Switzerland Travel Guide

Social Conventions

It is customary to give flowers to the hostess when invited for a meal, but never give chrysanthemums or white asters as they are considered funeral flowers. Informal wear is widely acceptable. First-class restaurants, hotel dining rooms and important social occasions may warrant jackets and ties. Black tie is usually specified when required.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline is Swiss (LX) (www.swiss.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Zürich (ZRH) (Kloten) (www.zurich-airport.com) is 11km (7 miles) from the city (journey time - 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Trains run from under Terminal B. Regional and night buses are available. Passengers arriving in Switzerland by air can purchase a special Fly-Rail Luggage ticket from their airport of departure which will enable them to have their luggage delivered directly to a Swiss railway station. With the Fly-Rail Baggage service, passengers leaving Switzerland can check their bags in at the railway station up to 24 hours before their flight. Taxis to the city are available (journey time - 15-30 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shops, restaurants/bars, banks, bureau de change, nursery and car hire.

Geneva (GVA) (www.gva.ch) is 5km (3 miles) north of the city. To/from the city: Taxis to the city are available. There is a regular train service to Geneva Cornavin Station (journey time - 6 minutes). Bus 10 runs from the airport to the city center.

Bern (BRN) (Belp) (www.alpar.ch) is 9km (5.5 miles) southeast of the city (journey time - 20-30 minutes). To/from the airport: Bus services are available to Bern station. A rail service runs from Bern to Zürich Airport. Taxis are also available.

Basel (BSL) (Basel-Mulhouse) (www.euroairport.com) is 12km (7 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Bus 50 runs from the airport to Basel railway station. Taxis are also available.

Getting There By Rail

Traveling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (journey time – 2 hours 40 minutes) and, from there, to Switzerland. For further information and reservations contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK or +44 1233 617 575, outside the UK; www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk).

Other connections from London via the main channel crossings are available (minimum journey time of about 14 to 15 hours to Basle and Lausanne, the main points of entry). There are also through trains from Spain, Italy and Germany.

Rail Passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people traveling together. The Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The Eurailpass Flexi allows either 10 or 15 travel days within a two month period. The Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (or 15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows four to 10 travel days in a two-month period in one of nine regions (usually two or more countries). Children receive a 50% reduction. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation. Available from The Eurail Group (www.eurail.com).

Getting There By Road

Switzerland can be reached by road from Austria, France, Germany and Italy. Some approximate driving times to Geneva and Zürich by the most direct routes are: Calais-Geneva: 12 to 13 hours (747km/464 miles); Dunkirk-Geneva: 12 to 13 hours (732km/454 miles); Calais-Zürich: 13 to 14 hours (790km/490 miles); Dunkirk-Zürich: 14 to 15 hours (880km/ 546 miles).

Coach: There are coach services to Switzerland as well as scheduled coach tour operators. Contact Switzerland Tourism for further details. Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080; www.eurolines.com) serves Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Fribourg, Lausanne and Bern from most major European cities (journey time from London - approximately 18 hours).

Duty Free

Overview

The following items may be imported into Switzerland by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty by:

(a) Visitors from European countries:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 2L of alcohol (up to 15%) and 1L of alcohol (over 15%).
• Gifts up to a value of CHF300.

(b) Visitors from non-European countries:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 2L of alcohol (up to 15%) and 1L of alcohol (over 15%).
• Gifts up to a value of CHF300.

Prohibited Imports

Absinthe and narcotics are prohibited. There are strict regulations on importing animals, meat products and firearms.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

All services are operated by Swiss (LX) (www.swiss.com). Domestic air travel is fast but expensive, and with the exception of the Geneva to Zürich flight (journey time - 45 minutes), many businesspeople prefer to travel by rail or road.

Getting Around By Rail

Rail transport is particularly well developed in Switzerland, with excellent services provided by Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) (tel: 00800 1002 00300; www.sbb.ch) and many other operators. Use of the Swiss Pass (see below) is a superb way to view the scenery, although mainline services are geared to the needs of the hurried business traveler.

