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Eyewitness Travel Guides
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Switzerland
"DK Eyewitness Switzerland" will lead you straight to the best attractions this unique country has on offer. Packed with color photographs, illustrations and detailed maps, discover Switzerland area by area; from the alpine resort of Verbier to the beautiful Old Town of Bern. The guide provides all the insider tips every visitor needs from exploring the vibrant cities of Geneva and Zurich to the spectacular national parks, scenic lakes and Swiss Riviera. You'll find 3D cutaways and floorplans of all the must-see sites plus street-by-street maps of all the major Swiss cities and towns including comprehensive listings of the best hotels, resorts, shops, restaurants and nightlife in each region for all budgets. "DK Eyewitness Switzerland" explores the rich layers of culture, language, history, architecture and art of this breathtaking country, not forgetting Swiss cuisine, outdoor activities and Alpine villages. With up-to-date information on getting around by car, train, foot, bus and tram plus all the sights, markets and festivals listed town by town, "DK Eyewitness Switzerland" is essential. Don't miss a thing on your holiday with "DK Eyewitness Switzerland".
328 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2004
74 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 11, 2024
Informative, thorough and entertaining in the bargain!
I'm not a seasoned or jaded traveler ... yet! So a comprehensive travel guide is critical to my preparation for a trip and a great way of post-filling information and details into some of the holes or places that I might have missed or had to rush through when I was actually on the trip. Along with photographs and trip journals, they're also a wonderful way to resurrect detailed memories of a trip long after you've returned home.
Eyewitness Travel Guides seem to have the market beat by a long margin! That's not to say that Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin or the Blue and Green Guides miss the mark entirely but the Eyewitness series, in general, seems to be more informative. The photographs and illustrations instill a higher degree of keen anticipation and provide a better means of choosing in advance between a world of competing destinations and alternative tourist attractions.
Their guide to Switzerland, in particular, was astonishingly accurate and complete - history, food, travel, hotels, geography, destinations, estimated costs, highlights, outdoor activities - every last one of them spot on and accurately described from the perspective of an actual trip through St Moritz, Lucerne, the Bernina Pass to Tirano, Italy and Interlaken. Even now the photographs of Swiss cuisine and cheese can set my mouth to watering!
One noteworthy omission that my traveling companion and I discovered by accident - Switzerland offers a museum pass for 30 Swiss francs that will give admission for one month to virtually every museum in the country. That's a remarkable offer given that the countryside is positively littered with a host of attractive museums, castles and attractions most of which charge a 5 to 10 franc admission. We learned that little tidbit from the concierge of the Palace Lucerne Hotel - kudos to the hotel for over the top service and a great piece of advice!
With that one small suggestion for addition to future editions, the EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND easily earns a five-star review. And Switzerland, by the bye, is certainly a delicious five-star travel destination!
Paul Weiss
I'm not a seasoned or jaded traveler ... yet! So a comprehensive travel guide is critical to my preparation for a trip and a great way of post-filling information and details into some of the holes or places that I might have missed or had to rush through when I was actually on the trip. Along with photographs and trip journals, they're also a wonderful way to resurrect detailed memories of a trip long after you've returned home.
Eyewitness Travel Guides seem to have the market beat by a long margin! That's not to say that Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin or the Blue and Green Guides miss the mark entirely but the Eyewitness series, in general, seems to be more informative. The photographs and illustrations instill a higher degree of keen anticipation and provide a better means of choosing in advance between a world of competing destinations and alternative tourist attractions.
Their guide to Switzerland, in particular, was astonishingly accurate and complete - history, food, travel, hotels, geography, destinations, estimated costs, highlights, outdoor activities - every last one of them spot on and accurately described from the perspective of an actual trip through St Moritz, Lucerne, the Bernina Pass to Tirano, Italy and Interlaken. Even now the photographs of Swiss cuisine and cheese can set my mouth to watering!
One noteworthy omission that my traveling companion and I discovered by accident - Switzerland offers a museum pass for 30 Swiss francs that will give admission for one month to virtually every museum in the country. That's a remarkable offer given that the countryside is positively littered with a host of attractive museums, castles and attractions most of which charge a 5 to 10 franc admission. We learned that little tidbit from the concierge of the Palace Lucerne Hotel - kudos to the hotel for over the top service and a great piece of advice!
With that one small suggestion for addition to future editions, the EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND easily earns a five-star review. And Switzerland, by the bye, is certainly a delicious five-star travel destination!
Paul Weiss
January 13, 2020
I loved this travel guide - it was slim enough to take w/me in my purse and full of bright colored photos to aid in my decisions. It is very thorough, with history besides the great photos, and has pull out maps!
I got this for my 2nd trip to Switzerland and when I arrived, it had been stolen out of my suitcase :(
Still worth it!
I got this for my 2nd trip to Switzerland and when I arrived, it had been stolen out of my suitcase :(
Still worth it!
