Switzerland international travel guide

Switzerland

Switzerland is part of Europe with main city at Bern. It's usually 🌤️ -2.64 °C in Switzerland with a rainfall of 🌧 102.82 mm. Tipping is usually not expected in Switzerland. Internet speed in Switzerland is on average 16.7 Mbps. In Switzerland you drive on the right side. Its Developed country with a population of 8M people. The main currency is Swiss Franc. The languages spoken are German, French and Italian. Automatic teller machines are very common in Switzerland. Current travel safety advice is Do not travel. Get other useful information like socket plugs, SIM cards and emergency numbers.
👍 Developed   🌤️ ~-2.64 °C   🌧 ~102.82 mm  👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 8M people

Advice

🛡️ Travel safety

Do not travel

Switzerland has lifted entry restrictions for specified third countries, including Australia. Normal entry requirements also apply to people entering Switzerland from any of the Schengen area states and EU/EFTA and UK citizens. Third country nationals otherwise need to have a specific right to be in Switzerland, such as having a Swiss residence permit in order to enter. If you arrive in Switzerland from certain specified countries, you'll be required to quarantine in your accommodation for 10 days. Strict hygiene and social distancing rules are in place, including the mandatory use of masks on public transport (see Travel). We advise: Do not travel to Switzerland.

issued date: July 20, 2020

General

🔌 Sockets

Switzerland uses 230V, 50Hz with sockets and plugs Type C and Type J.

🌐 Languages

The languages that are typically spoken are German, French and Italian

Money

💱 Currencies Used

Switzerland uses the Swiss franc (symbol: Fr), code CHF.Banknotes come in denominations of 1000, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 francs. Franc is subdivided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 5, 2 and 1 francs and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

💳 Cards

Widely accepted Credit cards are widely accepted within Switzerland (at hotels, shops, and restaurants, travel agencies, car-rental agencies etc.). Visa, MasterCard and Maestro are the most widely accepted. American Express is less common. Diners Club is pretty rare. Discover, JCB, UnionPay and RuPay are unknown.

🏧 ATMs

Automatic teller machines are very common in Switzerland. You can find them in both large & small cities, tourist areas etc.You do not need a chip & PIN card to use an ATM — your standard magnetic card will work fine.

💁‍♂️ Tipping

Not expected, but can leave extra tip Tipping is usually not expected in Switzerland. However, if you are satisfied with the service provided you can show your appreciation by leaving a small ‘extra’ tip. Receipts usually include a service charge. If there is a service charge there is no need to tip.

Calling

📡 Internet

Internet speed in Switzerland is on average 16.7 Mbps. WiFi coverage in Switzerland is very high. Most hotels, hostels, cafes, restaurants and bars have it.

📱 Phones

You can buy a SIM card for about 30.26 CHF, which includes 1 GB of data plan. You can choose from 3 telecoms: Salt, Sunrise or Swisscom. Switzerland uses GSM mobile networks GSM 900 and GSM 1800. If you don't want to buy SIM card in Switzerland upon arrival, make sure to check the roaming charges with your telecom provider before your departure so there are no surprises when you return home.

📞 Calling

To call Switzerland, dial +, then 41 (the country code for Switzerland), then the area code (without the initial 0) and the local number. For local calls within Switzerland, start with the area code (with the initial 0). In the case above area code is 21 .

Driving

🛣️ Road rules

In Switzerland you drive on the right side. Most cars have manual transmission (stick). Unless otherwise posted, the speed limits for cars and motorcycles are as follows: 120 km/h (74 mph) on motorways, 120 km/h (74 mph) on expressways, 30 km/h (18 mph) in residential areas, 50 km/h (31 mph) in all built-up areas and 80-100 km/h (49-62 mph) on undivided highways. Right turn on red lights is strictly forbidden unless an additional green semaphore arrow allows it. It is illegal to drive with blood alcohol content higher than 0.05%.

🆘 Emergency

Police

+1 671-475-8498

Last updated: January 1, 2021

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