Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 186 Transcript

How to Design a Tailor-Made Switzerland Itinerary (Without Hours of Research and Planning)

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: How do you plan a Swiss itinerary that includes not only the famous must-see sights, but also those hidden spots that most tourists never discover? The kind of places that aren’t on every top 10 list, but end up being the highlights of your trip. Well, one of the best ways to do that is simple. You ask a local. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Cédric Simon from Watch Cow, They specialise in tailor-made Swiss itineraries designed around your interests, your travel style, and your pace. We’re chatting about how working with a local expert can help you go beyond the usual tourist trail, while still making sure you don’t miss those iconic Swiss experiences. So if you’re looking for a Swiss itinerary that feels a little more personal, a little more unique and completely tailored to you, this episode is for you.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Welcome to the Holidays to Switzerland podcast. I’m Carolyn Schönafinger, your Switzerland destination expert and the founder of holidaystoswitzerland.com. Each week, together with my expert guests, I introduce you to the Switzerland that I know and love, and share inspiration and practical tips to help you plan your dream Swiss vacation. Before we dive in, a quick thank you to our podcast sponsors, Switzerland Tourism and Echo Rails. If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, you’ll know just how much there is to consider. With so many incredible places to visit, figuring out your itinerary, booking accommodation, and choosing the right rail pass can quickly start to feel overwhelming.

Carolyn Schönafinger: So that’s where Echo Rails comes in. Their small group rail tours are carefully curated so that everything is taken care of for you. From the moment you arrive at the airport, your accommodation, transport, daily breakfasts and dinners, scenic excursions, and a knowledgeable local English-speaking guide are all included, so you can simply relax and enjoy the journey. If travelling through Switzerland with a small group tour sounds like your ideal way to explore, you’ll find more details via the link in the show notes, along with an exclusive 5% discount code. Now let’s get into this week’s episode.

Carolyn Schönafinger: A very good morning and welcome to you today, Cedric. Thank you so much for coming onto the podcast. Before we get chatting, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Watch and Cow, the company that you work for, and what makes their approach to travel in Switzerland different?

Cédric Simon: Yes, sure. So my name is Cédric Simon. I’m the marketing and sales manager at Watch and Cow. We are based in Switzerland at the Geneva Airport, which sometimes allows us to welcome the client when they land in Switzerland. The company was created in 2021, right in the middle of the COVID lockdown. By a man called Pierre Jaccard. So I’m going to tell you a little bit more about Pierre. Pierre is a veteran of the tourism industry. He actually created a company called Vanilla Tiger, or Tigre Vanille, in the middle of the ’70s, beginning of the ’80s. They’re doing outbound, and it’s a very well-known company here in Geneva, and their office in Lausanne and Rolle as well. And in 2021, when everything was locked down, he decided to create Watch and Cow to allow people to discover Switzerland. And after that, we continue the adventure until then. We are a very small company. We are only 5 people. And basically what we do, we design tailor-made trips only in Switzerland. So we’re taking care of the Switzerland part because sometimes we have guests, they combine two countries in one, France-Switzerland or Switzerland-Italy, or sometimes they do cruise and after that they go for a few days in, uh, in Switzerland and we’re taking care of only part of Switzerland, even though we can, uh, combine the, the, the guest to the next chapter of their trip, either France or Italy or sometimes even in, uh, in Germany.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Okay. So you’re really focused only on Switzerland because that’s Definitely. What you know so well.

Cédric Simon: That’s where we are the best.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Great. Okay. So when you talk about tailor-made travel, what exactly do you mean?

Cédric Simon: Well, it’s a good question. For us, it really means starting from scratch every time. We don’t have fixed packages or preset routes. Every time we build specifically for each person based on what they enjoy, how they like to travel, their pace, suit them, and of course their budget. Some people want more an active trip, hiking, exploring, a lot of movement. Other wants something more relaxed, more scenic. So we adapt everything around the destination, the hotel, the experience, even how long to spend on each place. And at the end of the day, it’s not about a trip in Switzerland, it’s their version of Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. Yeah. So it’s not like a cookie-cutter itinerary that they can, you know, get from anywhere. This is Designed specifically to the traveller.

Cédric Simon: What you can find on our website is some example of itinerary we did in the past, but we don’t sell two times the same itinerary. Every itinerary, it’s very specific to each people we, we have in Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Great. So who would you say is the ideal traveller for a Watch and Cow experience?

