Elite Rent A Car Switzerland Car Hire - Luxury Exotic Sports Car Hire - Aston Martin Car Hire, Audi Car Rental, Bentley Car Hire, BMW Car Rent, Chrysler Car Hire, Ferrari Car Hire, Mercedes Car Hire, Jaguar Car Hire in Switzerland, Europe with Drive Travel

01 Jan 2010 to 31 Dec 2010

Product	Picture	Instant Quote/Booking	1 - 3 Days	4 - 6 Days	7 + Days
Elite - Lexus RX 400h AWD (Hybrid) 4WD 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 8.1lt/100km			800.00 CHF	620.00 CHF	580.00 CHF
BMW X5 4.8l 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 3.0L - 218 HP			900.00 CHF	720.00 CHF	680.00 CHF
Elite - Audi A3 Cabriolet Compact 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 1.6 Litre			330.00 CHF	300.00 CHF	280.00 CHF
Elite - Audi A5 Sportsback Compact 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 2.0 Litre			380.00 CHF	300.00 CHF	280.00 CHF
Elite - Audi A7 Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 5.9lt/100 km			650.00 CHF	510.00 CHF	470.00 CHF
Elite - Audi Q7 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 3.0L - 233 HP			800.00 CHF	620.00 CHF	580.00 CHF
Elite - BMW 750 Luxury 4 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 7.6lt/100km			980.00 CHF	780.00 CHF	730.00 CHF
Elite - BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 7.6lt/100km			880.00 CHF	700.00 CHF	650.00 CHF
Elite - BMW Serie 3 Cabriolet Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 9.8lt/100km			420.00 CHF	350.00 CHF	320.00 CHF
Elite - BMW X6 3.0lt Luxury 4 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 8.2lt/100km			800.00 CHF	620.00 CHF	580.00 CHF
Elite - BMW X6 5.0lt Luxury 4 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			1200.00 CHF	960.00 CHF	900.00 CHF
Elite - BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Luxury 4 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 9.4lt/100km			1200.00 CHF	960.00 CHF	900.00 CHF
Elite - Ferrari 458 Italia Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC 13.3lt/100km			2600.00 CHF	2250.00 CHF	2000.00 CHF
Elite - Fiat 500 Cabriolet Compact 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			190.00 CHF	170.00 CHF	150.00 CHF
Elite - Maserati GranTurismo Cabriolet Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 14.7lt/100km			2000.00 CHF	1800.00 CHF	1600.00 CHF
Elite - Mercedes E Class Cabriolet Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			630.00 CHF	570.00 CHF	500.00 CHF
Elite - Mercedes ML Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 12.7lt/100km			660.00 CHF	530.00 CHF	500.00 CHF
Elite - Mercedes S 400 L Hybrid Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 3.5L - 299 HP			880.00 CHF	700.00 CHF	650.00 CHF
Elite - Mercedes S Class L Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 8.3lt./km			880.00 CHF	700.00 CHF	650.00 CHF
Elite - Mercedes SLS AMG Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC 9.3lt/100km			2600.00 CHF	2250.00 CHF	2000.00 CHF
Elite - Mini Cooper Countryman Compact 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			250.00 CHF	200.00 CHF	190.00 CHF
Elite - Porsche Cayenne Diesel 4WD 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 12.9lt/100km			660.00 CHF	530.00 CHF	500.00 CHF
Elite - Porsche Cayenne Hybrid 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 7.9lt/100km			900.00 CHF	720.00 CHF	680.00 CHF
Elite - Porsche Panamera S Luxury 4 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			1400.00 CHF	1200.00 CHF	960.00 CHF
Elite - Tesla Signature Roadster Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC 225hp			2600.00 CHF	2250.00 CHF	2000.00 CHF
Elite - VW Caravelle 4WD 4 Doors, 8 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			460.00 CHF	370.00 CHF	350.00 CHF
Elite Aston Martin DB9 Volante Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 6.0L - 450HP			2000.00 CHF	1800.00 CHF	1600.00 CHF
Elite Audi A3 Coupe (Rates shown available only for 300KMS) Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Manual, AC 1.6L - 255 HP			267.00 CHF	233.00 CHF	213.00 CHF
Elite Audi A3 Turbo Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 2.0L			300.00 CHF	270.00 CHF	250.00 CHF
Elite Audi A5 Cabriolet Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 3.2L - 255 HP			530.00 CHF	410.00 CHF	380.00 CHF
Elite Audi Q5 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 2.0L - 211 HP			570.00 CHF	450.00 CHF	430.00 CHF
Elite Audi S5 Coupe Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 4.2Lt			700.00 CHF	600.00 CHF	500.00 CHF
Elite Audi TT Roadster Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Manual, AC 3.2Lt			330.00 CHF	300.00 CHF	280.00 CHF
Elite Bentley Continental GTC Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 6.0Lt			2000.00 CHF	1800.00 CHF	1600.00 CHF
Elite BMW M3 Coupe/ Cabriolet (Rates shown only avaialble for 300KMS) Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 4.0Lt			700.00 CHF	600.00 CHF	500.00 CHF
Elite BMW Serie 1 Cabriolet Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 2.0Lt			330.00 CHF	300.00 CHF	280.00 CHF
Elite BMW Serie 3 Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 2.2Lt			390.00 CHF	310.00 CHF	290.00 CHF
Elite BMW Series 1 Mid Size 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 2.0Lt			200.00 CHF	160.00 CHF	150.00 CHF
Elite BMW Series 5 Mid Size 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 2.0Lt			490.00 CHF	400.00 CHF	370.00 CHF
Elite BMW X1 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 177hp			520.00 CHF	410.00 CHF	390.00 CHF
