58. Jet Setting to Switzerland for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour

Have you ever wanted to experience the thrill of blending top-tier music events with exotic travel adventures? When a friend decided to do just that and fly to Switzerland to see Taylor Swift, I had to put together a unique jet-setting journey for her. In this episode, I'm sharing this dream tour with you, and it's perfect for any Swiftie with a passion for travel!

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This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher.

Transcript

Hey there, jetsetters. It is me, the OG memory maker of Makin' Memories Travel, Michele. Now a few weeks ago, I did an FAQ episode, and I said that the next week, I was going to be doing, a sample jet setting experience to go see Taylor Swift in Switzerland. And, sadly, I put that off for 2 weeks. So I am finally there and ready to share this very exciting trip and how this idea popped up for me. Event travel is really booming. It's a different form of set jetting, and it's really especially popular among Gen Zers and millennials. And concert travel is a high priority.

More than half of Gen Zers are planning to attend a music event within the next year. And many say that FOMO is real, and it plays a big part in that decision. So I imagine that no music event has a greater fear of FOMO than the heiress tour. And you know who the star is at the heiress tour unless, of course, you've been living under a rock. She's Taylor Swift and her tour is embarking on its European dates. So a huge shout out to Grace, my love cycling spin instructor, who has both broken me and saved me with an abundance of emotions and feelings in her spin classes. And she is the ultimate Swifty. In fact, she's already seen the concert when it was here in the US.

When the Barbie movie came out and everyone posted which Barbie they were, hers was she's just Taylor Swift. She teaches a Taylor Swift Saturday every single week. And last month, during her birthday Taylor Swift ride, she dropped very casually that she and her hubs were going to see Taylor in the Ayers tour this summer in Switzerland, and I could not wait to work on planning this jet sending adventure for them. Now the best travel guide, and I will link to those travel guides in the show notes because they're fun to read about multiple different destinations, describes Switzerland in such romantic terms. And I quote, Switzerland is a country of still lakes, rolling hills, and snowy mountainous landscapes Located at the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe, it separates Germany from Italy, and it serves as the gateway to Southern Europe from the northern half of the continent. And with speakers of French, German, Italian, and a little bit of Old Roman, Switzerland is all the best of the 4 cultures jammed into 1. The town of Basel, which is on the German border, is the pocket sized metropolis of Switzerland, complete with style, architecture, compelling museums, and a rich historical city center. The chic city of Geneva, on the other hand, is almost entirely surrounded by French land.

Nestled in cozily around the shores of Lake Geneva, the city is elegant and luxurious, as well as vibrant and energetic. And back in the German speaking part of the country, you'll find Zurich. Here, you can head down Badenstraß, a street famous for its shopping destinations, enjoy the burgeoning gastronomical scene, or take a trip to the cascading Rhine Falls. Then take a break from the city streets and make your way up to Closters, a snowy haven for lovers of nature and the winter sports. Try out your skiing, go tobogganing, or wind down at the Ingoten baths in the town of Skoll. Now with that description in mind, I knew I had to allow them time in a way to experience much of what the country has to offer, although we won't get to all of it. So Taylor's gonna be in Zurich July 9 10th, So the perfect time for travel out of the US when the summer heat is stifling and heading to Switzerland. So for purposes of this trip, I planned the concert as a finale to the entire vacation.

Of course, you could do the opposite you will take a 45 minute train to Lucerne. And on the ride from the urban center of Switzerland, that is Zurich, to Lucerne, you will see a gentler mountain and hillscape dominating the scenery and sparkling lakes in between. Now famous for its medieval bridge, Lucerne is one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, and the rest of the day upon your rivals at your leisure. Situated on the edge of a lake with a striking alpine panorama as a backdrop, Luzerne was a regular stop on the, quote, grand tour route of Europe during the romantic era, and the ambiance from this age still lingers in some of its classic sights. It has a cobbled center that's older. It has winding lanes, medieval fountains, bright facades, and, of course, famous wooden bridges. So take a walking tour and uncover the hidden alleys and secrets of Lucerne and top it off with a 90 minute tour of the chocolate workshop with tastings. Once you, see Lucerne to your satisfaction, you can hop back on the train off to Interlaken, and this time, you're going via the Golden Pass line.

