Why Switzerland
Four languages, twenty-six cantons and rules that change from one to the next: opening hours, taxation and even public holidays differ between Geneva and Zurich. The country is small and its contrasts are administrative as much as geographical.
It is also the most expensive country in Western Europe, and that shapes a trip more than anything else. You do not go for long; you go well prepared.
Entry and stay
Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not in the European Union. That distinction matters.
Nationals of the EU and the European Economic Area enjoy free movement under the bilateral agreements: an identity card is enough, with rights of residence and work open under conditions.
For all other nationalities, that regime does not apply. The rules are Schengen's: visa exemption or a short-stay visa depending on nationality, ninety days in a hundred and eighty, and since 10 April 2026 registration in the European Entry/Exit System (EES) at every crossing. ETIAS, at twenty euros, is expected in the final quarter of 2026.
Source: France Diplomatie and the European Commission, checked on 22 September 2026. Long-stay rules are Swiss law, canton by canton: check with the State Secretariat for Migration.
Getting around
The network is the best in Europe and it is integrated: SBB trains, PostBuses, boats and mountain lifts are designed as a single system, with connections timed to the minute. A yellow PostBus waiting for a train is not a courtesy, it is the timetable.
Single tickets are very expensive. The visitor passes — the Swiss Travel Pass and its variants — exist precisely for that, and they change the arithmetic completely for a stay of more than three days.
For drivers, the motorway vignette is compulsory and annual. There is no short-term version: crossing the country once costs the price of the year. It is bought online or at the border; driving without one is an immediate fine.
Money
Swiss francs, not euros. Many businesses accept euros as a convenience but give change in francs, at a rate that favours them: paying in francs or by card costs less.
Tipping is not expected, service being included. And the tap water is excellent everywhere, including at the public fountains in the cities: it is the one significant and easy saving in the country.
Before you go
Sockets are Type J. A French two-pin plug often fits, but a French earthed plug does not: you need a Swiss adapter, and you will not always find one locally on a Sunday.
Everything closes on Sunday, apart from stations and petrol stations. This is not a flexible tolerance as elsewhere: it is a cantonal rule and it is enforced.
In the mountains, the lifts close between seasons — roughly in May and November — and many high villages run at half speed during those weeks. Check that the lift you are counting on is open before booking accommodation at altitude.