Elite BMW Z4 Roadster Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC 3.0Lt			380.00 CHF	300.00 CHF	280.00 CHF
Elite Chrysler Voyager People Movers 5 Doors, 7 Seats Automatic, AC 3.3Lt			460.00 CHF	370.00 CHF	350.00 CHF
Elite Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano F1 Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Manual, AC 6.0Lt			2600.00 CHF	2250.00 CHF	2000.00 CHF
Elite Ferrari California Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Manual, AC 4.3Lt			2200.00 CHF	2000.00 CHF	1800.00 CHF
Elite Ferrari F430 Spider Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Manual, AC 4.3Lt			1600.00 CHF	1400.00 CHF	1300.00 CHF
Elite Fiat 500/Fiat 500 ECO Compact 3 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 1.3Lt			150.00 CHF	120.00 CHF	110.00 CHF
Elite Jaguar XF Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 3.0Lt			530.00 CHF	430.00 CHF	400.00 CHF
Elite Jaguar XJ8 Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 3.6Lt			880.00 CHF	700.00 CHF	650.00 CHF
Elite Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 6.0Lt			520.00 CHF	410.00 CHF	390.00 CHF
Elite Lexus GS 450 Hybrid Mid Size 4 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 3.5Lt			490.00 CHF	400.00 CHF	370.00 CHF
Elite Lexus RX 400h 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 3.3Lt			660.00 CHF	530.00 CHF	500.00 CHF
Elite Maserati Quattroporte Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 4.3Lt			880.00 CHF	700.00 CHF	650.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes A Class Economy / Small 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 1.5Lt			200.00 CHF	160.00 CHF	150.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes B Class Economy / Small 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 1.5Lt			250.00 CHF	200.00 CHF	190.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes C AMG 63 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 6.2Lt			900.00 CHF	800.00 CHF	700.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes C Class Mid Size 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 1.8Lt			390.00 CHF	310.00 CHF	290.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes E Class Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 4.0Lt			530.00 CHF	430.00 CHF	400.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes E Class Coupe Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 4.0Lt			420.00 CHF	350.00 CHF	320.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes GL 4WD 5 Doors, 7 Seats Automatic, AC 5.5Lt			800.00 CHF	620.00 CHF	580.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes GLK 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 4.7Lt			520.00 CHF	410.00 CHF	390.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes ML 500 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 5.0Lt			900.00 CHF	720.00 CHF	680.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes R Class Luxury 5 Doors, 6 Seats Automatic, AC 3.0Lt			650.00 CHF	510.00 CHF	470.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes S 500 L Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 5.5Lt			980.00 CHF	780.00 CHF	730.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes S 600 L Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 5.5Lt			1400.00 CHF	1200.00 CHF	960.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes SLK Roadster Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Manual, AC 1.8Lt			330.00 CHF	300.00 CHF	280.00 CHF
Elite Mercedes Viano Ambiente People Movers 5 Doors, 7 Seats Automatic, AC 3.2LT			460.00 CHF	370.00 CHF	350.00 CHF
Elite Mini Cooper Compact 2 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 1.6Lt			170.00 CHF	130.00 CHF	120.00 CHF
Elite Mini Cooper Cabriolet Compact 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 1.6Lt			230.00 CHF	200.00 CHF	180.00 CHF
Elite Mini Cooper Clubman Compact 3 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 1.6Lt			200.00 CHF	160.00 CHF	150.00 CHF
Elite Mini Cooper Clubman S Compact 3 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 1.6Lt			300.00 CHF	270.00 CHF	250.00 CHF
Elite Mini Cooper S Compact 2 Doors, 4 Seats Manual, AC 1.6Lt			300.00 CHF	270.00 CHF	250.00 CHF
Elite Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe/Cabriolet Luxury 2 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 353hp			1300.00 CHF	1200.00 CHF	1000.00 CHF
Elite Porsche Boxster Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC 2.9Lt			530.00 CHF	410.00 CHF	380.00 CHF
Elite Porsche Boxster Spider Luxury 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC automatic			1200.00 CHF	1100.00 CHF	950.00 CHF
Elite Porsche Cayenne Turbo 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 4.5Lt			900.00 CHF	720.00 CHF	680.00 CHF
Elite Porsche Panamera Turbo Luxury 4 Doors, 4 Seats Automatic, AC 4.8Lt			2200.00 CHF	2000.00 CHF	1800.00 CHF
Elite Range Rover Sport Supercharged 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Manual, AC 4.2Lt			900.00 CHF	720.00 CHF	680.00 CHF
Elite Range Rover Vogue Supercharged 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 4.2Lt			1200.00 CHF	960.00 CHF	900.00 CHF
Elite Rolls Royce Phantom Luxury 4 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 6.8Lt			3200.00 CHF	2900.00 CHF	2700.00 CHF
Elite Smart Fortwo Economy / Small 2 Doors, 2 Seats Automatic, AC 1.6Lt			100.00 CHF	90.00 CHF	80.00 CHF
Elite VW Touareg 4WD 5 Doors, 5 Seats Automatic, AC 4.1Lt			570.00 CHF	450.00 CHF	430.00 CHF

