Travel at your ease with Swiss Travel Pass and SBB App

Switzerland Public transport!!!!

Incredibly well connected by rail, road and waterways, this country will absolutely steal your heart for its finest public transport system.

Source : Google

Being someone who want to travel like locals, I always prefer taking public transport instead of hiring a car(Car is an expensive affair in Switzerland).

So Ditch the car! Get a travel pass and travel like locals.

Swiss Travel Pass - Free unlimited travelling in Trains, buses,boats for 3,4,8 or 15 consecutive days.

Don’t need to wait in queue for buying tickets!

Don’t need to search for exact coins at the ticket counter!

All you do is ‘Go Board the Train/bus/boat/tram with Swiss Travel Pass in your hand’

Simple isn’t it?

Though few of the mountain passes & cable car rides were not fully covered in Swiss Travel pass, the great discount it offered was still a good bet.

Hop on and off in whichever station you feel like with Swiss Travel pass in your hand!

Swiss Travel Pass - All-in-one ticket to travel by rail, road and waterway inside Switzerland.

Want to know the area of validity of Swiss Travel Pass, check here!

Wondering what to do when not travelling on consecutive days in Switzerland?
There is pass available for that too!

Swiss Travel Pass Flex - It is nothing but Swiss travel pass with flexibility in choosing the dates.Though pretty expensive, if it works for your itinerary, go for it.

There are few other passes available like Swiss Half fare card, Swiss Transfer Ticket, Swiss Family card.

Swiss Half fare card - You can get a 50% discount on tickets to travel by rail, road and waterway. Swiss Half fare card would be apt if you have planned just a few days trip in Switzerland. For frequent and longer trips, Swiss Travel pass would be a better choice for you.

Swiss Transfer ticket - Free transfer from any Swiss airport/border to any Swiss town and back.

Travelling with your children? 

Swiss Family card - Just get a Swiss Family card free of charge along with your Swiss Travel pass. 

That's all you do to take your children or grand children(of age from 6 to 15 years) free of charge.

For a more detailed discussion on the above swiss rail passes, myswissalps.com is the best forum to clarify all your doubts. It is nothing but a tripadvisor exclusively for Switzerland. Go ahead and post any question you have, to get an insider's tip.

I would suggest you to buy convenient travel pass based on your travelling type after researching on your tour plans.

Check your itinerary where all you want to go.

If your itinerary is full of hiking or skiing, check the cost effectiveness of buying the above passes and then decide.

Below I have made a comparison of my trip itinerary with and without Swiss Travel pass for you to understand how much savings I could do by owning Swiss Travel pass!

Wait!! What??

434 CHF per person Savings???

It’s a huge saving right?

How astounding to have Swiss Travel pass in your hand and travel at your own ease!
If not for money, atleast for the convenience of Ticketless Travelling, go for it.

What are you waiting for? Go book your Swiss pass here!

You can also order door delivery or to collect your Swiss pass in airport.

But I would suggest getting it in the Zurich Airport Railway station itself. It’s just a 10 minutes affair after all.

How can I finish my post without mentioning the nifty SBB App! 

Simple and User friendly approach makes SBB App, a traveller's friend for anyone travelling in Switzerland.

I have also included screenshots of the App for you to know how brilliant it is!

Touch Timetable

When in Switzerland, you don't need to worry about connections at the next town.
All you do is just download this wonderful app.

Connections

One of the best online timetable and ticket office when you are on the move.

Oh man! Look! Even the platform numbers are mentioned.

Last but not the least!
You will be stunned to know that even the Boat and Tram connections are included in the SBB App.

For a hassle free travelling in Switzerland, dont' forget to download SBB app here!

I should mention how much I missed this App back in my place.
A one stop solution for all your queries related to conveyance! 

With Swiss Travel Pass and SBB App in hand, even an amateur traveller can become a pro.

Exploring a country can never be made so easy.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism!

Is there any interesting public transport system, you have come across? 

Chasing the monsoons in Chikmagalur

This is the time of the year where I usually plan my monsoon trip. Being my birthday falling on a weekday, I decided to make use of the combined holidays before my birthday.

This three days’ journey to the rain kissed coffee plantations of Chikmagalur had become one of the most loved journey in my life.

Read further to know what made this place so close to my heart!

Day 1 - Trekking attempt to Mullayangiri peak, Kavilkandi viewpoint, Bababudangiri temple, Jhari falls, Mullayangiri peak

Trekking to Mullayangiri Peak
As we had read that the steps to Mullayangiri peak would be touristy, we decided to try the other lengthy way of trekking to Mullayangiri peak all by ourselves. We had asked the cab driver to drop us in the trek starting point.

