Switzerland Travel Guide - Wiki Travel

Contents

[+] UnderstandEconomy

RegionsCitiesOther destinations[+] Get in

Entry requirementsBy airplaneBy trainBy busBy car

[+] Get aroundBy plane[+] Public transport

TicketsTravel

Information for railway fansBy carBicycleIn-line Skating

[+] SeeThe seven wondersThe seven natural wondersEvents

Do[+] Buy

"Swiss-made": Souvenirs and Luxury GoodsSupermarket Chains

TalkLearnWorkSleepStay safeStay healthyRespectContact

Location

Flag

Quick Facts

Capital Berne

Government Federal Republic

Currency Swiss Franc (CHF)

Area 41,285 km²

Population 7,489,370 (July 2006 est.)

Language Swiss-German, German,French, Italian, Lombard,Romansh

Religion Protestant and RomanCatholic in pretty equalshares, Judaism 0.2%

Electricity 230V/50Hz

Calling Code +41

Internet TLD .ch

Time Zone UTC+1

From Wikitravel

Europe : Central Europe : Switzerland

Switzerland [1](http://www.myswitzerland.com/)

(German: Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansch: Svizra) is a landlocked countryin Central Europe. It has borders with France to the west, Italy to the south, Austria andLiechtenstein to the east and Germany to the north.

The climate is temperate, but varies with altitude. Switzerland has cold, cloudy, rainy/snowywinters and cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers.

Switzerland travel guide - Wikitravel http://wikitravel.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=Switzerlan...

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Switzerland is known for its mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) but it also has a centralplateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes. The highest point is Dufourspitze at 4,634 m whileLake Maggiore is only 195 m above sea level.

Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major Europeanpowers and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political andeconomic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in manyUN and international organizations has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors.However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remainsactive in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.

Switzerland showcases three of Europe's most distinct cultures. To the northeast is the clean andcorrect, 8-to-5-working, more stiff Swiss-German-speaking Switzerland; to the southwest you findthe wine drinking and laissez-faire style known from the French; in the southeast, south of theAlps, the sun warms cappuccino-sippers loitering in Italian-style piazzas; and in the center:classic Swiss flugelhorns and mountain landscapes. Binding it all together is a distinct Swissmentality.

Switzerland can be a glorious whirlwind trip whether you've packed your hiking boots,snowboard, or just a good book and a pair of sunglasses.

Economy

Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with lowunemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the bigWestern European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practiceslargely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerlandremains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and haskept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions ofEurope, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, witha small rise to 1.8% in 2004-05. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EUaverage.

Lake GenevaOn the northern shores of Lac Léman, from the Jura to the Alps

Jura Mountains and FribourgHiking, lakes, watch-making

Bernese LowlandsThe core region of Traditional Bernese influence

Bernese HighlandsThe Majestic Bernese Alps

Central SwitzerlandThe birthplace of the Swiss Confederation, the legends of William Tell

Basel and AargauHome of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry; launching point to Germany and France

Zurich


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Regions of Switzerland

The capital city of Berne

The country's largest city, a tourist region in its own right

NortheasternSwitzerlandBetween the Alps andLake Constance andhome to many scenicdairy farms

ValaisEurope's highest peaksand largest glaciers

GraubündenOfficially, tri-lingual, theregion is verymountainous, lightlypopulated and home tomany great tourist citiesand includes theancient Romanshminority language andculture

TicinoItalian speaking region including famous alpine lakes

The Swiss Alps stretch through the regions of Valais, Bernese Highlands, Central Switzerlandand Graubünden.

Berne — an amazingly well preservedold-town with arcades along almostevery street; great restaurantsabound, as do bars and clubsBasel — the traveller's gateway to theGerman Rhineland and AlsaceGeneva — this centre of arts andculture is an international city home toaround 200 governmental andnon-governmental organizationsInterlaken — the outdoor and actionsports capital of Switzerland; anythingfrom skydiving, bungee jumping,hiking, white-water rafting, tocanyoningLausanne — scenery, dining, dancing,boating and the Swiss wine-countryare the drawsLucerne — main city of the Central region with direct water links to all of the early Swisshistoric sightsLugano — a gorgeous old-town, a pretty lake, and the food is simply amazingZurich — a major centre of banking and has a thriving nightlife


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Minimum validity of traveldocuments

EU and EEA citizens, as wellas non-EU citizens who arevisa-exempt (e.g. NewZealanders and Australians),need only produce a passportwhich is valid for the entiretyof their stay in Switzerland.Other nationals who arerequired to have a visa (e.g.South Africans), however,must produce a passportwhich has at least 3 months'validity beyond their period ofstay in Switzerland.However, EU and EEAcitizens can still enterSwitzerland without a validtravel document if theircitizenship has beenestablished. The burden ofproof rests with the personconcerned. Proof ofcitizenship may be furnishedby any appropriate means(e.g. an expired passport,official document provingidentity and/or citizenship ofholder).More information about theminimum validity of traveldocuments, as well as entryfor EU and EEA citizenswithout valid traveldocuments, is available at theFAQs section of the website ofthe Federal Office forMigration(http://www.bfm.admin.ch

Grindelwald — the classic resort at the foot of the EigerRhine Falls — the largest falls of Europe, close to SchaffhausenZermatt — famous mountain resort at the base of the mighty Matterhorn

Entry requirements

Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

There are no border controls between countries thathave signed and implemented the treaty - the EuropeanUnion (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania andthe United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norwayand Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for anySchengen member is valid in all other countries thathave signed and implemented the treaty. But be careful:not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty,and not all Schengen members are part of theEuropean Union.

Airports in Europe are thus divided into "Schengen" and"non-Schengen" sections, which effectively act like"domestic" and "international" sections elsewhere. If youare flying from outside Europe into one Schengencountry and continuing to another, you will clearImmigration and Customs at the first country and thencontinue to your destination with no further checks.Travel between a Schengen member and anon-Schengen country will result in the normal borderchecks. Note that regardless of whether you aretravelling within the Schengen area or not, many airlineswill still insist on seeing your ID card or passport.

Nationals of EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein,Norway, Switzerland) countries only need a validnational identity card or passport for entry - in no casewill they need a visa for a stay of any length.

Nationals of non-EU/EFTA countries will generally needa passport for entry to a Schengen country and mostwill need a visa.

