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Here you will find travel information and insider tips about Switzerland that has been cooperatively contributed by other friendly Hospitality Club members. Please become active as well, and share your vast budget travel and backpacking knowledge with other members and the internet community - it is very easy to edit any information here (more info in the Help File). We hope that these Travel Guides will quickly become a great and fun resource. If you want to print this guide out to take with you, we have prepared this Printer Friendly Travel Guide for you. Enjoy!
For Introduction, Top Things to See and Do, Neighboring Countries, Who is coming?, Want more guests!, Hospitality Club Meetings and the geographic navigation please see the main Switzerland Page.
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Basic Facts |
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Official Country Name:Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confédération Hélvétique (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian), Confoederatio Helvetica (Romansch)
Capital:Bern
Administrative divisions: Confederation (federal state), Cantons (local states, 23, 3 of them being divided in 2 half-cantons...so 26 in total...) and municipalities (nearly 3'000). This division is used by HC to sort members by region.
Population: 7,489,370 (July 200 ... more |
Attractions and Things to See and Do |
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Let's make it a mess:
Chapel bridge in Luzern, Matterhorn (Zermatt), Eiger-Moensch-Jungfrau and Aletschglaetscher, Jet d'eau de Geneve, old Bern are certainly amongst the most visited places.
Other nice attractions in Switzerland are the scenic trains. Why are they scenic? Just because they climb up the mountain following it as close as possible and taking their time.
The most popular one is the Glacier-Express runing from Zermatt to St-Moritz through Brig, A ... more |
Maps |
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http://img92.exs.cx/img92/2237/map-swi.gif
http://map.search.ch > satellite picture of the address you are looking for!
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Off the Beaten Path and Insider Tips |
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Suggested Itineraries |
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1 Day, 1 Week, 2 Weeks, 1 Month ... |
Transport |
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Public transports in Switzerland are frequent and well organized, as well as gorgeous for the mountain trains... but very expensive!
If you plan to travel a bit by public transports in Switzerland, a part from european tickets, consider getting one of these:
Swiss transfer ticket allows you to go from the border (or airport) to your destination and back within 1 month.
Swiss card is a swiss transfer ticket plus half price on nearly all transports in Swit ... more |
Accommodation |
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If you do not want to stay with other HC members, or none is available, here is what other members suggest.
Hostels: In Switzerland are a lot of really great hostels visit them on: http://www.youthhostel.ch/ or http://www.backpacker.ch/ Those two will give you an overall view of hostels in Switzerland...and also their prices!
Hotels: well... you can visit: www.myswitzerland.com ;)
Camping Camping is also good in Switzerland, visit: http://www.camping. ... more |
Food and Drinks and Local Specialties |
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Restaurants, Supermarkets, Street Food, Local Specialties ...
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Money and Costs |
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Currency: Swiss Franks (CHF)
Exchanging Money: Every bank and some private dealers. Some shops/restaurants also accept Euro (€)
Credit Cards:
All major ones
Tipping: Noone refuses a tip, but it's not usual in Switzerland (I'd rather say: Not necessary, not expected, but common.)
Bargaining
Costs: expensive, expensive, expensive - Switzerland one of Europe's most expensive countries
dsf 2 |
Visa and Documents and Embassies |
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Who needs a visa? How to get it? Embassies & Consulates, of the country abroad and in the country...
Switzerland will enter the european "Schengen zone" from june 2007. From then no specific swiss visa will be needed, you'll just have to have any visa from any other country from the Schengen zone (obviously for those who need visa...) |
Borders and Customs |
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Post and Communications and Internet |
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Post offices in almost all villages ,
You can phone with a phone card, purchase at the post office or newsagents
Fax you can send from the post office ,
in all bigger cities there are internet cafes
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Questions and Answers or Forum |
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Here anything goes, you can post questions you have, and other members will answer you. If you do answer, please send the reply directly to the asking member as well, and try to integrate the information into the categories above. If too difficult to do, just answer right here and a volunteer will integrate in the future. Also, you can put thanks notes in here. Add new questions on top so they show up on the Travel Guide page. Please post messages not related to traveling or the aim of the Hospi ... more |
Hospitality Club Meetings |
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Use this section to add more info if you organize meetings and events (you can add a short note on the main country page). You can also invite other members to parties, sports events, whenever you would like to meet up with someone. |
Travelogues |
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Have you written a story about a trip to this country? Just paste your text in here and share your experience with other members. |
Photos |
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Here you can include photos that are hosted somewhere on the internet. As with maps, you have to make sure that it is ok for us to use the photos here (so they should be either your photos, or you should ask the owner), and that it is allright to call them up from here. |
Activities and Sports |
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Zürich: have a look at
www.bodyflying.com.There are just a few places in the world you can do this kind of thing... So take the chance when you happen to be in Zürich. Reservation is recommended.
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Nightlife and Entertainment |
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Bars, Cafes, Discos, Cinemas... |
Population and People |
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Culture and Conduct or Local Customs |
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Language and Useful Phrases |
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Events and Holidays |
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This should be in links... but for a start it'll be here.
Switzerland hosts quite a lot of different festivals (like many other countries btw).
Here are the main "general" events:
www.paleo.ch in Nyon, between Geneva and Lausanne, 6 days in late july, has a free campsite. Tickets are sold in april. Tend to be sold out in 2 weeks.
www.festivalcite.ch in Lausanne. all events free: all kinds of music, dance, theatre, etc.. a very nice free festival he ... more |
Climate and When to Go |
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Geography |
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Environment and Flora and Fauna |
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Dangers and Warnings |
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Tourist Traps |
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Health |
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History |
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Government and Politics |
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Economy |
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GDP, GDP per head, Annual growth, inflation, Major Industries, Major trading partners... |
Arts |
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Music, Literature, Theater, Movies ... |
Media |
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Newspapers, Radio and TV, Magazines ... |
Religion |
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Volunteer Opportunities and Work |
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Organized Tours |
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What to Bring or Packing List |
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Shopping |
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Books and Further Reading |
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Guidebooks, Travel, History and Politics
Please enter Amazon links to the books - we will put info on how to do this here shortly. This way we hope to get a bit of funding for the running of the club, if someone buys the books you recommend. |
Other Information |
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Could not fit it into any of the categories above? Put it here...:-) |
External Links |
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Official website of Swiss Confederation: www.admin.ch
Official information about entering Switzerland (visa): www.bfm.admin.ch/index.php?id=22&L=3&S=0 (in english, also exists in the national languages)
Official website of Swiss Tourism: www.myswitzerland.com
Main railway website: www.sbb.ch
interesting indepant ressources: www.about.ch
Switzerland Travel Guide (L)
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