Category Archives: Switzerland

Zurich: The Layover

Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream snack

If you ever have the option to fly SwissAir, I highly recommend taking the opportunity.  SwissAir has to be one of the most hospitable airlines we have ever used.  AND, the airplane food wasn’t like cardboard covered with vomit.  Even more impressive — meals were served with REAL cutlery and glassware.  Christmas miracle!

Squatzi MadridBoth of us were rather excited to have a layover in Switzerland, rather than Frankfurt again as we have on previous trips.

On our way home from Madrid we ended up in Zurich for the better part of 6 hours.

The ubiquity of Burger King was a running joke for us while we were in Spain.  So, the irony of eating at Burger King while in Switzerland is not lost on me.  Yes, Burger King, at ZRH was the most economical option at 15CHF or approx. $19CDN for a small combo.   A $40 lunch at Burger King for 2 people would not fly here. (Although it would probably help reduce a lot of health issues! The Swiss could be onto something.)

We scouted out some vending machines too!  A 200ml bottle of coke was 5CHF, so roughly $6.40CAD for 200ml.  Our vending machine size is typically 600ml.  So, you’re looking at almost $20 for a bottle of coke, folks!

Even accounting for airport pricing which is usually quite high to begin with…ZRH HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE AIRPORT IN THE WORLD!

Happy (cost-effective!) Travels,
~j

(NB: I know, I’m flying somewhere, going on vacation, get some perspective and realize how lucky that is in itself!  I do realize that, and appreciate how extraordinarily lucky I am to be able to explore beyond my hometown.  I get it, but for a budget traveler, Zurich was nuts!)