of her on the way down. This may appear to be "none of my business," but it is really part of the etiquette (you are there to assist her if something happens to her)...
There used to be a food network person that would go to various cities and try to spend $40 per day for food only. We love to eat on vacay but we also look for smaller local places where we can get good food for reasonable price. We found that easy to do this summer in Portugal!
I often eat in supermarket cafeterias or the cafeterias in the department stores. A side benefit is that there will always be a toilet there too. Switzerland has always been relatively expensive to elsewhere in Europe. Also, if you are visiting during the heat of the summer, these places are usually air-conditioned.
We went self-catering to Switzerland and cooked all our main meals from scratch buying produce(very high quality but expensive) from the local shops and supermarkets. But for lunch, we ate in the supermarket cafes which were all pretty cheap and good quality. Our extravagances included lunch in Gruyere featuring, of course, the famous cheese, and one big meal out where we sampled all the well-known dishes we hadn't found in the cafes - I think it cost around 80--90 euros each. We certainly spent less than 100/day/person but probably not much less. I'd certainly advise taking 800-1000/week to allow for activities etc. on top of accommodation.
I am retired and live for 6 months of the year in my house in Spain. The rest of the time I am travelling on a budget which works out about 12 euros a day for food, drink and entertainment. So far it has worked out well, have spent 2 months this summer in the UK where I camped and spent little as mainly walked, went to free museums or used my National Trust membership. I am going to spend 5 weeks in Cyprus soon so will be interested to see if that works out. I have booked mainly self catering accommodation for around 20 euros a night. I will therefore be cooking for evening meals and buying food from supermarkets for lunches etc. I have previously travelled very cheaply in the more costly Scandinavian countries by using supermarkets and buying city cards that give you transport and museum entry for about £10 a day.
So beautiful there, even in the rain…. I would never do that $20 budget test on holiday as I’d prefer to enjoy the day haha. Good for you and I hope you secretly shared some of the mushrooms and potato dish. Happy travels!! 💜
For me - travelling is "vacay vibes all the way". Being frugal takes away the joy of seeing the places and experiencing the local cuisine for me , personally. The food is especially important to me, so I'd hate to have skimp a lot. I don't need luxury dining - but I would want to go where I could get the authentic feel for any place I visit.
This is people from a class divided developing country. You come from the more developed parts of this world, where the prices are just like in Switzerland. But you are right, we dont go around with open mouth about how inexpensive everything is when we visit poor nations like UK, so this hang up on prices is a strange habit everybody have in UK. It is like they did not know it is more expensive in developed countries.
To survive is right Alex, congratulations. Like Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Moldova, Greece, Slovakia and Sweden just a few countries where women have assumed leadership of governments, men need to learn how to adapt and survive. You should have stayed in the van overnight though
I stumbled across this video on my home feed and had to watch. Switzerland is one of those places that I've wanted to travel to for a while now. Admittingly I didn't believe 20 CHF would be possible but I'm blown away at the fact you came under budget. It's amazing what u can do when u watch what you spend. I'm looking to do an interrail trip this year and Switzerland is definitely on my list of places to go. I can't wait until I'm there. I'm definitely someone who is strict with my money but not to the point where I limit everything, when I'm away I do want to enjoy myself and I will make some sacrifices along the way when it's worth it to do it, big believer in "money will return but the experience won't" and I live by that motto in these circumstances. Thank you for such an interesting video and what it's like when it comes to a budget 🥰
Hi Beans, Happy New Year. When we travel, we usually mix and match more expensive things with more affordable things. We try to eat local cuisine and then leave ourselves a little wiggle room for unexpected splurges if and when. For example, in Costa Rica, we slept in a hostel and a few days later in a boutique hotel, we ate rice & beans for lunch in the local eateries, but then had a fancier dinner, activity wise: a few 'free' beach days and then a more expensive boat rental activity. Having a van or a rental with a kitchen is really great too - cos you can cut down on eating out. We did Buenos Aires with a rental apartment and only ate out in the evenings, which really helped to stretch the budget. Also things like a metro or a bus card, for big cities are a must. In China, the bus and eating local were super cheap and it meant more money for activities, which are not free there. so, it also depends on the location. Travel is extra expensive now though too. (petrol 😱). Enjoy your trip!
I grew up in Switzerland and recommend everyone to travel to Switzerland in summer time (except if you love snow and want to go skying). In spring, fall and winter time it can be foggy often. That’s why I highly recommend spending time in Switzerland in summer time.
As to food when we travel, we like to have only one meal out at a restaurant per day. So we are eating free hotel breakfast and food from a grocery store the other meal. This is based on travel in the US. We haven’t traveled in Europe. We we have gone to Mexico, we have stayed at an all inclusive resort where you are eating at restaurants all day which is included in the all inclusive fees.