Trains run at least hourly from the major centers and there is a country-wide timetable of regular services. There are dining cars on many trains and snacks and refreshments are widely available. Independent railways, such as the Rhätische Bahn in the Grisons and the Berner-Oberland-Bahn, provide services in certain parts of the country. The SBB has introduced specialized cars for travelers using wheelchairs.

There are also a large number of mountain railways which are sometimes the only means of access to winter resorts. Some of these are attractions in their own right: the Gornergrat-Bahn in Zermatt is one of the oldest mountain railways and climbs to a height of over 3,000m (over 9,800ft) above sea level, offering a spectacular panorama of the Matterhorn and surrounding mountains.

Rail Passes

A leaflet describing all the schemes is available from Switzerland Tourism. A comprehensive timetable for all Swiss public transport can also be purchased. Details of the various rail passes can be found on the Swiss Travel System (www.swisstravelsystem.ch).

Swiss Pass: gives unlimited travel on rail services, those of other main regional operators, boats, an extensive network of buses and city trams, as well as reduced price travel on other mountain railways not included in the full scheme. Tickets can be purchased for four, eight, 15, 22 days or one month.

STS Family Card: allows children up to 16 years of age free travel when accompanied by parents. There are also regional tickets for unlimited travel in different parts of Switzerland at various rates.

Swiss Transfer Ticket: allows return travel from a Swiss border or airport to a selected destination.

InterRail's One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Switzerland. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Getting Around By Road

Traffic drives on the right. Road quality is generally good. Many mountain roads are winding and narrow, and often closed in heavy winter conditions; otherwise chains and snow tires may be necessary. Rail is often more efficient than driving.

Bus: Postal motor coaches (tel: 00800 10020 0300; www.post.ch) provide a service to even the remotest villages, but under the integrated national transport policy, few long-distance coaches are allowed to operate.

Taxi: All taxis have meters for short and long trips, although it is advisable to agree the fare for longer distances out of town.

Car hire: Available in all towns from hotels and airports and at all manned rail stations. All major European companies are represented.

Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18. Seat belts are obligatory and children under 12 years must travel in the back of the car. Dipped headlights are compulsory during the day. Speed limits are 80kph (50mph) on country lanes; max 120kph (75mph), min 60kph (37mph) on motorways; and 50kph (31mph) in towns. An annual road tax (vignette) is levied on all cars and motorbikes using Swiss motorways. An additional fee applies to trailers and caravans. The vignette sticker is valid between 1 December of the year preceding and 31 January of the one following the year printed. These permits, which are available at border crossings, are valid for multiple re-entry into Switzerland within the duration of the licensed period. To avoid hold-ups at the frontier, however, it is advisable to purchase the vignette in advance; call the Swiss Travel Center (tel: 00800 1002 00300) for more details.

Emergency breakdown service: Swiss Touring Club (tel: 140; www.tcs.ch).

Documentation: A national driving license is sufficient. Green Card insurance is advised - ordinary domestic insurance policies are valid but do not provide full cover. The Green Card tops the cover up to the level provided by the visitor's domestic policy.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Highly efficient and integrated urban public transport systems serve as a model for other countries. There are tramways and light rail services in Basle, Bern, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Zürich. These and a further dozen cities also have trolleybuses. Fare systems are generally automated with machines issuing single or multiple tickets at the roadside. Tickets are also available at inquiry offices. Fares are generally zonal. There is a day ticket for travel in one or more Swiss cities on any given day at a standard fare. Taxis are widely available and drivers expect a 15% tip.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Zürich to other major cities/towns in Switzerland.

	Air	Road	Rail
Basle	0.30	1.10	1.05
Bern	-	1.15	1.10
Geneva	0.40	2.45	2.55
Lugano	0.45	3.00	3.00