Switzerland

Capital Bern

Population 8,341,600

Area 41,284 km2

Key facts

Switzerland is a country located in Western Europe. There are 5 countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein) that Switzerland shares its borders with. As for languages, the country’s residents speak German, French and Italian. Although English is not the official language, a large number of people in Switzerland are fluent English speakers.

In the EF English Competency Index (EF EPI), which assesses the language proficiency of non-native speaking countries, Switzerland was ranked 25th out of 100 countries in 2021.

The national currency in Switzerland is Swiss franc (CHF). The franc (CHF) is subdivided into 100 rappen (Rp.).

Swiss
Banknotes

CHF10CHF20CHF50CHF100CHF200CHF1000

Swiss
Coins

5Rp.10Rp.20Rp.50Rp.CHF1CHF2CHF5

Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.

Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in Switzerland is 338.65 Mbps and mobile is 164.63 Mbs.The global average is 187.01 Mbps and 128.37 Mbps respectively.

ATM Density Switzerland has more ATMs than most other countries.91.65 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.

SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in Switzerland, a passport or ID is required as identification.

Socket types

There are 2 socket types used in Switzerland. Type C is a popular socket type throughout Europe (except the United Kingdom), Russia, and certain Asian countries.

Type C 230 V, 50 Hz  Type J 230 V, 50 Hz  

The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).

Public holidays

In the year 2024, Switzerland will celebrate 4 national public holidays. Furthermore, there are 15 holidays that are only celebrated in certain parts of Switzerland. The next one Easter Monday will take place on April 1.

Date Holiday name
January 1, 2024 New Year’s DayNeujahr
January 2, 2024 St. Berchtold’s DayBerchtoldstag Regional holiday
January 6, 2024 EpiphanyHeilige Drei Könige Regional holiday
March 19, 2024 Saint Joseph’s DayJosefstag Regional holiday
March 29, 2024Moving holiday Good FridayKarfreitag Regional holiday
April 1, 2024Moving holiday Easter MondayOstermontag Regional holiday
May 1, 2024 Labour DayTag der Arbeit Regional holiday
May 9, 2024Moving holiday Ascension DayAuffahrt
May 20, 2024Moving holiday Whit MondayPfingstmontag Regional holiday
May 30, 2024Moving holiday Corpus ChristiFronleichnam Regional holiday
August 1, 2024 Swiss National DayBundesfeier
August 15, 2024 Assumption of the Virgin MaryMaria Himmelfahrt Regional holiday
September 5, 2024Moving holiday Geneva PraydayJeûne genevois Regional holiday
September 15, 2024Moving holiday Federal Day of ThanksgivingEidgenössischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag Regional holiday
September 16, 2024Moving holiday Federal Fast MondayBettagsmontag Regional holiday
November 1, 2024 All Saints’ DayAllerheiligen Regional holiday
December 8, 2024 Immaculate ConceptionMariä Empfängnis Regional holiday
December 25, 2024 Christmas DayWeihnachten
December 26, 2024 St. Stephen’s DayStephanstag Regional holiday

Tourism

What hotel chains are present in Switzerland?

There are Mariott hotels in 3 cities.

The Hilton hotel chain operates in Switzerland.

The IHG hotel chain operates in Switzerland.

The Best Western hotel chain operates in Switzerland.

There are Radisson hotels in 5 cities.

The Accor hotel chain operates in Switzerland.

What fast food chains are present in Switzerland?

The McDonald’s chain operates in Switzerland.

The KFC chain operates in Switzerland.

The Burger King chain operates in Switzerland.

The Subway chain operates in Switzerland.

The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in Switzerland.

The Starbucks chain operates in Switzerland.

Weather

What is the weather like in Bern?

Today the sun in Bern, rises at 6:14 AM and sets at 6:55 PM. The climate of Bern may be categorized as a Marine west coast (Cfb), according to Koppen’s classification system.

TodayMar 29OvercastLow: 0.6°C (33.08°F)High: 16.5°C (61.7°F)
SaturdayMar 30Rain showersLow: 8.7°C (47.66°F)High: 18°C (64.4°F)
SundayMar 31Rain showersLow: 5.8°C (42.44°F)High: 16.4°C (61.52°F)
MondayApr 1Heavy RainLow: 7°C (44.6°F)High: 11.8°C (53.24°F)
TuesdayApr 2OvercastLow: 6.1°C (42.98°F)High: 13.5°C (56.3°F)
WednesdayApr 3RainLow: 6.2°C (43.16°F)High: 13.6°C (56.48°F)

Weather data for Bern (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com

Transport

Railways There are passenger trains , and some of them are high-speed trains.

Subway Systems The subway system is available in Lausanne.

Taxi Apps You can use Uber in 9 cities. Bolt is available only in one city: Winterthur.

Car Rental Avis , Sixt , Hertz are all available in Switzerland.

Road Connectivity Index (2016)  With a score of 5.6, Switzerland is placed 40th out of 129 nations.

Driving Side In Switzerland traffic is right-handed.

Safety

Theft Occurrence Rate  1,449.00 thefts per 100,000 people in 2020.The global average is 544.

Road Traffic Casualties 2.20 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.The global average is 16.74.

Travel Advisory Level (U.S. DoS)  Level 1: Exercise normal precautions. 

Emergency phones in Switzerland

112 Police
112 Ambulance
112 Fire police

Sources

Smoking & Alcohol

Smoking ban Smoking is prohibited in all public places excluding entertainment and restaurants. Local limitations may apply in some areas.

Cananbis legality Recreational usage is decriminalized, and medical use is legal.

Alcoholic drinks are defined as beverages with an alcohol concentration by volume of less than 0.5 percent.

Alcohol allowance

  • 1L of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content by volume of over 18%
  • 5L of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content by volume of under 18%

Tobacco allowance

  • 250 cigarettes or 250g of other tabacco products
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