Only the nationals of the following non-EU/EFTAcountries do not need a visa for entry into theSchengen Area: Albania*, Andorra, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados,Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile,Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,Israel, Japan, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico,


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/content/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/faq.faq_0.html#a_faq_0)(under the 'Border-crossing/Travel documents'heading).

Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua,Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino,Serbia*/**, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea,Taiwan*** (Republic of China), United States, Uruguay,Vatican City, Venezuela, additionally persons holdingBritish National (Overseas), Hong Kong SAR or MacauSAR passports.

These non-EU/EFTA visa-free visitors may not stay more than 90 days in a 180 day period in theSchengen Area as a whole and, in general, may not work during their stay (although someSchengen countries do allow certain nationalities to work - see below). The counter begins onceyou enter any country in the Schengen Area and is not reset by leaving a specific Schengencountry for another Schengen country, or vice-versa. However, New Zealand citizens may be ableto stay for more than 90 days if they only visit particular Schengen countries - see [2](http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/destinations/europetips.shtml#borders) for the New ZealandGovernment's explanation.

If you are a non-EU/EFTA national (even if you are visa-exempt, unless you are Andorran,Monégasque or San Marinese), make sure that your passport is stamped both when you enterand leave the Schengen Area. Without an entry stamp, you may be treated as an overstayerwhen you try to leave the Schengen Area; without an exit stamp, you may be denied entry thenext time you seek to enter the Schengen Area as you may be deemed to have overstayed onyour previous visit. If you are unable to obtain a passport stamp, make sure that you retaindocuments such as boarding passes, transport tickets and ATM slips which may help to convinceborder inspection staff that you have stayed in the Schengen Area legally.

Note that

while British subjects with the right of abode in the United Kingdom and British OverseasTerritories citizens connected to Gibraltar are considered "United Kingdom nationals forEuropean Union purposes" and therefore eligible for unlimited access to the SchengenArea,British Overseas Territories citizens without the right of abode in the United Kingdom andBritish subjects without the right of abode in the United Kingdom as well as British Overseascitizens and British protected persons in general do require visas.

However, all British Overseas Territories citizens except those solely connected to the CyprusSovereign Base Areas are eligible for British citizenship and thereafter unlimited access to theSchengen Area.

Further note that

(*) nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia need abiometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel,

(**) Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (residents ofKosovo with Serbian passports) do need a visa and

(***) Taiwan nationals need their ID number to be stipulated in their passport to enjoy visa-freetravel.

Switzerland is not a member of the EU, however. Therefore, travellers entering Switzerland aresubject to customs controls even if there are no immigration controls, and persons travellingelsewhere in the Schengen Area will also have to clear customs.


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Unaccompanied minors (travellers under the age of 18 years) are strongly advised to have anote of consent from their parents/guardian, as well as a copy of the parents' or guardian's validpassport or ID card. For more information, visit the FAQs section of the website of the FederalOffice for Migration (http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/faq.faq_12.html#a_faq_12) (under the 'Border-crossing/Travel documents' heading).

By airplane

Major international airports are in Zurich, Geneva and Basel, with smaller airports in Lugano andBerne. Flying into nearby Milan (Italy), Lyon or even Paris (France) or Frankfurt (Germany) areother options though rather expensive and time-consuming (3h Frankfurt-Basel, 4h Milan-Zurich,5h Paris-Berne) by train. Some discount airlines fly to Friedrichshafen, Germany which is justacross Lake Constance (the Bodensee) from Romanshorn, not too far from Zurich. TheFlagcarrier of Switzerland is SWISS [3] (http://www.swiss.com) which is a member of Star Alliance[4] (http://www.staralliance.com) and successor of the famous Swissair.

By train

Trains arrive from all parts of Europe. Switzerland is together with Germany one of the mostcentral-lying countries in Europe, making it a center of railways and highways to the rest ofEurope. Some major routes include:

The TGV, with several trains daily from Paris, Avignon, Dijon, and Nice.Hourly trains to/from Milan with connections to all parts of ItalyHourly ICE (German high-speed trains) from Zurich to Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Frankfurt inGermany, many continuing toward Amsterdam, Hamburg or Berlin.Regular ICE trains from Zurich to Stuttgart and MunichNight trains from Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, Vienna, Belgrade, BarcelonaRome and Venice to Basel, Geneva, Zurich and some also to Lausanne. These trains areeither "EuroNight" (symbol: EN) or CityNightLine (symbol: CNL) services [5](http://www.citynightline.ch/)

By bus

Eurolines (http://www.eurolines.ch) has incorporated Switzerland in its route network.Due to the Bosnian war in the 1990'ies there are several bus companies serving theBosnian diaspora, which provide a cheap and clean way of getting to the Balkans. TuristikProšić (http://www.turistik-prosic.co.ba) runs from various destinations in the Federation ofBosnia and Hercegovina to Switzerland.

By car

Common tourist destinations within Switzerland are easily reachable by car, e.g. Geneva fromcentral eastern France, and Zurich from southern Germany. Although Switzerland is now part ofthe Schengen agreement, it is not part of the EU customs/tariff union. Therefore EU/Swiss borderposts will focus on smuggling etc. and checks on main roads will remain in place even after 2008.Delays are usually short but cars may be stopped and no reason needs to be named. Somedelay may be caused by queuing at busy times and there are often queues lasting hours to usethe tunnels under the Alps from Italy such as Mont Blanc, Gotthard etc. Swiss motorwayvignettes can and should be purchased at the border if your car does not already have a validone for the year and you intend to use the Swiss motorways which is almost unavoidable.


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By plane

The following carriers offer domestic flights within Switzerland:

SWISS [6] (http://www.swiss.com) (Basel/Mulhouse (EuroAirport Swiss), Geneva (Geneve-Cointrin Airport), Lugano Airport, Zurich Airport)

1.

Darwin Airlines [7] (http://www.darwinairline.com) (Berne (Belp Airport), Geneva (Geneve-Cointrin Airport), Lugano Airport)

2.

FlyBaboo website [8] (http://www.flybaboo.com) (Geneva (Geneve-Cointrin Airport), LuganoAirport)

3.

But in almost every case you will be better off taking the train.

Public transport

The Swiss will spoil you with fantastic transportation - swift, disturbingly punctual trains, cleanbuses, and a half dozen different kinds of mountain transport systems, integrated into a coherentsystem. The discount options and variety of tickets can be bewildering, from half fare cards tomulti-day, multi-use tickets good for buses, boats, trains, and even bike rentals. In general there'sat least one train or bus per hour on every route, on many routes trains and buses are runningevery 30 min, but as with everything in Switzerland the transit runs less often, or at least for ashorter period of the day, on Sundays. Authoritative information, routes, and schedules can befound at [9] (http://www.rail.ch) , or from a ticket window in any train station.

Tickets

Almost nobody in Switzerland pays full fare for the transit system. At the very least they all have aHalf-Fare Card (Demi-tarif/Halbtax) which saves you 50% on all national buses and trains andgives a discount on local and private transit systems. Press the '1/2' button on the ticketmachines to indicate you have this card, and be prepared to hand it to the conductor along withyour ticket on the train. Annual half fare cards cost CHF165; visitors from abroad can buy a1-month Half-Fare Card cards for CHF99 [10] (https://www.sbb.ch/mct/wi/shop/b2c/tree.do?key=40) [11] (http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/content/offer/tickets/swiss-half-fare-card/) . You save CHF 57 on a round-trip ticket from Zurich to Lugano, so if you are planning ontraveling a lot, it will quickly pay for itself. Children between ages 6 and 16 pay 1/2 price for travelaround Switzerland.

The next step up from a half-fare card is a Swisspass, which grants you access to all nationalbus and rail, all city transit systems, and hefty discount on privately operated boats, cable cars,and ski lifts. These range from CHF 260 for a 4-day, 2nd class pass to CHF 578 for a monthpass, 2nd class. Like the half-fare, you can buy this from any train station ticket office.

Only two trains in Switzerland require reservations: Bernina Express, running daily between Churand Tirano and the Glacier Express running from St. Moritz to Zermatt.

On most trains in Switzerland, tickets can be bought on board, but with a surcharge of CHF 10,so it is recommended to buy tickets before hand. Though this does not apply for the suburbantrains (you'll get fined if you haven't got a ticket). Swiss Rail kiosks accept credit/debit cards,although they require that a PIN be entered. You can also buy a ticket on the Swiss FederalRailway website or on the SBB iPhone app.


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Travel

Using the trains is easy, although the number of different kinds of trains can be a bit confusingunless you know that the schedules at a Swiss train station are color coded. The yellow sheet isfor departures and the white sheet is for arrivals. Faster trains appear on both of these sheets inred, while the trains in black stop at more stations. For long trips it is often easier to use thewebsite, as it will pick transfers for you. You need not fear transfers of five minutes or less. Youwill make them, provided you know exactly which platform you arrive on and which one youdepart from. Many Swiss commute with a one or two minute transfer!

At the track, the signs indicate the destination and departure time. The small numbers and lettersalong the bottom show you where you can board the train. The letters indicate the zone youshould stand in, and the numbers indicate the class. The class (1st or 2nd) is indicated by a "1"or "2" on the side of the car, these correspond with the numbers on the sign. All Swiss trains arenon-smoking — this is also indicated on the side of car, as well as inside.

Luggage can be stowed above your seat or in between seats, or on a rack at the end of the car.During busy periods, people often stow large luggage (or skis) in the entrance area in betweencars. This is usually fairly safe, but use common sense.

The variety of trains is bewildering at first, but is actually quite simple. The routes theSBB-CFF-FFS website suggests will make much more sense if you understand them. All trainshave a one or two letter prefix, followed by a number, for example RE2709, IR2781. Only theprefix, the destination, and the time of departure are important.

Regio/Régional (R) trains are local trains. They stop everywhere or almost everywhere, andgenerally reach into the hinterlands of a major station like Lausanne, but not to the nextmajor station (in this case Geneva). If you are going to a small town, you may transfer at alarge station to an R train for the last leg. Often you can use tickets from city public transiton the S system, but ask before trying.RE (RegioExpress) trains generally reach from one major station to the next, touching everytown of any importance on the way, but don't stop at every wooden platform beside thetracks.IR (InterRegio) trains are the workhorses of Swiss transit. They reach across two or threecantons, for instance from Geneva, along Lake Geneva through Vaud, and all the way toBrig at the far end of the Valais. They only stop at fairly large towns, usually those thatboast three or four rail platforms.IC (InterCity) trains are express trains with restaurant cars. They are sumptuous andcomfortable, often putting vaunted services like the TGV to shame, and make runs betweenmajor stations, with occasionally stops at a more minor one where tracks diverge.ICN trains (InterCityNeigezug, or Intercity Tilting Train) are the express tilt-trains, asluxurious as the IC trains. They run between major cities like Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich,Biel, and Basel.

There are also a number of narrow gauge railways that don't fit this classification that supplementthe buses in the hinterlands, such as the line from Nyon to La Cure or the line from Interlaken toLauterbrunnen.

You can bring your bicycle on every train in Switzerland, with two provisos: you must have a ticketfor it (available from the ticket machines, CHF 10 for a day pass), and you must get on at a doormarked with a bicycle. On ICN trains and some IR trains this is at the very front of the train.

As good as the Swiss train system is, if you have a little time, and you only want to travel 1-200miles, you could try purchasing the world's best footpath maps and walk 10-20 miles a day over


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some of the most wonderful and clearly-marked paths, whether it is in a valley, through a forest,or over mountains.

The trails are well-planned (after a number of centuries, why not?), easy to follow, and the yellowtrail signs are actually accurate in their estimate as to how far away the next hamlet, village, townor city is--once you've figured out how many kilometers per hour you walk (easy to determineafter a day of hiking).

There are plenty of places to sleep in a tent (but don't pitch one on a seemingly pleasant, flatpiece of ground covered by straw--that's where the cows end up sleeping after a lazy day ofeating, and they'll gnaw at your tent string supports and lean against your tent sides. Anddefinitey don't do this during a rainstorm!), lots of huts on mountain tops, B & B's on valley floors,or hotels in towns and cities. You could even send your luggage ahead to the next abode andtravel very lightly, with the necessary water and Swiss chocolate!

Information for railway fans

In Switzerland nearly all railways run electrically but it is possible to find many steam railwayssuch as the Brienzer Rothornbahn or the Furka Railway for instance. There are many interestingmountain railways of all types. In Switzerland most electric trains get their power from a singlephase AC network at 15 000V 16 2/3Hz. This network uses its own powerlines run with 66 kV and132 kV, which have, unlike normal power lines, a number of conductors not divisible by 3. Mostpowerlines for the single phase AC grid of the traction power grid have four conductors. Railwayphotography is permitted everywhere provided you don't walk on forbidden areas withoutpermission.

Here is short list of the most remarkable railway lines:

The Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt, a 8 hours travel in the Swiss Alps.The Bernina Express from Davos / Chur to Tirano, the highest transversal in the Alps, highmountain scenery.The Jungfraujoch railway, from Interlaken (560 meters) to the Jungfraujoch station (3450meters) in two hours. Definitely the most impressive journey in the Alps.The Gornergrat railway, departure from Zermatt to the 3090 meters high Gornergrat.The Mount Rigi railway, oldest mountain train in Europe.The Mount Pilatus railway, from Lucerne to the top, the steepest railway in the world.The Lötschberg is a line connecting Berne and Brig, not considered as a mountain train butstill impressive scenery.The Gotthard with its many spirals connecting Lucerne and Bellinzona

By car

To use the motorways (known as Autobahnen, Autoroutes, or Autostrade, depending on whereyou are), vehicles under 3500 kg weight need to buy a "Vignette", a sticker which costs 40 CHFthat allows you to use the motorways as much as you like for the entire year (more precisely, from1 December of the preceding year to 31 January of the following, so a 2009 vignette is valid from1 December 2008 until 31 January 2010). Trailers must have a separate vignette. Avoiding themotorways in order to save the toll price is generally futile; the amount is well worth it, even if youare only transiting. Failure to possess a valid vignette is punishable by a 100 CHF fine and arequirement to purchase a vignette immediately (total fine of 140 CHF). Sharing vignettes is, ofcourse, illegal and subject to the same fines as not having one.

Rentals will have the vignette paid for that vehicle, but ask.


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Don't Think You'll SpeedUndeterred

If you get fined but not stopped(e.g. caught by a Speed Camera)the police will send you the fineeven if you live abroad. InSwitzerland, speeding is not aviolation of a traffic code but a LegalOffence, if you fail to comply thereis a good chance that aninternational rogatory will be issuedand you have to go to court in yourhome country. This is enforced bymost countries, including all ofEurope, United States, Canada,Australia, New Zealand, and manycountries in South America andAsia. Failure to comply can result ina warrant being issued for yourarrest by your home country.

Also, starting from 2007,Switzerland banned all GPSappliances with built-in speedcameras databases as they areequipped with "Radar Detectors".

According to some GPS navigatorproducers, it is advised to removethe Swiss radar database whiledriving in the country as the policemay give you a fine and impoundyour device even if it is turned offand placed in the trunk of yourvehicle!

Vehicles larger than 3500 kg have to pay a special toll assessed through special on-board unitsthat is applied for all roads, not just the motorways.

Speed limits: 120 km/h on motorways, 80 km/h on normal roads and inside tunnels and 50 km/hinside villages. Vehicles unable to travel at 80 km/h are not permitted on the motorways. Whilstdriving "a wee bit too fast" is common on motorways, people tend to stick pretty closely to theother two limits. Fines are hefty and traffic rules are strictly enforced. If stopped by Police, expectto pay your fine on the spot.

The blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.05%. As inevery country, do not drink and drive, as you will loseyour license for several months if you are cited and aheavy fine may be imposed.

If you like cars, Switzerland can seem like a bit of atease. They feature some of the greatest driving roadsin the world, but can literally throw you in jail forspeeding, even on highways. If you stick to the limits,the back roads/mountain roads will still be a blast todrive on, while still maintaining you are not excessivelyfined/arrested.

Be aware that the 'priority to right' rule exists in mostmajor cities, as well as towns and village centres.Dipped headlights are strongly recommended at alltimes.

Driving is on the right side of the road in most parts ofSwitzerland, just like in most of Europe, butoccasionally there are roads in which the driving is onthe left. If so, they are clearly marked.

Driving is the best way to see a wonderful country withoutstanding roads. Six tips for mountain roads:

Honk if you're on a small road and you don't seearound the bend.The Postal Bus (bright yellow) always has priority.You can hear it approaching by means of itsdistinct three tone hornThe car driving uphill has priority over the cardriving downhill.Don't even think about driving as fast as thelocals: they know every bend, you don't.In general, drive at a speed which allows you tostop within the distance you can see, in order tobe safe; and drive so that you would be happy tomeet yourself coming the other way!During Winter, although most vehicles areequipped with all-season tires, it may be required to apply chains to the wheels of your carif driving in an area of heavy snowfall. Autos rented in Switzerland are routinely suppliedwith chains, but ask. Some mountain roads, towns and villages may require snow tiresand/or chains. Illustrated signs showing snow tires/chains will be posted at the beginning ofthe route. Failure to obey may incur a fine. Service stations located on these routes mayprovide a chain installation service, for a fee. It's worth the expense, since an inexperienced


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driver can be tortured for an hour or more, sometimes in terrible weather, learning toself-install tire chains. Don't assume all roads are open; higher altitude moutain passes (ex:Furka, Grimsel) will be closed for part or all of the Winter. Check that a mountain road orpass is open before driving, or you may encounter a red multilingual "CLOSED" sign at thebeginning of the route.

Bicycle

Veloland Schweiz has built up an extensive network of long distance cycle trails all across thecountry. There are many Swiss cities where you can rent bicycles if that is your means oftraveling and you can even rent electric bicycles. During the summer it is quite common for citiesto offer bicycle 'rental' for free! Cycling in cities is pretty safe, at least compared to othercountries, and very common. As with the car you need to buy a vignette sticker for your bike too,these are a liability insurance in case of accidents. A common place to buy the stickers is the postoffice.

In-line Skating

Besides the main types of transportation, the adventurous person can see Switzerland by in-lineskating. There are three routes, measuring a combined 600-plus kilometers designed specificallyfor in-line skating throughout the country. They are the Rhine route, the Rhone route, and theMittelland route. These are also scenic tours. Most of the routes are flat, with slight ascents anddescents. The Mittelland route runs from Zurich airport to Neuenburg in the northwest; the Rhineroute runs from Bad Ragaz to Schaffhausen in the northeastern section of the country. Finally,the Rhone route extends from Brig to Geneva. This is a great way to see both the country-sideand cityscapes of this beautiful nation.

The seven wonders

The Castle of Chillon: near MontreuxThe Lavaux vineyards: on the shore of Lake GenevaThe Castles of Bellinzona: in the southern canton of TicinoThe Abbey of St. GallenThe Top of Europe and the Sphinx observatory: a "village" with a post office on the 3,500metres high Jungfraujoch above WengenThe Grande Dixence: a 285 metres high dam, south of SionThe Landwasser viaduct: on the railway between Chur and St. Moritz

The seven natural wonders

The Matterhorn: from Schwarzsee, Gornergrat or simply from the village of ZermattThe northern walls of the Jungfrau and Eiger: two of the most celebrated mountains inthe Alps, they can be seen from the valley of Lauterbrunnen or from one of the manysummits that can be reached by train or cable carThe Aletsch Glacier: the longest in Europe, the Aletsch wild Forest is located above theglacier, best seen from above BettmeralpThe lakes of the Upper Engadine: one of the highest inhabited valley in the Alps at thefoot of Piz Bernina, they can be all seen from Muottas MuraglThe Lake Lucerne: from the Pilatus above LucerneThe Oeschinensee: a mountain lake with no rivals above Kandersteg


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The Rhine Falls: the largest in Europe, take a boat to the rock in the middle of the falls

Events

The European Football Championships in 2008 was held in Austria and Switzerland.Basel, Berne, Geneva and Zurich were all hosting sites.

Trek Via Alpina Green Trail, Altdorf to Adelboden, [12] (http://goo.gl/Mu9G7) . This trekcombines exhausting hikes during the day (climb 12,157m on 144km of trails in 7 days),comfortable accommodations, haut cuisine, low cost, all with non-stop spectacular sceneryin the middle of the Swiss alpine mountains. Refer to the link for a trip report that includesroute overview, description, GPX track, lodging, packing list, and references. edit

Switzerland is not part of the European Union and the currency is the Swiss franc (or Franken orfranco, depending in which language area you are), divided into 100 centimes, Rappen orcentesimi. However, many places - such as supermarkets, restaurants, sightseeings' box offices,hotels and the railways or ticket machines - accept Euro and will give you change in SwissFrancs or in Euro if they have it in cash. A check or a price-label contain prices both in francs andin Euro. Usually in such cases the exchange-rate comply with official exchange-rate, but if itdiffers you will be notified in advance. Changing some money to Swiss Francs (CHF) is essential.Money can be exchanged at all train stations and most banks throughout the country.

Switzerland is more cash-oriented than most other European countries. It is not unusual to seebills being paid by cash, even Fr 200 and Fr 1000 notes. Some establishments (but fewer thanbefore) do not accept credit cards so check first. When doing credit card payments, carefullyreview the information printed on the receipt (details on this can be found in the "Stay Safe"section below). All ATMs accept foreign cards, getting cash should not be a problem.

Coins are issued in 5 centime (brass, rare), 10 centime, 20 centime, ½ Franc, 1 Franc, 2 Franc,and 5 Franc (all silver colored) denominations. One centime coins are no longer legal tender, butmay be exchanged until 2027 for face value. Two centime coins have not been legal tender sincethe 1970's and are, consequently, worthless.

Banknotes are found in denominations of 10 (yellow), 20 (red), 50 (green), 100 (blue), 200(brown), and 1000 (purple) Francs. They are all the same width and contain a variety of securityfeatures.

"Swiss-made": Souvenirs and Luxury Goods

Switzerland is famous for a few key goods: watches, chocolate, cheese, and Swiss Army knives.

Watches - Switzerland is the watch-making capital of the world, and "Swiss Made" on awatch face has long been a mark of quality. While the French-speaking regions ofSwitzerland are usually associated with Swiss watchmakers (like Rolex, Omega, and PatekPhilippe), some fine watches are made in the Swiss-German-speaking region, such as IWCin Schaffhausen. Every large town will have quite a few horologers and jewelers with a vastselection of fancy watches displayed their windows, ranging from the fashionable Swatchfor 60CHF to the handmade chronometer with the huge price tag. For fun, try to spot the


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Holey moley!

Have you ever wondered why Swisscheese, known locally asEmmentaler, always has thosedistinct holes? Bacteria are a keypart of the cheesemaking process.They excrete huge amounts ofcarbon dioxide which forms gasbubbles in the curd, and thesebubbles cause the holes.

most expensive of these mechanical creations and the ones with the most "bedazzle!!".

Chocolate - Switzerland may always have a rivalry with Belgium for the world's bestchocolate, but there's no doubting that the Swiss variety is amazingly good. Switzerland isalso home to the huge Nestlé food company. If you have a fine palate (and a fat wallet) -you can find two of the finest Swiss chocolatiers in Zurich: Teuscher (try the champagnetruffles) and Sprüngli. For the rest of us, even the generic grocery store brand chocolatesin Switzerland still blow away the Hershey bars found elsewhere. For a good value, try the"Frey" brand chocolates sold at Migros. If you want to try some real good and exclusiveswiss chocolate, go for the Pamaco chocolates, derived from the noble Criollo beans andaccomplished through the original, complex process of refinement that requires 72h (quiteexpensive though, a bar of 125g costs about CHF 8.-). For Lindt fans, it is possible to getthem as low as half the supermarket price by going to the Lindt factory store in Kilchberg(near Zurich).

Cheese - many different regions of Switzerlandhave their own regional cheese speciality. Ofthese, the most well-known are Gruyère andEmmentaler (what Americans know as "Swisscheese"). Be sure to sample the wide variety ofcheeses sold in markets, and of course try thecheese fondue! Fondue is basically meltedcheese and is used as a dip with other food suchas bread. The original mixture consists of halfVacherin cheese and half Gruyère but manydifferent combinations have been developed since.

Swiss Army knives - Switzerland is the officialhome of the Swiss Army Knife. There are twobrands Victorinox and Wenger. Both brands are manufactured by Victorinox. The Wengerbusiness went bankrupt and Victorinox purchased it (2005). Victorinox knives, knifecollectors will agree, are far far superior, in terms of design, quality, functionality. The mostpopular Victorinox knife is the Swiss Champ which has 33 functions and currently costsabout CHF78 . Most Tourists will purchase this knife. The "biggest" Victorinox knife is theSwiss Champ 1.6795.XAVT- This has 80 functions and is supplied in a case. This knifecosts CHF364. The 1.6795.XAVT may in years to come be a collector's model. Most shopsthroughout Switzerland stock Victorinox knifes, even some newsagents stock them. Theyare excellent gifts and souvenirs. The original "Swiss Army Knife" is not red with a whitecross (as usually seen by tourists), but gray with a small Swiss flag. The Swiss Army Knifeis also produced by Victorinox. Its main particularity is to have the production year engravedon the basis of the biggest blade (and no cork-screw because the Swiss soldier must notdrink wine on duty).

Note that Swiss Army Knives must be packed in hold luggage.

Ski and tourist areas will sell the other kinds of touristy items - cowbells, clothing embroideredwith white Edelweiss flowers, and Heidi-related stuff. Swiss people love cows in all shapes andsizes, and you can find cow-related goods everywhere, from stuffed toy cows to fake cow-hidejackets. If you have a generous souvenir budget, look for fine traditional handcrafted items suchas hand-carved wooden figures in Brienz, and lace and fine linens in St. Gallen. If you have reallydeep pockets, or just wish you did, be sure to shop on Zurich's famed Bahnhofstrasse, one ofthe most exclusive shopping streets in the world. If you're looking for hip shops and thrift stores,head for the Niederdorf or the Stauffacher area.


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Supermarket Chains

Swiss employment law bans working on Sundays, so shops stay closed. An exception is anybusiness in a railway station, which is deemed to be serving travellers and so is exempt. If youwant to find an open shop on a Sunday, go to the nearest big railway station. If a business isfamily-owned, you aren't employing anybody so you can open, hence small shops can also openon Sundays.

Swiss supermarkets can be hard to spot in big cities. They often have small entrances, but openout inside, or are located in a basement, leaving the expensive street frontages for other shops.Look for the supermarket logos above entrances between other shops.

For the "self catering":

Migros [13] (http://www.migros.ch) - This chain of supermarkets (in fact a cooperative)provides average to good quality food and no-food products and homeware. However, theydo not sell alcoholic beverages nor cigarettes. Brand name products are rare as the chaindoes their own brands (quality is good, which chain that you go to does not matter). Migrosstores can be spotted by a big, orange Helvetica letter "M" sign. The number of "M" lettersindicates the size of the store and the different services available - a single "M" is usually asmaller grocery store, a double M ("MM") may be larger and sells other goods like clothing,and a MMM is a full department store with household goods and possibly electronics andsporting goods. Offers change weekly on Tuesdays.

Coop [14] (http://www.coop.ch) - Also a cooperative. Emphasis on quality as well asmulti-buy offers, points collection scheme(s) and money off coupons. Sells many majorbrands. Come at the end of the day to get half-priced salads and sandwiches. Coop City isusually a department store with a Coop grocery store inside, a multi-floor layout providesspace for clothing, electrical items, stationary, paperware as well as beauty products andperfume. Offers change weekly (some exceptions - fortnightly), on Tuesdays.

Denner [15] (http://www.denner.ch/) - A discount grocery store, noticeable for their red signsand store interiors. Relatively low priced. Offers change weekly, usually from Wednesday.Denner was bought by Migros in late 2006, but will not be rebranded at present.

Coop Pronto - a convenience store branch of Coop, usually open late (at least 20:00) sevendays a week. Usually has a petrol, filling-station forecourt.

Aperto [16] (http://www.aperto.ch/) - also a convenience store, located in the railway stations

Pick-Pay [17] (http://www.denner.ch/de/standorte/standorte_umbauplanpp.php) - anotherdiscount grocery. Yellow logo. (Sold to Denner in Sept. 05, rebranding in progress)

Manor [18] (http://www.manor.ch/) - the Manor department stores often have a grocery storeon the underground level.

Globus [19] (http://www.manor.ch/) - in the largest cities the Globus department stores havea grocery store on the underground level.

As of March 2005, Coop launched low-price-line (Coop Prix-Garantie). In Migros, you find"M-Budget" products. Sometimes it's exactly the same product, just for cheaper price. They alsooffer pre-pay mobiles as cheap as 29.80 CHF, including 19 CHF money on the SIM-Card and thesome of the cheapest call rates.

The German discounter, Aldi Suisse started with 5 discount shops in the eastern part of


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Map of languages in Switzerland

Switzerland in early 2006. The prices are a little lower than at the other supermarket chains, butstill significantly higher than in Germany.

There is no Swisslanguage. Dependingon where you are inthe country the localsmight speak Swiss-German(Schwyzerdütsch),French, Italian, or, inthe hidden valleys ofGraubünden,Romansch, an ancientlanguage related toLatin. All four areconsidered officiallanguages (exceptthat StandardGerman and notSwiss German isofficial). Some citiessuch as Biel/Bienne and Fribourg are officially bilingual, and any part of Switzerland hasresidents who speak something besides the local vernacular at home, English, German andFrench being the most widely spoken second languages. Note that you are unlikely to hearRomansch, as essentially all the 65,000 Romansch speakers also speak Swiss German andstandard German, and they are actually outnumbered in Switzerland by native English speakers!

Around two-thirds of the population of Switzerland is German-speaking, located particularly in thecenter, north, and east of the country. French is spoken in the west, around Lausanne andGeneva, while Italian and Romansch are spoken in the far south. The Swiss themselves learnone of the other Swiss languages in school. In French-speaking Switzerland, this is typicallyGerman, so English is less commonly understood there. In any of the larger German-speakingcities you will have no trouble finding people who speak English. In the countryside, it isless common but hardly rare. People under the age of 50 typically speak more fluent Englishthan older people. Generally speaking, in the past when two Swiss meet for the first time, theywould first address each other in French, and then switch to a language both are mostcomfortable with once they have established each others native language. English, however, hasnow clearly become the most important second language in German-speaking Switzerland (as onmuch of the continent) much to the dismay of Francophone Switzerland including a debate ifFrench or English should be taught in schools. Most offer both.

Swiss German is no dialect group itself, but just another word for the Alemannic (Alemannisch)dialects as spoken in Switzerland. Often considered a separate language, Alemannic andespecially Highest Alemannic (spoken in southern Switzerland) is very different from standardGerman so don't be surprised if you can't understand the locals even if you are fluent in standardGerman. On the other hand, all German-speaking Swiss learn standard German in school, so inthe major German-speaking cities (e.g. Basel, Berne and Zürich), almost all people will be ablespeak standard German very well. In smaller towns and countryside, it should still be spokenmoderately to fluently by anyone educated in a modern day school, so if you don't approachsomeone old, you should be fine. A small portion of Swiss German speakers spill over into


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northern Italy, but Italian is universally spoken in this region of Italy as well along the frontier. TheSwiss media still makes regular use of Swiss German, which is a special case in the Germanspeaking world, showcasing Switzerland's desire to maintain its special cultural identity in theGerman-speaking world. Generally, the Swiss German speakers are the most likely to seethemselves as distinctly different and unique in general context of German speaking Europe.Swiss German dialects may correspond closely to the dialects of German spoken in neighboringregions of Alsace (France), Germany, Liechtenstein, and Austria (Vorarlberg).

