Imagine biking downhill at the foot of the Eiger. With SWISS you can. Maybe you fancy hiking through the gorgeous Engadine. With SWISS you can. Or cycling along the sheer-sided valley that inspired Tolkien to create Rivendell. With SWISS you can.
In fact, with SWISS you can do all that, and more, in Europe’s biggest adventure playground – Switzerland. This is where Mother Nature is at her most impressive and most accessible; where an extensive network of hiking and biking paths guide you seriously off the beaten track; where your breath will literally be taken away, if not by the views then by the outdoor workout; and where you’ll wonder how soon you can come back.
Reaching this slice of the great outdoors couldn’t be easier with SWISS. Switzerland’s national airline offers 170 weekly flights from London (City and Heathrow), Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin, across to Zurich and Geneva. The prices are as attractive as the destination: from only £55 one way (‘Light’ fare with hand luggage only). Even better is the Economy Classic fare (from £71 one way), which includes transporting your bike free as part of your luggage allowance. That’s right, your bike can go free!
Don’t forget that those prices include something else for free – Swiss attention to detail. From easy efficient check-in to the high quality of comfort and care on board, with SWISS you always feel like an individual rather than a passenger. It’s first-class service at economy-class prices. Not forgetting that in-flight catering is also included – of course it is because that’s what you want from an airline.
The beauty of summer in Switzerland isn’t merely that its landscape is truly spectacular, it’s that there actually is something for everyone
So you really can sit back and enjoy the flight, just as the captain always suggests you do. The stress of ‘cattle class’ is never something you’ll experience with SWISS – the only cows you’ll be thinking about are the beautiful brown ones you’ll meet during your Alpine holiday – so when you land, you’re already relaxed and ready to roll.
Both Zurich and Geneva might tempt you to linger longer, giving you time to explore their medieval old towns and chic boutiques, but it’s the magnificent landscape that is calling you. Luckily it’s only a short train ride away through rolling green foothills, and then you’re there, in the heart of the Alps.
The beauty of summer in Switzerland isn’t merely that its landscape is truly spectacular, which it is; it’s that there actually is something for everyone. Adrenalin junkies can experience natural highs on panorama ridge trails while gentler ramblers can enjoy the low road around clear blue lakes. Even couch potatoes are catered for by outdoor spas where you can soak in hot springs with the coolest of mountain views.
Remember that Swiss attention to detail? That’s with you every step of the way, whether in trails with precise hiking times or in trains with synchronised timetables. And in the sweet finale from SWISS, where every flight ends with a Swiss milk chocolate for every passenger – the perfectly SWISS end to a perfectly Swiss escape.
Diccon Bewes lives in Switzerland and is the author of ‘Swiss Watching’
