For the first time in years, all five of us finally had one of those long weekends without a single important appointment. Of course, we had to use this for a little family trip. Based on the recommendation of another lovely travel blogger, we chose Zurich. We had been to Switzerland a few times before, but only ever to Ticino. As the traffic around Cologne and especially in the south is always a disaster on long weekends, we decided to take the train this time. As all three children travel for free with us adults, this is a really relaxed and inexpensive way to cover the 600 km from Cologne with just one change in Basel. And we couldn’t believe our luck after the many mishaps on previous train journeys – without exception, all trains were on time to the minute on both the outward and return journeys.
Impressions from our Boot tour
However, the feeling of happiness did not last long. The girls now really realized what it meant that they were not allowed to use their mobile data in Switzerland due to the high additional costs and I was not prepared to provide a hotspot non-stop. And this time, the weather was definitely not on our side; it was raining cats and dogs. We did not let that deter us, locked our suitcases in one of the XXL lockers at the main station for 12 CHF (for a maximum of 6 hours) and went to the Landesmuseum boat stop, a few meters from the station. From there we took a 55-minute trip up and down the Limmat and Lake Zurich. Thanks to the Swiss Travel Pass, we had free travel on the boat and almost all train, bus and rail connections. In good weather, a boat trip like this is definitely a wonderful thing, but in pouring rain it is rather unspectacular – but at least you are sitting in the dry.
After that, we were tired of the city and the rain and continued our journey by tram and bus to our accommodation. Due to the extremely high hotel prices, we decided to stay in a self-catering Airbnb 15 minutes from the city center. We bought all the groceries we needed at the nearby supermarket and ended the evening with spaghetti bolognese, Bilz and Yahtzee.
FIFA Museum
The next morning, the weather was unfortunately no better and we decided to go to the FIFA Museum, one of 500 Swiss museums that you can visit for free with the Swiss Travel Pass. It wasn’t just football fans who were excited, even those who are a little less football-mad can learn and experience a lot here. Right at the entrance, children receive a small booklet with a total of 19 puzzles that can be solved throughout the museum area. If they successfully find the answer, they also enter a prize draw for a museum ball. In addition to the usual information walls, there are also all kinds of interactive stations: you can synchronize and record a sequence of a football game, play a football course with a total of six stations, take a “celebration” selfie with one of your favorite eFIFA players or have a photo taken from within one of the most famous stadiums in the world. All in all, we had a very entertaining and exciting three-hour stay at FIFA.
On the way back we passed the Sihlcity shopping center and the girls immediately suggested a stopover. No sooner said than done. Unfortunately, our son had absolutely no desire to window shop. Luckily we discovered a mini club on the top floor. After a hassle-free registration, we were able to have him looked after professionally and lovingly in a huge and diverse area for 5.50 CHF per hour. Meanwhile, the rest of us strolled through the multitude of shops and were once again forced to realize how expensive and therefore unattractive Switzerland is for shopping…
Impressions from the “Bahnhofstraße”
We would have loved to go to the Lindt Home of Chocolate, the Knie State Circus or the Wow Museum of Illusions the next day, but everything was fully booked due to the persistent bad weather. So, despite the rain, we decided to stroll along Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most expensive and exclusive shopping streets in the world. Here you can find the most luxurious watch, handbag and fashion brands; one next to the other. And although we will probably never be part of the regular customer base, we were greeted very friendly and courteous everywhere and even the children’s questions were answered with a matter of course and great respect. I would like to see that for the Kö in Düsseldorf from time to time! As the rain gradually subsided, we headed back along the banks of the Limmat towards some of the typical sights such as the Frauenmünster, the Grosser Münster, the Zurich Opera, the Schauspielhaus and the Kunsthalle. With several meters under our belts, we rewarded ourselves with the famous and often recommended Luxemburgerli from Sprüngli, a slightly smaller version of the well-known macarons, before returning to our accommodation.
he next morning we headed back home with a refill of Luxemburgerli.
All that’s left to say: Ade!
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