When you are registered for the Summer School, you will also receive these checklists in PDF form so you can keep them with you :)

How to get there

Routes

If you come from outside of Switzerland, you can travel to a Swiss city (e.g., Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zürich). 

When you arrive in Switzerland, you will travel to Visp or Brig, then to Sierre, Vissoie Poste and finally to Chandolin Poste. We organize two extra buses that will bring you from Sierre to Chandolin (without changing in Vissoie). The bus takes around an hour to get to Chandolin. The exact departure time of these buses will be confirmed via email. See map below (scroll left / right):

The way from the bus station to the house is around 550 metres. If that poses any difficulties, please contact us.

Tickets

Train ticket prices go up the longer you wait before travel. As such, we recommend booking your train tickets early (1 month in advance, or earlier).

If you're traveling from far away, we suggest taking a look at the website The Man in Seat 61 for advice on how to reach Switzerland from all around Europe. You can buy international train tickets to Switzerland at your country’s railway provider (Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, NS International, SNCB, ÖBB, Trenitalia,..) or bus tickets via providers such as Flixbus. Some alternative platforms for long-distance train tickets are Rail Europe, Omio, and HappyRail. When you travel inside Switzerland, all you need is the SBB/CFF/FFS to plan your route and buy your tickets. The website and app are available in multiple languages including English. 

Which ticket to buy? You can choose one of these options:

• Ticket for your route

  • A regular ticket to Chandolin, poste.
  • Half fare Travelcard is only if you have a Halbtax (Swiss travel card).

• Saver Day Pass

  • The Saver Day Pass is valid for one day for all public transport in Switzerland.

  • You have to buy a ticket to the first station within Switzerland when coming from abroad.

  • The price of this ticket changes over time, so don't wait too long before buying it.

• Travel Pass Flex (only for non-Swiss travelers)

  • This is only useful if you travel for more than two days within Switzerland.
  • The possible option could be the 'flex' option, travel for several days within 30 days. This is especially convenient if you plan to travel Switzerland for a few days before or after the Summer School.
  • There are two fees: people younger than 25 years old and people 25 years old and older.

Final remarks:

• No matter which option you pick, you don't need to log in with SwissPass but can always log in as a guest.

• If you pick a Swiss Travel Pass or the Saver Day Pass and want to travel somewhere else, you'll have to check the map of validity. (But the route to Chandolin Poste is included in both)

• We will set up a simple excel sheet to find travel buddies and travel to Chandolin together if you like.

• Let us know if you need help with the travel route or costs.

• Enjoy the scenery :)

Packing list

We recommend taking a backpack rather than a suitcase, because the road from the bus stop to our house may be muddy and covered with pebbles. Things to pack:

• A data package for internet on your phone:

  • There is Wifi in the house, but you might want to buy a data package for Switzerland for the arrival and departure days because roaming is expensive.

• A travel adapter:

  • There are European sockets in the rooms but in case you want to charge your phone or other devices during the lectures or workshops, an adapter would be necessary

  • Switzerland has different plugs than other countries: see the Swiss power plug.

• Lunch for Saturday (on Saturday we will only provide dinner)

• Bath towels (bed sheets will be provided)

• Drying cloth for dishes (if you have some spare)

• For the lectures, workshops, projects:

  • Laptop/tablet (chargers as well)

  • Or if you prefer, texts printed out

  • Stationery (ideally also big felt-tip pens)

  • If you have one, a multi plug

• Apparel (clothing and shoes):

  • Hiking boots, sports clothing, light sport shoes (activities like hiking or yoga are planned throughout the week by the orga team, and participants are planning sports such as runs or volleyball; have a look at the schedule in your email for info on more activities)

  • Indoor footwear such as slippers to wear in the house

  • Warm clothes (just in case, it can get quite cold in the mountains) such as a fleece/down jacket, beanie, warm socks, etc.

  • Swimwear (on the hike on Tuesday we will pass by a mountain lake)

  • Party clothes etc. (for the party at the end)

• Free time:

  • Yoga mat if you want to participate in the yoga class (or a larger towel works as well)

  • Small notes and coins (preferably Swiss francs, you need to pay for alcoholic drinks in cash). Non-alcoholic drinks and food are included in the participation fee.

  • Games for the evening

  • Books (if interested in swapping books)

  • Magazines / newspapers for a collaging workshop

• Toiletries (biodegradable!):

  • Toiletry bag

  • Sunscreen

  • Anti-mosquito spray

  • Shower gel

  • Shampoo

Sign up for chores

As this Summer School is organized by us 12 volunteers, we kindly ask you to take part in doing the chores. It is up to all of us to keep the house clean and comfortable :)

Please sign up for a chores group before arriving, thank you! You can find the sign up link in the email we will send you after we received your payment.

Readings

To help you prepare for the Summer School, we made a podcast playlist. The podcasts introduce topics connected to the basics workshops and provide complementary food for thought. Have a look at the playlist here!

Workshops by participants and invited speakers also have recommended readings, which we shared via email.