10 Practical Tips for Visiting Switzerland for the First Time
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As with any country, the beautiful nation of Switzerland comes with its quirks and unique characteristics.
From specific power adapters to cultural differences, there are a handful of things to be aware of before visiting Switzerland for the first time.
Whether you’re still at the beginning stages of planning a trip to Switzerland or are nearly done putting together your itinerary for Switzerland, these tips will help you avoid any unwanted surprises.
Things to Know Before Visiting Switzerland for the First Time
1. Outlets and Plugs Are Different From Most EU Countries
Unfortunately, your universal EU plug adapter will not work in most Swiss outlets. In short, it’s a gamble to only rely on an EU adapter and you should have an alternative backup.
Depending on where you are staying, you may find some outlets which accept two prongs that you can wiggle/jam your EU plugs into. If you aren’t the type to risk it, we highly recommend come prepared with a type C and type J adapter (or find a Swiss adapter inclusive of both). Type J has three pins opposed to two.
2. The Euro Is Not the Main Currency
Despite the country being located in Europe, Switzerland is actually not part of the European Union. This means Switzerland officially uses their own currency, the Swiss franc (CHF) and not the euro.
As a frame of reference, the exchange rate for CHF is similar to the euro if you are comparing it to USD.
When visiting Switzerland for the first time, keep in mind that all prices will be posted in CHF and ATM withdrawals will also be in francs. If you are in a bind, some places may accept euros in an emergency case so it’s not a bad idea to have both currencies on hand.
3. Switzerland Is “Closed” on Sundays
Nearly every store will be closed on Sundays so plan accordingly if your itinerary includes a Sunday in Switzerland. If you’re visiting Switzerland for the first time and particularly from the U.S., this may come as a shock to you. People taking a day off? That’s crazy!
For most travellers, the type of store to be closed which will cost you the most inconvenience is the grocery store. It’s easy to forget about this and if you do, you’ll end up buying groceries at the gas station that day.
Although stores are closed, we found that many restaurants and cafes remain open, especially in busier towns.
4. It’s Expensive
It’s true what they all say and there’s no getting around it… Switzerland is simply expensive. You’ve likely heard this before, but it’s worth emphasising so you really know what to expect.
Everything from eating out to buying a litre of milk will cost you a pretty penny. If you’re visiting Switzerland for the first time from a country that’s more affordable, it’s easy to get taken back by Swiss prices .
Specifically, eating at restaurants is substantially more expensive than it is in surrounding European countries. At grocery stores, you’ll find typical items priced around 10-15% higher than Switzerland’s bordering countries.
Alcohol is also sold at a premium in bars and grocery stores too. If you’re planning on experiencing tours or cable car rides, the more popular ones can cost up to $200 per person so forecast your expenses accordingly.
🇨🇭 Read More: How to Travel to Switzerland on a Budget
5. Scheduled Road Closures in the Mountains
If you are visiting Switzerland in the winter, be prepared to run into some closures in the mountain passes due to the weather. This wasn’t obvious to us as we thought Switzerland would be used to snow and all roads would be plowed. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and many passes can remain closed.
You can always check closures beforehand in live time online. If you are road tripping through Switzerland, this is definitely one of the top things to know before visiting.
Even if you are not driving while in Switzerland, this tip is helpful to keep in mind if you are planning on a tour or activity of a specific location that may be situated in a closed pass.
6. People Keep To Themselves
We wouldn’t necessarily say the Swiss are unfriendly people but they are simply not chatterboxes. Particularly, if you compare Swiss people to how Americans interact with each other, you may jump to the conclusion that they are being rude or do not like you. This is 100% not the case and simply a communication style difference.
This is noteworthy for anyone visiting Switzerland for the first time when you’re in a conversation with a Swiss person.
It is not abnormal for the Swiss to steer away from small talk and pleasantries. Don’t take it personally!
7. An EU Sim Card Won’t Work
Another aspect of a trip to Switzerland which can easily be an oversight, is your phone’s connection and data. If you are coming from another EU country, you’re likely using a SIM card which is valid in other EU countries.
When you arrive in Switzerland, you’re no longer in the EU so your existing EU-based SIM card will not work.
If you are coming from outside of the EU and have purchased a “travel” package with your domestic carrier, make sure they know you are traveling to Switzerland and not just the EU. There’s a difference!
You can also purchase a temporary travel SIM card in Switzerland from a carrier like Swisscom. We purchased one that costs 20 euros for seven days with unlimited 5G data.
Or, consider an eSIM card like Airalo, which you can purchase online and have ready to use instantly. This is by far the most convenient method to ensure you stay connected with local data when visiting Switzerland.
8. Low Speed Limits
On major motorways, traffic moves slowly and it’s kind of perplexing as to why it moves so slowly. We rarely saw patrol cars on the road and didn’t notice any traffic cameras either. Still, expect for traffic to inch along as everyone actually obeys the speed limit.
Maintaining the speed limit wouldn’t be so much of an issue but the speed limit itself is considerably lower compared to any other country we’ve traveled to in Europe.
It wasn’t unusual for motorways to have a speed limit of 90km/h when 130km/h is standard in other countries like Germany. This makes getting from point A to point B a little slower, especially if you’re driving, taking a taxi or bus.
There is no hurrying in Switzerland, there is only the law.
9. Multiple Languages and Regions
Switzerland is split up geographically into German, French and Italian regions. You’ll see the differences instantly which affect language, food and even architecture. It was common for us to be spoken to in three different languages before arriving at the conclusion that we speak English.
On that note, most people do speak English so you do not need to be quadrilingual when visiting Switzerland for the first time.
10. Don’t Overpack Your Itinerary
Most people want to visit Switzerland with the intention of seeing The Alps. While planning your trip to Switzerland, you’ve probably discovered there are so many places to see The Alps! How can one possibly choose?
It’d be impossible to check everything off your Switzerland itinerary bucket list unless you stayed for at least a couple of months. Then, there are countless of other beautiful sites, attractions and even landmarks beyond just mountain peaks. Switzerland has no shortage of magnificent places to visit and it’s just not possible to cram it into one 7-day itinerary.
When choosing where to go in Switzerland, pick out a couple of attractions that are an absolute must see. For the rest, do not be afraid to branch out from what you’ve only seen on Instagram or in the movies.
Every corner of Switzerland is stunning which means you don’t need to stress about visiting the best or most popular sites if you can’t easily fit them into your itinerary.
11. (BONUS Tip) Grocery Stores in Switzerland
This information was useful for us to know during our Switzerland trip so maybe it’ll help you too! There are four major grocery store chains that you’ll find in Switzerland. Migros and Coop are comparable in price and both carry a vast selection of products.
However, Migros does not sell alcohol or cigarettes but has superior “ready to eat” foods such as sandwiches.
Denner is a little less expensive but often smaller in size so you will not find everything you may need. The budget options for groceries are Lidl and Aldi.
