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Jana & Brett | Aplins in the Alps

50+ tips we don't want you to miss!

Published 4 months ago • 2 min read

Reader, have you ever made any travel mistakes? We certainly have!

  • We've been caught in a new country with the wrong currency. (I think it was Denmark? Or maybe Hungary?)
  • When we were in Paris, we missed the last bus of the night, so we had to walk 3 miles back to our lodging. (We could've paid for a taxi, but we were traveling for 1 year+ on a tight budget.)
  • One time we mimed back and forth for 10 minutes with a man in the French countryside because we didn't speak French and he didn't speak English.
  • And then there was that Sunday evening in Zurich when our plug adapter didn't fit in the walls and all the stores were closed.
  • Once we saw a little old lady get monsooned by a wave of water while waiting at the bus stop in Portugal. (...We felt awful for her, but good thing it wasn't us!)
  • When we were in England in 2016, we didn't know about Google Maps...so we printed off MapQuest directions! (Driving those roundabouts on the opposite side of the road is not for the faint of heart!)
  • Somehow we traveled for 5 years without cell phone data. Yet we always had filter water bottles in our bags.

Those mistakes make for great stories, don't they?!

We can laugh about those things now, but in the moment we were so embarrassed and frustrated!

But don't worry, Reader, we've got you covered!

If you’re coming to Switzerland for the first time, there are quite a few things you need to know, and a whole lot more that will just make your trip even smoother.

Whether this is your 1st trip or your 10th, you'll want to know these things before you venture to Switzerland!

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If you're visiting Switzerland for the FIRST TIME, is this also your FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE?

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Our FIRST time cross country skiing! See a few pics and read the recap on Instagram!


Interested in beginner ski classes?

Last week we took a beginner classic-style cross country skiing class! Since we didn't grow up doing snow activities in Tennessee (where it rarely snows), we're going to learn this Winter in Switzerland!

We were in a group of 5 people with 1 instructor who taught us 2 styles of skiing forward (and 2 ways to stop on the downhills!).

Brett was a natural at speeding fast down the tracks while Jana was slow and steady.

Brett had fun skiing outside the tracks while Jana was happy to stay in line. (If you know us, then this is so true of our characters, haha!)

It was 60 CHF per person for a 2-hour class, all equipment, and a fondue lunch afterwards. And we took a short walk on the winter trails while we waited for our bus back home!

We had a blast, and have already researched beginner ski, snowboard, and snowshoe classes too!

But next up on our list of winter adventures: sledding!


Behind the Scenes

A brief look at our lives behind the camera and computer.

LOVING: our first Winter here in Switzerland!

WRITING: Guide to Zermatt

Our goal is to have the most thorough and helpful Swiss Travel Guides available on the internet! Did you know that it takes us 2-3 months to outline, research, write, edit, design, and publish a new Guide? And that's after days, weeks, and months spent on location!

And trust us, you're not gonna wanna miss these adventures in Zermatt! I'm already trying to convince Brett that we need to take another trip there, like, ASAP!

FILMING: All-Season Switzerland Packing Guide

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Grab pen, paper, and a cup of something warm, then cosy up with a blanket and press play on this video with 50+ tips to make your Swiss vacation as smooth as creamy peanut butter...or Nutella!

Jana & Brett | Aplins in the Alps

If you love traveling Europe, getting off-the-beaten path, meeting locals, or having foodie experiences (especially coffee and gelato), then you're in the right place! We're Jana and Brett, a travel couple exploring Europe. Since we got married 10 years ago, we've spent more than 2.5 years adventuring in Europe. But we aren't your average travelers... —Dual USA and Italian citizens —30 European countries...and counting! —We didn't sell everything to travel (we still own our home in Tennessee!) —Both work online (Brett: business operations and consulting. Jana: SEO copywriting and content editing.) Get to know us better by joining our newsletter, binging our YouTube videos, or browsing our blog! When we're not traveling, you will find us hanging out with friends, hosting dinner parties, or playing strategic board games.

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