Cédric Simon: It’s anyone who actually values experiences and wants things to be well taken care of without having to do all the planning themselves. Our clients tend to be curious, open-minded. They enjoy discovering new places, but they also want a certain level of comfort through the trip. A lot of our clients are couples, families, or small groups of friends travelling together. They want a nice balance between the iconic Swiss highlights and the experience that feels a little bit more local and personal. And very often it’s, um, simply about time. They don’t want to have the time or the desire to figure all the logistics. And Switzerland can be quite detailed in terms of planning. So they hand everything to us and we just focus on making the trip. And for them, it’s just enjoying the trip in Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. So you definitely take all that, yeah, time-consuming research and planning and booking. You take all that away and do that on behalf of the traveller.

Cédric Simon: And most of our clients, they want, they appreciate good service and attention to details, but without anything too formal. They just want to have a great trip, to feel easy and natural.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Good. All right. So can you walk us through what happens when a client first gets in touch with Watch Cow?

Cédric Simon: So the first thing we do, it’s really try to understand what they are looking for. When we have a request, we send a short questionnaire or we schedule a quick call depending on what they prefer. From there, we talk about their travel style, interests, budget. It’s important because Switzerland can be pricey sometimes. So let’s, let’s be, let’s be honest. Um, and to understand how they want the trip or they want to feel the trip overall. Based on that, we put together a first proposal that we call a skeleton itinerary. It’s more a concept for them to have a, of a view of the whole, uh, of the whole trip. And after that, we refine it together step by step. It’s a very collaborative process. We are adjusting the itinerary, the hotel, the experience until everything feels right. We also help the client to understand what is really realistic because Switzerland can be short distance that looks, but in fact it takes longer to reach point A to, uh, to, uh, to point B and also seasonality. It’s really important for us. Once everything is confirmed, we handle all the booking, the logistics, and they just need to show up and enjoy.

Cédric Simon: Important thing also, as soon as they land or they arrive in Switzerland, we set up a WhatsApp group, and that allows them to contact us 24/7 during the time they are in Switzerland, either for a question or last-minute change, etc., etc., etc. We are there for, for, for them and to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Great. So just for those folks that are listening that aren’t quite sure, the travellers are travelling independently, but as you said, they’ve got that WhatsApp group, so they’ve got that support 24/7. Now, obviously, I guess you can book a private guide for a day or half a day when they would be with a guide, but the majority of the time, most of your guests would be travelling independently.

Cédric Simon: Yes. Yes. Yes. Um, most of our guests, they request to have guide on special, uh, special location and the rest they want to, uh, to feel free and not to have a tight schedule, uh, and going to a, a place to another and watching the, the, the watch and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It’s not what we do when we create itineraries.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, good. So are there any common requests that you receive from clients? You know, do you find that, um, okay, just about everyone wants to do this or that?

Cédric Simon: I mean, yes, the scenic train journey come up a lot, like the Glacier Express, for example, the panoramic trains are very well known and the people really love them. Also, there is the classic highlights, very popular, especially for the first timer in Switzerland, like Lucerne. Zermatt, Interlaken, all the Jungfrau region. These people, they want to see this iconic landscape and we completely understand. But, uh, there is people, they’re looking for something else, like food experiences in particular, cheese, chocolate, local cuisine, farm visit. This kind of demand has been growing a lot. So we can see that people, yes, they want to see the iconic places, but in the same time, so on the side, they want to see something a bit more out of the track and feels an experience a bit different that, that everybody can have it and put it on social media.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah.

Cédric Simon: Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. Because everyone wants to do that these days.

Cédric Simon: Exactly. Exactly. Which is, we completely understand, especially as we mentioned, as I mentioned, for the first-timer, they want to see that Switzerland has to, to, to offer on the first, on the first visit. Don’t forget there is so many places, beautiful places to visit.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. So what are some of the unique or money can’t buy experiences that you’ve created for clients?

Cédric Simon: The, the whole experience I have since I, I joined Watch Car, it’s not always about something extravagant. Sometimes it’s more about access and timing. For example, we can arrange experiences in places that are usually very busy. but in a quieter time of the day. That’s completely changed the atmosphere and that feels more intimate. Uh, intimate. Very important thing, we also work with local guides, uh, who really knows their region inside out. People who can take clients to a spot they never find out on their own. Small villages, hidden viewpoints, places who are actually not on the first page of Google. And sometimes it’s just about creating a very personal moment, like a dinner in a usual setting or a day built completely around what the client love to do. But in general, the, the client tend to remember the most isn’t necessarily one of the big experience. It’s the combination of the small things, the right place, the right moment, everything flowing together. That’s make the trip very special.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. And I guess that includes like a special dining experience too. I’m sure you have, you know, little hidden or not very well-known restaurants.

Cédric Simon: Exactly. Not only restaurant, but, uh, hidden places when you could organise a picnic in the mountain. Yes. Something, something like that with nobody, nobody around.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Lakes that no one goes to and take pictures of, that sort of thing.