Beginning Trek Trail

After we started trekking for few minutes, we realized that the route is going to be very slippery because of monsoon. We had to weigh the option of trekking at that situation. We finally decided to drop it and called our driver back to the trek starting point.

While waiting for our driver

Kavikalgandi View point – Not so known spot on your route to Bababudangiri, lies this view point. The best thing about this view point was that there was no one other than us.

This secluded view point, being easily missed by over sight, indeed made it a delight.

Stairways to heaven

Mist laden Meadow

Bababudangiri Temple - The temple is carved out inside a cave. And is quite popular among locals as well as tourists. The interesting fact about this temple is that the left side of the temple hosts Hindu deity and the right one hosts Muslim deity. 

Being in harmony with other religion is part of Indian culture right?(Forget about the recent political chaos) India!! Secular country for a reason!!

You might wonder who is this Bababudan?

Well he is the one who smuggled in from Yemen seven coffee seeds to plant it in his backyard.

Perhaps that backyard now turned out to be Bababudangiri hills,Chikmagalur(Wink!)

Temple inside Cave

Trekking to Jhari Falls

There is a clear path made amidst coffee plantations even for elders to walk.

We had taken a short cut trekking through the coffee plantations.

After a fifteen minutes’ walk from gate of the private property, there you go.

Jhari falls!

First Glimpse

We can’t stop envying the owner who has got this private property with the beautiful buttermilk falls.

This waterfall has got three tiers. There is a way from where u can climb to the first tier.

Beautiful isnt it?

Beware the water is terribly cold.

Should it stop you from getting drenched?After all, visiting a waterfall and not getting drenched is not so fair right? ;-)

On our way back from Jhari Falls

On our way back from Jhari falls, we pit stopped at a scenic place.
Look how beautiful it is!!

I took a Vlog here to document the beauty of this place.

Seriously I couldn't do justice to the beauty of the place in my Vlog too.

Mulayangiri peak

Though Mullayangiri peak was crowded, somehow the stairs to the temple attached to the peak and spine cold weather while climbing made us forget about the touristy atmosphere.

After Mullayangiri, we returned back to Chikmagalur in the evening.

Due to Vinayagar chathurthi, almost all the restaurants were closed by the time we reached Chikmagalur town to our dismay.

Finally Hotel Mangala Family restaurant which was about to put the shutter down, seeing us hungry, reopened to offer us food. We devoured the amazing food offered by them.

Here is a picture of Akki Roti(Rice Roti) served at the restaurant.

For the entire day, we got a cab for INR 1500 near private bus stand.

Few of the Artifacts sold in the roadside.

Day 2 - Kemmangudi, KR hills, Hebbe falls

Kemmangudi

After having breakfast near Chikmagalur bus stand, we headed to private bus stand to board our bus.

The cheapest way to reach Kemmangudi from Chikmagalur is to board bus to Lingadagalli from Chikmagalur(INR 30 per head) and then take an auto to Kemmangudi(INR 1100 roundtrip).

As far as we could see, there is no cab service in Lingadagalli. Bus from Lingadagalli to Kemmangudi was not frequent too.

If you want to have the comfort of car, hire it from Chikmagalur(INR 2500).

Kalahatti Falls – It is really crowded due to the temple attached to it. If you are someone, who don’t want to see the touristy side, you can skip this falls like we did.

KR Hills - Krishna Rajendran Hill!! True to the phrase 'Living Life king size', the king Krishna Rajendran lived to the phrase by owning a hill station for spending his summer holidays here.

Hebbe falls – After half an hour bumpy ride on the jeep, you would reach a point from where the trek starts to Hebbe Falls.

Beware of the leeches!

Yeah you heard it right!

There are small blood sucking leeches on your route to Hebbe falls. I was lucky enough to have escaped from those.

Ok! Don’t panic.
Pack a packet of salt and turmeric in your backpack. Problem solved!

Forget about the leeches, the scenery you trek through is so beautiful that you would completely lose yourself.
Few of the many picture perfect locations we trekked through.

You would be crossing three river streams. Almost all the route, we trekked with bare foot. Being monsoons, the way was very slippery at few points.

Open Sesame!

There comes the Gigantic Hebbe falls in its full flow.

We did a bit of rock climbing at the end to relish the water shower from the falls.

Day 3 - Chennekesava temple, Hoysaleshwara & Shantaleshwara temple, Kedareshwara temple, Jain temple

A peek into the glorious past of Hoysala architechture.

Chennekesava temple, Belur – From Chikmagalur, we checked out and headed to Belur-Chennekesava temple. Being Belur and Haleebedu on the route to Bangalore from Chikmagalur, we reserved it for the last day of the trip.

The temple was not much crowded in the morning. We stood there awe inspired looking at the intricate carvings of this masterpiece.