Have found we can budget by staying at aparthotels and alternating eating out with a cooked meal bought in supermarkets and they are no more expensive than a hotel room.
Emma looks so pretty in that last shot, I guess it's true what they say, glowing pregnant. And Alex its really nice to see how caring you are of her. Awesome couple
Hi Beans. Emma you are absolutely glowing. I'm a foodie but it depends on where I would be traveling to. Places in Africa, Asia or Europe it more the museums and places people pray at for me
Some of those prices were high, but things here in the USA have gotten ridiculously high. We can get a fairly decent hotel for under $100 (us), but won’t include any kind of travel, so really that’s not bad. Big Mac meal here in southern US, around $8 (us), but in some big cities it’ll run around $12. So really it isn’t that bad there. I like to be cheap, but will splurge on certain places and at least 1 night during our vacation (holiday) we’ll splurge a really nice meal. So a mix of both for me & my hubs.
100 Euro / Franc / $ a day, per person, seems too much until I consider 3 meals + snacking on chocolate + an afternoon tea. That is in a major city. I could easily spend a similar amount in Rome, or Edinburgh, or San Francisco. It just proves to me that if one is going to fret about the cost, plan to go elsewhere. Cities are expensive. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed, so plan accordingly. As for you 2.5, another fun video and thanks for taking me along.
As you notionally save at least 150CHF a day by living in the Van spending money on food, drink and experiences is very legitimate. Would be good to have shown if Alex could get a shower within his budget or maybe half a shower equivalent of showering every other day. I have never understood expensive hotels unless that is the experience as you spend most of the time oblivious to the surroundings. If I spend a lot on a hotel I want the grounds and the spa and three meals a day and activities. I would always have a basic hotel for a city break as I would only be sleeping and washing there. It is lovely to see you both even happier than usual. Impending parenthood is obviously ambrosia for you both. Have the most wonderful time on this break before you take some time out to ready for your new arrival. Happy New (very special) Year.
Hi nice trip to Switzerland thanks for grand tour wow Alex spent less and enjoy it I usually do that on my road trip not to over spent it ... but Alex got jokes lol looking to see your next adventure!!!
Nice job on suffering through! If the supermarket didn’t want you drinking there, they wouldn’t sell beer. We travel with a budget-a nightly lodging budget and a daily spend budget. Although we have a budget, if there is something we really want to do we will go outside our budget.
My wife and I have travelled Europe on a budget, for more than 15 years. The secret is to stay in 2 or 3 star hotels with breakfast included. Picnic with market take away. Eat with the locals, enjoy the small villages. Spend as little time as possible in tourist areas. Rent a car, and explore on your own schedule.
Blimey that is expensive for food. The hotel was great value for Switzerland. The lovely walking, and churches and buildings the views, just to mooch around are priceless ❤
How beautiful Bern is... I can't see not experiencing the food when I'm in a different country and of course the Chocolate. Emma you look Beautiful being pregnant you alway been Beautiful, but now you just Glow....
In Switzerland, there are laws for fair payment. And the gouverment controls the employers. Even foreign companies, working temporary in Switzerland. Good payment needs good prices = good money earning. In GB you may get the form for getting social wellfare. Together with your job contract. Because your employer knows, that the payment is not enough, for to live in GB. ie the Buckingham Palace would not so welcome, as an employer.
Well done Al! I think 4.50 is very expensive for a tea! I love going to European supermarkets and looking at all of the different food. Great one that you found where you could sit down. Enjoy the rest of your trip
In Switzerland salaries/income are much higher than in neighbouring countries and in order to sustain these incomes, anything that involves a service is priced accordingly - thus the huge difference between the price of a beer in the supermarket vs. a pub. While there are many beautiful cities to visit in this country, once you leave the city, you`ll have your mind blown.
If you want to eat cheaply anywhere, don't eat out - buy from the grocery store/bakery. In Switzerland they pay their restaurant workers well compared to the US (not sure about other countries). Eat / drink items that haven't been imported - there is markup on them. Also, try and find street food vendors.
We were in Bern in 2019. We rented an Airbnb in a suburb which saved a lot of money. Secondly we only bought food from grocery stores; mostly Coop. No restaurants. Probably the biggest expense was transportation. We spent five days in Bern and took day trips.
A great thing about Switzerland is that you can pick the absolute cheapest accommodation and still feel confident that it will be clean and comfortable. After travelling through some other parts of Europe, going to Switzerland is like coming home to Mother.
I travelled in Switzerland 50 years ago as a student on a $5 (cdn) a day budget. I only ever ate in one restaurant because of the expense; however, the portions were so big, I had enough left over for another meal. What I did do was buy apples, bread and chocolate ( of course!) and ate in public parks. When I had arrived in Geneva, I asked at the tourist centre for the cheapest hotel and once there asked for the cheapest room. When I heard the price, I told them it was still too expensive and they relented by giving me a garret room which was still more expensive than others I had stayed in but it did include breakfast. There is no harm in bargaining, even in Switzerland. I did love the country though, so beautiful.
