Switzerland Travel Guide

Business Hours -- Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm (closed on legal holidays). Foreign currency may be exchanged at major railroad stations and airports daily from 8am to 10pm. Most business offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to noon and 2 to 6pm. Shops are usually open Monday through Friday from 8am to 12:15pm and 1:30 to 6:30pm, and on Saturday from 9am to 4pm. In most major cities, shops and supermarkets in the main train station are open on Sundays -- generally between 11am and 4pm. In large cities most shops don't close during the lunch hour, although many do close on Monday morning.

Customs -- You can take personal effects into Switzerland, such as clothing, toilet articles, sports gear, photographic and amateur movie or video cameras (including film), musical instruments, and camping equipment. Medicine must be for your personal use only. You can also take 2 liters of alcohol (up to 15% proof) or 1 liter of more than 15% proof. You are also allowed 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco if you're flying in from outside Europe. Those entering from other European countries are allowed 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco.

Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for at least 48 hours are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, $800 worth of merchandise duty-free. You'll be charged a flat rate of 4% duty on the next $1,000 worth of purchases. Be sure to have your receipts handy. On mailed gifts, the duty-free limit is $100. With some exceptions, you cannot bring fresh fruits and vegetables into the United States. For specifics on what you can bring back, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov (click on "Publications" and then "Know Before You Go"). Or contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 202/354-1000), and request the pamphlet.

For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca). Canada allows its citizens a C$750 exemption, and you're allowed to bring back duty-free one carton of cigarettes, one can of tobacco, 40 imperial ounces of liquor, and 50 cigars. In addition, you're allowed to mail gifts to Canada valued at less than C$60 a day, provided they're unsolicited and don't contain alcohol or tobacco (write on the package "Unsolicited gift, under $60 value"). All valuables should be declared on the Y-38 form before departure from Canada, including serial numbers of valuables you already own, such as expensive foreign cameras. Note: The C$750 exemption can only be used once a year and only after an absence of 7 days.

The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$900 or, for those under 18, A$450. Citizens can bring in 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of loose tobacco, and 2.25 liters of alcohol. If you're returning with valuables you already own, such as foreign-made cameras, you should file form B263. A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263 or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

U.K. citizens returning from a non-E.U. country have a customs allowance of 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars; 250 grams of smoking tobacco; 2 liters of still table wine; 1 liter of spirits or strong liqueurs (over 22% volume); 2 liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs; 60cc (ml) perfume; 250cc (ml) of toilet goods, including gifts and souvenirs. People under 17 cannot have the tobacco or alcohol allowance. For more information, contact HM Revenue & Customs at tel. 0845/010-9000 from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult their website at www.hmrc.gov.uk.

The duty-free allowance for New Zealand is NZ$700. Citizens over 17 can bring in 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture of all three if their combined weight doesn't exceed 250g), plus 4.5 liters of wine and beer, or 1.125 milliliters of liquor. New Zealand currency does not carry import or export restrictions. Fill out a certificate of export, listing the valuables you are taking out of the country, so you can bring them back without paying duty. Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs Service, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 09/300-5399 or 0800/428-786 in New Zealand; www.customs.govt.nz).

Drug Laws -- A word of warning: Penalties for illegal drug possession are more severe in Switzerland than they are in the United States and Canada. You could go to jail or be deported immediately.

Drugstores -- Switzerland has excellent pharmacies. Yet outside the main cities it can be difficult to get a prescription filled after business hours.

Electricity -- Switzerland's electricity is 220 volts, 50 cycles, AC. Some international hotels are specially wired to allow North Americans to plug in their appliances, but you'll usually need a transformer for your electric razor, hair dryer, or soft-contact-lens sterilizer. You'll also need an adapter plug to channel the electricity from the Swiss system to the flat-pronged American system. Don't plug anything into the house current in Switzerland without being certain the systems are compatible.

Embassies & Consulates -- Most embassies are located in the national capital, Bern; some nations maintain consulates in other cities such as Geneva. There's an Australian consulate in Geneva at Chemins des Fins 2 (tel. 022/799-91-00). The Canadian embassy is at 88 Kirchenfeldstrasse, Bern (tel. 031/357-32-00). New Zealand has no embassy in Switzerland, but there's a consulate in Geneva at chemin des Fins (tel. 022/929-03-50). The embassy of the United Kingdom is at Thunstrasse 50, Bern (tel. 031/359-77-00), and there is a British consulate in Geneva at 37-39, rue de Vermont (tel. 022/918-24-00). The embassy of the United States is located at Jubilaumstrasse 93, Bern (tel. 031/357-70-11), with consulates in Zurich at Dufourstrasse 101 (tel. 043/499-29-60) and in Geneva at Versonnex 7 (tel. 022/840-51-60).

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 117 for the police (emergencies only) and tel. 118 to report a fire.

