There is no well-beaten path through Switzerland for backpackers on a budget. Perhaps due to its inflated prices, or its relentless commitment to providing every commodity at the highest quality (the former undeniably a function of the latter), a Swiss holiday has long been the domain of the elder traveller with considerable means.

But it need not be so. Yes, the supermarkets are dear, but cooking on a budget is manageable. Once you’ve swallowed the (admittedly huge) upfront cost of a Swiss Travel Pass, you have in your hands the golden ticket to a wondrous landscape comprised of green pastures and ice-locked peaks, carved out masterfully by swift, clear-blue mountain streams and slower, ancient glaciers. We may have been the youngest and poorest travellers waiting for each perfectly on-time train, but Switzerland was nonetheless a breathtaking and thoroughly worthwhile destination for us. Come along for the ride.

– words by Andy