Switzerland Information

Switzerland is a beautiful country with spectacular scenery and a unique cultural mix of French, German and Italian influences. There are four official languages - German, Italian, French and Romansch, a language derived from Latin that is spoken in the centre of the country. Each of these languages is spoken in a different region of Switzerland. The northeast of the country speaks the Swiss dialect of German and is also culturally German. Similarly, the south-west is where French is spoken and the cultural atmosphere is unmistakably French. Finally, there is the south-east, where Italian is spoken in Italian-style plazas.

Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland's biggest city, is an international banking centre and boasts thriving nightlife. It is also a Euro 2008 Host City. There are many historic sites. Grossmunster is an old Romanesque church and was a centre of the Reformation. It is where Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people's priest in 1519. Landesmuseum is a museum of Swiss history, the largest such museum in Switzerland. You can also learn about the various traditions of the cantons comprising Switzerland. It's currently undergoing major refurbishment works until 2009 though many exhibitions are still open. Kunsthaus is a Swiss art museum. Its specialities are modern sculpturer Giacometti and the surrealist 18th Century painter Fuseli, both Swiss. The Chinese Garden was a gift to Zurich from the city of Kunming, after Zurich helped Kunming with technical knowledge. The Bahnhofstrasse is one of the world's best known shopping streets. Jacob Coffee Museum looks at the history of coffee culture.

Things to do in Zurich: Take the Polybahn, a 19th century funicular, up the steep hill for a fine view. Take a trip on the Zürichsee with one of the two old steam ships. There are a few different routes you can choose from, which will vary mainly in the distance. Or rent a small rowboat. Go up Uetliberg, a hill overlooking Zurich. You can hike up, or take a train from the main station. Enjoy the 360 degree view from a tall viewing tower (not for vertigo sufferers!). Go club-hopping — Zürich has proportionately the largest number of clubs per capita in Europe.

