CIU Travel offers services throughout Switzerland.
Our comprehensive itineraries include ground transportation, accommodation, expert local guides, extraordinary experiences, and any special items that will complete your dream trip. These private itineraries are priced per person and are created to fit your desires and interests in terms of duration, destinations, travel schedule and specific requests.
Accommodations
Switzerland offers a wide array of accommodation in the cities, mountains, and lakeside towns. From world-class luxury hotels with impeccable service to small family run properties, we seek out the best accommodations to suit your style and budget. You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a lovely accommodation in this land of enthusiastic hospitality.
HOTELS
Thirty years ago, the Swiss invented the star system that is now in use worldwide. Not surprisingly, the system is applied with characteristically Swiss rigor and the distinctions between the 4 and 5 star accommodations that we suggest for our travelers are clear and generally consistent. That said, without knowing the locale in advance, or visiting the property in person, it can be difficult to know what will work best for you.
That’s where we come in. We devote time to visiting hotels and can suggest what is a great value, worth a splurge, or to be avoided. Of course everyone is different, and we will guide you to the right choice based on what you tell us is important for your trip.
Transportation
Getting to Switzerland is easy. Flights from the U.S. are available on a number of airlines servicing Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern. Swiss is the national carrier and in our experience, is consistently excellent in terms of in-flight service, equipment and baggage delivery.
With direct trains to Switzerland from Paris, Milan, Hamburg and Amsterdam, you can also easily combine a Swiss trip with a visit to another European country.
Trains
The Swiss Travel System is well known for operating the world’s densest transportation network, with roughly 29,000 kilometers (a little over 18,000 miles) worth of public transportation infrastructure. Trains run with the precision of the country’s famous clocks and watches, a remarkable feat of ingenuity in a mountainous nation. In addition to being highly reliable, the Swiss Federal Railways (German acronym: SBB; French acronym: CFF; Italian acronym: FFS) also operates several scenic routes.
Train passes, hotels, and museums
Purchasing a train pass in Switzerland is one of the best deals around, and it provides perks beyond unlimited travel for a set number of days. Chief among these benefits is free entry into most Swiss museums.
In addition to the benefits of a national train pass, most hotels provide you with a local pass as well for buses and trains. Those will also get you into area museums for free.
We can create a custom itinerary that takes full advantage of Switzerland’s vast travel network, moving you through the country by train, boat, and private transportation. Panoramic routes through the countryside, lakes and mountains will make each leg of your journey the trip of a lifetime.
Unique Experiences
Switzerland has incredible cultural, culinary, and natural landscapes to explore. From the opera and concert seasons in major centers of the arts like Zürich and Luzern, to cheese and chocolate tasting in Vaud, wine tasting in Ticino, and the natural wonders like the Matterhorn and the Berner Oberland, Switzerland offers visitors a variety of experiences to explore.
Winter
Switzerland is the undisputed home of outdoor winter fun – downhill and cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, tobogganing and winter hiking. A number of mountain locations in Switzerland are snow secure for December ski vacations and make for great holiday escapes.
Swiss cities are also lovely in winter – in addition to a wealth of cultural and culinary experiences, charming holiday markets make for a lively scene.
From cities to ski towns to remote mountain resorts, there really is something for everyone.
Summer
Switzerland is easy to enjoy in the summer – its rivers, lakes and mountains offering breathtaking landscapes and a spectacular summer playground for sports and nature enthusiasts. Swiss cities, each with their own distinctive cultural offerings year round, come alive with summer music, art, culinary and film festivals.
FAQ
Have questions? Below, we’ve compiled answers to some commonly asked questions.The best way to learn about how CIU Travel can help you make the most of your time in Italy is to contact us.
If you are on a very restrictive budget, or are interested in visiting Italy in the least expensive way possible, then using a travel planner may not be the best use of your resources. We add value in terms of adding experiences and local contacts that you could not find on your own, and getting upgrades for you because we have relationships with hoteliers and service providers. Our itineraries are customized to each traveler and are private – we do not offer group tours or canned itineraries.
After you have contacted us with the particulars of your trip, we like to schedule a telephone conversation so that we can understand more about your trip and what you’d like to do, and you can ask questions of us. We will then create an outline of what we might suggest for you, including destinations, accommodations, private experiences, and services. We do not charge a fee for this initial outline – after all, how would you know if we are a good fit without seeing an example of what we might do for you? Upon your decision to book your private CIU itinerary, we request a deposit of 50% to confirm your confirmations and arrangements. Your itinerary balance is due 60 days prior to your departure. If you confirm your itinerary within 60 days of travel, full payment is due upon booking your trip. The itinerary’s per person price includes your accommodation with breakfast and all taxes, private professional guides and drivers, private experiences and any meals associated with an experience (e.g. a cooking class or vineyard lunch), and our fee. CIU Travel’s General Terms and Conditions
We don’t have a fixed minimum. The cost of an itinerary depends upon your choices – duration of your trip, specific destinations, hotels, and the number and kind of private services included. As a general rule, the minimum cost of a curated itinerary is $1200 per couple per day. This is the approximate minimum for a basic itinerary, with a minimum of private services.
We do not provide single day trips within an itinerary that we haven’t designed. We generally require a 3 night minimum for a custom itinerary of accommodations and services.
When we first started working in the travel business, very few travelers purchased travel insurance. Now, almost everyone does. Travel insurance can protect your travel investment under all kinds of circumstances, including cancelled or delayed flights, which have become all too common these days.
Here’s a link to our full Terms and Conditions.