Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

How far should the local travel requirements for tourists be met by a region’s regular transport infrastructure? Or does it make sense to lay on special services for seasonal visitors? We look at examples from Switzerland and Britain.

article summary —

Making it easy for tourists to get around by public transport within their chosen holiday region is often key in lowering the carbon footprint of the entire holiday. Travellers are more likely to travel by train to their chosen holiday region if they can be assured that they won’t need a car once they reach their destination. Many Swiss regions understand this perfectly. Visitors to most accommodation types in Switzerland’s Jura canton receive a Jura-Pass which affords free transport throughout the region.

A similar scheme operates in Appenzell, where the free transport offer extends to places well beyond the cantonal boundaries. It helps of course that these areas, as indeed all of Switzerland, benefit from a superb public transport infrastructure.


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About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 66.