Switzerland

Understand

A landlocked country with an area of 41,285 km², Switzerland is a land of picture-perfect Alpine ranges and verdant greenery. The country offers a range of old towns, diverse cultures and outdoor adventure-related activities.

It sits at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It has borders with France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

It is officially known as the Swiss Confederation in English. Its abbreviation "CH" comes from Latin, Confoederatio Helvetica, which is often used internally to avoid giving preference to any of the country's official languages.

Get around

Getting around Switzerland is quick and easy albeit sometimes on the expensive side, no matter which mode you choose. The country has had a love affair with railways for over a century now, despite having been something of a late bloomer in railway construction. The few places not served by trains are served by the "Postauto" bus system and everything is seamlessly integrated, meaning you'll never have to wait long. Should you wish to drive a car, there are excellent highways throughout the country and many mountains are bypassed with tunnels. Hiking paths across the Alps have existed for centuries and are usually well blazed and maintained. Switzerland is also making an effort of marketing itself as bicycle friendly under the slogan "Veloland Schweiz".

Do

thumbnail|The road crossing the Furka mountain pass between the cantons of Uri and Valais

Switzerland is renowned the world over for downhill skiing, and the country is also great for many other outdoor activities, including hiking and mountain biking. Mountain climbing from easy to very hard can also be found in Switzerland and there is hardly a place with a longer tradition for it. Some routes, like the North face of the Eiger ("Eiger-Nordwand" in German) have become near-mythical due to the hardships, sacrifice and even deaths suffered by the first people to climb them. And because of the breathtaking views, travelling from one place to another by car, bus, train or bike along Alpine roads and railroads is often an experience in itself.

Tour de Suisse is an on-road cycle race over nine days, regarded as a proving event for the Tour de France. The next is 12-19 July 2022 visiting Aesch, Quinto, Brunnen, Moosalp, Novazzano, Visp and Vaduz.

Eat

thumbnail|A pot of Fondue, pieces of bread and fondue forks

While Switzerland has had long culinary exchange with the cuisine of its neighbours, it has several iconic dishes of its own.

Switzerland is famous for many kinds of cheese like Gruyère, Emmentaler (known simply as "Swiss cheese" in the U.S.), and Appenzeller, just to name a very few of the about 450 kinds of cheese of Swiss origin. Two of the best known Swiss dishes, fondue and raclette, are cheese based. Fondue is a pot of melted cheese that you dip pieces of bread into using long forks. Usually fondue is not made of one single type of cheese, but instead two or three different cheeses are blended together with white wine, garlic and kirsch liqueur with regional variations. The most popular blend of cheese varieties is called moitié-moitié and consists of equal parts Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP. Traditionally fondue is eaten during cold periods at altitude with one pot for the whole table, served with hot black tea and hardly any additional side dishes - not surprising, since it used to be a cheap and often the only dish for a herdsman high up in the mountains far away from civilization with only basic equipment. However you can now get fondue for one person during the summer time in tourist-oriented restaurants. Another cheese dish, raclette, is made by heating a large piece of cheese and scraping off the melted cheese, which is then eaten together with boiled potatoes and pickled vegetables. Chees…

Drink

thumb|Absinthe, the long-banned "Green Fairy" of Switzerland

Virtually all tap water – including that in households or hotel rooms – is perfectly drinkable, thoroughly and frequently monitored, and of excellent quality. About 85% of Swiss residents drink tap water daily; there is no need to buy drinking water. There are many drinking water fountains to be found, especially in towns and villages, e.g. in Zurich more than 1200, or in Basel about 170. The few exceptions, such as in train toilets, are clearly signed with "Kein Trinkwasser" (German), "Non potable" (French), or "Non potabile" (Italian). Temporarily installed troughs on mountain meadows used to water the cattle are also not suitable for drinking.

Soft drinks in supermarkets are one of the few things that aren't notably more expensive than elsewhere in Central Europe. Local specialties are the lactose-based soft drink Rivella and the lemon-flavoured Elmer Citro.

The drinking age for beer, wine and cider is 16, except in Ticino where the age is 18, while the age for any other alcohol (e.g. spirits, "alcopops", etc.) is 18. The public consumption of alcohol in Switzerland is legal, so do not be alarmed if you see a group of teenagers drinking a six-pack on public property or on public transport; this is by no means out of the ordinary and should not be interpreted as threatening.

Switzerland produces a surprisingly large amount of wine, with the climate and soil well-suited to many grape types. Very little of this …

Sleep

thumbnail|Stern und Post in Amsteg, a typical Swiss town hotel

Most accommodation in Switzerland can now be found and booked through the major internet booking sites, even hotels and huts in remote areas. Even so, most tourist areas in Switzerland have a tourist office where you can call and have them book a hotel for you for a small fee. Each town usually has a comprehensive list of hotels on their web site, and it is often easier and cheaper to simply book directly with the hotel. Some hotels will request that you fax or email them your credit card information in order to secure a reservation. In general, hotel staff are helpful and competent, and speak English quite well.