Nice to see my home town. The Ässbar (the name is a word play and could be translated either as “eating bar” or “edible”) seen at 6:09 serves leftover baked goods from other bakeries and supermarkets that couldn’t be sold the day before. Therefore it’s not only cheap, but also helps reduce foodwaste.
The hotel you stayed at has a rooftop bar with a great view of the city. Although I’m not sure they’re open at this time of year.
Why is Switzerland so expensive!? I would love to know! I met a Swiss guy in Malaga several years ago and even he was complaining about it!
@@jonathanjones906 there’s a few factors. The main one is probably high cost of labour. The wages are rather high compared to neighbouring countries, which will obviously drive up the prices to a similar level. And then there’s the exchange rate: the Swiss franc has become more expensive in terms of EUR, GBP or USD in recent years (it went from some 0.75 EUR/CHF to now about 1.00 EUR/CHF), which exacerbated the issue especially for tourists. This is mostly because CHF is in high demand in times of instability or crises that we’ve unfortunately lived in recently.
@@jonathanjones906 If you earn a Swiss salary, the prices are more or less affordable. It's the exchange rate for the CHF that is completely off. Blame it on all those rich people who trust the Swiss Franc more than any other currency.
And then, food is especially expensive, because local agriculture is difficult due to all the mountains, and the state puts an extra tax on imported food so that local produce can still compete with the imported stuff. When it comes to restaurants, you have to add the Swiss salary costs to the already high prices of the food itself, and you get the prices down in the video. Especially in a very touristy city centre, where real estate costs can't be neglected either.
@@baumgrt many thanks for this. Much appreciated.
@@alexj9603 many thanks for taking time out to cover the points. Much appreciated.
I love videos that put a cap on the expenses for the day and show us how you spent it. Even if the cap is $100pp. It is just helpful and enjoyable to see.
Just wanted to mention how delightful you both are and what a pleasure it is to watch your videos 🤗💛
That view from the bridge of the city at dusk looked like a literal Holiday Village setup. Unbelievably picturesque and you shot it so well! Great video and showcase of frugality when appropriate.
Wow that view from the top of the cathedral was breathtaking with the snow and the chimneys! I had to rewatch it twice!
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
This was so much fun! Reminded me of backpacking through Switzerland in 1976 on a $9/day budget! Stayed in a hostel in Berne and it certainly was not $100! I kept a tally of everything I spent because some places cost less, and others more, so savings on one day could be splurged on another day. I was travelling on a Euro-railpass so travel costs were not part of my budget. I remember I managed to have fun and see the sights - it was winter as well.
WhenI was young, I hitchhiked around the North Eastern US with practically no money, and stopped at restaurants and asked if I could do some work for a meal. They almost all said sit over there and we'll see what we can find, and they brought me delicious meals for nothing in exchange. And the Big Hotels did the same about 30% of the time for a room if the weather was bad. I was backpacking with tent and sleeping bag, but I hitchhiked all through NY, Vt, Mass, and NH & RI. Only cape cod gave me "Chores" to do in exchange for food. It was a great year !
The $150 for the hotel room isn't so bad when it includes transportation. And Alex I'm sure that on a budget, beer is actually a food.
Why should there be a food on the budget beer? That would be very unusual in Europe.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
@@English.4Beginners
I'd go further & say those who don't travel, don't read at all.
Leese.
150 x 7 = $1050
Now think about this, you're travelling around Europe, you have all other costs to pay for during your day's sightseeing, trips, food etc.
Travelling various countries is what you do, are YOU still thinking $150 for a room per night isn't too bad?
& why is beer a food & part of a travellers budget? Are you an alcoholic?
I don't drink alcohol & travel the world. It's never been part of my budget.
@@tman5634 In Europe, beer is comparatively/considerably cheaper, arguably the cheapest beverage option.
We used hotel points in Zurich, they had lounge access, complementary breakfast, drinks and snacks. We had lunch at the supermarket and went out for dinner. (Family of five).
We stayed at a bed and breakfast in the mountains, brought groceries for lunch and ate dinner out. Lasagna with Swiss cheese was better than the lasagna I had in Italy. It had a cheese fondue edge. Omg! 🤤
A hotel with breakfast included is always a great idea because you can really full up and only need a light lunch or nothing til the afternoon. And I usually steal a muffin or two for a later snack haha
Great video. Our daughter lived in Basel for 4 years, so we have been over many times. Yes it is expensive but they do have Swiss Pass and Swiss half pass to save money. If you ride a motorcycle the Alps are a must do. We rode the Swiss Alps twice, my daughter is now in Texas but we may return to Switzerland again just to ride the Alps for a third time.
