First Class Love Story

edited by Madelyn Miller, The TravelLady

Chocolate and romance are as inseparable as Romeo and Juliet, except that you don't have to sneak out at night to experience them.

The Chocolate Train, a first-class only train on the Montreux-Oberland-Bernois Railway is the perfect excursion for cocoa lovers who prefer their chocolate with a side of Swiss cheese. The train follows the lakeshore of Lac Léman, passing by the steeped vineyards and villages en route to the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory, an ersatz factory experience that demonstrates the legendary story of Swiss chocolate making. The train stops at Gruyères, a mountain-top village and medieval castle, for tours and tastings of its famous namesake cheese. Passengers continue on to Broc where the factory is located and return non-stop to Montreux, bearing chocolate souvenirs, or the empty wrappings thereof.

Chocolate Train

BEST WAY TO GET TO SWITZERLAND

Swiss International Air Lines, the national carrier of Switzerland serves 70 destinations including 43 in Europe and 27 in Africa, Asia, North & South America.

North American gateways include: Boston Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Newark, and JFK/New York. In 2004, 9.2 million passengers flew in Swiss First, Swiss Business and Swiss Economy Class. For more information, click onto www.swiss.com <http://www.swiss.com> or call 1-877-FLY SWISS.

BEST WAY TO GET AROUND IN SWITZERLAND

The Swiss Travel System is incredibly comprehensive and includes rail, lake steamers and city transportation lines. STS discount passes are as individual as your travel plans and excursion wishes. Ranging from a plain transfer ticket to flexible or consecutive travel days. Buy any Swiss Pass and get a free Family Card for unlimited travel for kids up to 16.

Available on www.MySwitzerland.com

And the best way to get around just got better—

In 2006, - buy a Swiss Pass, Youth Pass or Flexi Pass and get free admission to over 400 museums in Switzerland.

- With any STS train pass, receive 10-20% discount on internet bookings on hotels (Best Western Swiss Hotels, Minotel, Sunstar Hotels and Swiss Backpacker Hotels)

-Glacier Express: new First Class panorama cars

all public transport system entirely non-smoking.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SWITZERLAND

www.MySwitzerland.com

GREAT GUIDEBOOKS

Fodor’s Switzerland 2005
Fodor’s Travel Publications
www.fodors.com

Frommer’s Switzerland
By Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince
Macmillan
www.frommers.com

Rick Steves’ Switzerland 2005
By Rick Steves’
Avalon Travel Publishing
www.ricksteves.com

Culture Shock! Switzerland
A guide to customs and etiquette
By Shirley Eu-Wong
Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company

IF YOU DON’T SPEAK GERMAN, FRENCH OR ITALIAN

The Franklin EuroInterpreter is the easiest way to communicate. It has over 400,000 words and phrases in 12 languages. It has a calculator with currency and units of measurement converter.
www.franklin.com

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who once ate her way across Switzerland devouring chocolate. She brought home no chocolate souvenirs. Her favorite chocolate is Lindt. Some of her favorite flavors, including Pear (Poire) are not sold in the United States. Just another good reason to go back to Switzerland.

Read her stories on www.chocolateatlas.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.travellady.com, www.cocktailatllas.com www.teaAtlas.com and wWw.coffeeAtlas.com