Swiss French (officially Romand) is essentially standard French with some differences. It isspoken more slowly, with more of a drawl. The numbers are not the same. Though anyone willunderstand you when you use soixante-dix, quatre-vingt, quatre-vingt-dix (70, 80, 90), the use ofthese vanish as you proceed east along Lac Léman: in Geneva soixante-dix becomes septanteand quatre-vingt-dix becomes nonante. — quatre-vingts and huitante are both acceptable ways tosay the number eighty. However, by the time you reach Lausanne, quatre-vingts has given way tohuitante, and in the Valais it is possible to hear the almost Italian octante.

Another difference is that you may encounter people using the word cornet to define a plastic bag(as opposed to the word sachet that would be heard in France). French has also had a significantimpact on Swiss German vocabulary, making it different from the German heard spoken in Austriaor Germany. Remember even in German, a streetcar is a "Tram", not a "Strassenbahn"!

Swiss Italian is basically standard Italian with German and French influences and is the nativetongue of most people in Italian-speaking Switzerland, although old and rural people often speakthe related Lombard language instead, though in this case Italian is most often spoken inaddition to this.

Switzerland has some universites of world renown, like ETH in Zurich, University of Lausanne orthe University of St. Gallen (also known as the HSG). Keep in mind, it's much better to speak thelocal language, so if you can't speak either French, German or Italian, better go for a languagecourse first. There are a few English courses as well, but it will be much easier to go with locallanguage. Also have in mind that if you're a foreigner, and you want to go for popular subjects,you have to pass entry-tests, and it will cost you a lot, not only for university fees, but also forliving.

If you like cheaper learning, go for Migros Klubschule, they offer language courses in almostevery language as well as a lot of different courses for many subjects, just have a look on theirwebsite [20] (http://www.klubschule.ch/) . You may also want to try the different"Volkshochschule", which offer a large variety of subjects at very reasonable fees (such as [21](http://www.vhszh.ch) in Zurich, for instance).

If you are looking for quality French courses for adults or juniors, you can learn French in one ofthe ESL schools centres located in Switzerland [22] (http://www.esl-schools.org) . You can alsochoose LSI (Language Studies International) and go for one of the many schools in theirextensive network to learn French in Switzerland [23] (http://www.lsi.edu) .For more info aboutBest 5 colleges in Switzerland (http://www.actsofkindness.ch/bestswitzerlandcolleges)

If you want to work in Switzerland, be aware that you generally need to obtain a work permit.

Switzerland signed an agreement with the European Union that allows citizens of the old EU-15


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states to work and search jobs at arms length with Swiss citizens. In these cases you only need avalid passport and have to register with the local administration. The same system applies ingeneral to citizens of the new EU-10 states (Eastern European states in general) plus Bulgariaand Romania but there are limitations on the number of permits. For all other countries in theworld the best way is to check with your embassy if there are, for example, exchange programs.

Switzerland has an unemployment rate of about 2.9% (june 2011). Skilled academics will havegood job opportunities.

The high level of Swiss salaries reflect the high costs of living, so keep in mind that you mustspend a lot for accommodation and food, when you negotiate your salary. Still, if you want orhave to make money fast, you can save a substantial amount per month while working in alow-paying job. In general, you work 42 hours/week and have 4 weeks of paid holidays.

Switzerland has no legal minimum salary. The salary depends on the industry you work in, withmost companies paying at least 3500 CHF per month, for example as cashier in a supermarket.Overtime work is usually paid (unless otherwise agreed in contract).

If you want to check the average salaries by industry or make sure you get the right amount paid,Swiss employees are heavy organized in trade unions SGB [24] (http://www.sgb.ch) and alwayskeen to help you.

Most tourist areas in Switzerland have a tourist office where you can call and have them book ahotel for you for a small fee. Each town usually has a comprehensive list of hotels on their website, and it is often easiest to simply call down the list to make a reservation rather than try tobook online. Many hotels will request that you fax or email them your credit card information inorder to secure a reservation. In general, hotel staff are helpful and competent, and speakEnglish quite well.

Hotel rates in Switzerland can get quite expensive, especially in popular ski resort areas.

There is also a hostel network in Switzerland for students. Types of hotels in Switzerland includehistoric hotels, traditional hotels, inns located in the country, spas and bed and breakfasts.

Switzerland is not surprisingly one of the safest countries in Europe, but anywhere that attractsRolex-wearing bankers and crowds of distracted tourists will also bring out a few pickpockets.Obviously, keep an eye on belongings, especially in the midst of summer crowds.

Quite a few Swiss establishments will print your entire credit card number onto the receipt, thusraising identity theft concerns when shopping with a credit card in Switzerland. Therefore, visitorsutilizing credit cards should carefully review the information printed on all receipts prior todiscarding them. This happens, for instance, in some book and clothing stores and even at theubiquitous K-Kiosk. This list is obviously not exhaustive; therefore, the visitor must bewarewhenever using a credit card.

Women traveling alone should have no problems. The younger Swiss tend to be very open withpublic displays of affection - sometimes too open, and some women may find people getting toofriendly especially in the wee hours of the club & bar scene. Usually the international language ofbrush-offs or just walking away is enough.


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Swiss police take on a relatively unobtrusive air; they prefer to remain behind the scenes, as theyconsider their presence potentially threatening to the overall environment (practice ofdeescalation). Unlike some more highly policed countries, officers will rarely approach civilians toask if they need help or merely mark their presence by patrolling. However, police are indeedserious about traffic violations. Jaywalking (crossing a red pedestrian light), for example, will befined on the spot. The upside to stringent traffic rules is that automobile drivers are generally verywell-disciplined, readily stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks, for example (but note that, inBasel city at least, whilst the cross-walks give priority to pedestrians many drivers will stop on andreverse over cross-walks without much care or attention). Generally, you are safe anywhere atany time. If, for any reason, you feel threatened, seek a nearby restaurant or telephone booth.The emergency phone number in Switzerland is 117, and operators are generally English-speaking.

Football (soccer) games are the only notable exception to the above rule. Due to the potentialthreat of hooligan violence, these games (especially in Basel or Zurich) are generally followed bya large contingent of police officers with riot gear, rubber bullets, and tear gas, in case of anymajor unrest.