July 19, 2020
I love DK guides. They have been my favorite since I was a child. But with this edition of Switzerland I felt I was reading a collage. Too many little pics that don't really sum to the whole work. Big two-pages photographs that are a waste of space more than anything else, and a complete lack of information about mountain hikes and exploration, which is quite a big deal in Switzerland. The fact that they mention destinations that are not pinned down on their own maps, and very poor city maps, makes this guide feel more like an album of the country and quite useless to the touristic folks.
July 30, 2018
Great travel guide with lots of details, beautiful images, detailed breakdowns of city centers/museums, and lots of practical advice for someone planning on visiting Switzerland. (I read the 2017 updated edition.)
August 27, 2019
This book had a few interesting suggestions. However, it was laid out in a very confusing manner, leading to a lot of flipping back and forth, and making it nearly impossible to skim. Rick Steves guide to Switzerland and Fodor's Travel Essential Switzerland are much more helpful.
May 31, 2023
Helpful for big ticket spots. Wish it had more local spots and special recommendations 👍🏻
February 3, 2024
Looked at the "Central..." section, as it's close to Italy.
It has GOOD suggestions. Should review again.
Aurora library.
It has GOOD suggestions. Should review again.
Aurora library.
January 14, 2025
A nice basic guide
April 20, 2011
This isn't the typical book for me to review, but I had to anyway. I'm going to Switzerland (in ONE MONTH!!!) and my aunt got me this travel guide so I could help decide some of the things we want to see. I love this book because it is SO thorough. It is so much more than a couple of maps and touristy places to see. You get a condensed history of the different areas, calendars for festivals, colorful pictures, maps that are easy to read, hotel recommendations, what to see in museums, what churches to visit, and so much more. No matter what you want to do, it's in there.
The guide is broken up into sections according to area where it goes town by town and gives you a complete run-down of what there is to see, do, eat, sleep, etc. Next is a "Travelers' Needs" section, which is split up into Where To Stay, Where to Eat, and Sports and Recreation. THe third main section is called the "Survival Guide", and it is split up into "Practical Information" (when to go, time difference, temperatures, safety, embassies, language, money, etc.) and "Travel Information" (traveling by air, by train, by car, by boat, etc.... Not only how to get to the country, but how to get around the country). It's amazing the amount of information you get.
When Ches and I were going on our honeymoon to San Francisco, we were loaned DK Eyewitness Travel guide for San Francisco, and it was just as thorough as this. We were able to pick everything we wanted to do and find what we needed, all from the one book. This tells me that this entire series is worth it. If you travel ANYWHERE... pick up one of these. Completely worth every penny.
The guide is broken up into sections according to area where it goes town by town and gives you a complete run-down of what there is to see, do, eat, sleep, etc. Next is a "Travelers' Needs" section, which is split up into Where To Stay, Where to Eat, and Sports and Recreation. THe third main section is called the "Survival Guide", and it is split up into "Practical Information" (when to go, time difference, temperatures, safety, embassies, language, money, etc.) and "Travel Information" (traveling by air, by train, by car, by boat, etc.... Not only how to get to the country, but how to get around the country). It's amazing the amount of information you get.
When Ches and I were going on our honeymoon to San Francisco, we were loaned DK Eyewitness Travel guide for San Francisco, and it was just as thorough as this. We were able to pick everything we wanted to do and find what we needed, all from the one book. This tells me that this entire series is worth it. If you travel ANYWHERE... pick up one of these. Completely worth every penny.
October 30, 2021
This DK guide to Switzerland is well presented, the print is clear and it's packed full of useful hints, maps, diagrams and pictures all in colour. I think the level of detail is excellent for someone who is new to a country and planning a trip. Apart from geographical information, the guide also tells you about history, customs, industry, culture and sport etc. there's even a section on Swiss family life.
The geographical coverage is well presented and the country is covered region by region in a good level of detail considering the size/scope of the book. I also like the new format of the book which uses less glossy paper which is easier to read on the hoof.
This guide is clearly the product of extensive research and is presented in a clear, easily assimilated way which stimulates interest in a trip to Switzerland - I really like it a lot and am using it to prepare for a visit to Zug in the near future.
The geographical coverage is well presented and the country is covered region by region in a good level of detail considering the size/scope of the book. I also like the new format of the book which uses less glossy paper which is easier to read on the hoof.
This guide is clearly the product of extensive research and is presented in a clear, easily assimilated way which stimulates interest in a trip to Switzerland - I really like it a lot and am using it to prepare for a visit to Zug in the near future.
December 4, 2019
Read relevant portions of this well laid out little guide to travel in Switzerland before and consulted it during a seven day visit after Rhine cruise 2019. I'll keep it handy or update it for a return trip.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2013
Good book for reference when visiting Switzerland - a lovely, but unfortunately at the moment, expensive place to visit. Go see it in summer not just skiing.
December 4, 2015
This is a super informative book for traveling in Switzerland. Some of the descriptions are understandably, limited, but it's certainly comprehensive.
April 6, 2019
I found this book very helpful in planning our upcoming trip.
April 25, 2020
A great travel book with pictures.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews