Switzerland is certainly easy to access for any French person, but that doesn't mean we know everything about the country. Even though you don’t necessarily need specialized knowledge before arriving in Switzerland, it's always good to get familiar with the customs and traditions of the country you're visiting. That's why we've compiled a few interesting (and hopefully useful) details about Switzerland. We're talking about currency, language, road traffic, landscapes, and more. Who knows, you might learn something new.
Yes, Switzerland is a "neutral" country. We've heard this since school, but what does it really mean?
According to the Swiss Confederation's website, "Permanent neutrality is a principle of Switzerland's foreign policy. It is a factor for peace and security in Europe and beyond. It guarantees the country’s independence and the inviolability of its territory. Under the law of neutrality, Switzerland cannot participate in a war between other states."l’inviolabilité de son territoire. En vertu du droit de la neutralité, la Suisse ne peut participer à une guerre opposant d’autres États. »
And as a peace-generating country, "Switzerland enjoys great credibility in the field of peace promotion and is a sought-after partner worldwide in this regard." Naturally, Switzerland represents peace globally and is also the European headquarters of the UN (United Nations), "where a wide range of important global issues are discussed."
By the way, Switzerland’s capital is Bern (not Geneva, Basel, Zurich, or Lausanne, although those are the country's largest cities).
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union or the eurozone.
The country has its own currency: the Swiss Franc (CHF). The exchange rate is nearly equal, with 1€ = 0.97 CHF (as of July 2023).
In some areas close to the border, euros are accepted, but this is rare, so we recommend either paying by card or withdrawing a little local currency. Especially since many small shops (souvenir stores, kiosks, etc.) do not accept cards.
In this case, having a card with no fees is preferable. We use the Visa Ultim card from BoursoBank and are very satisfied. It has no withdrawal or payment fees, no matter the currency, and it’s free!
If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one by using the link below or entering our referral code LEGA1596, which will grant you a bonus ranging from €80 to €220 (depending on the current offer and conditions).
Switzerland is part of the Schengen Area (that free movement area in Europe). You’ll be able to enter the country without any issues (and without a passport).
Finally, in Switzerland, they don't speak Swiss, but 4 languages (from neighboring countries): Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
Close to the French border, communication in French will be easy, but the further you go, the less likely the Swiss will speak French. If you don’t speak German, Italian, or Romansh, you'll get by well with English.
It's well-known that the cost of living in Switzerland is more than 60% higher than in France, but the Swiss salaries match this: the minimum wage in Switzerland is 4,400 CHF gross per month in 2023, compared to 1,747€ gross per month in France.
But this can be daunting! A sugar crepe costs 6.50 CHF and a Nutella crepe costs 8 CHF. You won’t find a hotel room for less than 100€ per night, a public transport ticket costs more than 3.50€, and 1L of diesel costs 1.93€ in July 2023 (compared to 1.67€/L in France). You need to be prepared for these prices because the activities you plan to do won’t be any different!
To make the most of your trip, we recommend booking accommodations through AirBnB, shopping for groceries (you’ll find the cheapest supermarkets in the "tips" at the bottom of the article), and cooking your own meals. This will help save some money on food—every little bit counts!
Switzerland is full of stunning landscapes. And there’s no shortage of pictures on the internet, especially on Instagram! These pictures will really make you want to discover the country's hidden wonders with:
It’s a true paradise for nature lovers and hikers.
What’s quite contrasting with the landscape is the road... The Swiss road signs are really not easy to understand. There are lines everywhere on the ground, and figuring out where to position yourself, who has priority, where to go... it's a real puzzle (especially in cities). And to make it worse, everything is yellow, so it looks like the roads are constantly under construction. Personally, this was the most stressful part of being in the country.
Oh, and don’t confuse: in Switzerland, national road signs are blue and highway signs are green... It’s reversed compared to France. Good to know, especially since highways are not tolled like ours, but require a vignette (a sticker you must purchase in advance). We'll explain all of that in the next section!
If you come to Switzerland by vehicle, you’ll need to buy a vignette to drive on the country’s toll highways and semi-highways (the map is visible here).
As of the writing of this article (July 2023), there are only physical vignettes to be affixed to the windshield, but electronic vignettes or e-vignettes are expected to be introduced in 2023. The article will be updated once this is released, and we will provide the official link for ordering them.
Vignettes can be purchased:
This vignette has a fixed price for any vehicle weighing under 3.5 tons: 40 CHF per year (more precisely for 14 months, as it is valid from December 1 of year A-1 until January 31 of year A+1, i.e., for 2023, from December 1, 2022, until January 31, 2024).
There are no daily, weekly, or monthly rates.
Failure to purchase a vignette and still driving on highways and expressways can result in a fine of 200 CHF.
Also, in terms of regulations, remember that you must have your low beams on 24/7 when driving in Switzerland, even during the day. It may sound strange, but we realized this rule is common in many countries during our European tour.
For renting a vehicle in Switzerland, we recommend using DiscoverCars. It compares hundreds of car rental agencies to offer you the best deals, at the best prices, and with the best conditions (all rentals have no hidden fees, include unlimited mileage, partial coverage, and theft protection).
In Switzerland, even though tipping is not mandatory in bars, cafes, or restaurants (since service is included in the bill), it is still common to leave a tip.
This tip typically ranges from 5% to 10% of the final bill, but if you don’t want to do the math and still wish to leave a tip, you can simply round up the total price. For small amounts, round up to the next franc (e.g., for 12.50 CHF, you can round to 13 CHF or 14 CHF), and for larger amounts, round up to the next ten (e.g., for 56 CHF, round to 60 CHF).
Much like in Finland (where you can read our article here), if you lose your wallet in Switzerland, there’s a good chance you’ll get it back. The Swiss are very honest people.
This is one of the reasons why Switzerland ranks first in the safest vacation countries of 2023.
That said, it’s still important to keep an eye on your belongings!
Yes, indeed! The triangular chocolate was invented and is still produced in Switzerland. And Switzerland also inspired the logo on the packaging, particularly the Matterhorn. This iconic mountain is easily recognizable from afar.
However, while writing this article, I discovered that the production of Toblerone will be relocated to Slovakia "to meet the increase in global demand," according to Mondelez International. This will result in the removal of the Matterhorn from the packaging, gradually replaced by a "stylized and generic mountain" to meet "Swiss origin" requirements.
A blow to the Swiss, perhaps? I’m not sure, but the news is out.
Although the Swiss are known for being very civilized, polite, and correct... these weren't the first words that came to mind after our week in Switzerland. Perhaps we just didn’t have luck, but the Swiss people we encountered, both in the east and west of the country, weren’t particularly friendly. This started with our first interaction:
Since we were traveling in a van, we were looking for a place to shower in Geneva. On the Park4Night app, we found a public bath recommended by other travelers. Entrance fee: 2 CHF, free after 6 p.m. We were very excited about this discovery. It was 6 p.m., so we parked in the city and went to the bathhouse. However, when we arrived, not only did the cashier not speak French (which wasn’t a big deal), but she made no effort to understand our request (in English), dismissing us rudely without any explanation, all while the customers around her watched. We were left standing there, dumbfounded, not understanding her reaction.
Another altercation happened as we were descending a winding mountain road east of Interlaken. The kind of road with passing places every 500 meters, as it is too narrow for two vehicles to pass each other (it wasn’t our first time on such roads; we were quite used to them after Italy and the Amalfi Coast, but that’s a story for another article coming soon).
Naturally, a car came toward us. There was no passing place on our side, but there was one on theirs. Instead of pulling into it to let us pass, the car kept going and stopped right in front of us. Simon and I looked at each other, confused. We signaled for the car to reverse into the passing place, but the driver didn’t move and gestured angrily. No one budged (remember, we were in a van weighing over 3 tons, going downhill, while they were in a small, sleek car) and the driver started getting angry. His wife got out, saw our license plate, and started speaking French. Great! Now we could understand each other and get back on the road! We explained that we couldn’t reverse because of our weight and that there was a small indentation lower down where they could pull over to let us pass. But instead of getting back in the car and reversing, the wife got angry and told us it was our responsibility to reverse, and that they wouldn’t move. She made big gestures, saying we shouldn’t have taken this road if we didn’t know how to drive properly, and her husband honked and yelled at us in German.
And as if that weren’t enough, cars started arriving behind the couple, making the situation even worse, as the wife told us that now they couldn’t reverse at all… Anyway, in the end, since we really couldn’t reverse, all the cars facing us had to reverse one by one to let us pass… A completely ridiculous situation that could have been resolved in two seconds if the driver had just pulled into the passing place when he saw us instead of forcing it! Where are the Swiss who are supposed to be civilized, polite, and correct?
Especially since when you look at the road code, it clearly states that descending vehicles must yield to ascending vehicles ONLY if they are of the same weight. Otherwise, lighter (and more maneuverable) vehicles must reverse and yield to heavier ones. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
Anyway, I really hope all Swiss aren’t like the ones we encountered and that you won’t have this kind of experience!
By the way, whether you're Swiss or French, feel free to share your experience and opinion in the comments! We’d be happy to discuss it with you!
If you see "Confederation Helvetica" or "Helvetic Republic" written somewhere, it refers to Switzerland. This name was given by Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolution in 1798 to designate the different Swiss cantons. The name was abandoned in 1803 in favor of Switzerland or the Swiss Confederation, marking the beginning of the country’s political modernization.
According to the 1848 Constitution, "Switzerland is a federal state that still grants significant autonomy to the cantons. (…) Thus, the 26 Swiss cantons are constitutionally autonomous (each having its own constitution, local parliament, and government), as well as in terms of legislation, judiciary, taxation, and administration. Foreign affairs and the military are now solely the responsibility of the federal authorities."
Here’s a fun bonus fact, not particularly useful for travel, but pretty cool! Yes, the Swiss vote remotely.
Switzerland has been a pioneer in electronic voting, having been trialed since 2004 in 15 of the country’s 26 cantons. While electronic voting was stopped in 2019, it has been authorized again since 2022 and will remain in place until at least 2025. Maybe an example for France? Who knows…
That’s it! We’ve shared our 10 key facts about Switzerland (11 if you count the bonus). We hope you’ve learned something and, most importantly, that it will be useful for preparing your trip and once you’re on-site 😊.
A few "tips" are waiting for you at the end of the article, don’t miss them! And if this article has made you want to visit Switzerland, you can book your tickets here:
1. Adapter Needed: Some Swiss power outlets aren’t compatible with French plugs. Bringing an adapter is a good idea.
2. City Passes : Check out CityPass offers in major Swiss cities. These often include public transport and can save you money on attractions.
3. Winter Hiking Caution: Many mountain roads close in winter, which can make some hikes inaccessible. Be sure to check the weather and road conditions.
4. Grocery Savings: For budget-friendly shopping, head to Migros, Lidl, or Aldi, which are among the cheapest supermarkets in Switzerland.
5. Eco-Conscious: Like Austria, Switzerland is highly strict about cleanliness and eco-friendly practices. Littering can result in fines, so always dispose of your waste properly and follow local rules—speed limits, pedestrian crossings, queues, etc.
Vraiment, c'était très bien expliqué. Merci beaucoup pour tout ce vous faites.
Merci beaucoup pour ce retour, ça nous fait vraiment chaud au coeur d'entendre ça ! 🙏🏼🥰
Merci c est bon à savoir
De rien. On est très heureux de voir que l'article est utile ! 😉
How about we chat?