Hospitals -- A prime location for medical aid is the Geneva University Hospital (rue Micheli-du-Crest 24, CH-1211 Genève; tel. 022/372-60-19; www.hug-ge.ch). Most physicians speak English and German.

Language -- The three major languages are German, French, and Italian, although most people in the tourist industry speak English.

Legal Aid -- This may be hard to come by in Switzerland. The government advises foreigners to consult their embassy or consulate in case of a dire emergency, such as an arrest. Even if your embassy or consulate declines to offer financial or legal help, it will generally offer advice on how to obtain help locally.

Liquor Laws -- The official drinking age is 16. As in many European countries, the application of laws governing drinking is flexible and enforced only if a problem develops or if decorum is broken. Driving while intoxicated, particularly if it results in damage to property or persons, brings swift and severe punishment involving sizable fines and possible imprisonment.

Mail -- Post offices in large cities are open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to noon and 2 to 6pm, and on Saturday from 7:30 to 11am. If you have letters forwarded to a post office to be collected after you arrive, you'll need a passport for identification. The words "Poste Restante" must be clearly written on the envelope. Letters not collected within 30 days are returned to the sender. Letters are either first class, meaning air mail, or surface mail, rated second class. To send letters and postcards to America, weighing up to 20 grams, the cost is 1.80F ($1.50/80p) for first class or 1.40F ($1.15/60p) for surface. To Great Britain, the charge is 1.30F ($1.05/55p) in first class or 1.20F ($1/50p) for surface.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Swiss papers are published in German, French, or Italian (depending on the region). Most news kiosks in major cities stock the British dailies, plus the latest editions of the International Herald Tribune, which, although edited in Paris, is printed in Zurich. USA Today, the latest copies of Time and Newsweek, and other U.S. and British magazines are also widely available.

Passports -- For residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov. For general information, call the National Passport Agency (tel. 877/487-6868). To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call.

For residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada and from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

For residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency, or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service (tel. 0870/521-0410; www.ukpa.gov.uk).

For residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a €12 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525) and at most main post offices.

For residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Contact the Australian Passport Information Service (tel. 131-232; www.passports.gov.au).

For residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from the website. Contact the Passports Office (tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100; www.passports.govt.nz).

Pets -- Dogs and cats brought into Switzerland require veterinary certificates stating that the animals have been vaccinated against rabies not less than 30 days and not more than 1 year prior to entry into the country. This regulation also applies to dogs and cats returning after a temporary absence from Switzerland, but not to animals transported through the country by rail or air traffic.

Police -- Dial tel. 117 for emergencies.

Radio & TV -- Television programming transmits in German, French, or Italian (again, depending on the region), but films in English are often shown, with the local language appearing in subtitles. Most hotels have radios on which you can hear British broadcasts. The BBC can often be picked up on transistor sets, as can the American Forces Network. First-class hotels often subscribe to CNN.

Restrooms -- Most public restrooms are clean and modernized. However, in this multilingual country you have to know what you are looking for. Depending on the part of Switzerland, public restrooms may be WC (water closet), Toiletten, toilettes, or gabinetti. Women's rooms may be identified as "Damen" or "Frauen," "Signore" or "Donne," "Femmes" or "Dames;" and men's rooms may be labeled "Herren" or "Männer," "Signori" or "Uomini," "Hommes" or "Messieurs." Public restrooms can be found at bus stations, railway terminals, and cable-car platforms. If these aren't handy, use the restrooms in cafes. Most public lavatories are not free.

Safety -- Crimes of violence, such as muggings, are rare in Switzerland. It is generally safe to walk the streets of cities day and night. The most common crime reported by visitors is a picked pocket.

Taxes -- A value-added tax (VAT) of 7.6% is added to bills. In addition, drivers entering Switzerland are required by law to purchase a windshield sticker for 40F, valid for travel on Swiss roads for 1 year. Stickers are sold at all Customs posts upon entering Switzerland.

Time -- Switzerland's clocks are usually 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States, and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. However, because Switzerland and the United States switch their clocks every spring and fall during different weeks, the time difference is sometimes only 5 hours.

Tipping -- A 15% service charge is included in all hotel and restaurant bills, although some people leave an additional tip for exceptional service. For taxis, a tip is usually included in the charges (a notice will be posted in the cab).

Water -- Tap water is safe to drink in all Swiss towns and cities. But don't drink from rivers or mountain streams, regardless of how clean the water may appear.

Weather -- American Express Travel Related Service Company provides hourly reports on current weather conditions and 3-day forecasts for more than 900 cities in Europe. For Switzerland, dial tel. 900/WEATHER (there's a 95¢-per-minute charge for the call) and press the first three letters of the desired city: BAS (Basel), BER (Bern), GEN (Geneva), LUC (Lucerne), STM (St. Moritz), or VAD (Vaduz, Liechtenstein).