In August, Zurich hosts the Streetparade, currently the biggest open air techno rave in Europe. After the Streetparade the party doesn't stop, there are open air parties along the route until midnight and club parties at various locations in town until late the next day, to keep the party going.

For shopping in Zürich there are three different areas in the centre:

    * Bahnhofstrasse, which runs from the Zürich Train Main station "Hauptbahnhof" right down to the lake. Bahnhofsstrasse is famous for being one of the most exclusive and expensive shopping streets in the world. Here you can get anything from diamond rings to chocolate and fur coats. Globus and Jelmoli are two fiercely competitive department stores, both of whom carry items from many high-end brands.
    * Niederdorf, which is the Old Part of Zurich and expands from "Bellevue" by the Lake right to "Central" which is just over the River from the train station. The Niederdorf is more for young people. Aside from a lot of fast food places you will find a lot of trendy clothes stores here.
    * Löwenstrasse, which runs west of Bahnhofstrasse from the main train station, has lower range shops and a large branch of Migros, a department store chain.

Geneva

Geneva is Switzerland's second-largest city, and renowned for arts and culture, and an emormous number of restaurants. It is also one of the world's major diplomatic centres; many United Nations organisations are based here, as is the Red Cross. It was the centre of the Reformation, being Calvin's home from 1541. This history is commemorated in the International Museum of the Reformation and Saint-Pierre Cathedral. Geneva also has the Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

One of the crowning symbols of Geneva is the monumental Jet d'Eau, a fountain of water pumped 140m into the air. The spectacular plume was once an occasional pressure release for hydro-power generation on the Rhône River, but people liked it so much that in 1891 the city created a permanent pumped fountain. It's beautifully lit at night. Best viewed from a distance — the surrounding half kilometer is soaked with water.

Cathédrale St-Pierre, Place St. Pierre (At the highest point in the Old Town). The new Espace Saint Pierre pass includes entrance to all three sites of Cour Saint-Pierre, a noteworthy space of unique spiritual and cultural importance. The Cathedral and its towers, which both embody the high point of the Reformed tradition and explore the origins of Christianity with an extensive archaeological site are now complemented by the International Museum of the Reformation on the ground floor of the Maison Mallet. An underground passage, reopened when the Museum was created, connects the two buildings. Nearby, the Auditoire, where Calvin taught, completes a complex that is both representative of the past and open to current questions. The new Espace Saint-Pierre thus aims to contribute to our understanding of today’s world – between tradition and modernity, cultural experimentation and spiritual practice.

For shopping, La Rue du Marché, a 5 minute walk southwards from the train station, has just about everything. From the traditional to the modern, from souvenirs to household appliances to libraries to prescription glasses. This is one of Geneva's busiest streets, and is kept clean and appealing. Prices are fair for the most part.

Berne

Berne, the capital city, has a hostoric old-town that has been meticulously preserved. It sits on a peninsula formed by the meandering turns of the river Aare. The remarkable design coherence of the Berne's old town has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It features 4 miles of arcaded walkways along streets decked out with fountains and clock-towers.Cultural sites and restaurants abound.

Berne Historical Museum is Switzerland's second largest historic museum, combining under one roof one of the country's most important ethnographic collections together with the Bernese historical collections from prehistory to the present day. The Swiss House of Parliaments is a representative building dominating the Square. Constructed by the end of 19th century. Free guided tour when the Parliament is not in session. Einsteinhaus - Albert Einstein rented this small flat with his wife during his years working at the Swiss patent office. Their first child, Hans Albert, and the special and general theories of relativity were born here, where Einstein's writing desk overlooked the busy street and its lovely clock-tower. There are numerous photos and original documents from Einstein's life, work, and speeches.

