Switzerland, with its magnificent nature, delicious chocolate, hundreds of varieties of cheese, and charming villages waiting to be discovered on the slopes of the mountains is a country that should be visited at least once in a lifetime. However, Switzerland is not one of the countries where you can go with the flow and live the moment without planning. As you know, it is one of the most expensive countries in the world.
Once you know how much budget you need to allocate and what awaits you, you can overcome the troublesome aspects of traveling and enjoy the pleasant moments 🙂
If you’re going to visit Switzerland soon, then 22 things you need to know before traveling to Switzerland article, which includes travel tips to help you make a Switzerland travel plan, is for you!
1- Visa
The first and most important thing you should know before traveling to Switzerland is undoubtedly the visa. Make sure to check if you need a visa to enter Switzerland.
Visa required for your trip to Switzerland: Schengen Visa.
Switzerland visa application is not made in person at the Swiss embassy. Instead of the consulate, it is done through the centers decided by the consulate (TLS Contact). The delivery time of the visa is an average of 10 days.
Here you can apply for your visa, see all the documents you need to prepare, and make an appointment to bring the documents.
2- When to go
I think the answer to this question is; always! If you have snowy mountains, skiing, sledging, chalets in your mind, of course, the winter months (January, February) are a better choice. But if you want to travel to more cities and hike in the mountains, May, June and September are more suitable.
If you want to visit the Christmas markets, you should come in the first weeks of December. If you want to swim in the lakes when the weather is very hot, I then recommend July and August. But there is a possibility that the whole of August will be rainy as the summers are very rainy here. You better come with the first opportunity without thinking about it too much 🙂
3- Time Difference
Switzerland uses a single time zone, Central European Time (CET: UTC+01:00). They also observe summer time, shifting to Central European Summer Time (CEST: UTC+02:00).
4- Swiss currency
Swiss Franc. 1 CHF is this much. It is impossible to find places that don’t accept credit cards in big cities. But when you go to towns, it is very difficult to find places that accept credit cards. Be sure to carry cash with you.
5- Socket
In Switzerland, they use a J-type socket. You might consider bringing a converter with you. Even if you don’t bring it, you can get it for a low price of CHF 5 in Switzerland.
6- Language
It changes according to which region you will go to, as you know, a different language is spoken in each region. However, since the majority of the population can speak English, especially in tourist areas, you can travel without any language problems.
Nevertheless, I’ve prepared a short table for you. It is always useful to learn simple sentences before you take the road.
| English | Hello | Good morning | Thanks | How much? | |
| German | Grüezi | Guten Morgen | Danke | Wie viel kostet es? | |
| French | Salut | Bonjour | Merci | Combien ça coûte? | |
| Italian | Ciao | Buongiorno | Grazie | Quanto costa? | |
| Romansh | Tgau | Bien di | Engraziel | Con cuosta quei? |
7- Internet
Free internet is available at almost all train stations and airports. In order to connect to the free internet, all you have to do is to enter your phone number and activate the internet by entering the password that comes to your number.
8- Take it with you
If you take into account that you will be walking a lot, you should definitely take your sneakers with you. If you are planning to hike, it would be better to bring trekking boots. However, if they take up a lot of space in your suitcase, sturdy and comfortable sneakers will do the trick. I also recommend that you apply sunscreen before you go hiking, so be sure to take your sunscreen.
If you plan to visit Switzerland in the summer, don’t be fooled by the absence of a sea in Switzerland. Remember that you can swim in every lake you see 🙂 So make sure to bring slippers, bikini/shorts, sunscreen, hat, and towel. You can also bring sea shoes, as the lakes are usually full of pebbles.
Whether it is summer or winter, an umbrella will always be useful for you. Because especially in summer, it can be very rainy. Make sure to take a cardigan with you as the weather can be cold in the middle of August.
I already mentioned above, but don’t forget to bring a socket converter or get one as you land at the airport. Otherwise, I don’t want to imagine that you settle in the hotel and cannot charge your laptop 🙂
9- Journey
There are 7 international airports in Switzerland. To go to Zurich, as you can fly directly to Zurich airport, you can also fly to Basel airport and take a 1-hour train to Zurich from Basel.
10- Accommodation
There are many options for accommodation in Switzerland. Hotels can be very old-fashioned because they are generally centuries old. But of course, there are also many great hotels.
If you do not want to stay in a hotel, you can do Airbnb, stay in a hostel, or if you do not want to spend money on accommodation, you can stay in a house of a local at no cost by doing Couchsurfing.
Hotel prices
It varies depending on where you stay, but accommodation prices in the small towns start at CHF 40. Hotel accommodation in Zurich starts at CHF 60.
Hostel prices
Prices in Zurich start with a minimum of CHF 30. However, in the countryside, you can pay as little as CHF 20.
11- Domestic / International Transportation
Switzerland has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Trains, ships, buses, all means are immaculate. The train, which should depart at 16.03, leaves at exactly 16.03. If there will be a few minutes delay, they will let you know in advance. It is possible to go everywhere by train both in the city and in the country. You can actually travel by train just for the view. It’s really spectacular.
