Four national languages, Sunday closing, and rules about rubbish and noise that visitors treat as suggestions and locals do not.
- Four national languages, and which you meet depends entirely on where you are: Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne German, Geneva and Lausanne French, Ticino Italian. Greet people when entering a shop.
- Almost all shops close on Sundays and shut at 18:30 or 19:00 on weekdays - station and airport shops and petrol stations are your fallback.
- Quiet hours are observed, generally 22:00 to 07:00 plus all Sunday, which in an apartment can extend to not running a washing machine.
- Rubbish is charged by the bag in most cantons and using the wrong bag is fined - if you are in an apartment, ask the host how it works, because it is not obvious.
- Plugs are type . A European two-pin type fits, but a three-pin Schuko does not, so bring an adapter. Station toilets cost CHF 1 to CHF 2.
Languages
- Four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Which one you meet depends entirely on where you are.
- Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne are German-speaking. Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux are French. Ticino, including Lugano, is Italian.
- Spoken Swiss German is not standard German and Germans struggle with it too. Written German is standard.
- English is very widely spoken, especially in Zurich, Geneva and anywhere touristed.
- Greet people when entering a shop. "Grüezi", "bonjour" or "buongiorno" depending on the canton.
Sunday and the clock
- Almost all shops close on Sundays. Station and airport shops and petrol stations are the exceptions, and they are your fallback.
- Shops shut at 18:30 or 19:00 on weekdays and earlier on Saturdays.
- Quiet hours are observed, generally 22:00 to 07:00 plus Sunday all day. In apartment buildings this can extend to not running a washing machine or a noisy shower.
- Punctuality is real. A 19:00 dinner invitation means 19:00, and being 15 minutes late needs an apology.
Rubbish and rules
- Rubbish disposal is charged by the bag in most cantons. Zurich's Züri-Sack and its equivalents cost a couple of francs each, and using the wrong bag is fined.
- Recycling is separated rigorously, with PET, glass by colour, aluminium and paper each having their own collection.
- If you are in an apartment, ask the host how the rubbish works. It is not obvious and getting it wrong lands on them.
- Littering fines are enforced, including for cigarette ends.
Eating and drinking
- Lunch runs roughly 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 18:30, and many kitchens close between them.
- The daily lunch menu (Tagesteller, plat du jour) is the cheapest hot meal in the country, often half the evening price for the same food.
- Fondue is a winter dish and ordering it in August marks you out gently.
- Tap water is free on request in most restaurants, though some charge for it.
- Coop and Migros are the two supermarket chains and both close early and on Sundays.
Practicalities
- Plugs are type , the Swiss three-pin. A standard European two-pin type plug fits, but a three-pin type "Schuko" plug does not fit a Swiss socket. Bring an adapter.
- Voltage is 230 V.
- Public toilets in stations charge CHF 1 to CHF 2.
- Public holidays vary by canton, which means a town can be shut while the next one over is open. Fixed national ones are 1 January, Ascension and 1 August.
- 1 August is the national day, with fireworks and closed everything.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.