My name is Mary Patton. I went on the UA in Croatia & Italy : Intermediate Macroeconomics trip this May. This trip took us to Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland. While on this trip, I had the pleasure of making pit stops in a few cities with my classmates. I have learned a few key tips on how to enjoy a day trip best. One day while we were in Milan, our entire group went on a train ride to the Swiss Alps.
We started the day on a bus in Milan, Italy a little after 7 in the morning. The bus made a stop at a rest station with a variety of pastries and hot meals. Here comes my first tip. On a day trip, keep track of all your belongings and do not put anything down where you may leave it behind. One of the people on our trip left important items at the bus stop, but thankfully, everything worked out and their items were returned on our way back to Milan.
Then, from the bus stop, we travelled to the train station in St. Moritz. Our tour guide quickly showed us through town, but I paid more attention to the designer stores in the area and less on where the chocolate shops were. My second tip for a day trip is to pay close attention to any advice you hear from someone who knows the area so you can maximize your time there. I spent about twenty minutes later lost trying to find the second chocolate shop.
My friends and I ate lunch at a lovely restaurant that resort guests frequent during ski season. However, the prices were quite steep. The meal pictured below was 27.5 euros. If I had ordered sauce, that would have been an additional 2 euros. My third tip is to budget for expensive areas and know you might not always get the best food in that place but you will still have an enjoyable time.
Then, we went souvenir shopping. I suggest picking a few spots on your trip you know you want to get something nice at. I knew I wanted something from the Alps, so I looked diligently and quickly at the souvenir store before selecting something. If I had bought sweatshirts in the seven cities we had visited prior, I would not have had money or space in my luggage for any more souvenirs.
After souvenirs, we looked for chocolate, which Switzerland is known for. We purchased our chocolate, met up with our group, and took our train tour down the Alps. I suggest taking loads of pictures on a train like this and being aware in the moment. I knocked out a little bit in a chocolate coma and wish I had paid a bit more attention to the quaint Swiss villages we passed through. From the train ride, we bussed back to Milan and went to Rome the following morning.
Below, I have attached a little slideshow of sorts of my day in the Alps. I hope you can have a day trip like mine one day!
