A solo road trip and trekking in Switzerland

Switzerland has a reputation as Europe's most expensive country. And it's true. But with a car, a tent and a stove you can get around for a reasonable amount of money. I set off on a solo road trip around Switzerland: no plan for each day, just a few places I wanted to see and photograph. I slept by lakes, below glaciers and on ridges. Here's my route and my tips.

Appenzell: Seealpsee, Fählensee and the Saxer Lücke

My trip began in the east, in the Appenzell Alps. Seealpsee is a lake below the Säntis that you can walk up to from Wasserauen in an hour. Further along the trail lies Fählensee: a narrow lake between steep walls, where I pitched my tent and fell asleep under the stars (Appenzell has clear rules on where you may bivouac: see below).

In the morning I climbed to the Saxer Lücke saddle, with a view of the jagged Kreuzberge ridges and the Rhine valley. One of the most beautiful views I know in Switzerland.

The Furka Pass and Hotel Belvédère

Every James Bond fan knows the Furka Pass (2,429 m): the chase in Goldfinger was filmed here. In a bend above the Rhône Glacier stands the abandoned Hotel Belvédère, an iconic place for photos. On the Furka and Grimsel passes you'll meet dozens of sports cars: I enjoy photographing cars on mountain bends, more in my portfolio.

The Rhône Glacier

Below Hotel Belvédère begins the Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhône river. An ice cave is cut into the glacier every year, and in summer the glacier is covered with white sheets so it melts more slowly. Once, I spent a night in my sleeping bag under the open sky on the rocks above the glacier.

Oeschinensee

A turquoise lake above Kandersteg, surrounded by rock walls and waterfalls. It's part of a UNESCO site (Jungfrau-Aletsch). A cable car or your feet take you to the shore, but the most beautiful is the panoramic trail above the lake (Panoramaweg). The view from above is among the most iconic in Switzerland.

Lauterbrunnen and the Matterhorn

I finished the trip in the Lauterbrunnen valley and below the Matterhorn. Both have their own articles.

Camping in Switzerland

What it costs

• Motorway vignette: CHF 40 a year.
• Petrol: dearer than in the Czech Republic; fill up before the border.
• Food: shop at Lidl, Aldi, Coop and Migros and cook for yourself. Restaurants are very expensive.
• Cable cars and trains: the biggest expense. Consider the Swiss Half Fare Card if you plan to travel a lot.
• Campsites: CHF 20–50 a night.

Why solo

Travelling alone is liberating. You can stop where you want, wait hours for the light, get up at four for sunrise. It bothers nobody. And when you miss company, there's always someone to chat to at campsites and huts. I started my first solo trip in Europe the same way.

Faq