For our winter vacation, we planned to visit Austria's Tyrol region (via Zurich, Switzerland), where we could ski at the famous St. Anton am Arlberg, Innsbruck, and the Solden Ski Resort (Längenfeld).
Inna purchased tickets on Swiss Air flight LX039 departing at 19:30 from San Francisco.
Our itinerary was as follows:
Friday, December 20, 2024
At 15:45, we ordered an UberX (a Tesla Model S) and were taken to San Francisco International Airport for our departure. We had difficulty fitting all our large suitcases into the Tesla Model S (next time, we will order UberXL).
Inna was flying business class, so she boarded separately from Alex and me. Our economy-class seats (30A, 30B on a Boeing 777-300) were tolerable for the 11-hour flight to Zurich, but I had very little room.
I chose the window seat, and Alex got stuck in the middle seat. Alex was also uncomfortable in the middle seat and was unable to sleep (or nap) throughout the flight.
My window seat was also quite uncomfortable because the person in front of me reclined her seat, leaving me with very little room (especially when eating). The main entree was beef (tolerable), and I skipped breakfast altogether as it looked unappetizing (some quiche with cold bread rolls).
I watched the new Shogun TV series on my iPad Pro (pre-downloaded on Plex). This was an exciting series that took my mind off the tedious flight.
The front pocket of my seat turned out to have a hole, and all of my electronic devices dropped through. I was able to easily get my iPhone, Kindle, and iPad, but my large wireless headphones were missing. Alex could not find them. Eventually, I asked everyone to empty the row, then looked for the headphones, finding them hidden in a crevice near the window.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
We landed at Zurich airport on Saturday, December 21, at 15:00, about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. After quickly going through customs, we collected our luggage (it took 10-15 minutes for our bags to arrive, though Inna's suitcase arrived first) and strolled through the airport, trying to find where Uber pickups occur. Once found, I ordered an UberX, which took about 35 minutes to reach downtown (there was heavy traffic), where the Park Hyatt Zurich was located.
On arrival at Park Hyatt, we quickly checked in and went to room #631. Alex was extremely tired and passed out on the bed. He did not sleep on the 11-hour flight, as his middle seat was uncomfortable. I managed to nap for a few hours, but also had a splitting headache.
Since the weather forecast called for heavy rain the next day (Sunday), Inna and I decided that Saturday had to be the day to explore the Christmas Markets. As we were also hungry, Inna went downstairs to talk to the concierge. She made reservations for 18:00 at Ristorante Bianchi in downtown Zurich (about 15 minutes walking distance from the Park Hyatt Hotel).
On the way to Ristorante Bianchi, we were a bit cold (and needed time to adjust to the freezing temperatures), and we saw beautiful Christmas decorations throughout. Zurich looked like a spotless, well-run city, with no homeless problems. There were lots of people bicycling (despite the cold weather) and numerous electric trams running everywhere. The mood was quite festive, and the multiple Christmas Markets were usually crowded.
After reaching Ristorante Bianchi, we sat down indoors (there were outdoor tables) and ordered the following items:
- Drinks: San Pellegrino
- Appetizer: Creme di Astice (Lobster Cream Soup)
- Inna: Risotto Fruitti di Mar (1/2 portion)
- Boris: Trancio Di Salmon
Our waiter was fast and efficient, and our meal was prepared quickly. While the dinner was being prepared, we were offered freshly baked bread. I tried the Olive and Sundried Tomato breads, and they were delicious. The Salmon was delicious and expertly prepared. Inna's lobster soup and risotto were also excellent. We decided to skip dessert and use our limited time to explore Zurich's Christmas Markets.
From the hotel concierge, Inna heard that the best Christmas Market was near the Zurich Opera House. This area is also called Sechseläutenplatz. We saw and stopped by numerous Christmas Markets, sampling a few Swiss and Austrian specialties, including:
- Kaiserschmarrn (a fluffy, shredded Austrian pancake with apple sauce)
- Opfelchuechli (sliced apple rings dipped in a doughnut-like batter and deep-fried)
- Hot Chocolate with Baileys (with Baileys and Chocolate on a stick)
- Glühweinüein (warm wine)
- Quince Apple Walnut Sweet Strudel from Poushe
We enjoyed drinking the waGlühweinein and munching on Kaiserschmarrn and Apfelkuchen. The
Quince Apple Walnut Sweet Strudel from Poushe was also rich and decadent.