Look at the intricate carvings of Hoysala architecture!!

Oh the Perfect Symmetry!!

Marching elephants!!

We could only stand marvelling at the dedication of the people who worked day and night in making of this magnificent architectural prodigy during those days.

Hoysaleshwara & Shantaleshwara temple, Haleebedu

This single complex in Haleebedu houses two temples, shrines of Hoysaleshwara and Shantaleshwara with two monolithic Nandi statues.

With its intricate carvings, both the temples stood the test of time and held its full glory. A beautiful and well maintained temple complex makes the place even more surreal.

Being just right next to the bus stand, be prepared for a crowded atmosphere.

Kedareshwara temple, Haleebedu

Our next stop was to Kedareshwara temple.

It’s just 15 minutes' walk from Hoysaleshwara temple complex. Unlike Hoysaleshwara temple, Kedareshwara temple was quite offbeat. When we entered, we couldn’t see a single soul in the temple. Architecturally, Kedareshwara was equally appealing as Hoysaleshwara temple.

Jain Temple, Haleebedu

Jain Temple is just 5 minutes' walk from Kedareshwara Temple.

A well in the Jain Temple

After spending some quite time near the well, we decided to board the bus to Hassan from where we can get a direct bus to Bangalore.

Our three day’s trip looks something like this.

Feeling adventurous? Trek down to Jhari falls and Hebbe Falls.

Want to feel freezing cold? Climb up Mullayangiri.

Tired of concrete jungle? Lose yourself in the jungles of Kemmangudi.

Hungry? There you go savoring spicy Malnad food.

Peep into antiquity? There you go Hoysala temples in Belur and Halebeedu.

Wahh! Interesting mix isn't it? 

Adios Chikmagalur! See you soon with my love.

For me, Monsoons are always special for the tinge it adds to the greenery which u can never see in other seasons.

I can’t wait to embark on my next monsoon trail.

Is there any interesting monsoon trail u have been to? Do share ur recommendations in comment section.

Month of Trip - August
No of days - 3 days
Cost of Trip - INR 6000

How to score a Schengen Visa on an Indian Passport in 3 days !!!

Looking to score a Schengen Visa on an Indian Passport. Checklist! Flight bookings!! Hotel Bookings!!! Quite confusing right?

I know! I can get it!

The more you read about getting Schengen visa, the more scary you become. 

Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as you think.

You will be stunned to know that we had received our Schengen Visa in 3 days time.

WHAT?? Puzzled!! Isn’t it?

Even we were surprised.

Having read a lot about Schengen Visa, I thought it will be a good idea to share my insights on some of the points to make your Schengen visa process easy.

Which country to apply?

i)     Visiting only one single country, simple, apply for your Schengen visa at that country's embassy.

ii)   Visiting multiple countries, then you have to apply for your Schengen visa at the embassy where you intend to spend maximum number of days.

iii)  Visiting multiple countries but spending equal number of days in different countries, then you have to apply for your Schengen visa at the embassy where you intend to land.

Preparation of itinerary

•  Have a rough plan in your mind where you want to travel
•  Zero in on the destinations you want to see.
•  Check the best time that suites you to travel to those destinations.(I am someone who would  prefer to visit a place during off season rather than visiting when there is heavy crowd).
•   If you intend to travel to multiple countries, have a rough itinerary to check where you will be  spending maximum number of days.
•   Now you will be able to arrive at a conclusion which embassy you should be applying.

Checklist and Preparation of documents

Search for the checklist of  your respective visa category on the relevant VFS website(For instance VFS Switzerland). 

Having got Short Term Schengen Tourist Visa, I am going to layout all that which made me break my head with, in order to save you hours of research.

Documents mentioned in VFS Checklist

Though VFS Checklist in itself is self-explanatory, I will throw some of the key points to be noted.

Flight Bookings

Flight Reservation!!

The what?

Confirmed Return Flight ticket?

What if I am denied visa?

How much will I get refund from my flight tickets?

Do I need to risk so much money to travel to these destinations?

Pheww!! The questions which popped up in my head were endless!!

This is the first tricky part. The first point I had to debate to myself was getting to spend on a confirmed Flight booking in the doubt of Visa getting rejected. I started reading lot of sites as to find a solution for this.

Even though fully refundable tickets seemed a better option, I was not completely satisfied with that idea of spending so much money before Visa.

Voila!! There comes the life savior – "Flight Itinerary".

Instead of spending a hefty amount in actual flight bookings before visa, you can get a return flight itinerary for INR 1000.

How attractive is this deal?

Wondering what I am talking about?

Well!! Check out this site.

Yey!! That was a Eureka moment for me.

There are various sites for getting flight itinerary like transvisabookings, Schengenvisaflightreservation. I found the latter cost effective (Half the price of the former site).

