According to philosophynearby, Switzerland (German: die Schweiz, French: la Suisse) is a country in Europe bordering Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The capital of Switzerland is Bern. A number of major cities in Switzerland are: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano.
Switzerland is known for its mountain landscape (Alps), winter sports and the many lakes that the country has. The largest lakes in the country are Lake Constance, Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel. Winter sports take place all year round because of the eternal snow. In Switzerland, for example, the following winter sports are practiced: skiing, ice hockey, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, ski jumping and curling. The country has approximately 200 winter sports areas with many slopes and hotels. The country is also known for its chocolate, cheese fondue, Swiss watches and pocket knives. See insidewatch for Switzerland destinations.
Cantons of Switzerland:
Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-City, Bern, Friborg, Geneva, Glarus, Graubünden, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Vaud, Valais, Zug and Zurich.
Where is Switzerland?
Travel information of Switzerland
Official name: Swiss Confederation
Continent: Europe
Area: 41,284 km²
Capital: Bern
Country code: CH, CHE
Population: 8,403,994 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Direct democratic federal republic
Highest point: 4,634 m (Dufourspitze)
Distance (Amsterdam – Bern): 632 km
Flight time: approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Switzerland that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Switzerland, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Switzerland. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Switzerland?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Switzerland at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Switzerland largely has a high mountain climate. Temperatures during the summer months are around 20 to 25 degrees in the lower areas and around 10 degrees in areas above 1800 meters. During the winter months the temperatures are around 0 to -10 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Switzerland can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Switzerland can be found at Climate info.
Current snow depths in Switzerland can be found at Winter sports enthusiasts.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to Switzerland. This avoids the long cold winter period and mass tourism.
January, February and March are the best months for a winter sports holiday in Switzerland.
Language
German (Swiss German), French, Italian and Romansh are the official languages in Switzerland. In addition, Serbo-Croatian, Albanian, Portuguese, English and Spanish are also spoken.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Switzerland: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Switzerland: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Swiss Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Swiss consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Switzerland.
Money and Currency
In Switzerland, payments are made with the Swiss franc (CHF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Switzerland can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Switzerland are much higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +76% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (52% more expensive), food (129% more expensive), imported beer in catering (60% more expensive), cigarettes (20% more expensive) and public transport (6% more expensive). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Switzerland it is not customary to tip. Tips (service costs) are already automatically calculated in the price.
Time difference
There is no time difference with the Netherlands.
Summer time in Switzerland is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Switzerland can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Switzerland you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Switzerland.
A toll vignette is required for driving on all motorways in Switzerland.
The toll vignette applies to cars, motorcycles and trailers, each with a total weight of up to 3500 kg.
The vignette can be purchased at one of the ANWB shops and at the Swiss border.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Switzerland.
Electricity In Switzerland you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Switzerland can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Switzerland can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Switzerland can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Switzerland end in.ch.
Switzerland official website: myswitzerland.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Switzerland is 0041 or +41.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Switzerland? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Phone numbers can be found in the Switzerland Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Switzerland.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Switzerland.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Switzerland.
Holidays and school holidays
Switzerland’s National Day falls on 1 August.
An overview of all other public holidays in Switzerland can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Switzerland in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Switzerland, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report about Switzerland?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Switzerland. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and World Heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Switzerland can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Switzerland can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Switzerland? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Switzerland, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Switzerland, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Switzerland? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Switzerland.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18. Beer and wine in some cantons from 16 years.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying from the age of 16/18, smoking from the age of 16/18 (differs per canton).
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…The headquarters of the IOC, FIFA and UEFA are located in Switzerland?
…Switzerland was long known for its banking secrecy?
…Switzerland consists of 70% mountains?
…Switzerland exports more than 170 tons of chocolate products annually?
…Switzerland is also known for the Swiss army knife and Swiss timepieces?
…The German village of ‘Büsingen’ is entirely in Switzerland?