Switzerland - Zurich tips for hotels, and where else to go?

[FallenFigs]

DD and I are going to Switzerland for a week in July. We will be bin Zurich twice, and then have some time to explore other places.

So, any tips for hotels or areas in Zurich?
And, where are other good places to go? We will be travelling by train, no car. Would love to explore some of the mountains.

Please send hints and tips!

Take your swimming costume for the lake badis, plus a small padlock for lockers. The zoo is good. Climbing the Uetliberg is always nice. Extend your mortgage to pay for hotels and dinner.

Outside Zürich, you can readily get to Luzerne, Engelberg or to the bigger mountains in Graubunden. The trains are easy and it's a small country, but book in advance to make it a bit cheaper. Bellenzona & Locarno/Lugano are very different to Zürich, plus you get to take the train through the Gotthard. It's a different language, landscape and food culture.

I went for work last year, had a really nice time in the city but bloody hell it was expensive

Took a nice boat tour around the lake, there are a few options if you wander down to the lake shore.

Rhine Falls was a nice day trip

I stayed in the CitizenM, which was nice and pretty central

Zurich is beautiful (visit James Joyce’ grave with a view of the city, it’s near the zoo) but train journeys between cities are VERY expensive … this link might help save costs… www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/guests-abroad.html#:~:text=Swiss%20Half%20Fare%20Card.&text=Discount%20of%20up%20to%2050,because%20of%20the%20minimum%20price.

If you like chocolate I think there's a Lindt factory tour.

Zurich’s lovely but yeah, pricey. I’d second the lake badis and a day trip out to Lucerne. If you want a feel for the city itself before you go, Kay is Murmuring did a piece called Life is soft in Zurich, more of a personal take, but it gives you a nice sense of what day-to-day feels like there.

We were in Switzerland this summer. We stayed in Zurich for a couple of nights (at the Glockenhof Hotel, which was lovely) and Lucerne for a couple of nights (we stayed at the Lubo apartments which were fab). Switzerland is gorgeous - bit as pp said, very expensive. We just enjoyed mooching about but also went to the Lindt museum (just outside Zurich) and the football museum - both great. We were in Lucerne over the weekend - just fyi almost all the shops are closed there on a Sunday!

I think Interlaken is a good base for exploring mountains using public transport.
In Zurich itself, Lindt Home of Chocolate is an absolute must-visit. However, it’s a little way out of the centre (accessible by train). There’s a cafe at the museum, but apart from that there aren’t many other places to eat nearby.
We visited the FIFA football museum for my DS, and we all ended up really enjoying it. Lots of fun interactive exhibits.
It’s possible to do mini boat cruises on the river. Ours lasted 1.5 hours which I felt was just the right amount of time. We ate lunch onboard.