Cédric Simon: But we, we need to keep, uh, these activities very secret. It’s our secret sauce. Let’s put it that way. And that’s the others.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. Well, that makes the whole experience even more special, doesn’t it?

Cédric Simon: Yes, definitely.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. So you’ve already— that was going to be my next question. Can you help travellers to discover places that are beyond those typical tourist hotspots? But obviously the answer is yes.

Cédric Simon: Definitely we can. Definitely we can. Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: So I think one of the biggest challenges for visitors is planning their transport. You mentioned that a lot of people obviously want to go on the panoramic train. So how do you sort of simplify that for your clients? Do they all travel by train, or do you offer other ways of getting around as well?

Cédric Simon: Most of our clients travel by train. Switzerland has an excellent network of train, boat, mountain railway, but if you are not familiar with it, it can be a bit difficult. So we take care of everything. We design the itinerary so the journey flows logically. From one place to another. And we handle all the details like train tickets, seat reservation, connection. We use sometimes private transfer when that makes more sense, but most of the times for a lot of our clients, we recommend the Swiss Travel Pass.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Cédric Simon: You unlimited travel on the public transport network for a set number of days, 2, 4, 6, 8, uh, to 15. It’s really simplified because clients don’t have to think about buying individual tickets and that gives them a lot of flexibility. Yes. So train, train, train, and also train sustainable. So it’s a better way to, uh, to travel. And that’s the best way because you just need to sit down and look out of the window and relax and looking at the beautiful scenery. You don’t need to focus on Driving, et cetera, et cetera. So train is definitely the best way to travel in, uh, in Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. And, um, the journey is part of the, you know, the highlight too of the whole trip.

Cédric Simon: It’s part of the whole experience. Yes. Don’t be afraid to take train in Switzerland. In Switzerland, trains are working perfectly. They are on time, they are clean, they are safe. So you can definitely relying on them and what we do, we’re taking care of the transportation of the luggage. So from point A to point B, the guests, they don’t need to take care of their luggage during the day. They will deliver it to the next hotel by a partner.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Well, that’s very good to know because yeah, getting luggage onto and off trains can be, you know, a bit difficult for some travellers.

Cédric Simon: Yes, exactly. And especially when you’re travelling during the peak season, obviously there’s more people on the train, so it’s not easy. So we take care of everything. You just need to sit down and, uh, perfect.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. So, uh, what level of accommodation can clients expect? I mean, obviously you, you know, you talk to them about what, um, what their requirements are, if they want to be close to the station or have a room with a view, that sort of thing. But do you stick to like a certain standard of accommodation or a star level?

Cédric Simon: Yes, generally we work with 4-star and 5-star, but the category is just the starting point. What matters more is finding the right fit for each client depending on the atmosphere, the location, and the overall feel. For couples, for example, we tend to look for something more intimate, maybe a boutique hotel with character, beautiful view, a romantic setting. For families, it’s a different approach. We focus more on comfort, space. Practicality, leisure, legroom, easy access, and the hotel will offer a bit more of flexibility. And we also think a lot about where each hotel sits in, into the trip. It’s really important to be close to what they want to do and not wasting time. Just a question of balance of the trip in general. Yeah. Yeah. Either big hotel or Classic Swiss family hotel, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. What, what, whatever is the, is best suited to the, to the individual traveller. So in your opinion, how important is local knowledge when designing an itinerary? Obviously you, you just talked about the hotels there, like knowing, knowing what works for each kind of client, but it’s not only the hotels obviously that you’re giving them that local advice about. What sort of feedback have you had from clients who have booked with you, they’ve done, been on their trip, and then they’ve realised, wow, like this was designed exactly just, just for me?

Cédric Simon: The, the local knowledge, it’s absolutely essential for, uh, for us. That’s make a, a big difference. How do you feel Switzerland? On the map, the country look quite compact. So visitor assume, often assume it’s easy to move around from point A to point B. But when you add the factor of mountain, pass road, transport connection, et cetera, and actual travel time, it can be more complex very quickly. That’s where local knowledge really comes in. We know that what’s realistic in terms of distance and timing, which route are the best and how to combine destination, um, who actually make sense. And as I mentioned before, there is seasonality. Switzerland change a lot. Depending on the time of the year. What’s working summer might not be available in winter and vice versa. Yes, it’s all about the details you don’t find, as I mentioned, online. It’s what we know, that the connection we have with the people on the ground, with the office of tourism, the local guide, the hotel, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So yeah, we have, we keep very, let’s say, a human connection to what’s happening on the ground in Switzerland. And we mentioned the hotel, most of the time we visit every single hotel we send client to.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Cédric Simon: As well, we meet the, the, the guide to understand how they do things, et cetera, to, to make sure everything goes well together.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And that’s so important because in like today with so much AI, you know, people could, could search online and, and AI could tell them about a hotel, but when they get there, it might actually be a terrible hotel. Or, but as you said, you, you go and you look at it and you make sure that it’s up to standard.

