Mountaineering/Hiking
The Swiss mountains invite you to go hiking and mountaineering. Good equipment is required and the weather forecast must be studied. Hiking tips

Winter sports
The countless ski resorts are one of the main attractions of the country. Winter sports include skiing, sledding, cross-country skiing, ice skating, curling, etc. Winter sports equipment can be rented directly in the winter sports area.

Winter sports Bicycles and mountain biking
There are countless cycle paths and mountain bike routes in Switzerland. Bicycles and mountain bikes

In principle, self-loading of bicycles is permitted on all trains. Blocked trains are marked with a symbol in the timetable field and on the yellow departure posters. On the platforms, the blue "train information poster" will orient you about the location of the bicycle loading facility. The bicycles can be loaded onto the boarding platforms of the passenger cars, marked with a large bicycle pictogram or into the luggage cars, if space is available.

The "Rental bike at the station" offer is the ideal alternative to transporting your own bike. At around 100 SBB and private railway stations throughout Switzerland, various types of bicycles (country bikes, MTBs and children's bikes) can be rented in first-class quality. 

Fishing There are many rivers
and lakes in Switzerland that invite you to fish. The rules on fishing vary depending on the canton. Check with the relevant tourist office or municipal office.


Water sports There are water sports facilities on many Swiss lakes. Lake Lucerne, Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Constance, Lake Geneva and the Ticino Lakes in particular offer holidaymakers a lot of variety for boating. Aquatics

Tourists can import their pleasure craft (motor and sailing boats) into Switzerland free of charge without any special customs formalities, provided that they are already registered in the country of origin and are re-exported within one month at the latest. Further information: www.bazg.admin.ch

The necessary traffic permit for recreational craft is issued by the cantonal authority (usually the cantonal road and shipping office).

Non-motorised boats and bathing equipment (e.g. kayaks) under 2.5 m in length are not subject to authorisation. However, they are only allowed to stay in the shore zone of 150 m (exception: Surfboards and racing rowing boats). On the Swiss lakes, it is not allowed to drive faster than 10 km/h in a shore zone of 300 m.

A driving licence is required if the propulsion power of motorboats exceeds 6 kW or the sail area of sailing ships is more than 15 m2 . On Lake Constance, a driver's licence is already available from 4.4 kW drive power or 12 m2 sail area required.

Other sports Other sports
such as tennis, golf, but also squash, badminton, hang-gliding and paragliding are also possible.

  • Electricity

    The voltage in Switzerland, as in most of Europe, is 230V/50 Hz. Switzerland uses type C (2-pin) and Type J (3-pin) plugs. (Type C 2-pin plugs also fit J sockets.) Most power sockets are designed for three pin round plugs. The standard continental...

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  • Public Holidays

    Certain public holidays are celebrated throughout Switzerland – such as Easter, Christmas, New Year and Swiss National Day on 1 August . Other public holidays vary from canton to canton; find a detailed list here: Public holidays

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  • Drinking water

    The water distributed in Switzerland meets very high-quality standards. Eighty percent of the water comes from underground sources, the rest is taken from the lakes. The establishment of groundwater protection zones makes it possible to distribute...

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  • Telephone and mail

    Phoning home and within Switzerland If calling from Switzerland, you need to enter the international country code. For example, for Germany the international country code is "+49", for France "+33". The country code is followed by the area code...

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  • WiFi

    Do you want to avoid expensive roaming and Wi-Fi charges? Here are some tips on how to get online in Switzerland via Wi-Fi or mobile without spending a fortune.

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  • Food and Drink

    Whether typical Swiss, Italian, Asian or other exotic culinary delights: You can find everything in Switzerland. The rich range of regional specialities tempts you to go on journeys of discovery. Top chefs transform traditional dishes into...

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  • Smoking policy

    Since 1 May 2010, smoking has been forbidden in Switzerland in enclosed areas when they are open to the public or serve as a workplace for more than one person. Hence it is forbidden to smoke in restaurants, public buildings and offices. Smoking is...

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  • Alcohol and tobacco

    Alcohol is sold in supermarkets. The age limit for the purchase of wine and beer is 16 years, and 18 years for high-proof alcohol. There is no nationwide minimum age for the purchase of tobacco in Switzerland. Depending on the canton, the minimum age...

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  • Important telephone numbers

    Emergency Calls: 117 Police   118 Fire   144 Ambulance   1414 Swiss Rescue   112 European emergency number   General inquiries: 1811 General inquiries, e.g. doctors, theatres, etc.    162 Weather...

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  • Time zone

    During the winter, Central European Time (CET) applies in Switzerland. From the end of March to the end of October, Summer Time applies (CET + 1 hour).

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  • Drones

    Switzerland offers many beautiful subjects. We are happy when our guests use drones to produce films about the sights of Switzerland. However, there are a few points to consider: www.bazl.admin.ch

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