My partner & I are long-term travelers who prioritize seeing and doing over eating & drinking, so staying in AirBNB’s allows us to make inexpensive meals on the regular and, often, we can even do laundry! Sure, we’ll grab lunch while we’re out exploring (food stalls & grocery stores like you) and occasionally splurge on a pub or restaurant… especially during World Cup! This vid was a great fun lesson for vacation planners!
Hi Mart, have you seen the prices of Airbnbs in Switerland, because most of the times a hotel is the cheapest option. I think that plan works almost anywhere except here
@@Switzerleando Thank you. No, haven't made it to Switzerland yet. Thanks for the tip!
I like to do this too, but then trying the local food is one of the best parts of travelling
Love your videos. We did Switzerland and stayed just outside, Interlaken. Turned out to be our cheapest week on a 3 month tour.
7 nights at a Hobby 3 campsite and paid for 5 nights. Free travel passes including the dog. Did our research before and did a massive food shop in France before we entered. It can be very expensive but such a beautiful country. Can't wait to go back. Enjoy every minute making wonderful memories.
That view across the bridge and the snow covered buildings at night is stunning. Worth paying that much to visit the city
I have been living in Germany for the past ten years. Switzerland is my favorite country to travel to in Europe. Since it’s so expensive I do it over long weekends. My hotel stays include breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day, so I fill up then and usually get a light snack during the day and eat dinner out, or vice versa-lunch out is often cheaper and then finish the day with a snack. Everywhere I’ve traveled to in Switzerland I have enjoyed. Probably my two most favorite places are Lauterbrunnen and Mûrren.
I was in Switzerland, including Bern, in October 2022 and loved the memories this brought back. Congrats on finding some solid deals!
I'm a budget traveller at heart, but as I'm getting older I'm adjusting what this means to me, implementing some basic standards and assessing where it is reasonable to spend that extra money. Spoiler, it's usually related to comfort - I don't want to stay in a 20 person dorm with triple bunks and a 6.5 rating, or take multiple overnight bus trips in one week, it sounds really unpleasant haha.
Em pregnancy suits you as you are glowing and heck Al seems to be glowing with you and he seems to protective of you which is lovely to watch :)
When we travel, I only establish all our residential accommodations before we leave the States. Our last trip to the UK was in 2018, and we spent a month touring. We started at Gatwick and drove to the Penrith area for two nights. From there to Stirling, Scotland, for a week. Then down to Huntington in East Anglia for five days. From there, we returned to Gatwick to drop off our granddaughter and her husband for their return to the States. We then drove up to just north of Oxford for a couple of days, then moved over to Wales and down to Cornwall, which we spent ten days doing, and then back to Gatwick. All that, including round-trip airfare on Virgin Atlantic from Las Vegas, NV, ran us about $12,000. I was pleased with the total, but you can see why we don't travel more often.
There you are my two favorite beans. Wishing you two a very Happy New Year!
All Swiss hotels offer free public transport tickets to people, which I think is a great way to encourage sustainability. It makes so much sense, I wish they did that everywhere. And Läderach: best chocolate ever!!!
Love that you did a "cheap" day and a spendy day here - love to see this wherever you go. Very informative!!
HAPPY NEW YEARS 2023 love the video..................
The supermarket is so lovely. I can imagine the smell of bread. I came across your channel the other day and loving it so much. How both you engage with each others. The detail of the clock tower makes it so worth while in walking around. There are even moving parts. Enjoying catching up on your other video’s.
We drove through Switzerland last summer and it was the most beautiful country we drove through. Your video inspired me to go back and camp next time in our VW camper. Thanks for all the tips!
Wow, those meals do seem excessively expensive. But the whole world is much more expensive these days as well. Still fun to watch the challenge, so thanks for bringing us along :).
Switzerland has been like this for ages. It's notoriously expensive
@@Skittl1321 Crazy!
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
@@English.4Beginners I know the feeling! I have lived in & travelled to different countries since I was a child - it definitely broadens your horizons!
Switzerland Inflation 2022: 2.8%
When we travel we are probably more frugal than anyone would expect and we often hit up the grocery stores which is also fun to see how they differ from ours. We do splurge on food but usually only dinner and keep other meals simple (thankfully ham and cheese baguettes are so good in Europe!). We liked Switzerland but did not enjoy the high costs and there are so many amazing and affordable places to visit elsewhere that we won’t be heading back anytime soon. We’d rather see the alps in Austria or Germany next time and not stress so much bout how expensive it is! Love that you guys are still traveling even with a little one on the way!
I am swiss and I was in Bern a few days ago. Even for us Swiss citizens it is expensive, unless you have a huge salary like many do ( but I don't). For ordinary earners, you really have to count every centime !
The Äss-Bar you got the cheap food from actually gathers bread, sandwiches and sweets from local bakeries at the end of the day (which otherwise they would chuck out) and sells it the next day!
