Switzerland is expensive! We had been on holiday to Gruyere before so were prepared for the higher cost of living, or so we thought. Restaurants are pricey (20 Francs for a salad at the places we looked at) so we didn’t eat out, and a nights camping near Bern the capital cost a massive €40. We also had to pay road tax – €31 for a 2010 pass. However, don’t let the cost put you off visiting as there is a lot to see and do.

Bern (named after the brown bears which used to frequent the area) is a wonderful city perched high above a thunderous, fast flowing river of an incredible aquamarine colour. The main city bridge is covered with fences to protect sightseers from taking a nasty tumble (or drunken dare-dive) but they kindly leave one bit unprotected for taking photos. With many sights to see we settled for a stroll about the place after dark. The architecture and style of the town is impressive.

Driving through Switzerland is a lot slower than France with the limit on most roads set at 80km/h. The countryside is dotted with pretty little wooden houses which make the slower journey quite pleasant. Strangely though a lot of places looked quite run down which is not what we were expecting from a country housing some of the world’s wealthiest banks!

With our limited time and budget our visit to Switzerland was very short, really no more than a quick drive-through. Next time we will make more effort to sample some of Switzerlands delights. Mmm, cheese and chocolate! :-)