Switzerland may not be a destination that you think of when considering where to travel but it will definitely a memorable one if you have a chance to see it for yourself. I don't think I've felt more zen than when I was in the Alps. The scenery is much more beautiful than the photos here as it envelopes you like you're in a fairytale.

We spent a good chunk of time in the Alps between Wengen and Gimmelwald. We stayed at the Sunstar Alpine Hotel Wengen which I highly recommend if you're looking for a comfortable yet affordable accommodation with beautiful views of the Alps.

Staying in Wengen was more affordable than staying in Interlaken where most of the accommodations are located. In Wengen, you're surrounded by mountains, plus the train plops you right in front of all the hotels and shops there. Wengen is also a very quiet and very tiny town but has all the conveniences that can make your stay easy. There's shops and restaurants along one main road next to the train station.

Hiking around Gimmelwald was unforgettable. There are a couple of 'Honesty Shops' where we bought souvenirs by leaving our money in a little box. No one watches over these shops and they depend on visitors to pay them for the goods and not to steal from their money boxes. There were also some houses that leave their shed doors open for you to grab some fresh cheese and milk from their cows.



We had some locally-produced milk and cheese from cows like this! The cowbells are so calming and musical. It IS like being in the Sound of Music movie. Think fresh mountain air, beautiful scenery and cute cows everywhere making music with their bells.

Get a Swiss Travel Pass 
It will save you money on train tickets if you're visiting a few cities and towns. You'll want to visit at least three destinations if you're going to be in the country for more than 3 days since there's not too much to do in each place.  You want to check out as much beautiful Swiss scenery as possible. The pass also gets you 50% off rides on the funiculars that get you up the mountains and free entry to some museums.

Eat more Italian food.
It's more affordable and it's solid. If you can, try to get buy with food from supermarkets. Switzerland is definitely more about scenery than food.

Drink something other than water at restaurants.
Water costs more than beer and sodas. It cost us 6 CHF per glass when we were there.

Stay in a hotel with breakfast included. 
Since food is so expensive in Switzerland, free breakfasts will save you a lot of money. It's definitely worth it if the accommodations are already at an affordable price. We found some pretty affordable accommodations for under $120 a night on sites like Hotels.com.