So it's not very fresh, but definitely still edible and very affordable! I found you video very nice to watch and you're doing a good job exploring my home town. Cheers!
Loved this challenge/video...well done Alex on surviving on 20. I have a thing where I like to go to McDonalds in every country that I go to at least once, I guess it's just a bit of a novelty, but I also like to experience the cuisine in nicer places too. I think as a traveler you can do both cheap and not so cheap and still have a fabulous time 🙂
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
I also check out Starbucks in other countries too. I look for the items that are special to the location.
I thought the Wife and I were the only strange people that did this.
I use to do that too.
I have tried McDonald's in many places, more because we travel on motorbike and sometimes you just want to get out of the cold/rain and sit on something other than a motorbike seat. I usually stick to the coffee though. McD's does decent coffee and a low price, and you can warm up for as long as you need to/like! Other chain self-service fast-food places don't always do coffee, and my wife and I hate colas.
We're kinda like Emma, no fixed budget while on holiday! We're sensible and look at the prices obviously, but we don't think "that meal's as much as a week's groceries" every time we eat out. We can't do too many meals eating out though, so we always prefer an AirBnB where we can cook a few breakfasts/dinners ourselves. Especially breakfast - unless it's a place with cuisine completely different from what we're used to. We try to look up local recipes and ingredients when cooking in our AirBNB so it still has that holiday vibe - more for health reasons that the cost. I wouldn't pay for water at a restaurant though. My wife probably would (even if she grumbled about it)!
I always loved our trips to Switzerland when we lived in Germany and especially Bern! Enjoy...Emma is glowing!!
You two bring me so much joy. What a beautiful country! I laugh EVERY time I watch ya. Thanks for that. Still giggling at little spoon. Lol
The supermarket at 6.30 is again one of the "fancy variations of" supermarkets that have popped up recently and more expensive than if you go into the bigger one 500m away to streets over... (coop marktgasse vs coop ryfflihof)
Sometimes Migros and coop have those takeaway lounges built into their entrances too, it is more often than not cheaper to go down into the store and find the exact same bottled drinks cheaper on the actual supermarket shelves than in the "to go" sections of the store
I 100% agree that the food is a huge part of the experience! This was a great challenge, though, because it does show that if you are creative, you can still eat and enjoy some local dishes even if you're on a very tight budget - certain places don't need to be off limits to a budget traveler. I think it was great that you pointed out that aside from the food, you can explore places very affordably in Europe. Even in Switzerland. We live close to San Francisco, so honestly, some of the prices at the restaurants didn't seem completely outrageous.
We definitely save up some for our travels so we can spend what we would like at restaurants, etc. But we also like to have fun at local grocery stores and we've made our own food, too. We recently took our kids to Europe for the first time and they had so much fun at the grocery stores checking everything out.
Geneva and Zürich are the two most expensive cities in Switzerland; If you're on a tighter budget, going to smaller towns is probably easier to find less expensive accommodation and food; as you discovered, Coop and Migros both have inexpensive meal options, though for groceries, our monthly food budget (near Zürich) is, on average, about CHF 40 per day...
I'm born in switzerland and live here. Its not cheap here, but If you know how to save is go to eat in Coop or Migros Restaurant or to Ikea. Some Migros have a dely corner where you can microwave your (junk) food you bought in the supermarket. Thats the way you can save or do it like we swiss cook your rösti at home för CHF 2.60. As a camper I very rare eat in a restaurant if i stay in switzerland...or go to Coop or Migros Restaurant they are much cheaper then others or go in countryside for lunch its much cheaper then on evenings....ask for lunch menu (card).
I was in Zurich for a weekend last summer during a 3-month trip in Europe. I paid 90 euros, cheapest I could find, per night for a very simple Airbnb room. Everything including groceries was significantly more expensive in Switzerland. I did not even bother checking out prices at restaurants cuz I knew dining out would've blown up my budget.
Zurich is clean and pretty, but the stress coming from constant shock of price of things took away some of the fun. I was glad that I visited Zurich but getting out of Switzerland felt a great relief in terms of expenses.
Hello Travel Beans. Hope all is well. You asked the question ; would you do a low budget trip with fewer comforts. The answer is yes and no. If we were younger, yes. Generally, you have no money
So, there's no choice if you want to visit places. As we are older comfort matters. Alex, you managed to do it quite well in of all places Bern, Switzerland. Love you guys' ❤❤❤ Happy New Year! Harriet, Jim and Yuki P.S. We just upgraded our membership on Patreon. Thanks Again.
Aw I wanted to know what that drink tasted like! Yep bakeries and supermarkets are always your best bet. I often do that when travelling, you can grab some cheap items and have a nice picnic somewhere!
When I was younger I backpacked around Europe, staying in hostel accommodation. Im not that Budget conscious on holidays anymore, but my younger self would have really appreciated this video!