You can actually travel by train just for the view. It’s really spectacular.
Train / Bus / Tram
You can buy your train, bus, and tram tickets (a single ticket is valid in all) either from the ticket machines at the stations, from the ticket centers in the big stations, or online. If you buy tickets online, you have a chance to find cheap tickets.
You don’t pay separately for each public transport you take in Switzerland. With one ticket, you can use all kinds of public transportation in the region where the ticket is valid, within the hours the ticket is valid, and you can travel unlimitedly.
I must warn you about the prices because they can be pretty expensive. My advice is to always buy your tickets as a round trip. All the tickets you buy as return tickets are valid for 24 hours, and you can use all the public transportation vehicles in the region where you purchased the ticket unlimitedly within 24 hours.
Besides, you don’t have to show your tickets or have them read by any machine. From time to time, the officers who check the ticket get on at any stop and check the ticket. These controllers are usually in uniform, and sometimes they dress as civilians.
You may not be controlled several times. But this shouldn’t be a reason not to buy a ticket next time. Because if you get caught, the fine is CHF 100!
Ferry
Ferries require a separate ticket and prices are not standard. For example, we only pay CHF 1.50 to the ferry to cross the lake from Horgen (where we live) to Meilen. This ticket is not purchased from SBB (Swiss National Transport Company). When you get on the ferry, they come and collect the money in cash.
Swiss Pass
If you want to buy a Swiss pass that goes everywhere in the country, you can get it online here. Don’t be discouraged by the price of the pass. For example, the 3-day ticket is CHF 232. But if you are planning to go to many different parts of the country, this card offers the best price. However, if you are staying in the same area in general, I recommend you to buy a daily ticket.
However, if you are staying in the same area in general and you’re not planning long train journeys, I recommend you buy a daily round-trip ticket.
Bicycle
I should mention that transportation is one of the most expensive things in Switzerland. If the prices don’t fit your budget, you can go anywhere by bike. For example, there is a company in Zurich where you can rent a bike for free. You only give CHF 20 deposit and leave your passport, when you deliver the bike in the evening, you get your money and passport back.
Cable Car / Funicular / Gondola
These are widely used to go to the mountains. Depending on the height of the mountain you are going to, you may have to get on one of the funiculars or transfer by cable car several times on the way. You can check out some of the important destinations from here.
Flixbus
You can travel at very very affordable prices with Flixbus, the bus company between cities and countries.
Car
Renting a car in Switzerland is not very expensive. Gasoline is cheap, so it can be an option for large groups. However, if you want to drive on the highway, you need to get a CHF 40 vignette (vehicle sticker) valid for one year to allow you to pass the tolls.
12- Ethics
Swiss people generally prefer to shake hands with the people they meet for the first time. Friends, colleagues, and family members kiss on the cheek 3 times. First right, then left, then right again.
While hiking, you are expected to greet those who come across or pass by. They look into your eyes to get your greetings.
I guess it doesn’t sound strange that Swiss people see being late as a big shame. In the end, Switzerland is the land of the clocks. They neither like to be late nor do they like to wait.
While they toast, they wait for the attention of everyone at the table to be in the glasses. They make a toast with everyone one by one, and the main thing is to make eye contact. You have to look into the eyes of the person with every glass you hit.. It took me a while to get used to it haha.
13- What to Buy?
Watch, Swiss army knife, cow mug, chocolate, cheese, fondue set, Heidi-themed souvenirs, raclette machine, cuckoo clock, or Kirch can be purchased from Switzerland as a gift.
Kirsch 
Raclette 
Cow Mug 
Fondue
14- People
Swiss people are a little more reserved than other European people. I don’t know how correct it is to generalize, but I think we can generalize a little bit 🙂 They are not very extroverted and they avoid being friendly and sincere with people they don’t know. They are a bit like walnuts, hard-shelled, but very cheerful and pleasant when they open themselves up.
Of course, it can take years to get to this stage, so when you come for touristic purposes, do not worry when you see that they do not chat with you much and avoid talking. That doesn’t mean they’re mean and angry. On the contrary, they are quite genial and kind people.
They don’t want to argue with anyone, so they usually keep their opinions to themselves. But when it comes to rules and they see you break them, the monster inside them comes out haha.
15- Clothing
Swiss people generally dress comfortably but elegantly. You won’t see many women wearing high heels unless they go to work. Even if they do, they wear short heels.
Swiss people attach great importance to quality clothing, but there is no exaggeration. They are simple and stylish. So when you are going somewhere at night or attending a party, you may feel like you are overdressed compared to the Swiss ladies.
The streets are full of people running and walking all the time. On weekends, they go for mountain hikes. For this reason, sportswear is generally more common. You can go anywhere with your sneakers, no one will find it odd 🙂
16- Security
Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world. Whether you are an alone woman or with your children, you feel safe walking through this country. Apart from Bern, I haven’t come across beggars anywhere yet. On the other hand in Zurich, I neither saw a homeless person on the street nor was someone stalking or disturbing me.
Normally, I am afraid of walking alone in the street at night. But I can walk here at 4 in the morning without looking back. (Inheritance from Istanbul) In addition, when something is lost, it usually comes back to you in some way. Someone finds it and sends it to you or when you investigate, you find out that it was delivered to the lost warehouse.