The Sechseläutenplatz Christmas Market was exciting, with a lot of energy, loud music, large crowds, and many food and beverage vendors. We tried a few snacks and boarded the train to Zurich HB Train Station. I couldn't get the SBB ticket app to work on my iPhone (the app was timing out). Being in a hurry to catch the 21:00 Illuminarium Light Show at the Landesmuseum, we rode the one-stop ticketless.
The Landesmuseum was quite crowded (there was a restaurant and nightclub inside), and we queued for the Illuminarium.
It started to lightly rain, and we moved our seating out of the way. The show was quite dull, and we decided to leave early and use the time to explore the Zurich HB train station.
Inside the Zurich HB train station was a large, indoor Christmas Market with similar Christmas items for sale (socks, decorations, wine, strudel, etc. Inna purchased some cute, fancy Swiss-made socks.
As it started to pour outside, we decided to catch an Uber (since we did not want to walk in the rain). However, the Uber app was showing me random prices for rides (and not accepting the initial fare of $11 Swiss francs), so we just got into a taxi and rode back to our hotel. It was more expensive - $29 - but faster. Using Uber is cheaper than using taxis in Switzerland.
Sunday, December 23, 2024
I did not sleep very well and woke at 3:30, and then had difficulty falling asleep again. Eventually, I did fall asleep but woke to my blaring 07:00 alarm.
After showering and shaving, I packed my suitcase and waited for everyone to get ready for breakfast. Since it was pouring outside and there were strong winds, we decided to eat breakfast indoors at our Park Hyatt's Parkhuus restaurant.
After sitting down, we ordered the following items for breakfast. Our waiter, Leon, was fast and efficient. We ordered à la carte, as the main "Farmer's Breakfast" was expensive - CHF 52 per person.
- Boris: Egg Royale, Hot English Breakfast Tea
- Inna: Egg Royale, Latte Macchiato
- Alex: Egg Royale, Latte Macchiato, Yogurt
All of us selected the Egg Royale (Two Eggs Benedict with Salmon). My Egg Royal was small but delicious! The hot tea was nice, and my light headache went away after I took an Excedrin.
After breakfast, we quickly packed our bags and ordered a taxi for the Zurich HB Train Station. I purchased train tickets from Zurich HB to St. Anton am Arlberg on my iPhone (downloading the confirmation). However, the purchase did not include assigned seats (BIG MISTAKE).
Our train to St. Anton was 100% full, and only Inna managed to find a seat. Next time, we need to purchase seats in advance (on any full-capacity train).
Zurich Trip Report
Highlights
- Visiting multiple Christmas Markets, including the largest one near the Zurich Opera House
- Trying traditional Christmas treats, including:
- Kaiserschmarrn (a fluffy, shredded Austrian pancake with apple sauce)
- Opfelchuechli (sliced apple rings dipped in a doughnut-like batter and deep-fried)
- Swiss Hot Chocolate with Baileys (and Chocolate on a stick)
- Dining at the Ristorante Bianchi (in downtown Zurich)
Lowlights
- Purchasing Rail tickets on the SBB App does not guarantee assigned seats (essential during peak travel times)
- When I purchased train tickets for the ride to St. Anton, I did not purchase assigned seats. As a result, I spent 2 hours standing on the ride there. Next time, purchase assigned seats (ahead of time)
- Badly working SBB App on the iPhone (preventing me from buying tickets)
- Switzerland uses a different A/C plug than the rest of Europe. My USA->Europe A/C adapters, which worked successfully in other European nations (Italy, Portugal, Austria, Spain, etc.), could not be used. (Thankfully, Park Hyatt Zurich had built-in USB ports, and we could use our cables)
- The Illuminarium Light Show was unimpressive. Skip next time.
- Rainy weather
- The Swiss Air Flight LX39 (from SFO to ZHR) was very uncomfortable in Economy Class. Alex was exhausted, sitting in the middle seat.
Links
- Landesmuseum
- Park Hyatt Zurich
- Ristorante Bianchi
- Poushe (Sweet Strudel)
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