I am usually not that budget conscious anymore either, but I will make an exception for Switzerland ;-)
Hi you lovely people. Happy new year.
We travel in our Motorhome and can't afford to eat out unless in Turkey lol . We have a very small budget.
Yes it is far to experience. So was the hotel. Love going in churches and Cathedrals but would not pay to go in. And wouldn't fancy the stairs well done Emma take it easy. We love to walk around seeing the fantastic building. And would go for coffee/ tea but never would we paid that much. You definitely get about last time you were in Japan. We are still traveling in Romania we want to see everything .and it so nice
at 14.25 exactly below you is the botanical garden of bern which is free to enter (if they are open also into the 3 glashouses)
Very interesting thank you both so much for sharing a very beautiful city enjoying it very much
E/A great fun vlog!! Yes, I have spent time in other expensive countries like Norway! I would still select " Alex budget style as I do on most travels throughout my lifetime. My reason is, if I save big on sleeping accommodations, no restaurants in the evening eating out, (I take away food at hotel breakfasts & buy a picnic making lunch at Market places), then I have enough cash left over to splurge on something worthwild & exciting!
Oh this brings back flood of memories while I lived outside Lugano CH (mountainside villages). I spent 3 weeks in Bern, where I had main office bank account in the day. I stayed at Pension Hostel right off the river. It was in off season, so I did not have to share the water closet/bath room with anyone else, as I had the whole floor to myself. My bed had views of the river & old town below. I loved viewing your walks around the city. Just love it!💙☃️💙
Another great video. I could never afford going to any of the place you have been but thanks for letting me see the world through your eye / lens.
You are right near where I met my hubby in Uster and played at a Christian metal festival called E.O.R! Lol! So awesome! Miss that place! 🥲
I agree with you, for me too the food and beverages during the vacation are all part of the experience. I rather do some corner cutting at home before the vacation if I feel it is necessary prior to the vacation....eating more meals at home leading up to vacation, etc... The times I went to Hawaii, expenses were similar. In the US, skiing out west at a bigger ski mountain and eating at the ski village can be very expensive.
Easy - go to eat at canteen. When it is lunch time, look around malls - where other people go to eat. Go there, there will be relatively cheap.
Drove there twice from Scotland lovely journey we were camping this was almost 40years ago it was so expensive we were camping so took almost all food and anything else we required had a brilliant time oh I forgot to mention the 2 crates of mc kewans tartan special beer could,nt leave home without it if you like mountains this is the place to go
We spent £2400 for 11 days, which is about £220 per day. This includes hotels and flights for 2 people, but we are very frugal and did mostly free activities like walking around the towns. Our hotels were in Thun, Lauterbrunnen, and Wengen to give others an idea of what they might be spending if they go on their own trip!
I am traveling to Paris, Rome, Barcelona for 10 nights. I have a budget of 3000€ for 10 nights for 3 person including my kid. This is excluding flight, visa, travel from one country to other. Will this be a stretch budget or its kind of ok?!
@@pappuchak8605 If it's excluding hotels then it's more than enough, you'll be able to have a great time without to much concern over money. If that's to include hotels, you'll have maybe €150 a day left, which could be a little tight for three people, but still totally possible if you watch your spending and don't eat at fancy restaurants.
@@NickHoddinott Thanks so much for your suggestion. Oh yes, we will be on budget. I just want to see tge splendid European architecture. We are not so foody😊..
Great video - a small tip: the next time you ascend the stairs with your woman, make sure she goes ahead of you on the way up and you go ahead of her on the way down. This may appear to be "none of my business," but it is really part of the etiquette (you are there to assist her if something happens to her)...
There used to be a food network person that would go to various cities and try to spend $40 per day for food only. We love to eat on vacay but we also look for smaller local places where we can get good food for reasonable price. We found that easy to do this summer in Portugal!
Yes Lisbon is a lovely place for food.
Happy, Healthy New Year to You Beans!!! What a fun video! I'm so glad Alex stayed in the room! I hope you also took a few bites of Emma's food...
Very entertaining video adventurers. The food looked so good. Happy new year. Look forward to more exciting weekly videos in 2023.
I often eat in supermarket cafeterias or the cafeterias in the department stores. A side benefit is that there will always be a toilet there too. Switzerland has always been relatively expensive to elsewhere in Europe. Also, if you are visiting during the heat of the summer, these places are usually air-conditioned.
We went self-catering to Switzerland and cooked all our main meals from scratch buying produce(very high quality but expensive) from the local shops and supermarkets. But for lunch, we ate in the supermarket cafes which were all pretty cheap and good quality. Our extravagances included lunch in Gruyere featuring, of course, the famous cheese, and one big meal out where we sampled all the well-known dishes we hadn't found in the cafes - I think it cost around 80--90 euros each. We certainly spent less than 100/day/person but probably not much less. I'd certainly advise taking 800-1000/week to allow for activities etc. on top of accommodation.
