În Ceasescu's footsteps: Switzerland, Serbia and Romania via SQ346/345

[RedEyeflight]

In April 2025, I made a trip to 3 very different countries in Europe - Switzerland, Serbia and Romania. Being fortunate enough to have travelled to most of Western Europe except Ireland and Switzerland, I burned some miles and booked a Y ticket from Singapore to Zurich and stitched the Balkans and Dacia to my travels. I should preface what I had written for my title as I am no fan of Stalinism or Soviet-style communism. Ceasescu a long-time despot indirectly installed by the Soviets as bulwark against the West presided over a Romania deeply suffocated by shortages, fear and cultural genocide. But I cannot help but be fascinated by what life was like in one of mankind's greatest experiments. And being a curious person in general, I foolishly arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 3 signed up for a 12 hour red eye flight.

Trip report components:

1. SQ346 Singapore to Zurich on a B777-300ER
2. Zurich
3. Zurich HB to Interlaken Ost by SBB train
4. Hotel-Restaurant Burgseeli, Interlaken
5. Interlaken and surrounds
6. LX1418 Zurich to Belgrade on a A220-300
7. Belgrade
8. Belgrade to Timisoara by taxi
9. Timisoara, Romania
10. Timisoara to Sibiu via Arad by CFR Calatori train
11. Sibiu, Romania
12. Sibiu to Cluj-Napoca by CFR Calatori train
13. Cluj-Napoca, Romania
14. RO648 Cluj to Bucharest-Otopeni on a B737-800
15. Bucharest
16. LX1889 Bucharest-Otopeni to Zurich (Operated by Air Baltic) on a A220-300
17. Montreux and Bern
18. SQ345 Zurich to Singapore on a B777-300ER

[RedEyeflight]

Flight: SQ 346
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER (9V-SWL)
Origin: Singapore (SIN)
Destination: Zurich (ZRH)
Class: Economy
Date: April 2024

My journey starts at T3, specifically row 7 where I make use of priority check-in for KF members.



The check-in area is mostly empty, thankfully no school holiday crowds to deal with.




Once airside, however, the terminal was bustling with people.



Headed to a pay-per-use lounge at T3 - the Ambassador transit lounge. For 55 SGD you get a 3 hour lounge pass but you have to pay a bit more to use the shower. I haven’t had the time to play the miles game. So I am unfortunately still stuck at KFES. I purchase a pass at the door.



The lounge inside is packed at this hour, with many passengers who appeared to be from Australia and the sub-continent. The lounge is not large. Probably seated around 40 passengers. It had a small but decent food spread.



First round, took a spread.



Went for a second round.



View of the lounge.

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I head to gate B5 about 45 minutes prior to departure. There is a bit of a queue to clear security. Once I clear security, I am immediately instructed to board the aircraft.




Headed to the back fo the aircraft to take my seat 55G. A kind steward shows me to my seat once I reach the rear Y cabin.



Seat 55G.



Flight time was 13 hours that evening. Slightly longer than in the past due to airspace constraints.

Hot towels are handed out.



Iconic safety video is shown.



Afterwards it is a quick taxi-off for a north-easterly take-off.

[RedEyeflight]

Once airborne, dinner is promptly served. It consists of two choices tonight, fish with potatoes or noodles with chicken. I choose the second option.



Main course. I appreciate the moisture of the dish.



Washrooms were well-stocked and were spacious on the 77W. No amenity kits as per usual.



This 17-year old 777 also has a retro feel to it. It's been many years since I've flown the SQ 77W after constantly being on an A359.


I slept for the next 4 hours and awoke over Pakistan, before dozing off again, on and off.

As is usual on red eye intercontinental flights, breakfast is served 2.5 hours before landing in the destined European city.

Breakfast was a choice between applewood sausage and scrambled eggs, and vermicelli noodles with chicken. I chose the sausage.

Tray as presented by cabin crew.



Main course unwrapped.

[RedEyeflight]

Soon daylight streams through the cabin and we begin our descent into Zurich after 13 long hours.


We approach Zurich after a convoluted flight path.



With a smooth landing in ZRH, it is a short taxi pass several North American heavies to our gate at the E satellite pier where wide-body non-schengen flights arrive.

Welcome to ZRH.


I follow the crowds and head towards the Sky Metro, an underground cable-hauled people mover that connects the satellite E gates pier with the main terminal.



After a few routine questions about the address of my hotel, I am stamped into Schengen. Gone seem to be the days when you were stamped into Europe with no questions asked. After retrieving my bag, I head straight for SBB's - the Swiss national rail company - train station. I really love how many major European airports have a large rail station connected to them. It really speaks to multi-modality that you can arrive on a plane and then take a long-distance train at the doorstep of the airport. The station is bustling with the noise of crowds and rolling suitcases. I purchase a half-fare ticket for Zurich HB (Main Station) to wonder around the city before I head off to Interlaken.