As in most European countries, Switzerland offers a wide range of accommodation possibilities. These go from 5-star hotels to campgrounds, youth hostels or sleeping in the hay. Types of hotels in Switzerland include historic hotels, traditional hotels, inns located in the country, spas and bed and breakfasts.

Compared to other European countries, accommodation in Switzerland is in general amongst the more expensive. Hotel rates in Switzerland can get quite expensive, especially in popular ski resort areas and major cities.

The following prices can be used as a rule of thumb: 5-star-hotel: from Fr. 350 per person/night 4-star-hotel: from Fr. 180 per person/night 3-star-hotel: from Fr. 120 per person/night 2-star-hotel: from Fr. 80 per person/night Hostel: from Fr. 30 per person/night

The Swiss hotel s…

Stay safe

Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world as far as crime goes, but any place that attracts Rolex-wearing bankers and crowds of distracted tourists will also bring out a few pickpockets. Keep an eye on belongings, especially in the midst of summer crowds. Generally, you are safe anywhere at any time. If, for any reason, you feel threatened, seek a nearby restaurant. The emergency phone number in Switzerland is 112, and operators generally speak English.

Switzerland has a reputation for orderliness and adherence to rules. If you see a sign or if you encounter an authority figure telling you not to do something, it's in your best interest to comply.

Women travelling alone should have no serious problems. The younger Swiss tend to be very open with public displays of affection – sometimes too open, and some women may find people getting too friendly especially in the wee hours of the club and bar scene. Usually the international language of brush-offs or just walking away is enough.

LGBT+ safety in public space is assumed, though explicit LGBT+ identifiers are not common outside of urban centres and dedicated spaces.

Swiss police take on a relatively unobtrusive air; they prefer to remain behind the scenes as they consider their presence potentially detrimental to the overall environment. Unlike some more highly policed countries, officers will rarely approach civilians to ask if they need help or merely mark their presence by patrolling. However, police are i…

Stay healthy

Generally there is no problem with food and water in Switzerland. Restaurants are controlled by strict rules. Water is drinkable everywhere, even out of every tap, especially so of public fountains, unless explicitly marked with "Kein Trinkwasser", "Non potable" or "Non potabile". Do not drink from temporarily installed trough on a meadow in order to water the cattle served by the close-by brook.

Switzerland has a dense network of hospitals and clinics, and public hospitals will admit you in an emergency. There are also some 24 hour "permanence" clinics at major railway stations including Zurich, Basel and Lucerne which can provide treatment for non-urgent illness without an appointment. Treatment costs may quickly mount up, so you will require a travel insurance with a good level of coverage if you cannot pay these fees out of pocket.

Respect

thumbnail|Street sign in Geneva asking partygoers to keep their voices down at night

The Swiss adhere to a robust set of values. They value and cherish cleanliness, integrity, world peace, organisation, and responsibility.

Communication styles vary from canton to canton, but generally speaking, the Swiss are comfortable with expressing their thoughts and ideas openly and clearly. German-speaking Swiss people tend to be more direct and formal than their French-speaking, Romansh-speaking, and Italian-speaking counterparts.

The Swiss are known for their privacy and the country has robust privacy laws. They are one of many reasons why many celebrities flock to Switzerland; their right to privacy is guaranteed.

Nosiness is not appreciated in Swiss culture. Do not ask a Swiss person about their background, personal convictions, or both unless you're well acquainted with them. Friendships and relationships are seen as serious affairs and the journey from acquaintanceship to friendship is often a long one.

While Switzerland is brimming with dazzling, majestic sights, it is both impolite and illegal to record or take pictures of someone unless they have given you permission. Be mindful of where you point your camera, always.

The Swiss value transparency and clarity. To them, your word is your bond. Don't say something if you don't mean it. Don't make promises you will not keep. Try not to give evasive answers such as "maybe", "later", "I'll see what I can do", or variations t…

Connect

Many of the internet cafes that have emerged in the 1990s have closed because Switzerland has one of the highest rates of high-speed internet connections in homes in the world, but there may be a few internet terminals in some large train stations. The tourist office should be able to direct you to the nearest one. The usual rate is Fr. 5 for 20 minutes.

The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) are now offering free Wi-Fi in some of their stations (usually the bigger ones) but you will need to verify your identity by receiving an SMS on your phone, which will then authenticate you for 12 months. Some providers will not work but a local SIM card can be used instead. The access is for 60 minutes and resets every two hours. On long-range trains, there should either be Wi-Fi or an option to connect with an App called SBB FreeSurf, but it requires a data plan compatible only with some Swiss providers (inside trains, the 60 minutes restriction decays).

Also, you can send email, SMS (text messages to cell phones). There are many shopping centers and cities (Lausanne and Vevey for example) that offer free wireless internet access: ask the young locals; maybe they know where to go.

If you stay for some time, it may be advisable to buy a pre-paid cell phone card that you can use in any phone that supports the GSM standard on the 900/1800 MHz bands - they usually cost around Fr. 10-40 and are obtainable in the shops of the mobile service providers Swisscom, Salt or Sunrise in most …