Things to do in Berne: Bear Pits. Berne is inseparably linked with bears. According to legend the city’s founder, Duke Berchtold V von Zähringen, named the city after the first animal to be caught here. The saga lives on in the form of the real-live bears in the Bear Pits and the heraldic bear in the Bernese coat of arms. Members of the RSPCA might find the pits quite depressing. The good news are that they will be enlarged within the years to come. The Gurten is a lovely hill just outside the city. It features a park and great view over the city on one side and a nice panorama of the Bernese alps on the other. The park is visited heavily by locals to play ball, to barbecue or to just lie in the sun. Swimming in the river Aare. On hot summer days, let yourself drift for some kilometers in the river Aare. Tramdepot - Just next to the bear pits you'll find the tram depot, the old final station of Berne's first tramway. The building now houses the town's most popular brewpub, and the tourist office, with free shows on the city's history at regular intervals.

In July the Gurten hill is host for an open air festival with many national and international music acts. During these four days you will find a party crowd of up to 25,000 people on the hill day and night. The annual street musician festival takes place in the picturesque old town streets. You don't need to buy a ticket but are encouraged to buy a festival pin or give donations to the musicians which come from all around the world.

Rathausgasse and the streets parallel to it have any number of cute shops with an amazing range of handicraft and luxury goods. This is not the normal range of Swiss souvenir stuff, but really interesting things. There are a couple of worthy examples below, but the real pleasure is in spending a few hours (or days) exploring the arcades and vitrines.

Lausanne

Lausanne the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud, is a medium sized city (around two thirds the size of Geneva) which sits at the northern most point of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The city is the host to the International Olympic Committee and two major universities. It is also the transportation hub of Vaud, and a gateway to the alpine Canton of the Valais, home to some of the best known ski slopes in the world. As you might expect the large student population makes for a lively nightlife and arts community, revolving around the Flon district. You'll also find a number of quality restaurants and two dozen museums of note, including the Olympic Museum and the offbeat Collection de l'Art Brut. Architecture buffs should note that at the top of the old town you'll find the best preserved Gothic cathedral in Switzerland.

Lausanne is a French speaking city, but a large part of the population speaks enough English that you will probably have little trouble communicating. English, however, is not as commonly spoken as in nearby Geneva.

Lavaux, the mini region of the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva from Lausanne to Montreux (sometimes called the Swiss Riviera) has been a second home to writers, artists and musicians for about 150 years starting with the Shelleys and Lord Byron, who partied and wrote in Lausanne (Frankenstein is rumoured to have been composed here). Other famous residents include Ernest Hemingway, who wintered here with his young family around the time related in A Movable Feast and Charlie Chaplin who lived in Vevey from the mid 1930s on.

The neighborhoods of Lausanne which are of primary concern to a visitor are the Cité, the Ville Marché, and the port of Ouchy. In between you'll find the Flon which is mainly a nightclub district these days, and the otherwise sleep Sous Gare neighborhood just under the train station which boasts one of the best cafés in town. If you feel up for a hike it's also probably worth while to spend a few hours climbing around in the woods of Sauvebelin which is above and north of the Hermitage.

Cité - This hill is the part of Lausanne's old town which goes back the furthest, and holds a lot of interest for travelers, being the site of the Cathedral, the Castle, MUDAC, several other museums, a children's theatre and a really good toy store.

Ville Marché - The medieval city of Lausanne grew up with outdoor markets arranged around several of the entrances to the old city, together with the old city these markets make up the balance of the Old Town, including Place de la Palud, Place St. François, and Place Riponne.

Flon - The original rail line into Lausanne once came up the Flon river into this valley, but there was no way to go through town, so it was supplanted in the 19th century with a line one ridge further south which could serve destinations in the Valais and Italy. Today the former warehouses of the Flon Valley are mostly occupied with trendy restaurants and discos.

Ouchy - Once a fishing Village, Ouchy was incorporated into the City of Lausanne in the mid-19th century to serve as a port on Lac Léman. The incredible views of the lake and the Alps, and the cooler air in summer have make Ouchy a popular place especially in the summer months. There's a major cluster of hotels and restaurants around the port.

Sous Gare - In the 19th century Lausanne expanded to fill all of the land between the current location of the train station (or Gare CFF) and the port of Ouchy. This is mostly a district of apartment buildings and houses, but it's worth a walk through, if only for the Café de Grancy and the park on the Crêt de Montriond.

