The Destination: Lauterbrunnen Valley
Hotel Falken
At this hotel, you have a chance of getting a room in the main hotel, or getting to stay in a larger apartment with another family. The views from the rooms are absolutely incredible, definitely the best views on the tour. The rooms reminded me of home. Ours was filled with artwork by kids who had stayed at our room in the past. The breakfast was also exceptional. Although, the best part about the Hotel Falken was that you could wake up in the morning, walk out of your door, and be in the mountains. The hotel was so close to everything: shops, restaurants, hiking trails, and cable cars. I could not think of a better way to stay in Switzerland than in this beautiful and adorable hotel.
Money
If you didn't already know this, Switzerland is very expensive. It is definitely not the place to buy all of your gifts and souvenirs, but it is a great place to buy little trinkets and chocolate. Although you might not want to convert all of your money into Swiss francs, you should get enough money to buy a few meals and cable car tickets. When we went to Lauterbrunnen Valley, almost all of the credit card machines stopped working. My family and some of our new friends were on the highest mountain we could get to, and we realized we couldn't pay for our meal with the credit card we had. Luckily, they accepted Euros, but we learned that it is always best to have a little bit of the local currency with you.