I am retired and live for 6 months of the year in my house in Spain. The rest of the time I am travelling on a budget which works out about 12 euros a day for food, drink and entertainment. So far it has worked out well, have spent 2 months this summer in the UK where I camped and spent little as mainly walked, went to free museums or used my National Trust membership. I am going to spend 5 weeks in Cyprus soon so will be interested to see if that works out. I have booked mainly self catering accommodation for around 20 euros a night. I will therefore be cooking for evening meals and buying food from supermarkets for lunches etc. I have previously travelled very cheaply in the more costly Scandinavian countries by using supermarkets and buying city cards that give you transport and museum entry for about £10 a day.
what a dream!
A good experience for both of you !Yes it is exaggerated price wise, specially in Bern ....
So beautiful there, even in the rain…. I would never do that $20 budget test on holiday as I’d prefer to enjoy the day haha. Good for you and I hope you secretly shared some of the mushrooms and potato dish. Happy travels!! 💜
I've always been fascinated with Switzerland. Loved the views and tour. Thanks for sharing.
For me - travelling is "vacay vibes all the way". Being frugal takes away the joy of seeing the places and experiencing the local cuisine for me , personally.
The food is especially important to me, so I'd hate to have skimp a lot. I don't need luxury dining - but I would want to go where I could get the authentic feel for any place I visit.
This is people from a class divided developing country. You come from the more developed parts of this world, where the prices are just like in Switzerland.
But you are right, we dont go around with open mouth about how inexpensive everything is when we visit poor nations like UK, so this hang up on prices is a strange habit everybody have in UK. It is like they did not know it is more expensive in developed countries.
To survive is right Alex, congratulations. Like Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Moldova, Greece, Slovakia and Sweden just a few countries where women have assumed leadership of governments, men need to learn how to adapt and survive. You should have stayed in the van overnight though
I stumbled across this video on my home feed and had to watch. Switzerland is one of those places that I've wanted to travel to for a while now. Admittingly I didn't believe 20 CHF would be possible but I'm blown away at the fact you came under budget. It's amazing what u can do when u watch what you spend.
I'm looking to do an interrail trip this year and Switzerland is definitely on my list of places to go. I can't wait until I'm there.
I'm definitely someone who is strict with my money but not to the point where I limit everything, when I'm away I do want to enjoy myself and I will make some sacrifices along the way when it's worth it to do it, big believer in "money will return but the experience won't" and I live by that motto in these circumstances.
Thank you for such an interesting video and what it's like when it comes to a budget 🥰
Hi Beans, Happy New Year. When we travel, we usually mix and match more expensive things with more affordable things. We try to eat local cuisine and then leave ourselves a little wiggle room for unexpected splurges if and when. For example, in Costa Rica, we slept in a hostel and a few days later in a boutique hotel, we ate rice & beans for lunch in the local eateries, but then had a fancier dinner, activity wise: a few 'free' beach days and then a more expensive boat rental activity. Having a van or a rental with a kitchen is really great too - cos you can cut down on eating out. We did Buenos Aires with a rental apartment and only ate out in the evenings, which really helped to stretch the budget. Also things like a metro or a bus card, for big cities are a must. In China, the bus and eating local were super cheap and it meant more money for activities, which are not free there. so, it also depends on the location. Travel is extra expensive now though too. (petrol 😱). Enjoy your trip!
Switzerland is a beautiful country and I would love to visit that country one day.
I grew up in Switzerland and recommend everyone to travel to Switzerland in summer time (except if you love snow and want to go skying). In spring, fall and winter time it can be foggy often. That’s why I highly recommend spending time in Switzerland in summer time.
COOP is a gray supermarket. I was amazed at the markets in Switzerland.
Rivella was an interesting beverage.
As to food when we travel, we like to have only one meal out at a restaurant per day. So we are eating free hotel breakfast and food from a grocery store the other meal. This is based on travel in the US. We haven’t traveled in Europe. We we have gone to Mexico, we have stayed at an all inclusive resort where you are eating at restaurants all day which is included in the all inclusive fees.
Wow. Was thinking about a weekend in Bern. Not anymore. Thanks, Beans!
Have found we can budget by staying at aparthotels and alternating eating out with a cooked meal bought in supermarkets and they are no more expensive than a hotel room.
Wonderful tour of Switzerland. My husband has family there so it was great to see it.
Loved this challenge! Taking notes….hoping to make it to Bern in the near future.