Collection de l'Art Brut - This must-see collection of works by untrained artists will at turns delight, amaze, baffle, and irritate. Many of the artists whose works are shown here found life difficult or impossible outside (or inside) of institutions, finding solace and purpose in sometimes compulsive acts of creation.

Palais de Rumine. Based on an Italian renaissance design, this lovely building is not as old as it looks. There are five different museums inside with exhibitions covering subjects ranging from fine arts to natural history.

Fondation de l'Hermitage. Built in 1841 as a residence for the banker Charles-Juste Bugnion, the Hermatage occupies its own wooded space on the hill above old-town, with marvelous views of the Cathedral and the Alps. The family donated the house and land to the City of Lausanne in 1976, which now uses the building to host first class traveling international art exhibitions.

Things to do in Lausanne:

Explore The Old Town, Take Metro 2 to the Flon, and either take the elevator up, or just cross the street. Alternatively, if you don't mind climbing, the car-free section of old town really starts right across from the train station, with a steep walk up the hill. Shops keep strict hours of 10am-7pm Monday to Friday, and 10am-5pm on Saturdays. On Saturdays year-round almost all of the huge car-free area becomes a vast farmers market. Thanks to the hills making it hard to pave over, Lausanne's old town is larger than most found in Swiss cities, with the notable exception of Zurich. You can spend days wandering the old cobbled streets and still not know all of its nooks and crannies. After the shops close there are dozens of quaint, cozy, hip, or just warm restaurants, cafes and nightclubs, especially considering that at Place Central the old town joins with the Flon nightclub/gallery district. Wander as long as you like, there's no charge of course.

Explore the Sauvabelin Forrest, north of the center (see map). Don't miss the freely accessible Sauvabelin tower [27], from which you have a 360° view on the lake, the Alps and the Jura. Then go down to the city center through the park of the Fondation de l'Hermitage (see above).

Enjoy the lakefront of Ouchy, Take Metro 2 to Ouchy, et voila, as you leave the metro station you'll find the lake (and on a clear day the alps) stretched out in front of you. The lakefront also offers restaurants, bars, and the Chateau d'Ouchy castle/hotel.

Climb up the Cathedral Tower. The view from the top of the Cathedral tower is well worth the climb. Ask the nun at the souvenir shop in the Cathedral. From 10pm until 2 in the morning, a watch man shouts the hours, perpetuating a tradition that dates back to 1405.

For shopping, the real draw here is a colorful farmers market on Saturdays and Wednesdays in the steep, winding streets of Old Town. There are plenty of boutiques and department stores as well. Note that pretty much everything is closed on Sunday, except in Ouchy, part of which is on Federal land.

Lugano

Lugano offers palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities. Lugano also makes a good base for visiting other cities and sites in the area. The city is a pleasant place to relax in the summertime and is only half an hour away from Lake Como.

Lucerne

Lucerne (Luzern in Swiss-German) is a beautiful small city in the heartland of Switzerland, across the lake from Altdorf, where legend has it William Tell shot an apple off of his son's head. In addition to being a fine place to visit in and of itself Lucerne is a great base from which to explore famous Swiss sites such as Mount Rigi and the Rütli Meadow.

One of the main reasons that Lucerne attracts so many travelers is its small but remarkably preserved old town. You can get lost (for a few minutes anyhow) in its maze of streets, passages, and squares, admiring the many and varied murals painted on what seems like every other building. A nice short walk on the Museggmauer starts at the Schirmer-Turm, walk up the road near Jazzantine, open only at daytime.

Mount Pilatus is a famous mountain overlooking the city of Lucerne. Its peak can be reached by the world's steepest cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad (not operating in wintertime) and all-year-round by cable-car in three sections from Kriens. This trip is definitely a must and gives you a good impression of a wild and rocky peak with a marvelous view to the "real" Alps. Of course you can walk to the top on foot, which takes at least 4 hours from Kriens. A pleasant alternative is to walk down to Kriens from the bottom of the middle cable-car section.

The Chapel Bridge is in some kind the landmark of Lucerne and its said to be the oldest woodbridge of Europe. The Bridge is made with wood and was built in 14th century as a protection for the city. It's amusing walking over it as you can see about 100 pictures of 12th century city life and Swiss history. Join one of the walking tours going around! Unfortunately the bridge burned down on 18th August 1993. Within a few months it was rebuilt.