Now Interlaken is centrally located in Switzerland's Bernice Oberland, a popular vacation destination for many international visitors and Swiss citizens. The city lies on a plane between the crystal clear lakes of, I'm getting all these names wrong because they're in German, and Brienz. It is presided over by its 3 major mountains, the Eiger, Monach, and Jungfrau. So let's take a tour of the Jungfrau Yoke. It's cross an item off of your bucket list. It is a self guided excursion that takes you to the very heart of the Bernese Alps. The mighty Eiger, Monarch, and Zhengfru form the imposing nucleus of this alpine region. Now the approximate travel time from Interlaken to Zhang Frageau is 2 and a half hours by train, but it goes through stunning scenery.

And once you're there, you are at the highest railway station in Europe. You can visit the ice palace and the sphinx terraces, reached by a lift that affords a breathtaking view of the Alsace Glacier, which is the largest river of ice in all of Europe. You can get a refreshment or a meal at the Jean Frau Jos restaurant at the top of Europe. And after exploring the vistas, be sure to return to the mountaineering village of Grindelwald. Does Grindelwald not sound like something right out of, Harry Potter? It's known as the Winter Sports and Mountaineering Center. So enjoy the view on those mighty mountains before taking the train back to Interlaken. Now from Interlaken, you can easily explore the beauty of the Bernese Oberland, Whether it is by water, mountains, or the scenic train route, it serves as an ideal starting point for you to do an endless amount of excursions. You'll leave the alpine landscape of the Bernice Oberland, aka Interlaken, behind you, and travel again by the Golden Pass line to the Swiss Riviera.

The city of Montreal is world renowned for its jazz festival and its beautiful setting on Lake Geneva. You wanna be sure and take a leisurely stroll along Montrose's Pleasant Lakeside Boulevard. The city stretches along the shore of Lake Geneva. It rises in elevated tiers covered with the Mediterranean trees and vineyards. The city's bay location faces south, which shelters it from both the north and the east winds. And the Chateau de Chelyon is located in a unique setting of Lake Geneva's shoreline, and it has become the most visited historic building in all of Switzerland. It was inhabited for nearly 4 centuries through the middle ages, and you can visit it to explore its 14th century paintings, its subterranean vaults, and its well maintained courtyards. Next up, the iconic Matterhorn.

This time, the Glacier Express will travel from Montreux across the Alps to the fashionable city of Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn. Now, on the way, the train has to overcome more than 900 meters in altitude, partly with the help of cogwheel technology. The Zermak Bagen takes visitors right to Europe's highest mountain station at an amazing elevation of over 12,000 feet. And the panoramic view over the largest glaciers of the Alps, over no fewer than 38 breathtaking giants at the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps, the view is truly unparalleled. The Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain of the Alps, appears almost near enough where you could reach out and touch it, but don't. We don't want any, injuries from falls. Visitors are close to the Italian territory now and can look at the rear of the famous Matterhorn. Next up, you can return to Zurich via 3 hour private car ride.

There is so much to see in Zurich. The charming city is largely an intact medieval town with a beautiful natural setting. Here, you can find something amazing at every corner. Architectural highlights, historic squares, streets, district, churches, works of art, and so much more. The Old Town is one of the most beautiful and charming areas in Zurich. Here, you can stroll around the narrow lanes and the medieval houses. This area is highly appreciated by both tourists and locals, and it was once home to Einstein. Plus, this extra AF traveler, in this case, AKA me, would have to take a walk on the Beinhofstrasse.

If I pronounce that wrong, please don't me. This street is located right in the city center, and it is great for shopping. Here you can find names like Prada, Chanel, Gucci, and H and M and experience the most exciting, high quality shopping experience. Oh, yeah. You get the tax back when you go to the airport. Of course, now it's time for the Taylor Swift concert before departing back to the US the next day. Now, we do have a few asterisks to this gorgeous sounding itinerary. 1st, with a more personalized planning, I would be giving out full hotel, transportation, including transfers and timing for all those excursions that I mentioned.

This is a very general start and a very basic potential itinerary. And, of course, if you're not limited in time, there is so much more of Switzerland to see. For example, we didn't even cover Basel. Another option could be to fly into Milan and see Milan for a day or 2 before heading to the Matterhorn and doing the itinerary in reverse. Now if you'd like your jet setting trip to be the focus of a future episode of jet setting with me, send me a message and you just might be featured.