For example, I noticed that I lost my credit card when I saw the bank sent me a new card while checking the mailbox. It turns out that I dropped my credit card, someone found it, called the bank, reported the loss, and the bank sent me a new card.
Or, after shopping, if you forget your shopping bag on the train, someone will find it and leave it at the lost property office and you can reach the item you forgot immediately.
Of course, it is always useful to be careful, but you can come to Switzerland with peace of mind.
I think the biggest danger in this country is the weather! Be sure to check the weather before going out. Especially if you are going to the mountain, you may experience problems because of the weather. I recommend this site.
17- Water
You can drink water from the tap in Switzerland. My personal opinion is that tap water tastes better than most bottled water. In addition, every corner of this country is full of fountains. You can taste the water coming from the Alps with these fountains. There are around 1200 fountains in Zurich alone. Here you can find the map showing the fountains in Zurich.
18- Activities
Hiking
One of the most important activities to do in Switzerland is mountain hiking. From here you can find walking routes in Switzerland. You can often witness 70-year-old people walking uphill in the mountains without panting, don’t feel bad 🙂
Bicycle
Riding a bicycle in Switzerland is really a pleasure. You can cycle between the mountains by the river. Here you can find cycling routes in Switzerland.
Spa
There are incredibly beautiful hot springs and spa facilities in Switzerland with mountain and lake views, don’t go back without visiting one of them.
Night life
Nightlife is one of the things you should know before going to Switzerland. Don’t expect incredible nightlife in Switzerland. It is relatively busy Friday and Saturday nights only in big cities, but apart from that, everywhere is generally quiet. Nightclubs are generally like bars and small.
International ex-pat groups are very active here. You can constantly come across new groups. Concept parties such as masquerade parties, costume parties, and neon parties are held every week. If you join them, you will have a lot of fun and make many friends. You can follow all these parties through the Meet up application.
Museums
If your trip is going to be long and you want to visit many museums during this period, you can get the Swiss Museum Pass. This is a subscription where you can visit more than 500 museums for 166 francs.
But if you are in Switzerland for a short time and are planning to see major museums then for example, if you are in Zurich, you can get a Zurich card, so you can enter 43 museums in Zurich for free or at a discount, and you can also use public transportation free of charge during your card’s validity. The price of the Zurich card is 27 francs for 24 hours and 53 francs for 72 hours.
19- Tip
You are not expected to tip in Switzerland, because the service charge is already added to the bill. However, Swiss people do not neglect to leave a tip of 10% of the bill to show that they like the food or service.
20- Drinking Culture
Although Switzerland is not very famous for its wines (they consume it within the country rather than export), it is actually a wine country. You can come across a vineyard everywhere during your journey.
Apart from wine, beer consumption is also very common. Each canton has its own beer. Since different spices are used in the production of local beers, the taste of these beers is very different from the usual beers.
The German drink Kirsch is also produced in the country. The Swiss people add this drink to their ingredients while making cheese fondue.
21- Swiss Food
Swiss people consume too much meat and cheese. Food quality is very high in Switzerland, but since their cuisine is not very rich, it is not really easy to find delicious dishes. However, it is not difficult to find the food you want, as there are restaurants from all over the world in the country.
You may be surprised by the abundance of vegan or vegetarian restaurants in big cities such as Zurich. The largest restaurant chains are generally vegan chains. However, you may find it difficult to find a vegetarian option as more meat is consumed in towns and villages.
The country’s national dishes are Rösti, Cheese Fondue and Raclette.
To discover more Swiss food, you can check out my Swiss Food article.
22- Is It Expensive?
Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Although the Italian region is somewhat low priced, especially the German region is very, very expensive for tourists. Prices are high if you plan to eat and drink outside, but not that expensive to buy at the grocery store.
If you want to have a low-budget holiday, I recommend that you stay away from restaurants and bars. Instead buy your drink and food from the markets. Especially Lidl and Aldi (German Market Chains) are budget-friendly and you can find cheap products in these markets. However, Migros and especially Coop are expensive.
For example; While you can buy a can of beer for CHF 0.49 in Lidl, you can buy it for a minimum of CHF 2 in Coop.
A simple dish that you can order at a restaurant starts at CHF 20. A serving of food and a glass of wine in a normal standard restaurant costs an average of CHF 40.
A cappuccino at a cafe costs around CHF 5, a beer CHF 10, and a glass of wine around CHF 12. (However, there are places where you can find a wine for CHF for 5)
I have mentioned transportation and accommodation above, these are also expensive.
Yodel–Lay–Hee-Hoo!
Although singing yodel is considered an outdated activity in modern Switzerland, local yodel festivals are held from time to time. Let’s close it up with Franz Lang, one of the most famous of his time! Just how sweet is that brush on the hat!
Visit here for 12 things you need to know about Switzerland, and here for interesting information about Switzerland.
If you want to learn more about Switzerland, you can visit here about travel and here about living in Switzerland!
Is there anything else you’d like to learn or add? Let’s meet in the comments 🙂