You can even check the airline reservation code of the flight itinerary given by the Schengenvisaflightreservation site on the airline database. You will be able to see your name against that Reservation code. That solves your problem right? :)

Hotel Bookings

Thanks to Booking.com where you can reserve a booking without actually paying your money. But you may have to give your credit card details in order to secure a booking.

Do check for the prepayment clause in Booking.com. Even though the common thing about Booking.com is like we have to pay at the time of check in at the hotel, there are some hotels which operate Prepayment policy. In my case, I was charged INR 18000 after I had booked.

So don't forget to check Prepayment clause! 

Proof of Financial status

If employed, you may have to attach your salary slips of last 3 months and Income Tax return for the last two years. That's all!

Bank Account Statements 
This is the next tricky part I would say. Different sites mention different details about the money you should be having in your account for visiting Schengen countries.

For instance; In schengenvisainfo site, it was mentioned to have 100 CHF per day per person after booking your flights and hotels.

Various bloggers had mentioned much higher amount than the above site.

To be on a safer side, we had shown a balance of 3.5 lakhs for two persons. Note that we hadn’t done flight bookings when we applied for the visa.

You should get an endorsement from the bank manager on a print out of online statement of your savings account.

Online statement without the sign of bank manager cannot be produced as a proof.

My account was savings plus account(i.e savings account linked to MOD(Multi Option Deposit), wherein surplus funds above a threshold limit from the savings account is transferred automatically to Term deposits. Payments in excess of available balance in the savings bank account can be made by breaking MODs last in first out.

Because of the above fact, I had produced a Bank certificate signed by Branch Manager stating the amount available in my savings account.

Marriage certificate 
Though it was not mentioned in the VFS Switzerland checklist, I had heard it is better to provide a copy of your marriage certificate as proof of your civil status, if you are married for more than 3 months.

If you are just married and yet to receive a marriage certificate, you can submit a NOC signed from both of your parents.

Disclaimer - I seriously dont know whether a copy of marriage certificate is necessary for applying Schengen visa. To be on a safer side, I did submit a copy of my marriage certificate.

Other Documents

Passport
Your passport should have at least 3 months validity after the scheduled return planned. If you have previous passports, bind it together with the new one while submitting.

Photo
2 Passport size photos not older than 6 months. Your face should take up 70-80% of your photo. Here's the photo representation given in the checklist!

VISA Application 
While making an online appointment, you have to fill your application form online at VFS site of the embassy you are applying to.

Personal Covering letter 
This should contain purpose, rough itinerary indicating the dates and plans for the day. You have to mention the supporting documents you are attaching with the application. 

Introduction letter on the business letterhead from the employer

No Objection certificate regarding your visit to the Schengen countries from the employer mentioning your position and duration of your service. 

Travel Insurance 
Before applying, you may please check the approved list of Indian Travel Insurance agencies. Your Travel Insurance should have a minimum coverage of 30000 Euro/50000 USD/50000 CHF. We got our travel insurance from BAJAJ ALLIANCE.

Photocopies of your passport 
Don’t forget to bring Photocopies of first and last page of your passports.

Appointment at VFS consulate

You have to make an appointment online at VFS consulate site of the embassy you are applying to.(For instance, VFS Switzerland)

There are two parts in the visa fee. One is Schengen fee (INR 6000) and another one is VFS service fee (INR 1350).

You can either pay the total fee at the VFS consulate(Cash or Demand draft only) or pay the VFS service fee online and the Schengen fee at VFS office. There are some VFS which accept cards too. (VFS - Chennai doesn’t accept cards)

Along with passport and supporting documents mentioned in the checklist, don’t forget to bring the Appointment letter and online payment confirmation receipt.

Yeah You heard it right.

You have to appear in person along with all the documents mentioned above.

You will be allowed to enter only 15 minutes before your appointment time. You will be allotted a queue number inside. Look for your queue number in the display screen and the counter you should be going.

At the counter, a VFS official will check all your documents. If all your documents are fine, you will have to give your fingerprints. (If not given in the last 5 years(Precisely 59 months) in any VFS office)

Processing time 

The processing time of the application varies based on the embassy you are applying to. Though the processing time mentioned in VFS site was 15 days, when your documents are in order, you will be able to receive your passport back with Schengen visa stamping within 7 days.

If Embassy requires additional documents, they may ask you to submit additional documents. If required, you may be called for an interview. 

Usually for honeymoon couples, if all documents are in order, they will clear as early possible. 

After processing your visa application at the embassy, you can either collect your passport at the VFS office or pay for the courier charge of INR 400 and get it delivered at your door step.

Good Luck for your Schengen Visa. 

Happy travelling!!