Europe > Swiss: Weather, Map, Costs and Travel Guide

The peculiarity of this country is the diversity offered by the origin of the different populations: French-Speaking Switzerland, German-Speaking Switzerland, Italian-Speaking Switzerland, all with a different language and lending their colours and features to multiple regions. Geneva and its privileged situation will enable you to enjoy beautiful journeys alongside the lake as well as through the old town, or visiting its monuments like the Cathedral of St. Peter, or the Clock Museum. Further north, Lucerne and its surroundings will enchant you with its mountain villages that populate meadows inhabited by fat contented cows, peaceful and relaxing landscapes, and idyllic sceneries for excursions. Climbing or skiing fans will want to visit Zermatt, where they can admire Mont Cervin and all the surrounding peaks; in addition they can practice their favorite sport. To breathe the fragrance of Italy, Ascona, in the south of the Alps, offers you art galleries, and the proximity of Lake Maggiore might make you think that you are at the seaside.

You will quickly find that Switzerland is not only about chocolate or banks, and its richness is rooted also in the vestiges of its medieval past, in the splendour of its mountains, and its renowned cultural events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival.

All means of transportation are available to visit to Switzerland: Plane, train, car and even by boat up the Rhine from Amsterdam.

Once you are there, public transportation is very efficient and highly organised.

An identity card is sufficient for European Union citizens.

The currency in circulation is the Swiss franc.

The cost of living is much higher than elsewhere in Europe: An average meal costs about €30 and a hotel room at least €100. But you can lower the cost by staying at youth hostels, which often offer double rooms and are much cheaper, or rooms in private homes. Another solution is through so called "farm holidays", which offer both a pleasant welcome and a moderate price.

The food is generally very good in Switzerland: You will enjoy delicious fondue, raclette, rosti and Bindenfleisch meat, not forgetting of course the famous chocolates.

When shopping, take into account that Swiss shops close early in general at 6:30 p.m. during the week and 4:00pm or 5:00pm on Saturdays.