The Swiss Transport Museum. With its large collection of trains, planes, automobiles, and motorcycles this museum of means of transport is a great place to spend an afternoon. If you get tired of the real train engines you can check out the model railroad or the miniature working steam train. The air section also features several space travel exhibits, including an un-used project Mercury capsule.

The Picasso Museum. Arriving uninvited at Picasso’s villa “California”, LIFE’s WWII photo correspondent David Douglas Duncan was unsure of his reception. Luckily he, and his camera, were welcomed by Picasso and his family, and over the years produced an intimate portrait of the artist’s day-to-day life. 200 of these photographs, presented alongside a collection of late Picassos donated by Angela and Siegfried Rosengart, are displayed in the Am-Rhyn-Haus, a 17th century building worth seeing in its own right. Picasso’s living room was his studio, and domestic scenes -- a ballet lesson, Picasso drawing with his children, or wrapping himself in the cape and hat of his native Spain -- play out within the backdrop of some of his most famous works.

Fasnacht - Some cities of Switzerland including Lucerne and Basel celebrate a rousing carnival just before lent each year. The version celebrated here is famous for its chaotic "march any direction you like" street parades of the so called Guugemusig (band of wind instruments and drummer, typical to the carneval of Central Switzerland) and elaborate masks.

Other areas of Switzerland

Solothurn, on the River Aare at the south foot of the Jura mountain range, is also known as St. Ursen City, Wengi City, the City of Ambassadors, Switzerland's most beautiful baroque city, and the city of culture. The name "St.Ursen City" recalls the legend of the two Roman legionnaires, Urs and Victor, who were beheaded in Solothurn due to their Christian beliefs. In honour of their martyrdom and the associated miracles, both were declared city saints. St. Ursen Cathedral dominates the city skyline and is its emblem. Solothurn's history dates back to Roman times. As early as 350 BC the Romans built their "Castrum Salodurum", a bell-shaped walled fort. The remains can still be seen at Friedhofplatz and in Löwengasse. Solothurn is a German speaking town but communication in French and English is possible in the city center.

Interlaken is a popular base for winter and summer outdoor sports. These include nature walks, hiking, paragliding, river rafting, bungee jumping, swimming, sailing, biking, rock climbing, canyoning, skydiving, skiing, snowboarding, sledging, cross-country skiing and ice-skating. Interlaken has the highest concentration of souvenir shops in Switzerland.

Switzerland has numerous mountain areas, which offer winter and summer sports and spectacular scenery. Zermatt is a small village surrounded by mountains, and a base for those who wish to tackle the mighty Matterhorn.

The Jura mountains cut through five Swiss cantons: Vaud, Neuchatel, Fribourg, Bern, and Jura. The Swiss Tourist Office lumps the Jura Vaudois in with the Lake Geneva Region which does make sense as odds are if you visit there you'll be sleeping in a lakeside city like Nyon. The northern Jura are more heavily populated, and represent a distinct culture from the rest of French speaking Switzerland. The cities of the Northern Jura are where the famed Swiss watch making industry took off in the 18th and 19th centuries, and so there are a lot of interesting watch-making related things to see in the region.

The Valais is exactly that: a long, narrow, L-shaped valley which was cut by glaciers between two alpine mountain ranges. The main cities in the region are along the river Rhone which cuts through the bottom of the valley, between its source at the Rhone glacier in the east and its temporary destination of Lake Geneva in the west. The main tourist resorts and many small villages are in the side valleys to the north or the south. Valais offers an amazing diversity of landscapes. Within a few kilometers there are the highest glaciers and mountains of the Alps and almost subtropical places where even almond and pomegranate trees grow. Some of the best spring skiing in the world is available in the Valais, at prices which although high beat the equivalent offerings in Colorado.

Ticino is the Italian-speaking southern district of Switzerland known for its year-round mild climate, expensive shopping, and stunning views.

