As you can imagine, Switzerland is amazing! We’ve been there twice, both on layovers but it’s high on our list to go back! Zurich is a beautiful and clean city and Christmas brings out its best!
How we got there!
Our first trip to Europe came with a layover in Zurich and it was a really cool place to start! Our tickets were LAX to BCN for $267 and it was a blast!
Our second was a layover back from Greece. We had to rearrange our original flights and when we saw the option to stop we knew we had to.
We’ve come a long way since the first trip but it was awesome to get back. We really need to go for an extended stay.
What we did!
We flew into Zurich on Christmas afternoon and went straight to our hotel. From there we took an Uber downtown and started wandering the streets. It was a surreal experience as we’d never been to Europe, we started in Switzerland, and it was Christmas night! Everything was closed and it was really quiet and peaceful. Because of this we really just wandered since there was nothing open.
We spent most of our time on Bahnhofstrasse st. in Zurich. It was beautifully lit up with lights and would be the downtown hotspot had there been more going on.
We say some churches, walked along a river, checked out a gas station’s chocolate collection, and enjoyed our Christmas evening,
After wandering the streets we Ubered back to the hotel, crashed in our beds, and woke up the next morning ready for our final flight into Barcelona.
Our second experience was a little different. We were super short on time but we wanted that Swiss chocolate. We landed and quickly hopped on the train downtown. As stated above, we’ve come a long way since our first trip. Uber was a mistake. The train was really nice and really quick.
Once in Zurich, we ran to find stores and also to go back to some of the spots we’d seen the first time. Christmas markets were being set up and we were super bummed to not be able to stay.
After running around we headed back to the airport to catch our flight home.
Where we stayed!
Our opinion may be a little skewed as it was new and exciting, but we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport.
The rooms were nice, the airport shuttle is handy, and the breakfast was incredible! The breakfast was one of the best buffets we’ve ever had!
Where we ate!
It quickly became apparent to us that finding a restaurant on Christmas night was going to be a real feat. Even more so when we asked a local and he laughed at us reminding us it was Christmas.
Thankfully we did find one open place. It’s now closed, but it was called Pasta Station. Yes, we ate pasta, on Christmas, in Zurich Switzerland. We had no choice. It was fun though and makes for a great story.
Our second trip was interesting. Not only does everything in the city close on Christmas, but also on Sundays. We couldn’t find a single open store.
Gluten-Free in Switzerland
Laynie wasn’t actually gluten-free when we went to Switzerland. Because of this, we have no experience with their food. Having been to many European cities, they’re great with gluten-free. They’re always very helpful and often have better options than you’d find in the U.S.
What we learned!
We definitely need to go back. Even flying in we were able to see how beautiful the country is and all it has to offer.
The city closes on Sunday. It’s unlike anywhere else in the world. Everything was closed.