Autumn in Switzerland? Once you arrive, you'll be like Halle Berry prolonging every moment!
Switzerland's sweetheart as the star of the campaign for the fifth time
An Olympic champion, a tennis number one... and an actor who outshines even a movie star such as Hollywood actress Halle Berry, who has won an Oscar for her role in the film Monster's Ball, shone as a Bond girl in Don't Die Today or Catwoman? At first glance, maybe.
This is the fifth time Roger Federer has given the nod to collaborate on a campaign to showcase the beauty of the Swiss autumn, and this time he's brought in Halle Berry. The Basel native knew exactly why. Although Halle Berry looks confused, distracted, sometimes even unprepared (which no one would expect from a Hollywood star), she plays her role perfectly. One only has to see the short film to the end, where it is clear that it is neither Roger Federer nor Halle Berry who have the lead role - but Switzerland. And Halle Berry is willing to do almost anything for it. After all, she has fallen in love with the Swiss autumn, so she tries to stall filming as much as possible.
German-Swiss filmmaker Marc Forster directed the hilarious film and shot the promotional video in a "making of" style, a behind-the-scenes look. Scenes from filming in extraordinary locations such as a panoramic cable car, a historic bus or a ship are interspersed with interviews with Federer.
Travel better, travel slower
The short film doesn't just highlight the beauty of the Swiss autumn countryside, delicious cuisine or iconic means of transport. "The film shows the advantages of an autumn holiday in Switzerland: longer, better quality stays and more conscious travel - this is the essence of the Travel Better initiative," explains André Hefti, Marketing Director of Switzerland Tourism.
While a few years ago the trend was for short stays such as long weekends, in recent years the trend for sustainable tourism has come to the fore, focusing on conscious travel. Getting to know the place we are exploring better, the local traditions and specialities - all of this takes time.
Conscious travel is about respect for nature, people and culture, as well as the environment, and so Switzerland Tourism has partnered with the national transport network Travel Switzerland as part of a campaign to offer a special promotion on the Swiss Travel Pass, available exclusively to international guests, which allows convenient and unlimited travel on the entire Swiss public transport network.
You can buy a 3-, 4-, 6-, 8- or 15-day variant of the pass, which not only allows you to use train connections as accurate as a Swiss watch, but also serves as a free ticket to hundreds of museums and other cultural institutions, and what is equally interesting - with the pass you also get a discount on cable cars. In addition, you can take advantage of the 4+1 and 8+2 promotions: when you buy a 4-day Swiss Travel Pass in first class, you get a 5th day of unlimited travel, and an 8-day ticket is accompanied by a ninth and tenth day.
There are several advantages to exploring Switzerland by train. Firstly, there's no need to worry about parking your car and paying for parking fees. Rail travel is part of the country's history and heritage, and the Swiss are duly proud of their rail lines - and the fact that their trains are punctual - yes, like a Swiss watch. Plus, you can enjoy the scenery better on the train than behind the wheel - and you really need to in Switzerland, because this is where you'll find some of the most beautiful panoramic lines in the world.
On holiday in autumn? Three reasons to go now
- Reason one: the weather is nice! The summer heat has been replaced by pleasant temperatures where the sun is still warm but no longer scorching hot. Autumn is simply the perfect time to go hiking.
- The second reason: fewer people. If you're one of those people who are put off travelling by crowds of tourists and don't want to crowd iconic places with (at best) dozens of other people, autumn is the right time to go exploring and relaxing.
- Reason three: the colours! Autumn is a particularly magical time in Switzerland, so be warned: wherever you go, you'll be mesmerised by a landscape coloured in tones from gold to red and you won't want to go home. That's why you should take advantage of the Swiss Travel Pass offer and buy a multi-day ticket instead...
The fact that autumn is on the rise in tourism is evidenced by the statistics. "Between September and November, the number of overnight stays has increased by 10.3% over the past five years (2019-2024) - a faster growth rate than all months combined," according to Switzerland Tourism. It's no wonder Halle Berry wanted to extend every moment to enjoy Switzerland a little longer.
