Zurich recs

[CloudBee]

We'll be there without the kiddo for 4 days this summer.

I've already booked a day tour up to the Swiss Alps paired with a stop in Liechtenstein.

We're staying just outside the city so we have access to biking trails.  I feel like we're always doing cities, and thought that having to taxi into the city would be good motivation to be more active and enjoy nature. 

Food?

Restaurants?

Other area attractions that we can taxi to/from other than the city?

DH isn't a huge fan of taking trains/city metro lines, so we will likely taxi everywhere.

Anyone have names of private tour guides?  We had one in Ireland and the experience was phenomenal. I would consider cancelling the other tour and going private if someone can suggest a company or guide. Sometimes local car services offer this option.

TY

[Deleted]

The public transportation system in Zurich is one of the best in the world, no need for taxis!

My favorite place to eat there is Zeughauskeller!!! my favorite dish is the zurigeschnetzl mit rosti~~~ my mouth is watering now!

I also like Zum Grunen Glas

Rheinfelder Bierhalle

I do not know a tour guide, my husband lived there so he was a built in guide.

[babsbunny]

We did the hike at Uetilberg and greatly enjoyed it. We took the train in, hiked to the gondola, then took that down the hill and took a different train back. A full day of fun.

On another day, we took the train up to Rhein Falls, walked the path up the river to Schaffhausen (nice town with old, free castle), and finally took the train back to Zurich.

We didn't really do anything downtown other than look at the famous Church and do a water taxi ride. We're more outdoor people than museum people. And I second using the trains... taxis will be expensive. EVERYTHING is expensive. People kept telling me that before the trip and it didn't sink in until we were looking for dinner and every place started at $20 for a simple entre of lasagna. We ended up improvising/cooking our own meals the short few days we were there. (DH and I are not into paying lots of money for food.)

Oh, we walked around the University, including into buildings. That was kind of fun and weird at the same time since classes were going on.

Have a great time!

[MauMau]

I would really try to avoid Taxi's it's so costly and the trams are so easy to use. The cost of things really is shocking there. Go into the grocery stores to get snacks and drinks. Don't buy them out of vending machines or from outdoor Kiosks. They will charge you almost double. The grocery stores you will see the most are Coop and Migros. Coop City is right on the bahnhofstrasse and it's a department store but the basement has the groceries. Great for chocolates too.

Boat tour on the lake and Uetliberg are my favorites. Look into the Zurich City card if that's something your interested in doing.

Fraumünster has beautiful stain glasses windows designed by Marc Chagall. Grossmünster is lovely too. Both free to get in. But you can pay to walk up to the top of the Grossmünster and it's a really lovely view. Lindenhof also has a really nice view of the river and old town.

If you want to follow what the locals do. I would go swimming at the lake. Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen was my favorite. Take Tram 4 towards Bahnhof Tiefenbrunnen. You can bring your picnic lunch/dinner pay the entry fee and swim and enjoy lunch on the grass.

Polybahn is a funicular that takes you up easily to where the university is. If you don't have public transportation tickets at that time. Then you will have to pay. Also nice look out from the top there. I like Seilbahn Rigliblick too. You could do hiking up there around the top.

Zurich Botantical Gardens and Kunsthaus (art museum) were my favorite museum like activities.

And because you mentioned hiking and such. I'll put this here. scottishgirlinzurich.blogspot.com/search/label/Hikes I've been following her blog for ages. She blogs about different hikes she has taken in the area.

For dinner I like Le Rendez-vous by Bahnof Enge. Santa Lucia in Old Town for good pizza and pasta. They had a great space to outside in the back. For gourmet dessert/chocolate head to Sprüngli the makers of Lindt. They have shops and coffee places all over. Don't miss out on there version of macaroons called Luxembourgli

[MauMau]

Which mountain are you going to if you are also making a stop to Liechtenstein? For major ones I've been to Titlis, Jungfraujoch, and Säntis. I like Säntis and Titlis but that was partially because I planned the trips myself and either drover part way there or took trains. Jungfraujoch was a tour and I wasn't found of having to be on a time schedule. However, a tour really is the way to go if you are only visit for short time and are not wanting to use trains. I lived there so my feelings were a bit different.

[Cioccolato]

May 22, 2014 14:30:19 GMT -5 mags said:

The public transportation system in Zurich is one of the best in the world, no need for taxis!

My favorite place to eat there is Zeughauskeller!!! my favorite dish is the zurigeschnetzl mit rosti~~~ my mouth is watering now!

I also like Zum Grunen Glas

Rheinfelder Bierhalle

I do not know a tour guide, my husband lived there so he was a built in guide.

Another vote for Zeghauskeller... yummmmm!

And chocolate and macaroons at Sprüngli. Ice cream at Movenpick.