Switzerland has very strong Good Samaritan laws, making it a civic duty to help a fellow in need(without unduly endangering oneself). People are therefore very willing and ready to help you ifyou appear to be in an emergency situation. Be aware, though, that the same applies to you ifyou witness anyone in danger. The refusal to help to a person in need can be punishable by lawas "Verweigerung der Hilfeleistung", i.e. refusal of aid. The general reservation of Americans toavoid entanglement with strangers due to possible future civil liability does not apply inSwitzerland, for it would be practically impossible to wage a civil suit against anyone providingaid.

The drinking age for beer, wine and alcoholic cider is 16 (but not in all cantons, so make sure toask before buying) while the age for any other alcohol (e.g. spirits, "alcopops", etc) is 18. Thepublic consumption of alcohol in Switzerland is legal, so do not be alarmed if you see a group ofteenagers drinking a six-pack on public property; this is by no means out of the ordinary andshould not be interpreted as threatening.

Switzerland is not a country of insane civil lawsuits and damage claims; consequently, if you seea sign or disclaimer telling you not to do something, obey it! An example: in many alpine areas,charming little mountain streams may be flanked by signs with the message "No Swimming". Tothe uninitiated, this may seem a bit over the top, but these signs are in fact a consequence of thepresence of hydroelectric power plants further upstream that may discharge large amounts ofwater without warning.

In mountain areas, be sure to inquire about weather conditions at the tourist information office orlocal train station as you head out in the morning. They should be well informed about severeweather conditions and will advise you about possible avalanche areas.

There have been problems with police assuming that any Black, East European, or Arab personwithout an ID card or passport is an illegal immigrant, and treating them accordingly. That couldbe a considerable problem if you are travelling alone.

Generally there is no problem with food and water in Switzerland. Restaurants are controlled bystrict rules. Water is drinkable everywhere, even out of public fountains unless specially marked.There are many organic food stores and restaurants available and it's currently illegal to sell any


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genetically modified food.

Learning the mother tongue of the area you will be staying in is a great sign of respect. English iswidely spoken in Switzerland, but any attempt to speak the local language is always appreciated,even if you're replied to in English. It’s always polite to ask if they speak English before starting aconversation.

Make an effort to at least learn Hello, Goodbye, Please, and Thank You in the language of theregion you will be traveling in. "I would like..." is also a phrase that will help you. If you are in theGerman speaking region of Switzerland, it is generally wise to try to communicate in Germanrather than attempting to speak Alemannic. The German Swiss almost instinctively switch toGerman once they notice that they are speaking to a foreigner.

German, French, and Italian all have formal and informal forms of the word you, which changesthe conjugation of verb you use, and sometimes phrases. For example, the informal phrase don'tworry about it in French is ne t'en fais pas and the formal is ne vous en faites pas. The formal isused to show respect to someone who is older than you, who you consider to be a superior,someone who has a greater rank than you at work, or simply a stranger in the street. The informalis used with close friends, relatives, and peers.

As a general rule, you shouldn't use the informal with someone you don't know well, someonewho is your superior in rank, or an elder.

Use the informal with your close friends and younger people. Peers can be a gray area, and it isadvisable to use the formal at first until they ask you to use the informal.

Friends kiss each other on the cheek three times (left - right - left). This is the usual thing to dowhen being introduced to someone in the French and German speaking part. If it is a businessrelated meeting you just shake hands. Don't be shy as you if you reject the advance it appearsawkward and rude on your part. You don't have to actually touch your lips the skin after-all, as afake kiss will do.

Do not litter. While Switzerland will not fine you (as in Singapore), littering is definitely seen asbad behaviour in this country and in general in German speaking Europe or Central Europe forthat matter. Also make sure that you put it in the correctly labeled bin (e.g. recyclable). Somebins actually have times to when this should be done to avoid excess noise!

Be punctual. That means no more than one minute late, if that! Not surprisingly for a country thatis known for making clocks, the Swiss have a near-obsession with being on time.

Many of the internet cafes that have emerged in the 1990's have closed since, probably becauseSwitzerland has one of the highest rate of high-speed internet connections in homes in the world,but almost any video rental shop and most train stations will have a few internet terminals. Thetourist office should be able to direct you to the nearest one. The going rate is 5 CHF for 20minutes. Also, you can send email, SMS (text messages to cell phones) or short text faxes fromjust about every public phone booth for less than 1 CHF. Some public phone booths allow you tobrowse the internet. There are many shopping centers and cities (Lausanne and Vevey forexample) that offer free wireless internet access: ask the young locals; maybe they know whereto go.


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The public phones are surprisingly cheap, and have no surcharge for credit cards.

If you stay for some time, it may be advisable to buy a pre-paid cell phone card that you can usein any phone that supports the GSM standard on the 900/1800 Mhz bands - they usually costaround 10-40 CHF and are obtainable in the shops of the mobile service providers Swisscom,Orange or Sunrise in most cities. Mobile network coverage is close to 100% by area, even in themountainous, non-populated areas.

There are also a lot of cheap prepaid cards for local calls from other providers. The prepaid cardsof the big supermarket chains Migros (M-Budget-Mobile [25] (http://www.m-budget-mobile.ch/) )and Coop ( Coop Mobile [26] (http://www.coop.ch/coopmobile/) ) for example cost around 20 CHFand include already 15 CHF airtime. The cheapest prepaid card for calls within Switzerland is AldiMobile [27] (http://www.aldi-mobile.ch/) : 0,14 CHF/min Switzerland fixed and Aldi mobile, 0,34CHF/min other mobiles. The cheapest prepaid card for international communication is yallo [28](http://www.yallo.ch/) : 0,39 CHF/min within Switzerland as well as to all European and manymore countries (to the mobile and fixed networks). This includes the UK, USA, Canada, Australiaand New Zealand. SMS cost 0,10 CHF. The prepaid cards can be bought online (30 CHF with 30CHF airtime inclusive), in most post offices (29 CHF with 20 CHF airtime inclusive) or Sunriseshops (20 CHF with 20 CHF airtime inclusive). An other prepaid card with cheap rates offersLebara Mobile (Sister company of Sunrise). The prepaid card is available for 5 CHF with anequivalent talk time and recharge vouchers offer the talktime equivalent to the price of thevoucher.

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This page was last edited at 23:35, on 13 November 2011 by Wikitravel user Globe-trotter.Based on work by Ryan Holliday, Wikitravel user(s) Mcccxxv, Ikan Kekek, Graham87,LtPowers and Jakeseems, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are availableunder various licenses, see each image for details.


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