Helpful Travel Information for Switzerland

Switzerland is a small multi-cultural, multi-lingual country located in the very heart of Europe. It shares common frontiers with five countries - Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein. Switzerland is therefore at the crossroads of the continent. It is a focal point of international air, road and rail traffic and easily accessible within hours from major European cities and centres.

Switzerland Bike Tour

Day 1 Arrival Switzerland
Geneva 10:56 AM   Train 1425
Lausanne 11:40 AM

Day 1 Arrival Switzerland from Paris
Paris: Gare de Lyon 7:58 AM  Lyria 9261 
Lausanne 11:52 AM

Day 6 Departure Switzerland
(Interlaken) to Geneva 10:31 AM   1070 Basel (arrive 12:32)
Take train 624 departing at 1:03 to Geneva 3:46 PM

Day 6 Departure Switzerland
(Interlaken) to Paris 12:31 PM train 1074 Basel Sbb (arrive 2:32 PM)
Take LYRIA train 9216 departing at 3:02 to Paris Gare d’Est 6:34 PM

Zurich Airport: (comfortable lounges, immaculate restrooms)
Flughafen Zürich is located 12 kilometers (about 7 miles) from downtown Zürich in the suburb of Kloten. It's one of two major international airports in Switzerland, the other being in Geneva. There's a good chance that you'll arrive here if you're flying to Switzerland, since Zürich Airport is served by at least 60 airlines and charter services and is the hub of Swissair's worldwide flight network.

After leaving the plane, head for the arrival hall and go through passport control. This shouldn't take more than a moment or two. The Swiss immigration officials are much more efficient than their U.S. counterparts, and they wouldn't dream of herding visitors into long, slow-moving lines. Customs clearance is also simple: Unless you have something to declare, simply head for the Green Line after you've claimed your baggage.

Baggage carts are free. They're also large enough to hold a family's luggage, and they're designed to go up and down escalators. Just make sure your luggage is firmly packed on the cart before you approach the moving staircase. You can take baggage carts down several flights of escalators to the platforms in the train station--and again, there's no rental charge.

By train:
Thanks to its convenient central location, Switzerland is also served by fast reliable inter-European rail services from at least a dozen countries. Daily services operate from major cities in Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Scandinavia, and the Benelux countries. Most trains include dining cars, bars and a wide range of other amenities and - for night travel - comfortable sleeping compartments.

By car:
For travellers arriving by road, Switzerland is linked to Europe's extensive motorway network. Cross-border travel is trouble free, with the minimum of delay and formalities.

Swiss International Air Lines is the national carrier of Switzerland serving 70 worldwide destinations in 42 countries from its home hub in Zurich, and from Basel and Geneva international airports.

Zurich and Geneva airports are fully integrated into the Swiss railroad network and have their own railway stations. Trains to the two city centres run every 10 to 20 minutes, with a travelling time of approximately 10 minutes. Hourly intercity and direct trains leave right from either airport station and will connect you to many cities and towns. In Basel, a bus service links the airport with the downtown area. The bus stops right outside the main railway station. The buses leave every 30 minutes and the ride takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Travel times:
From Zurich to the following towns and cities (in hours and minutes)
                    Air          Train         Car
Basel        0:30          1:05           1:10
Berne       1:10           1:15
Geneva    0:40          2:55           2:45
Lugano    0:45           3:00          3:00

Taxi transfer costs: from the airport to the town centre:

Centre Zurich:                 ca. CHF 50 (approx USD 41.00)*
Centre Geneva:               ca. CHF 35 (approx USD 29.00)*
Centre Basel:                    ca. CHF 40 (approx USD 33.00)*
Centre Lugano:               ca. CHF 40 (approx USD 33.00)*
Centre Berne:                   ca. CHF 40 (approx USD 33.00)*

Currency
Please note that Switzerland remains with the Swiss franc, usually indicated as CHF. While Switzerland is not part of the European Union and thus is not obliged to convert to the Euro, many prices are nonetheless indicated in euros so that visitors may compare prices. Merchants may accept euros but are not obliged to do so. Change given back to the client will most likely be in Swiss francs.

The Swiss franc comes in the following denominations:
Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50 Cents and 1, 2, 5 Francs
Bank notes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000 Francs 

The VAT you pay on purchased goods in Switzerland is 7.6 %. You may ask at the shops for your Global Refund Cheque and reclaim the VAT: The total purchases in a shop must amount to CHF 400.00 (including VAT). The tourist must be resident outside Switzerland and the goods must be exported within 30 days.

3 easy steps to claiming your refund in Switzerland:

In the store
Your total purchases in a shop must amount to CHF 400.00 (Including VAT). You must be a resident outside Switzerland and the goods must be exported within 30 days.

Through customs
When leaving Switzerland the Tax-free Shopping Cheques have to be stamped by Swiss customs authorities after they have seen the goods.

Collecting the refund
You have several choices: immediate cash at a Cash Refund Office, direct crediting to a chosen credit card or bank account, a bank check and even, for