Switzerland Travel Resources

Money: How much spending money you need to bring depends on your habits. If you forget to bring something, don't worry - everything you might need for the trip can be found in Europe.

I recommend bringing a couple hundred dollars in cash, either exchanged before you leave or at the airport when you arrive. The currency exchange booths at the airport and at train stations in Switzerland are just fine. Euros are generally accepted in Switzerland (if you're coming from elsewhere in Europe), but you'll probably get change in Swiss francs and a bad exchange rate to boot. If you're coming for more than a day, do a currency exchange at a bank in Switzerland for some Swiss francs.

Traveler's checks are a big hassle - I haven't used them in 20 years - but ATM cards are easy. Visa, MasterCard (called Eurocard), and American Express are all about equally accepted. You probably won't be able to use your credit card at the grocery store, to make small purchases at a souvenir shop, or to pay for drinks at many hotels and small mountain inns. You will be able to buy train tickets (train stations accept all 3 cards), or pay for a meal at a restaurant or night at a hotel. Most importantly, you can use bank machines to get cash advances in the local currency when you need cash. ATM machines are fairly well distributed throughout Switzerland, even in small villages, and you usually pay only a 2-3% fee, which is as good or better than you'll get at currency exchange counters. If your PIN code is a word, make sure you know the number sequence before you leave, as ATMs in Europe usually don't have letters on them. Bring two different cards, in case one gets lost, demagnetized, or just plain doesn't work in the machines you find.

Tipping: Rounding up a few francs (3-5%) in restaurants is customary, and almost all Swiss tip. This is usually given to the waiter as you pay. For instance, if a drink costs 3.40, you might give the waiter 4 francs and tell him to keep the change. There is no tip built into the price (as many guidebooks lead you to believe), but waiters in Switzerland are paid a decent wage to begin with, and nobody will get upset if you forget to tip.

Phones: Public phones in Switzerland require a card instead of change. For local and international calls, you can buy cards of different denominations at train stations, post offices, and many hotels and magazine shops. Just insert it into the phone, and make your call. Some of them require you call a toll-free number and enter a pincode. Phone calls internationally from Switzerland are very reasonable (10-15 cents/minute), even if you just put your credit card directly in the phone, and a foreign calling card in Switzerland is a waste of money. You can also call from your hotel. Ask about rates before you call from your hotel, but they're usually pretty good. There are also many great deals on local pre-paid cell phones, with reasonable rates on outgoing calls and free incoming calls. You can find them at electronic stores or post offices.