Montreux - features the Château de Chillon. Open every day until 6pm. A historic castle on a small island in Lake Geneva only a few meters from the shore. It was built originally to allow the occupants to extract a toll from people and goods passing between Italy and the rest of Europe on the road north from the St. Bernard pass. The roadway here is wedged between the lake and the cliffs, so there was no way to get around Chillon. The Castle is more famous in modern times for having inspired Lord Byron's poem, The Prisoner of Chillon, based on the true story of François Bonivard, a political prisoner from Geneva who was released in 1536. Byron is said to have carved his name in one of the columns in the dungeon where Bonivard was detained during a few years.

Leysin is a laid back, non-posh, non-pretentious mountain village in the Vaud Alps, above Montreux. It also happens to be the site of a ski resort with awesome off piste possibilities. Leysin is quickly earning a reputation as the college of Switzerland, it is the home of five international schools and another opening in the fall of 2004. Live music is no stranger with an active Blues Club Summet du Blues to provide live music year round, open mike nights at the Yeti Bar, and always the impromptu jam if you can find them. When here stroll down the rue du commerce and check out the bohemian galleries, yet another side of this sleepy town. All that and a mountain top revolving restaurant (of course!) In a way it's sort of amazing that one village can have this much cool stuff and remain as laid-back as Leysin is. Leysin is in the Alpes Vaudoise roughly above and one mountain over from Montreux. The panorama includes all of the Alps Vaudois, including the Mont Blanc to the Eiger. It is just as, or more impressive as those found further up into Canton Valais, and prices that are a bit more competitive.

Spiez is a small, quaint little town (pop 12,500) on the south shore of Lake Thun. It has a wonderful medieval castle and offers spectacular views across the lake.

Bellinzona - In 2000, the Castles of Bellinzona were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. There are three castles. The Sasso Corbaro Castle dominates the city from 462 meters. It was built in only six months in 1479 as the highest fortification in Bellinzona. After visiting Sasso Corbaro, descend to the Montebello Castle, the most picturesque of the three. Probably built in the 13th century and restored in the 1970s, the Montebello Castle is a spectacular example of a medieval castle and houses a very interesting civic and archeological Museum. Steps along the old city walls lead the visitor to the Piazza della Collegiata; from here follow the San Michele path up to Castelgrande, remodeled in the last years by Aurelio Galfetti with bold architectural solutions, among which the elevator in the rock and the helicoidal ramp to reach the summit directly from the Piazza Mario della Valle.

Driving in Switzerland

For using the motorways you need to buy a "Vignette", a sticker which costs 40 CHF that allows you to use the motorways as much as you like for the entire year. Avoiding the motorways in order to save the toll price is generally futile; the amount is well worth it, even if you are only transiting. Other roads may have additional tolls levied, such as the Gottard base tunnel.

Speed limits: 120 km/h on motorways, 80 km/h on normal roads and 50 km/h inside villages. Whilst driving "a wee bit too fast" is common on motorways people tend to stick pretty closely to the other two limits. Fines are hefty and traffic rules are strictly enforced.

WARNING: If you get fined but not stopped (e.g. caught by a Speed Camera) the police will send you the fine even if you live abroad. In Switzerland, speeding is not a violation of a traffic code but a Legal Offence, if you fail to comply there is a good chance that an international rogatory will be issued and you have to go to court in your home country. Also, starting from 2007, Switzerland banned all GPS appliances with built-in speed cameras databases as they are equiped with "Radar Detectors". According to some GPS navigator producers, it is advised to remove the Swiss radar database while driving in the country as the police may give you a fine and impound your device even if is turned off and placed in the trunk of your vehicle!

The blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.05%. As in every country, do not drink and drive, as you will lose your license for several months if you are cited and a heavy fine may be imposed.

Driving on small mountain roads can be nerve-wracking if you come from a flat country. But beside this, swiss roads are in general safe and very well maintained.

Six tips for mountain roads:

    * Honk if you're on a small road and you don't see around the bend.
    * The bus always has priority.
    * The car driving uphill has priority over the car driving downhill.
    * Don't even think about driving as fast as the locals: they know every bend, you don't.
    * In general, drive at a speed which allows you to stop within the distance you can see, in order to be safe; and drive so that you would be happy to meet yourself coming the other way!
    * During Winter, although all vehicles are equipped with Winter tires, it is advised that you apply chains to the wheels of your car if driving in an area of heavy snowfall.