The efficiency of the massively comprehensive Swiss public transport system remains one of the wonders of the modern world. It’s hard to overstate just how good it is: you can get anywhere you want quickly, easily and relatively cheaply; everybody relies on it as a matter of course; and it’s clean, safe and pleasant.

Services always depart on the dot, and train timetables are well integrated with those of the postbus system, which operates on routes not covered by rail, including the more remote villages and valleys. Switzerland’s many lakes – and some of its rivers – feature plenty of opportunities to enjoy some relaxing views from the deck of a boat, and there’s an array of discount travel passes to take advantage of. Cyclists are well served by the Swiss instinct for encouraging green thinking in all things.

There are plenty of domestic flights shuttling daily between Zürich, Geneva, Basel, Bern and Lugano, most of them operated solely by Crossair. Prices are absurdly high: the half-hour Zürich–Geneva route, for instance, represents pretty much the most expensive air travel, in cost per kilometre, in the world. With the smooth, efficient and rapid nationwide train service, planes simply aren’t worth the expense.