Travel & Holidays in later life

Reg Butler returned to Switzerland on a journey into nostalgia, following the route of his first-ever European holiday when he explored the Alps with an 8-day Swiss Rail Pass. 

Of course, the Swiss franc is very hard currency, and prices can be unnerving. But there's no hardship in stepping down a hotel star or two. Accommodation is spotless in even the most modest of inns. And there are other ways of making your money stretch. 

For my latest trip, I wanted to combine business and pleasure. Business called me to three widely-separated areas. The rest of the week, I yearned to revisit the Alpine highlights.

My choice was to rent a self-catering apartment in Lucerne, in the heart of Switzerland and very central on the rail system.

The apartment was booked through the website operated by the Interhome group which features 20,000 properties in 15 European countries and Florida.

Just pick your resort from a map or a drop-down menu. Then enter your preferred travel date, and the available properties are listed out with prices. Like turning the pages of a printed brochure, you get a photograph and full details of facilities and location. When you've decided, reservation is instant, and is confirmed by e-mail.

From my arrival at Zurich airport till departure a week later, the transport system worked of course like Swiss clockwork. Everything cog-wheels together - trains, buses, trams, lake steamers, mountain funiculars.

Incredibly for such a huge airport, we landed at 6 p.m. and easily caught the 18.33 train direct to Lucerne. While travellers collected baggage, an electronic information board above the conveyor belt showed the times and destinations of the next dozen trains out of the airport. 

Luggage trolleys are designed to ride up and down escalators to reach the railway station below ground. Our first impression of the double-decker train was the incredible smoothness and silence of the ride, like gliding over velvet.

The Lucerne accommodation was part of a well-equipped block of apartments, one minute from a bus stop. Every few minutes another bus arrived, direct to the railway station, the hub of Lucerne's transport system for trains and lake steamers. You just step from one to another, for painless connections. 

Lucerne is Switzerland's most popular resort, where even the bus drivers can speak English, French and their local Swiss-German dialect. 

The town is beautifully located at the end of Lake Lucerne, where it flows into the fast-moving River Reuss, teeming with fish. A wooden bridge - damaged by fire in 1993, but totally restored - ranks as one of Europe's tourist highlights. 

Restaurants and small hotels along the river bank are colourful with murals, and every balcony is festooned with flowers. Swans pose for the constant click of tourist cameras.

Lake steamers offer endless possibilities of leisured cruising - stopping off at other lakeside resorts, exploring around and then catching another boat to yet another beauty spot.

The Glacier Express, connecting Davos and St Moritz to the winter-sport and mountaineering centre of Zermatt, is the most thrilling train ride in Switzerland. Advance seat reservation is essential.

Switzerland Insight Guide - With its excellent and numerous photographs, and detailed descriptions, this book doubles as a holiday memento besides being providing guidance during your stay in the country.

The Fondue Cookbook - If you're hooked on the taste of Swiss fondue, buy this low-cost cookbook which offers a remarkable 50 recipes for cheese fondue, and variations using beef, poultry and fish. You can also experiment with dessert fondues.

Michelin Green Guide: Switzerland - The classic Michelin pocket format in its latest 480-page edition, giving ample scope for detailed descriptions of the innumerable Swiss sightseeing highlights.

AA Essential Guide: Switzerland - The Automobile Association's standard layout, well tested for other countries, covering the ten essential highlights of Switzerland.