Even though our trip was planned at the last second, we were able to enjoy many lovely things. The view, the mountains, missed family, as well as the entire European feel... so much to take in again and again.

For those of you that would like to travel to Switzerland, there are a few things that are good to know while visiting, if you want to truly enjoy your trip:

• Currency:  Swiss Franks, or Euros are both accepted in all stores. Credit cards & traveler's checks as well.
• Beverages:  You buy them by the cup, the glass, or the mug. No free refills. Ice is given sparingly.
• Travel:  Public transportation is abundant, from cars to trains, trams to mopeds, bicycles to scooters. The country is small, and you can be anywhere in a matter of hours.
• Costs:   Everything is more expensive that you might find at home. Often times closer to double.
• Products:   Swiss watches are in every window, Swiss army knives, bakery goods and every dessert you can imagine.
• Meats:   The common meat is veal, compared to hamburger in the U.S.   Chicken, or Poulet as well, and of course all kinds of sausage.
• Sights:  Museums, Churches, rivers and streams, mountains and flowers, snow and ice. Plus the gorgeous presentation of your meals.
• Rest rooms:   Varied, from high-tech to old fashioned. Not as easily accessible as in the states, they often times are for patrons only. Can be an bit of an inconvenience. You might even have to pay to access a stall in some places.

So there are a couple of things that are good to know when visiting. If you will be there for an extended period of time, such as a month, 3 months or even a year, you can buy something called a "Halb Tax", which means Half Tax. Depending on the length of your stay, buying this will cut your traveling expenses in half price. Each adult person has to have one. Then there is also a "Family Pass" for kids, that can help with costs as well.

If you buy the Halb Tax, then your train rides, tram rides, boat rides (on lakes), and bus rides will all be half price. On the trains, you ride 2nd class, which the majority do anyway. For trams, you purchase a half-price tram card at any Kiosk, and punch it before boarding. The punched card is only valid one direction, for a set distance and duration. (They sell 1 Zone, 2 Zone and 4 Zone cards. 2 Zones are usually sufficient.) You have to punch your card again for your return trip. If you purchased a Family Pass for your child, he/she may ride free since you are paying for your way. This is good until your child is 16, then they have to pay as well. The family pass was only 20 Franks.

When Phillip and I went to visit the Jungfrau, a glacier at over 13,000 feet, I had to pay my fare to get there from Basel. It took 4 trains and 5 hours total, and the cost was 263 Franks. Phillip rode free. I'm not sure how that would work if you had a bigger family, with more kids than parents. But you should ask, in any case!

On another occasion, when the two of us went to visit my cousin, we needed to ride a tram to the train station (Bahnhof), and then a train to a neighboring town. What I didn't realize is that a 4 Zone tram card would have paid my entire way, plus Phillip would ride free yet again. Needless to say, my cousin set me straight, and we didn't pay 4 times as much going back home later that evening. I paid for one ticket (4 zones), and Phillip was free. We transferred to a tram, and rode the rest of the way without added cost.

It really helps to know things like this, because it isn't readily noticeable. Odds are, that is on purpose, but if you read the signs closely, ask travel agents and ticket agents, you can find further ways to save money.

Like here, if you go the the movies, it is pretty expensive, and that includes the drinks and chocolates of course! However, unlike here, in Basel, when you purchase a ticket, you are assigned that seat. So they ask where would you like to sit. Imagine that! If you find that unusual, then imagine you are watching the movie, and suddenly it just stops, the curtains close and the lights come on. That is intermission, and everyone gets up, some to use the restroom, others to buy a snack or an ice cream cone, but mostly it is for the smokers. Boy do they generate a cloud!! That intermission lasts about 5-6 minutes, then back to your assigned seat.

Another thing to try to consider is this: Think like a local. Where do they buy their food, their drinks, the things they need? There are stores everywhere, with high prices, but there are others that are marked down or run sales. A 20 oz bottle of Coca Cola could cost you an average of 3.20 Franks. But I knew of a store near Marktplatz (Market Place) where you could buy the same drink for 1.20   And that is just one example of what a huge difference things can cost.

If you love window shopping, Switzerland has the most amazing displays, with jewelry, chocolates, foods, wines, musical instruments and more. And if you take the time to look at the buildings, the fountains, and the countryside, you are in for a real treat. We were fascinated by the smaller vehicles everyone used, if they weren't using public transportation. To see a grown man in a suit pedalling a scooter -- riding down the sidewalk was something you'd never see in America.

People are polite, some more friendly than others, but you don't feel unwelcome... after all, you are the tourist, bringing more income into their economy. You may go unnoticed for the most part, but on occasion you may draw undue attention to yourself when you step in the way of an oncoming tram while trying to frame the perfect picture. Typically, you'll enjoy yourself no matter where you go. I find that Switzerland is an amazingly clean country, with my only complaint being the abundance of graffitti 'tagged' everywhere. I guess every country battles that, though.

The Rhein is a major river that allows industrial import and export via huge vessels from other countries in Europe. It cuts through the center of Basel, which is located in the upper western portion of the country. You can see one of the new trams crossing this bridge the carries passengers from Klein Basel to Gross Basel. In the background, the industrial quadrant can be seen. Not far from this location, there is a place called "Drei Landers Ecke", which means "3 Country Corner". You can stand at that point, and depending which way you face, you would be in Switzerland, France, or Germany. That is pretty neat.