Cédric Simon: Exactly. And we do have received a lot of requests already made by AI, but we can spot it, uh, right, uh, right away. We don’t, I don’t want to say we don’t use, uh, AI. We use AI for administrative stuff like, uh, order, but in terms of creating itineraries, It’s us, it’s human. We are doing it based on our local, local knowledge.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, excellent. So what advice would you give to someone listening to this podcast who is feeling overwhelmed planning their Switzerland trip?

Cédric Simon: Yes, the most important thing is don’t try to do everything. Switzerland has so much to offer and it’s very tempting, especially on the first time. To want to see so many places. I mean, uh, see as many places as possible, but when people try to cover everything, the trip getting more stressful than really enjoyable. You end up spending a lot of time moving rather than actually experiencing the place you are actually in. I would like to say it’s much better to focus on a few regions and really Take the time to be there rather than just checking boxes. And also leave some space in the schedule, a bit of free time to slow down, enjoy the view, or just go wherever the day takes you. That’s often what the people remember the most.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely.

Cédric Simon: As I mentioned, the beauty of travelling in Switzerland, it’s time, and we completely understand that for the first time people want to see, as we mentioned, the old scenery that, uh, that everybody wants to see. But, uh, take the time, enjoy the moment, right? And sometimes if you have free time, go off track.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah.

Cédric Simon: And get lost and discover the Switzerland as you want. As you wish.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Excellent advice. Okay, so Watch and  Cow have very generously offered our listeners an exclusive discount if they book their tailor-made trip with you. So anyone listening, if they’re keen to, to talk to you and start getting an itinerary designed, all they have to do when they reach out to Watch Cow is quote our promo code, which is HTSWISS, which I’ll put in the show notes, and they’ll get 5% off their trip, which is fantastic. So for those people who think, I think this sounds like exactly the kind of trip that I would like created for me. What’s the first step that they should take?

Cédric Simon: It’s really simple. Just reach out. You can contact us through our website or by email and just mention the promo code. When, uh, that’s all it takes actually. And we start, uh, we start from, uh, from there, the normal process. We set up a quick call and we build the itinerary together. Yes.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, excellent. So very easy. And, and how far in advance do you recommend that travellers reach out to you?

Cédric Simon: Few months ahead, especially if you’re planning to travel during peak season, like summer or during the, the ski, the ski season. Switzerland, it’s a very popular destination, but it’s a small country. And some of the best hotels, particularly in places like Zermatt or, as I mentioned, the Jungfrau region, fill up well in advance. So the earlier is better. Yes, we tend to receive now a lot of last-minute requests for this summer for families or couples. We always try to be flexible. If someone, like I said, comes to us with a shorter notice, we do our best to put something all together to create a good trip here in Switzerland. Time is crucial and, uh, yeah, the sooner is better, definitely. And also it’s a question of budget. I mean, the last minute, obviously, the hotel rooms are getting pricier, the locations are getting busier. So, uh, yeah, the sooner is better, but I completely understand that sometimes you just, hey, let’s go to Switzerland and, uh, next week, not sometimes next week, but next month. But we can always, we can always find, find something and create, create something.

Carolyn Schönafinger: That’s definitely great. All right. So as I said, I’ll put that promo code and a link to your website in the show notes, but can you just tell people listening what their website address is, please?

Cédric Simon: www.watchandcow.ch.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Fantastic. All right. Well, thank you so much, Cédric, for telling us all about your wonderful tailor-made trips and and I hope you hear from lots of our listeners who would like to have their own itinerary created for their upcoming trip.

Cédric Simon: I hope that too. We are here for them. So no problem at all.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Wonderful. Thanks again.

Cédric Simon: Thank you very much.

Carolyn Schönafinger: I hope my chat today with Cedric has given you a clearer idea of how you can enjoy the freedom of independent travel in Switzerland without having to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to planning. If a personalised itinerary designed around your interests sounds like the perfect fit for you, be sure to check out Watch & Cow via the link in the show notes. And you’ll also find that promo code HTSWISS in the show notes as well. And make sure you quote that if you get in touch with them so you can get 5% off your trip. Thanks so much for listening today. I’ll be back again next week with another episode to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. So until then, Tschüss!

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.