Emerging from the train from the airport at Zurich HB.

[RedEyeflight]

With a few hours to kill, I take a stroll around Zurich. The weather is gorgeous today.









Stopped by Grossmunster, a protestant church within Zurich's old town, built in phases and first opened in the 13th century.



Grossmunster is an important site in Protestant reformation where Ulrich Zwingli would first preach in his native language instead of Latin in the 16th century. The church lies on the graves of the patron saints of St. Felix, St. Regula and St.Exuperantius. According to legend, after being beheaded by the Romans, these saints calmly picked up their heads and walked to the place where they wished to eternally rest.



'Felix and Regula' relief echoing the aforesaid story.

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Headed to Zeughauskeller a family-run restaurant with a colourful history serving local Swiss German fair for some local sausages and mac and cheese.



The restaurant was located in a nice town square.



Headed back to Zurich HB for an afternoon train to Interlaken. The walk back afforded nice views of Grossmunster.



Decided to take the tram back the rest of the way. Like most European cities, Zurich has an extensive network of trams.

[RedEyeflight]

Saying goodbye to Zurich for the time being. I'll be back for two nights before leaving for SIN.



Most trains to Interlaken require a change in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. I took a 2pm departure departing from Zurich main station.



The first of two trains goes to Geneva Airport. I will only be taking it up to Bern.





The ride to Bern is not that scenic. Consists of going past farms and ducking into a lot of tunnels.



Swiss trains work like clockwork. My connection in Bern is only a mere 6 minutes. I arrive exactly on schedule with my connecting train on the opposite side of the platform.

The train ride from Bern to Interlaken is breathtaking, particularly as the train approaches the town of Thun.






Views from Interlaken Ost, the main railway station for the city.

[RedEyeflight]

It was then a short 10 minute hop on the public bus in Interlaken to my hotel, Hotel-Restaurant Burgseeli, located in Goldswil, a town adjacent to Interlaken. I was lucky to find this charming little hotel on Booking.com less than a month before my trip and for a good price too. Once off the bus, it afforded excellent views of the alps.





It's a small hotel with a restaurant at the bottom and a few rooms on top.



Views from the parking lot.





Cozy rooms which were adequately-sized. No television sets, but definitely well-worth 3.5 stars for a two night stay, breakfast included.



The only issue with the hotel was its location. Even so, it was in a charming small town with breathtaking views and only 10 minutes away on the bus which was free. And, most importantly, it was frankly a nice respite from the hoards of tourists that descend on Interlaken in the spring and summer.

[RedEyeflight]

Decided against going out to dinner and went downstairs to the restaurant. It had some great views of the nearby mountain range and was well-patronised by locals from the surrounding area.



Ordered steamed fish, caught in the local lakes in the area.

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View from my room the next morning.



Decided to take a walk to the local town before breakfast began at 8am.



Came across these cows a few houses down.

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Breakfast was an excellent spread of cheeses, croissants, other kinds of breads, breakfast meats and yoghurts. A simple spread but all high quality products.

Took the bus into town to catch a train to Lauterbrunnen, a village in the Alps. From there I would catch even smaller trains for more remote carless villages in the mountains.



The train to Lauterbrunnen was equipped with a cogwheel and corresponding grooves on the track to allow the train to climb steeper hills than normal.



Emerging from the train station in Lauterbrunnen.



Made my way to a local waterfall.



Took a stroll around the village.







Head back to the train station for the next village of Murren.

[RedEyeflight]

Getting to Murren is a bit more complicated. I initially headed to the main train station, but then was told to head to another building to catch a cable car to a standalone train line that is completely disconnected from the rest of the main train lines that connect Lauterbrunnen with Interlaken and the other surrounding villages.







Reaching the top.



Once at the top, there's a train waiting for you. It's two stops to Murren and you arrive around 20 minutes later. Views from the train.



Views from Murren.



Stopped by Hotel Regina for lunch

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The restaurant in the hotel afforded excellent views.

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Took another cable car to the village of Gimmewald. Turnstiles where one scans their ticket to enter the cable car system.



Gimmewald.



This car-less village had some interesting street signs.





A house in Gimmewald.



Public fountain.



A street in Gimmewald.

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After wondering around Gimmewald, I headed back up the cable car to Murren. I walked across the village to the train station and took the train back to the cable car to Lauterbrunnen.

Train in Murren.



I took the cable car down to Lauterbrunnen and felt 'mountain-ed-out' at that point. But I decided to go to the last town of Wengen since I was already there. Wengen is two stops from Lauterbrunnen on another train.

Getting off the train in Wengen.