As the Spring weather returns, what better time to treat yourself to a weekend break with family or friends? With the lake and mountains on your doorstep, you really don’t need to spend hours in the car traveling to your destination – in fact you don’t even need to drive! The Swiss train network covers most popular resorts along Lake Geneva, and if you choose your hotel carefully, then a pleasant 2 minute stroll is all you need to reach your destination!
For total relaxation, comfort, convenience and stunning views, we recommend you stay at the Eurotel Montreux. Situated right on the lake front in Montreux, near to the railway station but with its own underground car park, this luxury 4-star hotel offers customers a warm welcome in a stylish setting. The entrance foyer, restaurant and breakfast rooms, as well as many of the bedrooms have recently been redecorated – indeed, when I went to stay there at Easter with my family there was still a pervading smell of leather from the new furnishings!
The luxury family holiday company, Country Kids, is once again offering a special discount to knowitall.ch clients. This year, our clients can expect to receive a € 300 discount on the standard weekly rate, for all April stays booked, as well as a free bottle of champagne on arrival.
First featured on the knowitall.ch website in 2011, and again in 2013, Country Kids was recently recognised by the UK's Daily Telepgraph as one of the top 4 European resorts for families with young kids, and was voted by Mumsnet as the Top European Family Resort for 2013. Located on a beautiful country estate amongst the vineyards and olive groves of Southern France, the company has a great program of Easter activities lined up for the rapidly approaching April holidays, including egg hunts, a special Easter parade, Easter bonnet making, eggshell mosaic creations, and a range of games for older kids with real eggs, that may apparently get quite messy!
If you like exploring Switzerland, then you should try and take advantage of at least one of the great deals being offered this autumn by the Swiss train operator, SBB.
Priced at just Fr. 35.-, the new Companion Ticket is perfect for anyone wishing to take a day trip with a family member or friend throughout Switzerland. Valid for one day, this ticket will enable you to go absolutely anywhere in Switzerland on trains, boats and postbuses.
Available until 31 October, 2013, the Companion Ticket is available online from the SBB Ticket Shop, via SBB Mobile, from ticket machines and railway station counters. It can be “combined” with any of the following tickets and travelcards:
- 1-day travelpass for the Half-Fare travelcard
- 9 o’clock travelpass for the Half-fare travelcard
- GA travel card, (1st or 2nd class)
Alternatively ,if you fancy taking a longer break, the Holiday Passport will provide you with unlimited travel throughout the entire GA travelcard area of validity, even without the Half-Fare travelcard, for as little as CHF 149 for 4 days of your choice. With the Combined Holiday Passport for Germany, priced from just CHF 119, you can also travel throughout the whole of Germany as well.
The holiday passport is only available for those with permanent residence in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein. It may only be purchased when presenting official identification (passport, ID, residence permit) at the ticket counter.
For more details and the full terms and conditions, click on the following links:
If you are planning to collect anyone from Geneva Airport, then you should be aware of the new arrangements now in place for picking people up.
The small, short stay car park (P2) situated on the arrivals level of the airport has, from 1 October 2012, been relocated temporarily to the first underground level (-1) of the main car park (P1 Illimté). The new car park, which will have provision for the same number of parking places and will cost the same as before, will remain in place until the end of March 2013.
Whilst these changes are in place, a new system of signs will direct visitors to the car park, to avoid any confusion. The changes are due to ongoing works at the airport, which are scheduled to finish at the end of 2014.
From 1 July 2012, it will be compulsory for all drivers in France to possess a breathalyzer test kit in their car.
This means that, in addition to the safety triangle and safety jackets which are already compulsory, drivers must now carry a hand-held breathalyzer kit in their cars, which has not been used and is still within its validity dates.
The new rule applies to all motorized vehicles. Only the drivers of “mobylettes” and those whose vehicles are equipped with an integrated system of alcohol detection will be exempt.
The rule also applies to foreign cars driving within France, even if this only happens occasionally.