Emma looks so pretty in that last shot, I guess it's true what they say, glowing pregnant. And Alex its really nice to see how caring you are of her. Awesome couple
I love these. Your both soo positive most of the time. It's the best way to be in most situations :)
Hi Beans. Emma you are absolutely glowing. I'm a foodie but it depends on where I would be traveling to. Places in Africa, Asia or Europe it more the museums and places people pray at for me
Really Impressive that you survived with 20 CHF. 👏👏
Some of those prices were high, but things here in the USA have gotten ridiculously high. We can get a fairly decent hotel for under $100 (us), but won’t include any kind of travel, so really that’s not bad. Big Mac meal here in southern US, around $8 (us), but in some big cities it’ll run around $12. So really it isn’t that bad there.
I like to be cheap, but will splurge on certain places and at least 1 night during our vacation (holiday) we’ll splurge a really nice meal. So a mix of both for me & my hubs.
Visited over 10 years ago, have family there. Very expensive but a must to see certain things/area.
100 Euro / Franc / $ a day, per person, seems too much until I consider 3 meals + snacking on chocolate + an afternoon tea. That is in a major city. I could easily spend a similar amount in Rome, or Edinburgh, or San Francisco. It just proves to me that if one is going to fret about the cost, plan to go elsewhere. Cities are expensive. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed, so plan accordingly. As for you 2.5, another fun video and thanks for taking me along.
actually a good insight in to the haves and have nots. the difference your days were. great vid
As you notionally save at least 150CHF a day by living in the Van spending money on food, drink and experiences is very legitimate. Would be good to have shown if Alex could get a shower within his budget or maybe half a shower equivalent of showering every other day. I have never understood expensive hotels unless that is the experience as you spend most of the time oblivious to the surroundings. If I spend a lot on a hotel I want the grounds and the spa and three meals a day and activities. I would always have a basic hotel for a city break as I would only be sleeping and washing there.
It is lovely to see you both even happier than usual. Impending parenthood is obviously ambrosia for you both. Have the most wonderful time on this break before you take some time out to ready for your new arrival. Happy New (very special) Year.
I so love watching you. Thanks for sharing. I'm happy to see the 3 of you feeling well!
My country is the bestttttt !! Yes, it’s expensive but life’s quality here is really great !!!
Hi nice trip to Switzerland thanks for grand tour wow Alex spent less and enjoy it I usually do that on my road trip not to over spent it ... but Alex got jokes lol looking to see your next adventure!!!
Nice job on suffering through! If the supermarket didn’t want you drinking there, they wouldn’t sell beer. We travel with a budget-a nightly lodging budget and a daily spend budget. Although we have a budget, if there is something we really want to do we will go outside our budget.
Your videos are always so entertaining. Thank you for mKing my evening a fun one. I loved how you showed two different lifestyles traveling.
My wife and I have travelled Europe on a budget, for more than 15 years. The secret is to stay in 2 or 3 star hotels with breakfast included. Picnic with market take away. Eat with the locals, enjoy the small villages.
Spend as little time as possible in tourist areas. Rent a car, and explore on your own schedule.
hello campers! i just found you and i am glad you are in Switzerland, nobody seems to go there!!! what a lovely place
Blimey that is expensive for food. The hotel was great value for Switzerland. The lovely walking, and churches and buildings the views, just to mooch around are priceless ❤
How beautiful Bern is... I can't see not experiencing the food when I'm in a different country and of course the Chocolate. Emma you look Beautiful being pregnant you alway been Beautiful, but now you just Glow....
Alex and Emma you are my favourite You tubers. always make me smile keep it up xx
In Switzerland, there are laws for fair payment.
And the gouverment controls the employers. Even foreign companies, working temporary in Switzerland.
Good payment needs good prices = good money earning.
In GB you may get the form for getting social wellfare. Together with your job contract.
Because your employer knows, that the payment is not enough, for to live in GB.
ie the Buckingham Palace would not so welcome, as an employer.
Love it. Great video and great premise.
Thanks
Thank you!
Well done Al! I think 4.50 is very expensive for a tea! I love going to European supermarkets and looking at all of the different food. Great one that you found where you could sit down. Enjoy the rest of your trip
Awesome content! Entertaining, well produced and relaxing!
In Switzerland salaries/income are much higher than in neighbouring countries and in order to sustain these incomes, anything that involves a service is priced accordingly - thus the huge difference between the price of a beer in the supermarket vs. a pub. While there are many beautiful cities to visit in this country, once you leave the city, you`ll have your mind blown.
Love the old town part of the city. Thanks for the bakery tip!
If you want to eat cheaply anywhere, don't eat out - buy from the grocery store/bakery. In Switzerland they pay their restaurant workers well compared to the US (not sure about other countries).
Eat / drink items that haven't been imported - there is markup on them.
Also, try and find street food vendors.
We were in Bern in 2019. We rented an Airbnb in a suburb which saved a lot of money. Secondly we only bought food from grocery stores; mostly Coop. No restaurants. Probably the biggest expense was transportation. We spent five days in Bern and took day trips.